The Bracken Woods all streams flow into the sea

@Spyridon

She had only ever known a life soaked in salt, blood, and stinging sand. To be trapped on all sides by earth and trees was a trial meant to break the will of those lesser than herself; even now, under the thick canopy of trees and nearly impassable bracken, Minthe refused to be beaten. She was flanked by two escorts, males called Spyridon and Abraxas, that she refused to acknowledge unless necessary. Of the three of them, only Spyridon knew the way to the illuminated shore of Ankyra Sound— but Minthe was the leader of this journey, and it was her test to pass. She had taken no direction from him, but relied on the directions given from her High Priestess.

If she reached the Sound, she would be named an Adept of the Nereides. If Abraxas could return alone to the Coast to deliver the message of her success, he would be allowed to live. Minthe had no doubt that their party was trailed by Amazons of Themiscrya; if she failed, the sirens would kill her escorts, and she would be exiled. Although she held little regard for either male's life, failure was not an option. She would be an Adept, and she would be an Amazon.

Minthe was tenacious for her age, and devout— but her upbringing did not erase all signs of her youth. They were nearing the end of their journey, she knew, but she missed the Mother Sea; each day without the scent of salt in her fur, her mood darkened. It was nearly unbearable now, with the trees blocking the light of Mother Moon, and the earth beneath them smothered in obstacles. She loosed oaths beneath her breath, snapping at any cold and dead wood that dared block her path, snarling at those that dared to draw blood from her body.

"Perhaps we should rest," Abraxas suggested nervously, knowing it would not be well received, but also knowing that his fate was tied to her own— and that failure for him would be fatal. "You push yourself too hard."

She turned to face him, teeth bared and bloodied from a laceration upon her muzzle.