Slogging Through the Swamp
The Never Ending Quest - Episode 48321
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Hesht told Astra that in dry weather it was easy enough to avoid the
boggier areas. But after so much rain it proved impossible to tell whether
one's next step would sink the usual ankle-deep or whether one would be
plunged without warning into a quagmire up to the waist. A couple of times
their feet found no bottom and they were reduced to swimming through the
mire for a short distance. The only consolation that Astra could think of
was that at least this time it was mud rather than tar that she was
liberally coated in from head to toe.
Fortunately after an hour or so of struggling therough the marsh, they came to rather firmer terrain, having covered not much more than a mile since leaving the canyon. Astra had never felt so exhausted, and her every muscle ached. She could tell that Hesht was at least as tired as she was, though he insisted that they must push on as fast as they could. As best as he could estimate the sun would not set for at least another three hours yet, but the heavy overcast - from which the rain had now eased off to a steady drizzle - meant that it was very gloomy. Unless there was a sudden unexpected improvement in the weather, it could only tend to get even darker. It would be touch and go whether they could make it to Doazda's before it got too dark to proceed. Luckily the ditches that drained the land on the far side of the swamp were, as Hesht had said, fairly shallow. Even though they were flowing far more strongly than normal, they were fairly straightforward to cross. Eventually:
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JH
1/9/2005 2:01:46 AM
Extending Enabled
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