The Jongurian Mission by Greg Strandberg

Author:Greg Strandberg [Strandberg, Greg]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B00AVW4KWG
Published: 2013-01-01T08:00:00+00:00

SIXTEEN

That night they dined on fried sturgeon and potatoes, cooked up on the small stove Del had in the cabin. There was more than enough for each man to have two large helpings with some left over. Shortly after eating they reached the King’s River. During dinner the southern shore of the lake could be seen off the bow, and a while after they could make out the river with trees and plains on either side. The boat gathered speed as it approached the river, and the swift current was easily seen. Whereas on the lake the going was slower, their movement determined solely by the wind, on the river the current pushed them along at a good pace. Small waves dotted the river’s surface, creating a continuous noise all around them. It wasn’t the thunderous roar that Bryn had heard along the Tillata River the week before, more of a low humming.

The river was quite wide, and two boats would have no problem moving down it, with still a third probably able to squeeze in between. Occasionally a large boulder would jut out in the middle of the flow, but they could always be seen clearly by the foaming white waters churned up around them. The banks of the river rose up high on either side and then leveled off; so that it appeared they were sunk down below the surrounding countryside. On their right was verdant grassland while on their left plains stretched on endlessly.

It began to grow dark by the time that everyone had eaten and the lake was a distant mass off the stern. Bryn decided that he’d grab his bedroll and sleep atop the cabin under the stars. Del informed them that with the river’s current pushing them faster they could expect to make good time. Everyone was satisfied by that, and with little else to see or do, most decided to call it a night. Halam, Rodden, Pader, and Iago slept in the cabin bunks, while Millen, Edgyn, and Willem joined Bryn on top of the cabin. Del and Cren took turns sleeping on the deck while the other manned the boat. Bryn stared up at the stars and listened to the hum of the river and the waves slapping against the hull as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

He awoke the next morning with the sun shining brightly in his eyes. The other men were also waking up so they all broke their fasts on bread, cheese, and apples as well as the little amount of fish that still remained from the night before. During the night they had left the plains behind so that now grassland surrounded them on either side. The banks had lowered too, allowing them to see clearly in all directions. The river had widened with several smaller channels branching off here and there while the strong current from the night before had weakened. Instead of rocks and dirt on the riverbanks, now they could see fine yellow sand, a sure sign that the ocean was close by.

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