The sound of crashing waves and the sharp caw of the seagulls wakes Brynja from her sleep.
As she grasps at the first threads of consciousness, pulling herself from her dreams, the first thing she realizes is that she's lying on a beach. It's warm out, and the roar of the ocean is all she can hear. Her skin feels wet and sticky, the summer air thick and oppressively humid against her ochre-and-ivory coat. Sweat has collected on her neck, her brow, her back, and she's half-tempted to throw herself into the sea again, if only to find some reprieve from the sweltering heat.
But as she takes a breath and rights herself on all fours, lungs and throat and nose burning from the earlier assault of sea water, she quickly discards the idea. The thought of getting back into the sea makes her quiver with anxiety now; the blackness of the water and of not knowing what is below her is too frightening. She thinks she'd much rather be stranded here alone than risk getting back in.
Shaking the moisture from her body, Brynja takes one shaky step forward, then another, until she's sure her legs won't give out from under her. Her appendages feel jelly-like from exertion, and though all she wants is to lay back down and sleep, she knows she can't stay here. The sun is high in the sky, but time has always seemed to escape Brynja a little too quickly, and it'll be dark before she knows it.
So she walks, following the coast, all while keeping a keen eye out for any signs of life around her. 'Am I the only one here?' The thought is almost as terrifying as the blackness of the sea, an icy chill creeping down the ladder of her spine. What if she has managed to get herself trapped on this island by herself? What if there is no water to drink, or too many predators? Brynja's mind races with endless possibilities, and each is somehow more frightening than the last.
But before long she hears the unmistakable murmur of voices, a gentle susurration carried on the breeze. It ignites a spark of hope inside her chest, something warm and bright that brings renewed energy to her body. Brynja's pace quickens and so goes her heart, her body feeling lighter despite the bone-deep exhaustion that seeps into every muscle and tendon. Suddenly, her situation doesn't seem so dismal.
And when she steps through a thin copse of trees to be greeted by a wide-open meadow, she thinks to herself, This could be a new beginning.
five. mixed breed. bay dun roan sabino.
homeless, loveless, childless. pippa.