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Lazarus and Cindy stood at the very front of the ship.
The sails were unfurled and they sailed upriver. In the far distance, Lazarus saw the tall mountain they were traveling to.
Smaagol kept to himself, steering at the back of the ship with the large steering wheel. Shannol was nearby, sitting on a wooden chair attached to the deck.
Cindy said, "It was a good idea to conserve our powers. I was getting tired while we flew toward the lake."
"Yes," agreed Lazarus as he looked over and saw Royce and Grace talking again, and staring into the water. "What do you think about those two?"
"I don't know. I didn't think Grace would ever speak to him, much less laugh at his jokes," Cindy said.
Lazarus shrugged. "Life is mysterious."
He also stared out into the water. Smaagol's large boat had a huge hold for fish and storage. Smaagol was a fisherman, but also helped people move things up and down the river.
The shore across the water was covered with large trees and shrubbery growing along the edge. Lazarus thought he saw creatures staring at him from the dimness of the shade. He gripped the rails, suddenly feeling a little tense.
"Does this seem a little too easy?" he said.
"No," Cindy replied. "We were stuck in a magical crystal for a hundred years, and then traveled across much of this elven kingdom, and almost got killed by giant bats."
"I’m not sure. I recalled Grace's stories about Nevada and your stories about New York," he said. "It seemed harder back then."
"Look," Cindy said, "you think too much. You should just enjoy the ride."
She came over to him, and he held her close.
Then he said something that surprised even himself, not least Cindy. "I love you."
Cindy was quiet for a while, and he was not sure she’d heard him. Lazarus felt embarrassed at his sudden expressive statement of emotion.
She turned to face him. "I love you too."
They were both then silent as the boat sailed on through the day.
***
THEY SAILED ON FOR many days.
They traveled during the daytime and slept on shore during the night. Lazarus constantly felt as if somebody—or something—was watching and following them. But nobody attacked them.
Smaagol still kept to himself. He was short and skinny with big eyes, and sometimes moved on all fours instead of walking on two legs. It was odd.
Royce and Grace seemed to relish this time together, talking about their childhoods and life before the Breaking of the Bastions.
Shannol had showed Lazarus on the map where they were going, and ensured him they were making great time. Lazarus thought it was smart traveling by boat.
The wind ruffled his hair. He still wore the leather armor the Elves gave him. A thought crossed his mind. He envisioned himself sailing on the river Styx with the dead ferry boatman guiding him toward the afterlife. It made perfect sense, in a metaphorical way. They were traveling to the Caves of the Dead to enter the Blessed Isles, which was supposed to be in the afterlife for heroes and heroines.
He smiled. Cindy sat beside him by the stern of the boat. Smaagol was at the wheel, guiding the ship. The small man was slowly getting use to them. Smaagol would answer him if Lazarus had asked questions. But Lazarus let him be.
"What are you thinking about?" Cindy asked
"Well, the last few days were relaxing. It was like we had a short vacation," he said.
Cindy grabbed his hand. "Yes, it was romantic."
Shannol was gazing out toward the water, looking pensive. Lazarus turned to see at what she was staring at. The size of the mountains, even from that distance, was impressive, with high crags rising up to the sky. He saw something else, but he couldn't tell what it was.
Shannol didn't turn to them as she said, "We have to travel through the mountains before we get to our destination. There’s a water trail along the bluffs."
"What are those tall things on the mountains cliffs," Lazarus asked. He raised his hand to shade his eyes from the sun.
Shannol took out her map, then came and sat right next to Lazarus. He felt penned in by her. Cindy stood up, feeling boxed in, and stepped in front of them.
Shannol pointed to the waterway. "There are two large rock sculptures."
Lazarus could see the map showed an image of the rock sculptures. Above the pictures was one word. Guardian.
Lazarus felt the word meant something, but it escaped him. The Guardian drawing showed two large knights holding shields and swords. He felt nervous for some reason.
"Do you know about these Guardians?" Lazarus asked.
Shannol shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe it’s the Guardians warning us not to travel into the Caves of the Dead, but with your magical talisman we should be fine."
He nodded. Her statement sounded plausible, and he agreed it could be true, but it didn't seem to be.
"Okay. So, how long does it take to get to the Caves," Cindy asked. She felt Lazarus’s fear.
"Not too long, maybe several more solar cycles. Then we have to transverse the waterway. This way is better than traveling by foot, or even flying."
At the end of the day, Smaagol found a suitable spot to set up camp. They enjoyed a meal of rabbit stew, as Lazarus and the others stared at the sky filled with millions of stars while a fire crackled nearby.
Lazarus saw Grace lying close to Royce, and guessed they were falling in love. He held Cindy closer to him. The gurgle of the water lapping on the shore lulled him to sleep.
