"Gala!"

I grin just a tad evilly. "I can't neglect my duty as a priestess, even for a lost soul such as him. He'll be longer picking that up than it will take for your lip to stop bleeding, that's for sure." I take his hand with a polite curtsy and embark on our brand-new vessel.

Aston makes a face and rolls his eyes like he has no idea what he's gotten himself into, then pulls the tie loose, casting off. "Thank you, Gala. For your fine work as a doctor and as a negotiator."

I let out a dramatic long breath and let my shoulders slump. "I didn't know if that was going to work out. We even got away with some of the money left, and I got to keep all the herbs I had for you." I smile happily as I add the largest gold coin back to the stash and settle it back in my pack, nestled in with all my aromatic, earthy treasures. "I was getting this boat, one way or the other."

"I'd hate to see your other methods of negotiation. Considering how ruthless you were here." Aston says with a wink as he secures the oars. "'Rearrange his insides', eh?"

I blush just a bit. "He made me angry. And you know I could've. Not that I would ever actually do that to another human being... but I am capable. Just saying." I sigh. Despite my joke about penance, that had most certainly not been priestess-like behavior. I would probably have to end up taking some time to meditate again before the week was out, at this rate. "I wanted to, when he hit you with that oar."

"I probably have a valiant black eye," he says lightly and licks his lip. "Well, even if you wouldn't do that, you were going to take it to the next level somehow. I may not be in touch with the energy of the universe, but I can spot body language. An open palm on you is something worth noting."

I smile guiltily. "Caught that, did you?"

Aston nods assent and starts to row. The river is wide and calm, easy travels ahead. Aston seems pleased to be afloat.

"It was just an idea I had. I just couldn't see my way clear to stealing it. It just didn't sit right. But after what he said about 'ruin-scrapers'," I scowl at the memory, "I felt a little better about.. forcing his hand a bit to sell." It feels great to be moving again. I'm jumping all over the bow of the boat, watching the shore of the river slide past, examining the oars, bending down to look into the water, admiring the speed and ease of my new favorite form of travel. "This is wonderful!"

Aston tries to follow me with his eyes while I bounce around as he widens his legs to stabilize the boat. "Lucky for you, I'm willing to row the whole way, and my insomnia will keep us safe at night. Looks like you'll enjoy three days on the river, if you can fish as well as I that is."

I look up from the bit of river bed that I had been inspecting. "Do you really expect to do all of the rowing? I need you to at least try to take it easy. I just reset your arm yesterday, remember? Are you allergic to rest or something?" The wind feels good on my face and in my hair. I peer over the edge of the boat again. "I wish I had done this sooner!"

"I am allergic to boredom. I have never grown tolerant of it, even with so many unoccupied nights. So I guess in a way, more than one actually, I am restless. Besides, I can just steer if I get tired." He lifts the oars out as if to show that the boat doesn't stop if he does.

"Have you ever sailed a boat before?"

"Once or twice. Been on plenty, though. It's not hard. Quite natural actually.

I smile and face the wind again. "I've never been on one before."

Ahead of us the river winds slowly to the right. The water reminds me of black volcanic rock: flat and glossy. Reflections of the trees lay nearly perfect beneath us. Looking straight down I can see the sky in the same mirrored reflection.

"So, where exactly will we be in three days? Are we stopping somewhere else first or are we heading straight to Avalon?"

"Avalon's not along the river. Not this one at least. We will be stopping in Anshire. From there it'll be a couple days still to Avalon. I'll have to be clever again to get us there, with this leg." Aston scratches the corner of his open mouth. "We don't have any more apples, do we?"

I dig through the pack. "A few." I toss all three to him. "Some little pears, too." I take one of these myself. "So... in Anshire, will they react to me the same way?" I indicate my neck as I unclasp the cloak that I had subtly pulled tight when we spoke to the man in the village, drawn comfortably open now in the privacy of the boat and the heat of the strong sunlight on the water.

Aston catches the first apple, and has to deflect the other two to the floor of the boat. He polishes the apple slowly and takes a careful bite. "Mo," he swallows, "Well, I hope not. As far as I know Islingard is the only town that acts this way. Being so close and dealing with them all, you know." He motions his hand to and then away from his neck, inviting me to do the same. "Let it get some sun." he sticks the apple in his mouth and turns his head politely to focus on rowing. "I should actually be facing the other way to row better. Give me a hand?"

I help him scooch around to face the other direction, and when I'm sure he's not looking I open the cloak and lower my collar just a bit, throwing my head back with my eyes closed and enjoying the sun full on my face and neck. It feels incredible. After the chill of the deep woods and my early morning dip, it feels like I'm finally getting warmed all the way through. I don't know if I've ever felt so relaxed and carefree, now that the uncertainty of Aston's condition and the immediate danger of fleeing Islingard seemed behind us. All we had to do now was wait while the river carried us closer to our destination. I can feel myself starting to get drowsy in the strong, late afternoon sun.

Aston occasionally gives the slightest look out of the corner of his eye. Checking the route and my posture out of as little of his fuzzy peripheral as he can. Luckily the river is deep and slow. It should be a hazard free journey from here.

"Hey Aston?" I open one eye lazily after a bit of time has passed and readjust my collar to a slightly more modest height. "Remember when you asked me to point out the 'energy' to you? Look around."

Aston looks back at me, then scans the tops of the trees carefully. He takes a hard glance at the sun, but blinks away. the water is much easier on his eyes, and he peers at it for a while. Finally he looks downstream, at you, then corrects the boat. he looks over the edge of the boat into the water as he does so.

I laugh and shake my head. "So busy. Stop searching and thinking; just listen."

Aston looks at me, trying to digest my words. He checks the course, then turns the paddles into the boat and lets go of the handles. He sits up as straight as he comfortably can, lets out his breath and takes in a new one. He seems uneasy with the stillness.

