Page 132 of The Awakening of Essensia

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The River

The boat rocked them gently as they rested at its base, the thin tarp shielding them from unfriendly eyes. Smoke clung to the dog's fur, his warmth seeping into her as she curled around his giant form. They lay like that, listening to the rush of water beneath them, feeling each bump and turn as the river carried them south.

After a time, they fell asleep, their breathing shallow and dreams restless. She woke more than once to find the tarp still cold and dark above, the shadow of night not yet passed.

Every so often, faint noises prowled along the riverbank, things that followed their little rowboat for a time before melting back into the night. All the while, they lay still but for the shallow rise and fall of their breaths, and their blinking eyes.

Vaelira awoke to warmth on her face. The tarp had been folded back, leaving only her feet covered. Orphi sat at the end of the skiff, nose pointed south. The sun climbed steadily to his left in the clear morning sky, gilding the edges of his fur in gold.

She stretched, letting the night’s tight grip ease from her chest, and peered over the lip of the boat. Behind them, the forest stretched north, and ahead, the river widened into a broad lake. In the distance, smoke curled skyward.

She had no money, no food, no possessions other than her borrowed clothes, sword, and dagger, but hoped edged in, if only hesitantly.

As the skiff slowed, her hope vanished, and what was left of Meer emerged. The town’s wooden walls lay in splintered heaps, revealing the charred skeletons of buildings. The air carried the tang of burnt timber. Smoke drifted north on the breeze.

The boat idled in the slow current, and Vaelira took up the paddles, dipping them into the water and edging closer to the dock. An old man sat at its end, legs dangling, a pipe hanging lazily from his mouth. As they approached, his grey eyes found hers. Orphi’s tail wagged gently.

She tossed him the rope, and it smacked the wood beside him. He turned slowly, looping it loosely around a wooden post. The skiff drifted past the man before it jerked to a stop, the rope going taut.

“Nothin’ here for you, m’dear,” he said at last, removing the pipe.

“What happened?” she said softly, afraid of startling him into silence.

“Raiders first. Demons after.”

Her gaze went back to the town. “Is anyone left?”

He shook his head.

“You can come with me,” she offered. “The boat is small, but it’s safer with company. We could find you a horse. You could make your way to Anhaven.” It was the plan she’d considered for herself, but her answers didn’t lie east. Not anymore.

The man's smile was small and sad, transforming his lined face. “Nothin’ left for me in this world but one last sunset.” His eyes went to the ridgeline as he unfastened the rope, tossing it back to her.

Morning transformed into a sweltering afternoon. Soon they found themselves in a fast current, the western fork meeting their own, sending their little skiff hurtling south.

Vaelira had to guess when to moor the boat. She had studied some maps of Eastvale but certainly didn’t know enough about river travel to make a precise estimate. She eyed a sharp bend that swung out east and decided now was as good a time as any.

Vaelira turned to Orphi, grabbing the rope between her teeth to demonstrate what she needed him to do. He watched her, then opened his mouth, took the rope and clamped down hard. She guided the boat towards the bank and told him to jump.

Miraculously, he seemed to understand, keeping the rope tight between his teeth as he landed on the grassy bank, staggering before pulling the boat to a stop. Vaelira clambered after him, sword in hand. One nod and Orphi released the rope, the current claiming the boat and sweeping it out of sight.

The trek west passed without trouble. Orphi helped her catch game, and they found shelter each night under thickets or simply leaning against trees. She slept little, but whenever she woke, Orphi was there, alert and watching the dark. She didn’t know when he’d become her protector, and she didn’t question it. She didn’t have the energy to.

Two days after leaving the river, smoke rose on the skyline to the south.

Was there anywhere left in Eastvale still standing? She had to believe Anhaven was. If she let herself think otherwise, she would turn straight around, and that wasn’t an option.

They reached the southern end of the mountain range as the last rays dipped below the horizon. The land dropped away on their left, leaving a narrow path of shrub-dotted rock between the ocean and mountain. A lizard skittered beneath one of the blackberry bushes that grew in tangled masses among the overgrowth.

It grew dark quicker than she had expected, and they were forced to stop. Waves crashed against the cliff face below, the sound a bitter-sweet comfort, lulling Vaelira into sleep. When she awoke, it was still dark. Orphi sat at her side, alert, but calm. She sat up, leaning against the rock wall.

“Get some rest, boy.”

She sat with one hand draped over Orphi’s side, feeling his breaths slow as he drifted into sleep.

The shadow of the mountain loomed at her back.