Rivers of Reverie

2. Calm Before the Storm

When the two girls arrived at the meeting place, the head priestess was already there, waiting for them.

"Welcome," Eris greeted them. "Have you slept well?"

"Quite," Liryl simply commented, glancing fiercely at her friend giggling behind her.

"Great. Come with me, then," replied Eris, inviting them to follow her.

"Yesterday, you told us you had something to show us, priestess, didn't you?" asked Liryl, looking around as they headed to the lake.

Eris nodded. "It's not like you can go to Fys Espyr on foot."

"How're we getting there, then?" asked Sanya, puzzled.

"With that," the priestess replied, pointing to the other side of the lake.

The two girls looked in that direction, but only once they came in the vicinity of the shore did Sanya utter, "It's a boat!"

Even if it was not particularly large, such a vessel was not a common sight around there. Nymphs rarely moved farther than a few miles from their villages, and on those rare occasions when they did, they commonly used small canoes. Ships of that kind, on the other hand, were intended for longer journeys, and they were reserved for priestesses when they visited other communities.

"A friend of mine left it to me years ago, when she came here to Fys Dhara for the last time," explained Eris. "But it's not like I had much use for it, so far. It will be much more helpful for the two of you."

"Thank you ..." the two girls murmured almost in unison, approaching the boat. Measuring roughly thirty feet, it had two pairs of rowing oars and, at its center, a dark wooden mast with a white canvas sail. Some bags were piled at the stern.

"What's in them?" Sanya asked, intrigued.

"Food and water for the journey," the priestess answered, glancing over the pile of supplies. "As for the smaller one, it holds a casing of nacre with a map of Espyria inside it. At least, you won't get lost too soon," she added with a smile.

Liryl smiled as well, but she was surprised by the awestruck face of her friend. "What's wrong, Sanya?"

"These maps are very rare," the other girl explained. "A sentinel who came from Fys Espyr last year, to talk with our commander, showed one to us. And told us that they are mostly employed by the priestesses and sentinels of Fys Espyr. Priestess Eris, do you really want to leave it to us?" she asked, then, looking at the head priestess. "We might even be away a long time ..." 

However, Eris interrupted the girl.

"Don't worry. A map, no matter how prized it is, is just an item. What I care for is that you come back safe and sound. And as long as you have that map with you, I know you'll always be able to find your way back home."

The two girls were left speechless, moved by the priestess's words. "Thanks for everything, priestess," Liryl murmured, followed by Sanya right after.

Eris smiled affectionately. "Take care of yourselves, little ones."

***

"Ah, it was about time we got some wind coming," Sanya exclaimed, standing on the bow and breathing deeply. "I couldn't bear rowing with this heat, it's been all morning since ... Liryl, are you listening?"

She looked up with a blank face. "Sorry, I wasn't following."

Sanya shrugged with a sigh. "As usual ... What's so interesting that you're reading, anyway?"

"The map Eris gave us," Liryl replied, showing her friend the parchment scroll. "Where do you think we are now?"

"We should be here, more or less" said Sanya, pointing at a thin blue stripe on the map.