Setting Sail

As Delaeni trudged along behind Azoula, the sound of waves crashing in the distance filled her ears, a symphony that both comforted and unsettled her. The grandeur of the ocean was something she found infinitely mesmerizing, but there was also an undercurrent of panic that came from the sheer magnitude and unpredictability of such a force. The beach was vast, spread out before them like a vast expanse of untouched white canvas. As they approached, Laney felt the cold wind whipping at her face, carrying with it the sharp scent of salt and frost.

"Yes.. Beautiful," Delaeni stuttered out the words as Azoula looked back at her, her gaze seeming to penetrate through the outer shell of obedience Laney so often wore. Delaeni's eyes remained fixed on the horizon, where the dawn's colors were slowly spreading across the sky like watercolor on a canvas. The sight was indeed beautiful, breathtakingly so, yet it did nothing to ease the knot of dread in her stomach.

"Delaeni Terblanche"