The river was a liar. From a distance, it was a silver ribbon, a promise of cool, clean life cutting through the endless green. Up close, it was a monster. It was a wide, churning beast of brown water, full of snarling currents and hidden rocks that could smash a man's legs to pulp. The sound of it was a constant, deafening roar, a voice that drowned out thought and filled the world with its own angry noise.
For three days, we had followed its bank, our progress slow and painful. Shi's arm was healing, but he still favored it, his movements stiff and deliberate. The rabbit had given us strength, but it was a fleeting gift. Hunger was a dog that was always nipping at our heels.
We needed to cross. The mortal world was vast, and Shi's maps, the ones he carried in his head, told him that the safety of the mountains was on the other side. This side was open, exposed country, the domain of mortal lords and their soldiers. We were fugitives, and an open road was a death sentence.
