The Corona River

Folly did not outrun the reeve. Instead, he turned to the right into an alley that led behind the tavern and stables. This area was an open, dusty courtyard with a pair of utility sheds containing stores and tools. Scattered around the edges of the yard was junk, such as a couple of broken carts and a compost pile. Folly raised a trail of dust as galloped across the courtyard. The reeve had been joined by a few other men. The wind started to blow. A large cloud of dust billowed across the yard, obscuring Astra. The veil helped her, keeping the dust out of her eyes as Folly pressed forward. Where was he going?

Somehow, in the dust, Folly found an open spot in the walls and fence that lined the yard, and he went through. From the smell and the clucking of chickens, Astra knew that they were going through someone's farm. Folly then turned right again (toward Corona!), and slowed down to a trot, wending his way through a grove of trees. The brush thickened as Folly went deeper into the woods. Astra could now hear the sound of water rushing over some rocks. That was apparently Folly's goal.

The river at this point was deserted. A wooden raft was stranded on the shore. It was in good enough repair to float, Astra thought. It could carry both her and Folly if there were enough water in the river. The could be a problem, though. The river was not deep; it appeared that the water at its deepest point would not reach Astra's knees.

The river marked much of the border between the provinces of Polabi and Corona. To the south, the river would run to the sea. Astra was not sure what territory the river passed through on its way there. To the north, the river ran inland, toward what she imagined to be the sparsely populated interior of Hespan, but was not the royal seat somewhere in the interior? She wished that she knew this land better! She would have to find a way to move the raft against the current if she wanted to go north. To the east, of course, was the province of Corona, and to the west was Polabi.

Folly was not offering any hints.

Astra decided to

1. use the raft to travel on the river.
2. try to stay on land.

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