Episode 2: Already So Far From Home

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The barges were not much more than logs lashed together with rope. Rikkard eyed them uncertainly, but stopped himself from speaking when he saw the sharp look that Isobel gave him, and the slight nod toward Uther. He could see how white Uther's knuckles were as he gripped the railings. A warrior with a weakness is a weak warrior, one of the elders said to him once. Rikkard couldn't imagine anyone calling Uther "weak"; and I'm not going to, either.

On the end of the barges sat boxy contraptions, at which the boatsmen where busy. Rikkard couldn't make out what they were saying, but it was likely swearing. Once everyone and everything was on board, the boatsman each grabbed on to the large cranks set into the side of the boxes and began to crank. After a few dozen turns, the boatsmen hit levers on the sides of their boxes, and they began to whir. The engines pounded to life, and the barges lurched into motion.

Uther sat firmly in the middle of one barge, desperately interested in his beer. Around him were two of the horses, Abigail, Sister Isobel and Rikkard. MacGregor rode on the other barge with the carriage and the rest of the horses. He waved over from the front of his barge to the others, his smile wide as he enjoyed the ride.

"This is fun!" cheered Abby.

"G'ad y'lik'it, ma'am!" shouted the boatsman over the steady load thrumming.

Isobel bent down to Uther. "Are you alright?" she asked him.

Uther just groaned. "Are we there yet?" he asked.

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Silver Lake was beautiful. It was refreshing, too.

Too many days with only shallow brooks and his portable tub to bathe in made Ioan itchy. The water here was cool and clean, and it took the grit out from under his scales. Ioan danced as you can only dance underwater, weightless and bouyant, smooth and graceful.

He could see the barges crossing the water above him, clumsy and big. He could hear the sound of the engines attached to the ends of the barges, and he wondered just where they got them. Schools of fish swam away from the loud noises.

A cold stream of water brushed by Ioan's tail. He looked to where he had drifted. A deep, dark trench lay beneath him, stretching down into infinity.

Well, it can't be infinity, thought Ioan. That's impossible, or at least rather improbable. I wonder where it goes...

He dove deeper into the abyss. A few pale fish regarded him indifferently, but there was little sign of any life.

At least, until the eye opened in the mud wall in front of him.

The eye was as big as his head, meaning that the creature must be hundreds of feet long. It regarded him, curiously, and let out a soft, ringing tone.

The dialect was unfamiliar, but the musical language was basically similar to that of his people. It felt comforting to hear something of his homeland, the delicate music so unlike the short, sharp languages of the land.

Ioan gave his name in his native tongue to the beast. Land people would have held thier ears, some of it would be so shrill to their eyes. But to the beast, his name meant only one thing: friend.

The creature answered excitedly. "Hello! Good to find Friend!" It spoke clumsily, but with such force that Ioan's ears rattled.

"Yes," he told it, "I am a friend. Who are you?"

A mournful sound came from it. "Me... I.. lonely!" it answered.

The beast related its history in broken sentences to Ioan. It had been in a great big water, much colder and tasted differently (Tasted? Oh, salt-water! thought Ioan.). Then there was a really different water, smaller and faster. It was fun to swim against the fast water, and the beast swam for a very long time. Finally, it reached a bigger water, but not so fast -- this water. There was plenty to eat, and it had fun racing up and down the water, chasing after birds and strange things on the surface.

After a long while, the beast grew tired of the slow water, and decided to go home. But it had discovered that the fast waters that it had travelled up in had grown smaller, and it had new teeth which gashed at its belly and it hurt.

It tried again and again, but it hurt more and more. Finally, it gave up. It felt very tired, and fell asleep.

And now it has met a new friend!

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