A Search for Balance

Chapter 12 - Changing Tides

Before they knew it, the last day of their boot camp had arrived. The Portkey back to Wigtown was scheduled for early in the afternoon, but even in the morning, the camp was bustling with activity.

Despite the emotional rollercoaster of the past few days, Lizzie was sad at the prospect of leaving the island behind. She wasn't ready to say goodbye just yet, so when they returned from their final practice match, she used an unobserved moment and snuck away from the rest of the team.

She walked along the beach until she reached a path she followed toward the cliffs. The wind whipped her hair back from her face, carrying with it the sharp scent of the sea crashing against the rocks deep below her feet.

When she came upon a set of cliffs almost at the other end of the island, Lizzie stopped. The beaches had disappeared, plateaus of reddish rock rising from the water in their stead. During high tide, the rocks were flooded, but with the water having withdrawn, Lizzie saw what she had come for - irregularly shaped holes in the ground, scattered all over the plateau and filled with water of a deep azure colour, which sparkled in the sunlight.

Lizzie had avoided the tidal pools during their stay, but knowing she would never return to his place, she had felt the need to visit them a final time. Fighting the onslaught of her memories, she fixed her eyes on one of the bigger pools and Apparated down the cliffside.

The heat radiating off the rock was staggering. Lizzie winced as she sat down on the edge of the tidal pool, briefly thinking about dipping her feet into the cool water but ultimately deciding against it. She crossed them underneath her instead and raised her face towards the sun.

Her thoughts began to wander, taking her back to a different point in time. An image flashed before her eye - the rough rock of the tidal pool in her back, her hands tangled in Orion's wet hair as he kissed her passionately, the cool water making his hands glide over her skin and leaving a trail of fire in their wake. Lizzie pushed the thought away. She didn't want to think about Orion this way, but the longer she had been on this island, the harder fighting her rising memories had become. Exasperated with herself, she buried her face in her hands. Maybe Matthew had been right; coming here had been a bad idea.

There was still time before their Portkey would activate, and - despite her inner turmoil - Lizzie decided to stay by the tidal pools for a little longer. She lay on the warm rock, arms crossed behind her head, wondering what it would feel like to join the seabirds soaring above her, fly high up into the skies and away from everything. The warmth of the stones eased the pain in her neck that hadn't left her since her crash into the water, and eventually, the strain of the last five days took its toll. Carried away by the sound of the waves, Lizzie was at the point of dozing off until the sudden sound of a voice behind her made her jump.

"I thought I'd find you here somewhere."

Lizzie sat up and turned around. Orion stood a few steps behind her, his hands buried in his pockets.

"Our time on this island has almost come to an end. The others are looking for you," he said levelly. When Lizzie didn't reply, he sighed, brushing the hair from his face with his hand. "May I sit down?"

Lizzie shrugged, and Orion sat next to her, slipping his feet into the water of the tidal pool. There was a small tattoo above his ankle, a scattering of stars Lizzie recognised as the Leo constellation. She wondered what was going on inside his head; once upon a time, she would have known.

They had been silently looking at the glittering ocean for a while before Orion spoke next.

"Memories are a peculiar thing," he said, and from the corner of her eyes, Lizzie saw that his attention had turned to the pendant he was wearing around his neck. He frowned at the smooth stone, repeatedly turning it between his fingers. "No matter where you go, you carry them with you, in your mind and in your heart. There is no end to them; everything we do adds to the endless stream of what once was. Some things we push away until nothing but a shadow of them remains, but they are never truly forgotten, are they? It doesn't take more than an ember to rekindle a fire, and before we know it, it blazes as brightly as it has before."