Can't Wait (Day 87)

Only a few minutes later, the two reached the bank of the river, the thick grasses giving way to moss-covered rocks. It wasn't extremely wide; the other side could easily be seen from their vantage point, but the current, although not overwhelming, was noticeably strong. Terakiel imagined it might not be safe to cross and Aisen seemed similarly skeptical.

The other man rolled up his loose-fitting sleeves as he knelt down to the water. Terakiel once again remembered how chilly it was and was envious of Aisen's warm clothing. Aisen probed the water experimentally at first, but then plunged his arm into it as far as he was able.

"It's deep," he commented. "And the current's faster than I would prefer. If you do not object, I say we search for a part of the river that is more shallow. We would be wading through here at least up to the waist; I don't fancy the idea of being carried away by the current."

Terakiel had no objections, so he followed Aisen along the river's edge for a time, keeping a careful eye on the water. As they made their way further down, the trees began to thin considerably and the terrain became rougher and shod with rocks. Before long, their surroundings became unmistakably mountainous as the river led them into much higher elevation. Terakiel's heart skipped a beat as he considered that the river might be leading them to the edge of the Lakara Wood. What body of water did the river feed into?

"Look." Aisen stopped in his tracks as he pointed toward the horizon.

Sure enough, the peaks of mountains stretched into the sky beyond the hills. They were just barely visible through the misty fog, but it was unmistakable. They were heading into the mountains of Lakara. Terakiel had assumed the only mountainous terrain in the area was the High Hills to the north of Tombolin--they were all he had ever known, after all. But after all this time traveling through the unchanging forest, they were coming to a new landmark. Was this the edge? Were they even still in Lakara?

If this was the edge of the forest, then what was next? There was still no sign of civilization anywhere in sight. How long would he and Aisen wander aimlessly? How long would Aisen travel with him before he knew his terrible secrets? How long would it be until he was alone again? He was unable to communicate any of his fears so he remained silent and merely nodded.

"Do you know these mountains?" Aisen asked.

"No."

"I see. Well, it is difficult to judge their size from this distance, but if I were to speculate. . ."

"They must be massive."

"Yes. I think so. Quite large."

As they walked further alongside the river's edge, Terakiel lost track of time and stopped paying attention to the water entirely. The mountains stretching into the sky engulfed his field of vision. They were majestic and glorious. An unsettling thought came to mind as he examined the horizon; they resembled the black mountains of the Exod. He'd never seen anything quite like them before--had Aisen traveled some alternate version of those mountains in that ethereal dream world?

Terakiel scanned the other man's expression to see if he might be having similar thoughts but his face was neutral, his gaze locked on the horizon. Neither man seemed interested in the babbling water below. There was something otherworldly and fascinating about that mountain. He knew instinctively that there was their next destination--and why not? There was no guarantee that crossing the river would lead to where they needed to be. The mountain--much like the planar stone--seemed important.