One moment, she had been nestled into a plush pile of bedding, pelts and fabrics galore— the next, her eyes met the glistening forms of shattered icebergs, illuminated by the blackened sand.

Hrefna stirred, muted olive eyes peeling open against the crisp salted air. Waves crashed against the shore somewhere from behind, seabirds swooping through the winds overhead. Fluttering lashes brushed away the remnants of sleep and dusted sand, her limbs feeling like jelly and her stomach seasick. Her insides rolled with anguish as the stone-furred woman rose to her paws, swaying lightly against the warm wind. Spanning for what seemed like miles was black sand, warm between her toes. Speckled across the beach were shards of diamond-like ice, washed up from the frozen ocean.

She sucked in a breath, olive eyes taking in her new surroundings, her expression a mixture of confusion and admiration. A place of such beauty, almost reminiscent of her homelands. Cool northern air swept through her dark pelt, the numbness in her limbs beginning to fade.

Swallowing her curiosity made her painfully aware of how dry her throat was, hoarse and raw, as if she hadn’t seen water in days.

She had not been raised to simply stand and gawk at this beach— a pitiful fate should it become hers. Hrefna, testing the waters, began a slow trek across the sands, feeling it sift between her paws with each careful stride. The beach seemed desolate save for herself, though the faint scents of others drifted about, a quiet reminder she was not entirely alone.

Girl stalks her from a refuge of icy pikes. The woman's coat of quartz flows in peculiar waves, her poise is erect, radiating confidence. Girl watches the way she strides so nimbly over the same sand which swallow up her toes.
She wants to ask, how do you move so cleverly? Are you someone’s Ana? Have you seen where the seals go? Excuse me for interrupting, but you seem to possess some knowledge that makes the earth turn out and bask for you...
But she wouldn’t ever request such things from a stranger.
So Asxinu stalks.

Once careful, uneasy strides gradually regained their confidence and vigor, making quick work of traversing the beach. Her coat rippled like waves against the winds, her paws carrying her to and from the shoreline as she moved. The screeches of seabirds cried out overhead, their white feathers almost illuminated against the sun and sky. Hrefna drew in another steady breath, her tracks momentarily stopped as a tiny figure crested the distance.

The way this small figure moves speaks volumes of it’s age— clumsy and round around the edges, a coat reminiscent of fledgling feathers. A stark white fleck of fur against the blackened scenery, dotted with silvers and starry eyed. An expression she too had once held, full of wonder.

She holds her tongue, pressing it into the backs of her teeth. Muted olive eyes blink slowly, as if devouring the sight before her. Hrefna considers calling out, beckoning this small child forth, but the call fails to rise from her throat.

“Child.” The woman finally speaks, her voice just rising above the waves.

“Come forth. Hrefna beckons— Does this child speak her tongue? Would the little whelp turn tail and flee? The stormy-furred woman couldn’t blame the small thing if they did. “I do not bite.” She calls out, her voice softened this time, a gentle coo.

Asxinu was convinced her stalking had been terribly clever! She shrinks to hear the croons. How did the woman notice? Or had she known she was being trailed all along?
Heartbeat floods the flattened ears. It’s not that Girl is fearful, even if the woman is tall and intimidating! Rounding the crystalline spire is a low face, stubby limbs tensing after a few jittery steps.
Tata isn’t fond of strangers speaking with her. What would happen if he found this woman, not Ana, on their beach? And yet, Asxinu’s tail gives an involuntary little swish, betraying the desire to be noticed!