“Yes, Kile, it’s summer. Birds sing in the summer.”

“Exactly.” He nodded. “Too nice a day to spend inside. This is the sort of day you want to go out, stretch your legs, and see the world.”

“Are you saying you still want to come?”

“Faced with a day such as this, I don’t see how I have a choice.”

“You’re a very odd man, Kile.”

He nodded gravely.

“I like that.”

Farilane looked back across the river at the profile of the world’s greatest city. From where she stood, the rising sun behind her shone a brilliant light on the tall towers and golden domes, making them glint and shimmer. All of it seemed unreal—a dream made manifest in the world by the will of those who dared great things and refused to accept defeat.

How long before they discover I’m gone? How long before my grandfather sends the Teshlors to search for the runaway bride?

She turned around and looked east. The sheep-sheared pasture did not extend far. In less than a quarter mile, they would be in the tall grass and thickets that would make their journey a labor.

“No road east,” Kile pointed out the obvious. “Have you ever gone this way before?”

Farilane shook her head. “I’m not sure anyone has. Not far beyond this pasture, at least.”

“Then let us tempt fate and shake hands with eternity,” Kile said with a gleeful tone. He picked up a dead stick, snapped off the branches, and using it as a staff, he led the way.

“You can swim, right?” Farilane asked the two of them.

After several hours of walking through thick, torturous brush, they had managed to cross the Instarya peninsula and arrive, as expected, at the former Bern River. While the river wasn’t horribly rough—no rapids or boulders—it had a current and was wide and deep enough to require a challenging swim. Farilane was confident in her own ability, but less certain about Sheldon and Kile. Out in the sun and fresh air, Kile appeared delicate, almost fragile. Much to her own irritation, she found herself liking him more than she wanted, more than she would have expected. Usually, she made the replacement suffer for a good six months, at least. After that, she remained indifferent for up to a decade; however, she already found herself worrying about Kile’s safety. Not a good sign.

But then, does it matter anymore?

“Do you mean to say . . .” Sheldon looked at the river, his face lengthening as his mouth hung open.

“There’s no ferry for this branch,” she explained, “because there’s no need to cross here. The far side is the province of Rhulynia. The only thing in Rhulynia is Vernes, which is far to the south. There’s nothing on the opposite bank but a massive forest. So the question remains, can both of you swim?”