'The Serpent," Releana said with awe. "It just keeps going. It goes on forever. That's what my mother told me. It just keeps going.
J'role could not fit such an image into his head. Instead he focused on the section of the river below him, and the sight was no less startling than the idea of an endless river.
Rising out of the river grew spires made of stone, grouped in tight clusters. The river's current crashed against the spires, washing around them in a thick spray on either side.
Just below the surface of the water J'role saw the base of the towers spread out, becoming wider, as if they led to underwater fortresses. Docked at one of the spires was a big ship with a huge, broad wheel made up of several dozen paddles at its rear. It seemed to J'role that the wheel must have something to do with how the ship moved, but he could not tell how.
The upper decks of the ship looked more like a large hill carved with dozens and dozens of caves, though the ship was- in fact — built of wood. No stairs led up to any of the doors, but ropes hung from countless vertical and horizontal poles growing out of the ship; it seemed that these were intended to provide access to the doors for people who felt comfortable climbing and swinging. The ship was painted bright blue and green, giving it a festive air. A word written in glyphs J'role could not understand was painted near the front of the ship.
"Look," said Releana, and J'role turned in the direction she pointed. Another ship, this one red, black, and gold, moved upriver toward the docked ship. The wheel at the ship's rear turned, and J'role realized that the paddles on the wheels pushed the ship forward, using the water as a momentary brace. Thick clouds of smoke poured from chimneys scattered without any apparent pattern or design across the top of the ship.
J'role saw no sign of anyone on board the new ships but looking back at the first ship, he noticed a sudden flurry of activity. A dozen thin people swarmed out from the spire where the ship was docked. The sun caught their green- scaled skin and bright yellow hats and bright red jerkins. From the water came more of the creatures. They bobbed up to the surface of the water, grabbed the ends of ropes hanging into the river from the ship's poles, and rushed up them like squirrels scaling trees. Thin tails swished behind them. They swung in wide arcs on the ropes, then used their tails to catch other ropes to swing further along the ship.
Now J'role could see reptilian sailors also scampering about on the second ship as well.
Large, long black tubes appeared from the windows, all pointed toward the first ship.
Sailors were all over the roofs and walls and ropes of both ships now, all jumping up and down and waving swords and shouting at one another.
The sailors of the docked ship pulled in the ropes that tethered their vessel to the spire.
The paddle wheel began to turn, and smoke poured out of the ship's randomly placed stacks.
Suddenly the red, black, and gold ship's black tubes began to billow red flames and black smoke. The crack of thunder rolled out across the river and echoed along the valley.
Huge balls of fire rushed through the air toward the: blue and green ship, but then fell short and crashed into the water. Giant plumes of steam rose into the air like illusory pillars.
A tremendous cry went up from the sailors on-the blue and green ship. Their vessel banked right, revealing an array of black tubes just like the one-on the attacking ship. The smoke poured out faster from the ship's chimneys as the vessel picked up speed, traveling a path that kept the fire cannons pointed at the red, black, and gold ship's bow, which was mounted with few fire-cannons. The red, black, and gold ship turned wide, trying to escape the barrage of fireballs that would certainly be coming …
But too late. The blue and green ship cut loose volley of shots that ripped through the air, half finding their target as the distance between the ships continued to close. Six fireballs ripped into the red, black, and gold's upper decks, with two more crashing into the ship just above the water line. Another cry went up from the sailors on the blue and green vessel.
Fires erupted on the struck ship, and J'role saw one of the sailors raise his hands to cast a spell. The incantation brought a huge wave of water rising up from the river and splashing down over some of the flames.
The fires spread as the ship continued its turning. Coming about, it fired three more small volleys, simply trying to keep the blue and green ship at bay. Soon it had turned completely around to beat a retreat downriver, even as its sailors continued to combat the flames.
J'role thought the blue and green ship might pursue, but instead it turned and headed back for the spire where it had been docked.
Releana and J'role looked at each at first with surprise, and then with broad smiles. "I never heard about anything like this before." said Releana.
J 'role had. His father had told the people in the kaer about the t’skrang years and years ago. But J'role knew so little that he didn't bother trying to mime it out for Releana.
"Ah. Some of it is still here. What will become. .?" his father said, and then fell into silence.
Releana looked quizzically from Bevarden to J'role, then shrugged. "if we're going to get across the Serpent," she said, "we'd better find out who those sailors are because I don't see how we're going to do it without their help."
J'role tugged on her sleeve. When he had her attention, he pointed at each of them and then across the river.
"Yes. We have to. . look." She pointed downriver. It took J'role a moment, but then he saw. Shrouded behind a white mist in the distance was a huge range of mountains. "That must be where the kingdom of Throal is. I can't imagine there being a bigger mountain range in the world." Her voice became excited as she spoke of the mountains. And looking at them, J'role could understand why. They were huge, and the way they were wrapped in mist seemed to promise something magical. All that was visible of the mountains were vague, hazy blue shapes. The peaks rose into the clouds and out of sight, seeming to ascend all the way up to wherever the sky ended-perhaps touching the stars themselves.
The dwarven Kingdom of Throal.
J'role did not know any longer which mattered more. Rescuing Parlainth or reaching the mountain kingdom across the Serpent.
I could do both, he thought, and smiled.
Laughing, Releana said, "Grim is happy again. I'm going to have to get him another name."
J'role grinned back. Another day, a day only two weeks ago, he would have become angry. Her teasing would have made him afraid, and his fear would have aroused the need to stay separate and become indignant. But not now.
"Son," his father said abruptly, "where is your mother?" Bevarden looked around as if she might just have wandered off for a moment.
An echo of loneliness passed through J'role's heart, and he saw the smile quickly leave the face of his companion. Releana had asked about his mother the other day, and he had communicated that she was dead.
He took his father's hand in his, and felt it shaking. A tremor of fear crawled up his own flesh, and he wondered how much of his life would be taken up sharing the loss of his mother with his father. Grim his name would remain for some time.
The valley's side was steep in spots, but many trees grew from the sloped ground. They traveled with relative ease by sliding down from one tree to the next. Bevarden was often afraid to rush down to the next tree, but Releana gently coaxed him down the slope.
J'role knew he could have used the magic to move with greater ease. It would surely be easier to climb down a slope than to climb up a vertical pit with writhing roots. But he knew the magic would draw him away from the others. And even in his silence, he enjoyed being with them.