***THANKS FOR THE COMMENTS, EVERYONE! Really, I think that I burned a few calories with all the happy dancing I've been doing. Keep the comments coming! :)***
"So how are we going to find the Amazons?" I asked.
"Simple," Said Will, "All we have to do is follow the Amazon River. They'll be along that route."
"Okay," I said, "How do we get to the river?"
Will flagged down a taxi driver and within 2 hours we were at a small store on the banks of a huge river. He thanked the driver in a language I didn't understand and we headed into the store. There, Will bought a tent, a canoe, sleeping bags, and a bunch of food, as well as a water purifier.
"Where do we go now?" I asked after Will had put all of our stuff into the canoe.
"Downstream." He said sarcastically.
"There are thousands of mini rivers that lead off of the Amazon. How do you know which way to go?" I asked.
"Trust me, we'll know." He seemed pretty sure, so I trusted him.
We had to stop after about an hour, though, because the sun had already sunk over the horizon and it was dark. We all agreed that it was easier pitching a tent in the light. As we settled in to sleep, we heard clicking coming from outside.
"Locusts." Orion identified them, "Quick, get out of the tent. If they smell flesh, they'll consume it. Jump in the river!" We ran out of the tent and flipped the canoe over. We took it into the water and stayed under it to breathe. The locusts were trying to penetrate the wood, but to no avail. The river was frigid, but somehow, we all stayed warm. My ring and charm bracelet seemed to be radiating heat.
"Goddess of the Hearth," Will observed, but said nothing more.
We stayed under there for at least an hour, until all the clicking had subsided. We looked up and assessed the damage through the limited sight we had. My ring was glowing a little, making it easier to see. They had torn apart our tent, but the sleeping bags were still in tact. We still had our money and ambrosia and water purifier. We decided that, from then on, we would have one person stay up at all times and keep watch for danger. I didn't get much sleep that night, anyway.
When the sun finally said hello, we were already moving. We had put everything on the boat and started down the river. The current was very slow here, so it seemed like forever.
One day passed.
Two days.
Three days.
Four.
But on the fifth day, we saw something interesting in the bushes. It was a totally red deer with bronze hooves and gold horns. "The Hind of Ceryneia." Will said, "Follow it." So we abandoned our canoe and started our trek into the woods.