Even drooling, Israfel could not help but think that she had always been the most incredible woman to walk the very earth itself. Even his own mother couldn't hold a flame to the wildfire that Samia was! Well, he did feel a little guilty about the thought, but he had not doubt Malina would have understood the sentiment. She had always been a little too wayward in her life, so he knew the fact that he had found something - somebody - to ground him had made her immeasurably happy. Israfel was just grateful that it was Samia that he had found, as he doubted anybody else would have made him so complete. Samia filled the entire world with something more.

Samia leaned in to lick his cheek, an he reached out to playfully nip at her ear - the floppy one, of course. It was his favorite ear, which was a remarkably hard thing to admit. It felt incomprehensibly wrong to have a favorite when both were just as perfect as one another.

"You're the sea-wolf here, you know. I couldn't tell you the difference between a crab and a bird, but bighorns and mountain goats? I've got you covered!" He winked, but then his attention focused on the shell. He lowered his nose to it and examined it closely, peering up at Samia with suspicion for a moment. Had she really managed to use it like that? Even if she had spilt most of it, he had no doubt that it was better than any other attempt her teacher had seen before.

It seemed, however, that Samia wanted to be his teacher. Could he do better than expected? Would he be the best effort she had ever seen? He smirked at the challenge and straightened, proud and tall. He had hunted harder prey than water! He had carried larger, heavier things than a turtle shell! If he could track their way through a snowstorm, he could handle dragging a little water from the river to the shore!

"I hope you know where the oysters are! I feel like I might be hungry very soon, and I've got such toilsome work ahead of me." He flicked his tail and then grabbed the shell, though he did his best to be delicate with it nonetheless. Even if he wanted the dramatic flair, he would have rather chewed his own leg off than have scratched the shell. It was Samia's shell, after all. If he hurt it, then he'd hurt her too.

It was difficult to hold, though. He didn't want to admit it, and he did his best to get a good grip of it away from her sly eyes. It was cumbersome, and his teeth didn't want to grip it at all. In fact, it was challenging enough just to get it to the river's edge without showing Samia just how bothersome it was to hold! By the time he had gotten to the water, he had drooled just as much as she had, though he was much less cute about it. Israfel was just glad he could wash it away and hide his shame in the river as he filled the shell and then dragged it out.

"So, just to the sea, right? You might as well get hunting now," he said with all of his unearned confidence placed into the small pool of water that sat within the shell. In truth, he hoped she'd go on ahead so he could get a few practice runs in first. So long as she didn't see him drop the water, then he could just refill it and try again, right? But...He had a feeling she might be thinking of that too. So, rather than appear suspicious, he suspiciously cleared his throat and delicately gripped the shell with his front teeth. Then, he took one slow, tedious step back. The shell moved an inch, then came to a rest. He sighed, relieved and then, another slooooow, tedious step back again. Another inch...Another step. How far away was the ocean? He couldn't help but check, a little too frantically to look at all relaxed.