There was awareness.
She knew she’d existed, but where and in what form wasn’t clear.
She remembered the fire, and the water. There had been tension and pain, but now she was a hearty beast, ready for battle.
Hopefully.
She stood on a polished stone floor, against a panoply of armor, on duty as a sentry. Small wars raged around the province, but none came close, so she waited, as was her duty, her only option.
It was a long, long time before she felt the hands of a fearful but determined warrior.