There was something else, as well: Assa could hear the sea. Waves broke on a beach not far from where they were. They pressed on and came to the edge of the woods. Light seemed to stream in on them and cast shadows ahead of them.
Dawn and Assa both instinctively crouched down on the matted leaves and the moss at the edge of the forest. In the medium distance, over rolling hills and mounds of beach sand, they could just see the tops of waves cresting white and foamy.
Where are we? asked Assa.
Don’t you know the ocean you live next to? said Dawn.
Yes, but where is my village from here? North or south?
I don’t know about your village, said Dawn. I also don’t care about it. What I’m interested in is out there. She pointed to the ocean. Assa followed the direction of her finger as though i
