Lyra's POV
Sleep had claimed me beneath the towering pines, their ancient branches forming a protective canopy overhead. The first rays of dawn pierced through the forest, pulling me from my restless slumber. I blinked away the remnants of exhaustion, my throat dry and scratchy from the cool night air.
A shadow shifted in my peripheral vision, and I jerked upright with a sharp intake of breath. My back collided with the rough bark of the tree I had been leaning against, my heart hammering against my ribs as I struggled to focus my sleep-blurred vision.
The familiar figure sitting cross-legged on the forest floor came into focus, and my pulse gradually steadied. Ash sat there watching me with those intense dark eyes, completely at ease despite the early hour and unusual location.
