To Where the Sun Sets

Swavelli had made good on her word; she was on a mission to find the ocean. She’d been trekking through the bayou for weeks, on the hunt of where the sun set every night.

And she’d made good on her unspoken word, too, because Seffe was still with her.

Both of them had grown significantly on their journey, and Seffe had learned many words, much to Swavelli’s chagrin. There were times where his constant chatter about what kind of frog that was, or why the moon looked different than last night, or if any dinosaurs lived in the ocean, wore on her nerves. But more often than not she found it charming, and a reprieve from her own introspective, often bland thoughts. One of them had to keep the both of them fed, and figure out just where it was that they were going.

“How much farther until we find the ocean, do you think?”

“It can’t be that much farther.” Really, Swavelli wasn’t sure. They’d been going through marshes for a long time, through the territories of plenty of dangerous predators, dinosaur and reptile alike, and still the tall, water-laden trees seemed to stretch on forever.

Follow the sunset. She’d heard one of her fathers mention that to her before, when she was so little she hadn’t gone off in her own float yet.

(He’d actually said sunrise, but infants weren’t known for being the best at paying attention or remembering fine details.)

Their traveling took them out of the swamp eventually, but it was clear to both of them that they still had much father to go.

The plains were certainly a welcome break from the constant mugginess of the swamp. Fragrant flowers bloomed and drew in little butterflies that Seffe loved to chase as Swavelli settled down to rest. There were new animals around that neither of them had ever seen before, plenty of things with hooves and big, round ears.

“Do you think we can eat it?” Seffe whispered when they spotted a doe grazing.

“If you can catch it.”

Seffe made a valiant effort, but he trudged too loudly through the tall grass and the deer was far faster than him. Swavelli laughed as he pounced at empty air. He was disheartened for the rest of the day, but the sight of the mountains in the distance lifted his spirits again.

For Swavelli, the towering barrier made her wonder if the ocean was even real.

#

They continued on through the highlands for many days. The ground raised below their feet, and while they didn’t know it, they were climbing a long-dormant volcano. The mineral-rich soil made the plants grow vibrant and large, and gave Seffe plenty of places to jump around and hide in.

“Swavelli! Swavelli! Look!”

She sighed. “Another bird?” she said, trying not to sound too agitated.

Seffe shook his head and disappeared back into the underbrush. Reluctantly, Swavelli followed. When she appeared on the other side, she found she was standing on a ledge. She shook the leaves off of her and reared up, and she saw…

The ocean.

The ocean!

It was far out in the distance, but from this high up, she could see it; all the white-hot sand and the crests of the waves, shooting up foam. It was still a week off, she guessed, based on all the scrubland at the bottom of the volcano… but they were so, so close to it now.

Swavelli barked and ran down the slope, barely caring for how precariously steep it was. Seffe raced ahead of her on his long-toed feet, and soon they were halfway down, then on even ground again, through the thick brush and scorching heat.

#

Physically, it was far worse than the mountaintop. The sharp changes in elevation were gone, but there was no shade from the sun, which was especially hard on the thickly-feathered Seffe and forced them to travel mostly by night. The thorny bushes were scratchy and irritating, getting stuck in Seffe’s feathers and constantly pricking Swavelli. But morale was high, even for Swavelli, now that their goal was in sight.

The shrubs were taller than them in many places, but when they could catch glimpses between them, they could still see the ocean glimmering.

“Seffe!” Swavelli squawked as the raptor started climbing up her back and onto her head. “What are you doing?!”

His claws, though as young as he was, were still frightfully sharp. “Trying to get a better look!” He settled on his new perch and went quiet; watching the ocean through the taller dinosaur’s eyes.

After a few moments of trepidation, Swavelli continued walking as Seffe clung on. When he was still, she hardly felt his claws. They made faster progress moving as one, and the burrs were kept out of his feathers. Eventually, Seffe began to snore. Swavelli did her best to keep moving without tossing him off.

#

“Seffe,” Swavelli whispered, gently tilting her head to the side. The fluffy mass on her head shifted slightly. “Seffe, wake up.”

She could barely get the words to form; she was slack-jawed with awe.

“Are we there yet?” Seffe mumbled sleepily. Then he opened his eyes, and gasped.

They had made it to the ocean. The sun was setting, and it was sinking down into the water, melting and becoming one with it as the surface was washed with a bright orange glow. The ocean lapped at Swavelli’s feet, cool and refreshing after the days coming down from the mountain. The sand was soft and squishy beneath her, and her tracks made strong imprints in the damp sand; no one who saw them would have known that there were really two dinosaurs that had come from the east.

Seffe maneuvered his way to his feet, and he hopped down into the swelling foam. He chirped in delight as sea spray tickled his nose.

“It’s amazing, Swavelli!” He laughed despite the water dampening his feathers.

“I know,” she said softly. She liked it when the only sound was that of the ocean crashing against the shore. She didn’t want to intrude into its soundscape, not yet.

She took a deep breath of the salty air. It stung her nostrils a little, but she didn’t mind at all. It was the same kind of burn when she bit into a hearty fish full of algae, brimming with strong aromatic notes.

Swavelli began to walk down the beach, not saying a word. Seffe kept splashing without her, and Swavelli didn’t call him; he wasn’t a baby anymore, he would follow her when she was ready.

For some time, she walked along the shore, taking her time and absorbing as much of it as she could. Even without Seffe there to lighten the mood, she felt… at peace. Not like she was constantly struggling to survive or that she was searching for a goal she’d never reach, but that she actually mattered. She’d made a goal, a lofty and absurd goal, and achieved it.

And now she was going to take in as much of her pride as she could. She noticed all the shorebirds strutting around on long, thin legs; the hard-shelled crabs they chased across the sand; and, very far in the distance, huge aquatic reptiles breaching for air.

…That was a bit more concerning and might be something to worry about in the future, but for now, she didn’t let it bother her. Her good mood was impossible to break.

“Swavelli!”

She was startled out of her reverie by Seffe calling her name. “What is it?”

“Did you see the cave?”

“The cave?”

He nodded excitedly. “Just a little bit behind us. Lots of space for both of us! And I don’t think there’s anyone else there yet.”

Swavelli must have missed it while she was so focused on the water and the sand that she hadn’t paid attention to the rising cliffs they’d come down from.

She followed him down to the cave he’d spotted. Indeed, it was tall enough for Swavelli. Maybe it would even fit her when she was fully grown! She congratulated him on his find and, as the length of their journey caught up with her, decided it was as good a time as any to get some rest in their new home.

Swavelli settled near the mouth of the cave, where the air was still thick with the ocean’s salty scent. Seffe curled on top of her, not on her head this time, and started snoring even faster than before. The song of the sea lulled them to sleep as the sun sank beneath the waves.