Northern Legends

Chapter 1

People often tell stories about enchanted Scotland with its picturesque mountains and deep blue lakes. This is exactly where Cassandra was particularly drawn to. Here she found the peace and quiet she so often longed for and to escape the grief of her previous life. As she walked along the stony coast of the highlands, her eyes fell again and again into the distance to the horizon over the crystal clear sea. Below, the waves piled up with their snow-white spray to crash against the cliffs and rocks.

A warm gust of wind blew at Cassandra the single strands of her ash-blond hair, which had come loose from the solid braid. Even in autumn it was already very cool here and Cassandra pulled the collar of her coat tighter around her. Despite the bright sunshine shining in her face, the north wind was already blowing over the land. The backpack she was carrying was getting heavier and heavier, reminding Cassandra that her last break had been many hours ago. Even her stomach drew attention to it by growling loudly.

She sat down on a warm rock and spread out her lunch in front of her. Before she reached for her sandwich, she took a strong pull from her water bottle and wiped the dripping water away from her chin. What a relief! Courageously she bit into her salami and chewed with relish. Satisfied, she stretched out her legs and marvelled at the beautiful landscape that stretched before her. Lush green meadows, a blue sky and the heather that blossomed around her, defying the harsh weather while she enjoyed the sun's rays.

How beautiful!, Cassandra raved inside and closed her eyes. The rugged Highlands were always worth a visit. It seemed that only this beautiful land could make her forget her past and find comfort. It was the fourth time she had been here. The last few years seemed to have passed far too quickly while she travelled the world to learn so much from other cultures and countries. How she danced at the Indian colour festival holi and was thrown colourful powders. Or in Australia, where she went hiking on the red plains. But also her deep-sea diving adventure in the Caribbean, which showed her how colourful the world under water could be.

It's been a very interesting and exciting life so far, Cassandra thought as she carefully packed her provisions back into her backpack and slowly made her way home to her hotel. But in the meantime the weather had changed considerably. Just as changeable as this country was the climate. Thick, grey clouds appeared in the sky and the thunderous rumble in the distance did not let expect anything good. The formerly warm wind became bitterly cold and cut into Cassandra's face like sharp blades, while she shouldered her rucksack and pulled the hood deep into her face.

Before she knew it, it started to rain and the strong wind blew the heavy drops right into her face. Cassandra quickly ran down the hill and tried to protect herself from the persistent weather. Suddenly, white-hot lightning flashed across the sky and illuminated the now darkened day. Dazzled by the light, Cassandra didn't see the crevice in the ground and looked a lot. She quickly tried to stand up and rubbed the earth from her face with the back of her hand. What was going on? Cassandra had heard about such weather changes several times before, but had never experienced them herself.

When she wanted to go further, she grabbed another gust of wind and drove it further back until she suddenly felt uneven ground beneath her. Oh no, please don't!, her thoughts screamed when she noticed that she was only half a meter away from the slope. I have to leave here as soon as possible, her instinct advised her, but unfortunately it came too late.

As soon as Cassandra took the next step, the slope began to crumble and she lost the ground under her feet. It all happened so fast. One moment she was standing on the cliff and the next moment she fell into the depths. A bloodcurdling scream escaped her lips while only one thought formed in her head:

It can't end like this!

But neither the hard rocks caught her fall and facilitated her fall with a short, quick death; the monstrous waves devoured her and held Cassandra firmly in their grip. The power of the sea prevented her from fighting it. As the current tried to pull Cassandra further into the open sea, she swam back to the surface with all her might. But a rising wave pushed her back into the freezing depths. Gasping for breath, the force of a wave drove her against a rock. The violent impact took away her consciousness so that her body was left to the fate of the sea. But Cassandra did not yet suspect that fate had other plans for her. Plans that would completely change the young woman's life.

Translated with the help of DeepL.