It wasn’t the lulling ambiance of paradise that brought her around, but rather the pounding in her head and the burning down her throat that roused her. All the discomfort of dying, but the reminder that death hadn’t actually taken her yet. The fickle bastard. With a sudden start, her body fought for life by expelling ocean water from her chest in a coughing fit that shook her to her core. Cassiela’s emerald gaze illuminated -though initially blinded by the abundance of natural light- as she mentally took stock of all her parts. She flexed her toes into the sand where she lay as she attempted to pull herself together. Though, as her attention drifted from herself to the environment, she was met with immediate confusion. What in the name of the First … The white sandy beach glittered in the sunlight as the breeze rolled in over the tide that ebbed and flowed against the unfamiliar land. As her vision focused and the observation of detail returned to her, she recognized tree cover just a little further inland. Greenery meant freshwater, and while she would devote time and effort to considering her predicament … survival came first. It was only at the failed attempt to try and haul herself up did she feel the ache in her dainty frame. However, on the second try, she fought her way upright and braced herself for a feeble shake to rid herself of the excess wetness that clung to her fur.
It didn’t take her long to find a puddle that was safe to drink from beneath the chartreuse canopy of the island forest. It did little to extinguish the fire in her gullet, but she was appreciative of it nonetheless. After nearly getting her fill, her gaze lingered in her surroundings as stray droplets fell from her jaw. Thick tropical undergrowth as far as the eye could see surrounded her, with only the saline humidity and echo of the retreating tide to remind her of where she had just come from. She wasn’t sure exactly how long she had been unconscious, but she was obviously a long way from the Winterlands now. A long way from home- and the weight of realization settled on her shoulders like a ton of rocks. Now what?
