//------------------------------// // Chapter 13 // Story: The Rivers of Avalon // by Snowy89 //------------------------------// The river was fast, but smooth. They’d awoken early that morning, quickly packing up their little site on the bank of the Coriander. Hurricanum was still well out of sight at that point – too many mountains in the way – but they couldn’t have been than a few hours’ travel away. Twilight dug her oar in, relishing in the thought that she wouldn’t have to do any more of it soon. A small school of fish darted about beneath her, the morning sunlight flickering off their scales in rainbow hues. Well, she thought, I might miss it a bit. The breeze kept up as they neared the break in the eastern mountain range. Well ahead of them they could make out the vast expanse of Chestnut lake, its far shores little more than a dull, blue haze. “We came in through there,” Twilight said, her spirits light enough to make conversation as she pointed at the distant horizon. “Stopped at Thistle for half a day before coming over here.” “The main route, these days,” Squirrel nodded. “Never taken it – none of the trade convoys are crossing the Calise, yet. Would love to, though – love the sounds of the sea.” “It was... very calming,” Twilight decided, thinking back on the week-long journey. “Peaceful, without all the distractions back home.” “I thought it was kinda boring.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “A fact you made sure to drive home several times a day.” “There was nothing to do!” Rainbow suddenly groaned and wilted. “There is going to be nothing to do.” Squirrel snorted. “After all the fun of the last week, I’d’ve thought you wouldn’t mind some quiet time on the way back.” “I guess,” Rainbow shrugged. “You guys heading back right away, then?” “I don’t know,” Twilight said. “We’ll have to check in right away; explain what happened and return the documents and drams, too,” she added, giving one of her panniers a reassuring pat. “Then... I don’t know? We’re not injured, so there’s no need to rush us back to Equus; likewise it’s not as though we need to hang around for some diplomatic work, tagalongs that we are.” Ships were moving back and forth between Equus’ various embassies across Avalon and the homeland nearly every week, so there’d always be some ship or another for them to take. “One step at a time, I think.” “Sounds good.” “What about you, though?” Twilight asked. She knew the other mare had intended to head back home, but wondered if anything had changed. “Rest here for a couple days, probably.” The canoe bumped gently against the shallows before they manoeuvred it back out to deeper waters. A hooffull of scattered pastures and homesteads dotted the hills and riverplains around them. “Then back to Wanderbelle. Think I’ll take the long way around – have some fun with it.” “Sounds like a nice capstone to everything.” “Yep.” They drifted on quietly, until, like the lifting of a veil, the eastern range ended and Hurricanum, perched like a great, brooding eagle on the rocky, shoreside hills, appeared before them. “Thanks, Squirrel – for all your help.” “And not asking to get paid.” “Dash!” Twilight scolded her, but Squirrel merely snorted. “No problem,” Squirrel said. “It was kind of fun.” “Yeah,” Twilight agreed as the warm sun and the cool breeze sent a pleasant shiver through her. “It kind of was.”