The Emerald Strait and Narrow

No, she wasn’t exactly thrilled about submerging herself back out in the ocean after it nearly killed her the last time. But after all the internal debate, her sense of curiosity won out. Maybe you could call it reckless abandon, but the emerald twinkle from the coastline in the distance had called to her. So like any seemingly sane person filled with wanderlust, she answered. The midsummer’s sunshine landed at full mast in the pale blue sky, and the western sea below was at rest- or as close to still as it got from what she could tell. And without giving herself the opportunity to back down from the self-inflicted challenge, the ashen fae had set out to cross the narrow strait that separated Emerald Island from the mainland.

Not that she had a difficult time swimming, she was just thankful to have solid ground under her paws once again once she had completed her swim. The answer to what had caused the shimmering glint that she had seen reflected in the otherwise natural lighting was obvious now. The entire island seemed to be painted in various shades of green. From the sand around the edge to some of the scraggly remains of trees that stuck out against the horizon. Honestly, she was a little disappointed that there seemed to be very little to investigate. But, she was already here, and she would certainly make the most of it. Instead of exploring further inland, Cassiela decided that she would stick to the beach- casually walking through the surf as she searched for anything of interest. After a careful inspection of the immediate area, she noticed some ornate, pastel-green spines poking out from beneath the surface as the tide washed over them. Carefully excavating her find, she gently uncovered it to reveal a fairly large conch shell. Like some of the other shells she had seen of this nature in her lifetime, she assumed that it had been mostly white at one point. But whatever quality about Emerald Island that made things … well, Emerald- had affected this piece of the beach experience as well. It was beautiful, though, even if seemingly unnatural. If she didn’t find anything else to bring back as a souvenir, she would return for it. Though, for now, Cassi would leave it where it lay to leave herself free if anything else came along.

Without finding anything else worth her intrigue, the charcoal fae eased herself into a sitting position. For the most part, she was out of reach from the tide. But on a particularly powerful surge, it would rush beyond her. Keeping her foundation dampened by seeping into her lower furs without getting herself completely saturated. She tilted her chin to the sky, allowing her eyes to close as she absorbed the heat of summer.  It was delightful. Her emerald gaze hazily fluttered open just to see spots of blue that glinted in the light. it took several moments for her eyes to get adjusted, but she was already in motion. Just enough for her to continue reclining all the way down into a laying position. There she was able to enjoy the warmth radiating from the sand on one side, and then the pleasant burn from the sun above. She used the back of her paws to block some of the light from blinding her eyes. It wasn’t exactly paradise, but it was pretty close. After she lay there for quite a while, her muscles began to relax and her eyes fluttered shut. Unintentionally, she slipped int unconsciousness.

It wasn’t until the tide began to rise did she startle herself awake. The water soaked into her back and sides as she forced herself upright. The deeply colored sunset was in full bloom as she staggered to her paws. Crap! She hadn’t met to fall asleep, it was just too relaxing to withstand. Luckily, she still had plenty of light to get back to the mainland. She just needed to leave sooner rather than later. Without any further thought, she quickly waded out into the water to return home. It wasn’t until she had gotten a good ways out that she remembered her conch shell. A pang of regret stabbed through her chest as she debated going back for it- and with an annoyed huff … she did. Hurrying back to where she left it, Cassiela gently picked it up and moved to reclaim lost ground.

By the time she made it to the mainland, dusk had just set in. She dragged herself out of the water and up onto the opposite coastline. Once far enough away from the water, she lightly placed the seashell on the ground and flopped down beside it- making no effort to ease her labored breath. She had certainly enjoyed her beach day, but If she had to get out in the ocean again, it would be too soon.

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