The Sentinels "ye young fellows that follows the sea"

Soon enough the beach gave way to gravel which in turn gave way to stonework, soil, and reedy grass. He was loathe to leave the big water that he had finally found and seen, but hunger was too great for him. The large man needed sustenance if he was to continue on with roaming and he had learned through his careless playing with the sea, that the sea was not as bountiful. He could not drink from her so easily, and the fish were nowhere to be found. He did not know that they were further out in the deeper water - likely being herded by a mammalian predator in the great blue - but it mattered little. So he made the decision to head for steady ground, and soon found himself upon a dessicated burm composed of discarded oyster shells and wilting reeds.

Further still there rose a forest, and upon first glance it took his breath away. He investigated the shells for a few minutes before turning towards the looming trees, and he headed for the safety of their shadows. The wolf made it through the fringe of the forest along a curling ridge of packed earth, and only noticed that something was different with this forest when he heard the nothingness withn. It was quiet - too quiet. There were some birds, but his approach spooked them from their roosts and afterwards, he was alone. He found little to suggest anything lived here, which hastily doused his hopes for finding a meal. But the forest held some curiosities too.

There were obvious signs of trauma to the heart of the forest; fallen trees abound throughout, and it looked as if everything was struggling to subsist through the uneven snow. He clambored atop a massive log and (upon steadying himself) carefully crept along until he could survey where the forest dropped out to a ridge, then the sea. What was this place? What had happened here?