"Relax. Focus. Close your eyes." I pause a moment to let the sound of the river drown out the distractions in his head. I speak calmly and soothingly. "Do you feel it? The water moves, it is sucked up by the trees on the shore who use it to stretch and reach closer to the sun. There are birds and squirrels living on them, and insects deep below the bark. Foxes and snakes tunnel in the roots. Each act upon each other. And here, we're borrowing the movement of the stream to get to where we're going. Your own energy is reaching out and touching everything here; try to reign in your impact as you feel the exchange."

I repeat the lessons Inara had given me as a very young child, smiling and greatly amused by his obvious discomfort with stillness and inaction, wrestling with his attempt at meditation.

Aston struggles for a while, clear from his posture even though his back is turned. Suddenly, his shoulders slowly lower. His head crocks slowly to one side. He looks like someone listening to, lost in beautiful music. A submerged branch slapping and scraping the hull startles him out of it, and again he is twisting to guide the boat.

I laugh again. "Very good. You're very focused, but restless, as you said. It looks like you aren't quite at Enlightenment yet. Another week, perhaps? You should be chucking things around in no time." More laughter.

"Until then, I'll just leave the Enlightenment to you, eh?" Aston jokes but is clearly slightly displeased with his performance.

"If you managed to Disappear your first time meditating, I would hand over my duties as Ainariel to you right now."

Aston stops paddling and twists to look at you." ... You can disappear?"

"Hahaha, that's what we call it when I use my gift. It requires that I first erase my own energy, or 'aura' I suppose you could call it, so that I can manipulate others nearby-or, 'Disappear'. It's the first thing we learn, but it's only the first half. I trained for years to be able to do just that much-it was years later that I so much as wiggled a leaf with my Gift." Ah, but how satisfying that first leaf-wiggle was.

"By now I can do it automatically and nearly instantly, but I sometimes still meditate, like this morning, to bring myself back to focus."

"Gotcha. Make your energy disappear. You stop being a rock in the stream of energy, perhaps?" Aston rows slowly, then rolls his shoulder a few times. "Why is it important to Disappear?"

"Remember I told you that humans have very chaotic energy? That's because people by nature exist in a state of constant conflict with their own wills and intention. We constantly second guess, doubt, decide, deny, changer our minds, change our preference-humans never know exactly what they want. We have a higher consciousness and more powerful will than, say a tree or a fish, but our intentions are constantly muddled.

In order to exercise my will over the energy of something else, I need to erase my own chaotic influence to avoid disturbing the target's energy flow, as well as to narrow my focus to one singular intention. That's what "Disappearing' is. I substitute my own will and desires in order to carry out my duty to guard, care and protect. It signifies the surrender of my needs and wants for those of the city. Does that make sense?"

"Aston nods as he reaches for the oars again. His rowing interrupts his normal speech pattern. "Sure. You need to, focus on what you, want to change... I wonder, I usually have a clear, or single track head, especially when I have, a plan maybe, I have less distur-bance."

We pass the rest of the afternoon and evening in languid and comfortable silence, rocked by the gentleness of the river, exchanging only observations of the passing flora and fauna. As the sun dipped below the horizon and the moon rose in the sky, I had a thought about our immediate future. I break the silence.

"I don't know what sort of plans you may have, but you're welcome to stay on in Avalon once we reach it. Even if only long enough to wait for your leg to fully heal - you'll be taken care of there. And then, you're free to do as you please." After a second's thought I add, "Obviously." After another embarrassed moment, I add quietly, "Just so long as you know you're welcome", cheeks reddened.

Aston moves to look over his shoulder. He doesn't say anything for an unfortunately long and quiet time. "Are you... Would I have really been welcome? I always thought Avalon was such a secretive place..."

"But you're with me. They won't look at you twice if you're with me. Besides, none of them would turn away an injured traveler, whether I vouched for them or not. And it's a little late to protect the secrets of Avalon" I shrug my shoulders.

"I would never have gotten out of Islingard without you. It was unavoidable. And all of our secrecy and isolation was only for our own protection. Our kindgdom's way of life is very traditional, some say archaic, and we feared the influence and interference of other kingdoms who were leaving the old way behind. Believe that you have nothing to fear from anyone in Avalon - any friend of mine is always welcome. Besides, you told me yourself that you won't be okay on your own for a while."

His tone is careful and sincere, more so than usual. Aston is firmly studying the moon. The moon's risen clear of the river, now fading into visibility. After a short flight in the night sky it would vanish just the same. Behind you both, the night's burnt edge is slowly healing and darkening. "True. Undeniable, in fact." His pauses are still uncomfortably long. "Where would I stay? I'm not allowed to stay with you, no?"

"No, but there are quarters for the sick and injured not far from my cottage. Small, but there is a bed and a place for a fire." Not that he'd use the bed, stubborn man. "It isn't used most of the time, so you could stay there as long as you need. It's a good place to convalesce. We only use it when we want to keep the sick away from the healthy, or the injured a place to keep off their feet. Not that I believe I could get you to do that, short of chaining you to the bedpost."

Not a bad idea, actually. "My cottage isn't much bigger, really, since it's meant to be a single dwelling. But it has my kitchen." I glow and smile at the thought of all my tools and supplies that I can't wait to get back to. Wait until he sees what I can do with a proper kitchen. "But I've sat up many a night in the Convalescent's room. Singing for sick children, more often than not." My eyelids are getting heavy, despite the early hour, and despite my dread of falling asleep. Aston doesn't answer, but instead lets the conversation lapse into thoughtful silence. I've covered myself with my cloak to ward of the evening chill, and it's warm and heavy as I lie in the bow of the boat. The gentle rocking is so peaceful and comforting.