*May not be the hero's real name. We'll see!
She awoke. The daylight hurt her eyes at first, and she could only squint. Slowly, the world came into focus. There had been dreams, many of them, but they were already disappearing as she opened her eyes. She heard the sound of waves lapping onto the shore, she felt scratchy sand on her body and clothes, and she smelled humidity in the warm air.
She sat upright and looked around. She was on the beach of a small lake, or maybe a wide river, with a shallow clearing then a forest on either side. She had no idea where she was. She had no idea who she was.
Overcome with panic, she tried to rise to her feet, but her wobbly legs would not support her. She sat in the sand and tried hard, as hard as she could, to remember something, anything, that would explain why she was sleeping on a beach. But nothing came to her. She cried. Several minutes later, distress turned to anger. She wiped away hot tears and tried again to rise.
No sooner had she gotten to her feet than howling was heard from the edge of the forest. A pack of dogs chased a plump, yellow bird out of the woods and onto the sand. Neither the dogs nor the bird paid her heed, and they continued right past her, down the shore in pursuit.
She gasped when a man and woman appeared on horseback from the forest line. They wore fine clothes, and the woman carried a brass horn. A hunting party, perhaps? She squatted behind a large piece of driftwood, hoping the two riders had not seen her yet. Would they help her?
A) She flags down the two newcomers.
B) She swims to the other side of the lake/river.
C) She runs into the forest.
D) She stays out of sight.