The sun was warm upon his forehead. That was all his mind registered in the beginning. Sleep clung selfishly to his senses, muting all that was around him. Teemu twitched and sighed, his body beginning to pull him from the depths of slumber. A soft, cool sensation seeped up the entirety of his body, lapping at his elbows and chest, and the darkness of sleep loosened its grip further. The lean wolf felt the earth beneath his body shift as the tide receded, gently taking the soft sand with it. Teemu’s eyes cracked open, his vision blurred. He blinked once, and then again, and it all began to take shape.

He was lying on the shore. His fur was damp. The sound of waves crashed behind him. It was all very familiar, although… Why had he fallen asleep here? What had he been doing? His memory was foggy, though he felt no pain, alleviating the worry that he’d somehow injured himself. His amber eyes turned inland and saw trees lining the edge of the beach in the distance. Why were they so far away? Also, where were the rocks and the driftwood?

Teemu lifted his head, ignoring the sand coating his cheek. His muscles tensed as he took in the surroundings. This was not his home. In fact, in all his travels along the coasts and islands, he had never come across this shoreline. A gull cried out above him and he watched it circle lazily. It didn’t seem phased or alert to any potential danger, but Teemu was out in the open, alone, in unfamiliar territory. He pulled himself to his feet and shook, sending sand and sea water flying from his coat. A quick assessment confirmed he was not seemingly injured, though he couldn’t sort out his sudden short term memory loss or how he came to be here.

Scanning the length of land before him, Teemu knew he needed to find a source of freshwater first and foremost. The cover of trees would be ideal as well. He had no idea who, or what, was out there. Ears and eyes open and alert, Teemu began to trot quickly in the direction of the treeline. He kept his head low and body ready.