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Ydalon
"Earlier, in Ryndar" he explained, "you wanted to pass a lord's tollbooth on the Ryr. I don't know why, I won't ask. The only reason we're in this wood is you wanted a way across that didn't fill you up with arrows and pikeholes. I said I'd show you to it, and I will."
As he led them through the old green forest with a delighted smile and an adventurous twinkle in his eye, he answered the rest of the question.
"The Ryr's the river you can just hear roaring off in the distance. It gives life to this part of the outlands. Finding it is easy enough, it flows all the way from mountainous Waterspring to Lassalt's Delta by the sea. Around here, she gets pretty wild sometimes. Finding the Ryr is easy. We want to find a way across."
***
The sun was already starting to fail before Ydalon finally found what he was looking for. They had been following the deer trail for almost an hour, but it was not until he spotted the others branching out ahead like the limbs of a gnarled and ancient tree that the boy felt certain they were nearing their destination.
He turned to the others, pleased to have good news for them at last.
"We're close to the ford now. There's not much of a slope and the water's as shallow as it'll get. If we're quiet we might see some wildlife, it's a spot for drinking and gathering.
"But there's little chance at that with this kind of group.
"We'll cross the river and set up camp, so you can head off dry tomorrow. If you want to leave early, I won't stop you, but there'll be a few more things you'll need to know for your own safety. Doubt I'll talk of that tonight though, it'd be a poor time for it."
As the forest thinned, the river which had been in their ears for hours now at last came into full view once again. The banks on both sides were clear of tall or dense vegetation, and a near-cloudless sky could be seen overhead. The humidity which made the air damp and kept the fresh scents of the woodland close to ground seemed to stem from Ryrwater alone.
At a glance, the area was deserted.
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