She hadn’t realized how long it would take her to get back to the islands. She’d been so angry when she left that she’d had no idea how far she travelled before finally settling in an arid place that wasn’t quite a desert but was close enough to one to be a balm on her battered soul.
She’d left that place behind before the height of summer, and it’s only now in the middle of what is obviously autumn that she finally washes up on the shore of her homeland. She’s thinner than she’d been when she left; her years of wanderlust have caught up with her. She’s so tired that she can’t manage more than a half-hearted shake to get the saltwater to stop dripping down her legs.
Scylla drags her tired body through the meadow, heading for the waterfall so that she can rinse herself off before she allows herself to rest. She needs to look her best before making the journey to the desert to find Evren. She hates herself for the angry words she’d thrown at Orhan’s daughter the day that her world had crumbled beneath her, and once her anger had cooled, she’d known that one day she’d return to apologize. That day has finally come.
Family is still the most important thing to Scylla, even though she’s realized that now it’s pretty much just her, depending on whether Evren will be receptive to her apology. The monochrome mare heaves a sigh as she reaches the falls, finally able to hear the roar of rushing water in the distance. Her conscience hasn’t let her get much sleep since she’d bolted from the desert all that time ago, and she is really looking forward to sleeping in a familiar place again.
Her neck twitches as her black locks brush the salt deeper into her pelt, irritating her skin. She doesn’t hesitate when she finally comes upon the waterfall, plunging in to get the salt off of her before it dries and chafes. She grunts in surprise at the chill of the water and decides not to linger, only rolling once before pulling herself out and giving a firmer shake than before.
Luckily there isn’t much of a breeze, so the cool air against her damp body is tolerable. She’s almost too tired to notice anyway. She looks around for an isolated spot, figuring that with night approaching, everyone will be heading home and she’ll be undisturbed. She doesn’t think she can stand being further delayed in reaching her destination, required rest notwithstanding.
She finds a spot between two trees that have yet to drop their colorful leaves, deciding it’s sheltered enough for one night’s sleep. Her soul is already so much more settled now that she’s home, and tomorrow she’ll start on her journey to redemption. As she drifts off, she thinks of Evren - though not of the outraged look the girl had worn when they’d last seen each other - and smiles.