The full moon reflected down upon the water like a thousand stars. The only sound was the constant lapping of the waves against the sandy shore. An owl hooted nearby in a hidden tree. The air was warm and balmy, full of the smells of midsummer. The soil was rich with rainfall, the flowers in full bloom. Dark fruit ripened among the green leaves of the trees. All was calm and quiet.

A young man with wild brown hair and even wilder brown eyes approached the sea shore. His leather boots sank slightly into the wet sand. He halted when he reached the edge of the waves. On one scarred hand he had a single silver ring, a small opal impressed within it. He gazed out across the moonlit bay, listening. Waiting.

Ten minutes passed. The young man grew anxious. He shifted his weight from foot to foot. Perhaps she wasn't coming. Perhaps there had been a mistake. After all, it had been nearly a year since they had last seen one another. Nearly a year since he had been with the one his heart belonged to.

The moon rose higher still. The young man felt his hope being replaced by chilly disappointment. He cursed fouly. He should have known. He was being foolish. Women seldom blessed their men with anything but an aggrieved heart. Better he stayed alone and untethered like the rest of his fellows.

Just as the man turned from the beach to head back to the small village just minutes from the shore, he heard a small noise. He paused. At first, it sounded like a small kitten. A faint mewling noise tickled his sharpened ears again. He turned slightly, trying to pinpoint the origin of the pitiful sound. Most likely, it was just a seal pup pining for his mother. The man started to leave again.

The ring on his finger suddenly burned. White-hot and making his eyes smart, he yelped and cursed in pain, trying to wrench off the ring. It was stuck tight. Seeing no alternative, the man rushed to the water's edge and plunged his searing fist into the cool ocean.

The burning stopped. Sighing in relief, the man waited a moment later. He knew there would be a burn, scabbing, and another ugly scar to mar his hand. Resigned, he heaved himself back to his feet and turned to go a final time.

He nearly tripped over a small dark bundle.

Stabilizing himself, the young man gazed down upon the mass. The silvery light of the full moon made it easier for him to see what lay before him. The size of a loaf of bread and wrapped in seaweed was a child.

The young man stared in disbelief. Was it alive? Surely not. It looked wet and utterly woebegone. Grimacing, he bent down and picked up the bundle gingerly.

It cried.

Swearing again, this time in surprise, the man cradled the child closer. It was an infant, no older than a month old, with a patch of strawberry blonde hair that looked dark orange because it was wet. The child wailed louder. It was surprisingly warm and well-fed. The young man glanced around fervently, trying to look for its mother.

"Hello?" He called uncertainly. "Is someone there? Anyone? Hello!"

But only the gentle waves lapping the shore answered him. The child cried again, waving her small fists. Her tiny mouth was open and quivering. The young man held her closer, trying to share his body warmth. Surely her mother would come for her in the daylight. But what kind of mother would leave her child alone on the beach at well past midnight in the first place?

The man hurried from the beach towards a familiar cottage situated a quarter mile from where the child had been lying. His sister, who already had two children and a nursing baby, would be happy to take on one more mouth to feed. When the ship left port in a week, he would board it as well. Hopefully, this small act of grace and mercy would make the gods smile down upon him.

He did not notice the shape rising from the waters, staring at his retreating form. He didn't hear the same form begin to cry, a low, melodious tune filled with such grief that it made the owl leave its tree and seek solace somewhere more peaceful. Only the figure in the water knew that one of the two who had departed her beach carried with them a torch of destiny.