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ETA: Lightning Bay
Cold water lapped at her toes as Nocht sat on the beach, the sea encroaching upon her,
unstoppable. She sat with her elbows up on her knees, hunched over while her hands shielded
her face, one over her eyes almost like a visor, the other covering her mouth as she sat in
thought. Beneath her hands her expression was stony. She'd known her ship was at best
merely un-seaworthy when she had left the wreck and her fellow ship-mates on the beach just
over a week ago, but she hadn't expected for there to be nothing left when she returned.
There were no footsteps in the sand, no trace of the others she had slowly gotten to know
on the voyage over. There was nary a piece of drift wood even, except for the scraps one
might expect to see. When she had approached the beach originally she had had a sinking
feeling in her stomach at the clear horizon, but convinced herself to wait and see. Once on
the beach and after a thorough, if short, exploration of the immediate area she admitted
defeat and kicked at the sand savagely, muttering "Bollocks." as she fell to sit on the
sand. Since then she had sat consoling herself on the beach and thinking.
Even though Nocht had pledged her allegiance to Storm and had no intentions of leaving, she
had still been eager to return to the boat and collect what meagre belongings she had
acquired. She was always a pack rat but had embarked with nothing save for what she could
carry; most of which had been necessities anyway. Food, which they soon ploughed through, a
fishing rod an uncle constructed for her and taught her the rudiments of use. And then
other knick knacks she had deemed necessary to bring with her and items she procured once
on board. She had always planned on returning to get them, but had found herself
unexpectedly trapped in Storm after the avalanche and ensuing rescue effort for poor Ember.
Luckily the pup had been found safe and sound and Nocht had been more than happy to lend a
hand, but she hadn't expected to be delayed for so long. Eventually when the snow was
deemed to have settled enough for her to tip toe down to the beach, she had done so. Only
to be confronted with the sight of her boat gone. She dropped her head into her hands and
let out a strained laugh. As if it had been 'her' boat. But it had been her home for the
long months preceding. She had had memories on that boat; memories swept far out to sea now
by the strong current.