Reflections of Mist

Brave

Nyx was falling.

Falling through the open air, the brilliant blue sky glowing behind her, clouds whipping about her head like the softest silk, the wind beating at her face.

She flailed wildly, arms whirling, her shrieks of both fear and exhileration ripped away on the winds. She tumbled towards the ground, being tossed like a feather on the waves through the great ocean of the sky...

Nyx's eyes snapped open as she drew in a ragged breath, laid out on the cold floor of the caves, her cheek plastered to the rock by her damp tear-dotted skin.

Peeling herself up off the floor, she brushed herself down, feeling that strange, damp-eyed lightheadedness that follows tears. She'd obviously cried herself to sleep, and now, she felt like a new person. Fear and tears weren't going to achieve anything, and she knew that now. She couldn't be sure that anyone was coming, but all she knew was that no one was here now.
By some miracle, she was alive and unharmed. And that was not a gift she was going to waste.

Brave. She was going to be brave.

And she was going to do this.

This time, there was no Alysha in her head, goading and persuading. This time, her decisions and drive were her own.

Standing up, she looked around the cavern, spying various tunnels and exits.

It would be a risk walking off into the labyrinth of caves without any definite way back, as this place so far was the only cavern she knew was safe, and wouldn't want to be unable to return.

If only she had some string or something, to leave a trail. Heck, she'd take breadcrumbs at this point.

Unless... Picking up a small but sharp blade of rock, she tested it against the stone.
It scratched.

This could work. It wasn't perfect, scratching marks like this, but if she also counted her steps...

Well, one way to find out.