14. Ylfa
The party arrives atthe western coastline a few days later, and already I can taste the salt in the air.
We’re nearing the ocean.
I trudge forth on my weary limbs. We’ve been traveling for weeks, and I feel as if I could sleep for an eternity, but I still can’t contain my excitement.
Finally. All our hard work is about to pay off.
Patrick and I will get to see the ocean at last. There’s an endless world to explore after all, and I’m going to seize it between my fingers.
It’s time we found adventure outside the pages of a book.
Brianna takes the lead, climbing up a steep, rocky hill, and butterflies flap in my stomach. Gulls cry overhead, and it’s my first time hearing the sound. I read a book a while back where the character described the crying of gulls, and how it always made her think of the sea, but I don’t find it all that pleasant myself. They cackle and flap their white, streamlined wings. Some hover in the air like kites, letting the harsh, salty wind guide their bodies.
The air is bitter, and it makes me scrunch up my nose. I’m not the only one. All the wolves stop and take a moment to adjust to the sharp, briny scent. It’s sensory overload for us, but not for the humans.
They’ve been here before, obviously.
It amazes me how far they’ve all traveled. They managed to survive this far without being discovered by shifters, and I wonder if any wolves know of this place.
The sea is not a natural habitat for wolves. Sure, there’s fish and seafood—and I bet seagull doesn’t taste bad either—but we prefer to live inland.
Have humans been making use of the empty shorelines? Pretty smart.
Brianna’s breath hastens as we crest the hill. It’s obvious the wolves are in better shape. We’re stronger and more durable. This is pretty much a walk in the park for our muscles.
When she nears the top of the hill by an upright stone pillar, leaning her hand against the rock, we stop. Theresa and Andrew come up beside her, gazing at something I can’t see.
But I quickly realize I don’t need to see it because I can hear the distant crashing of waves, another description I read so much about in books, but could never imagine due to my lack of experience. It’s loud, like the roar of a beast, and we all take a moment to listen.
It’s peaceful. Both human and wolf bask in the moment, and already my spirits are lifted. All the stress from the past few weeks vanishes the instant I hear those crashing waves.
But hearing is one thing. I need to see.
The others hold back, but I move up the hill. Patrick and Hunter follow my lead, then Chelsea, Tiffany, and Annabel soon after.
My heart won’t stop pounding. I am going to see the sea.
Will it be as blue as those old holiday brochures that Patrick and I used to dream about? All that tropical water...
My knees shake as I crest the hill. Brianna watches curiously, and I bet there’s no missing the childlike excitement in my eyes. I even think she smiles, but it passes quickly as she goes back to being her stoic, bitchy self.
Finally, I reach the stone pillar, and I wonder how it got there. Did the humans haul it up themselves? It must weigh several tons.
Yet, when I finally see the great expanse of water stretching far and wide, all thoughts of the rock vanish.
The ocean...
Gray, undulating water spreads as far as my eyes can see, stopping at a horizontal line in the distance, and I don’t believe it. It’s the horizon. I’ve never seen one so pronounced and clear.
I’ve seen horizons before. But instead of a never-ending sea of trees, I am now gazing at an endless span of water.
So much water... Who knew there was so much on this planet?
I always knew the world was covered in seventy percent of water, but to see it in real life is something else.
It’s beautiful.