If Ruth had lived; she of course would have celebrated with children and grandchildren; and greeted us all with Shanah Tovah:
Happy (New Year), as the people of Israel has just ended the great two day celebration beginning their year 5779!

As for me, I was so close to have posted exactly as many chapters as reviews when the good hearted James birdsong beat me to that.
Many thanks! And happy reading for you following the adventures. Have you taken your anti-sea-sick-pills yet?

SAILING

Narnia, high summer 1016

Having understood the second clue, Ruth and her friends felt both excited and exhausted. Of course they wanted to go on with their quest, but there was such a long way to go, across both Archenland and Narnia.

They had dinner with prince Corin the same evening and he uttered the same concerns. However he had an idea:

-"Since the Marshwiggles do not stay far from the river north of Narnia and we are not far from the river south of Archenland; it might be possible to not cross the land, but circumference it. We could use my own sailing boat!"

Ruth thought this might at least be considered, but two of her companions did not want to even hear of it. Ironstorm said he would not fit into any boat and Partwage went green, like he was already sea sick.

They slept on it, and thought about it; talked to Corin's friends (the few who were at Anvard and he wanted to tell) and then they decided that Partwage would stay at the Royal library to be taught by Badger, Ironstorm would return to his Centaur flock in the mountains to the south, and Robin would follow Corin and Ruth sailing.

-" I'd rather we passed my royal brother the King and Queen Aravis without letting them know that I am no longer hunting west of Anvard," was Corin thinking aloud during one later planning session for the sail."

-"But that would be quite rude, your Highness," said Ruth, "they might be both disappointed, sad, and offended if we did such a thing."

-"Even if we are in a haste to fulfil a quest given you by the Lion Himself, Milady? And besides they know me . . ."

-"Besides, your Highness, if I may," interrupted Robin, "It would hardly be possible! I have been sent as a courier many times from Cair Paravel to the two rulers of Archenland, and I know the Castel guarding the large harbour would not possibly let any ship pass without checking where it was heading and why."

-"Oh dear," exclaimed Corin's friend and personal servant Syle'in, who had volunteered to join the sail; mostly because he had been manning Corin's boat many times before. He had also helped to pack all provisions up to being ready for their departure. That, together with many others of people and talking beasts Corin trusted. No one of them knew, however, the real reason for such a speeded departure; officially Corin had just got to know of the near birth of a new Archenlandish royalty and decided to return swiftly to the palace.

To this Corin only could answer with a deep sigh; and strike the compromise that how much hurry they had, passing Cor and Aravis would in fact not be feasible.

One of the coming days they went through the oak woods south from Anvard towards the River and the little fort where Corin had his boat kept.

They sailed the next morning in nice weather. So deep inland was little wind, so they used only a small sail to get the boat steerable and let the stream give them most of the speed.

Ruth noted that Archenland was more mountainous than Narnia, even here to the south, where land should level out to the flat desert bordering Calormen to the north. The river was sometimes caught in narrow passes with high rocks on both sides; and to get through safely they all had to help. But most of the time they drifted merrily, lit by the sun, while their sail hid the view of the rocks and high hills to their north.

At the river were several small villages and towns, but Corin did not want them to camp there; not to be recognised and slowed down. So they sailed during the days, set up camp in the evening and slept deeply during the nights; each time after one of those huge meals all sea faring people need to have. Finding a good camp site fell on Robin, as she would fly ahead and scout; and due to her good eyes they always had a small sheltered bay for the boat; grass for their tents and a beach to have the camp fire.

During the sail Ruth loved to sit in the stern, dipping a hand in the water and enjoying what she had never done before. She was, after all born far inland in her own world. When Robin was neither up scouting, nor down reporting to the ships captain (er, that would be prince Corin) she used to join Ruth for a chat or some sort of a guessing game. They both loved the idea of one thinking about something, being only allowed to answer yes or no to questions asked by the other.

-"Is that person a part of the Royal family?" asked Robin as her sixteenth question to Ruth.

-"Yes!."

-"Is it a male?"

-"No!"

-"Milady keep talking to me like we are playing the game; because I do not want the one following us to know that I have found out."

-"No?"

-"Indeed, Milady, if you cautiously look up in a while you will see a large brown Eagle circling to our starboard.

-Yes!"

-"It has been around since after our second night, and even though at a distance, I see that there are not several eagles, only this one all the time."

-"Yes?"

-"You have answered too many times, my dearest Ruth!" they were suddenly interrupted by Corin, trying his best not to laugh. Is it not obvious that who you think about is Queen Aravis?"

-"No, your Highness! I mean yes, she was whom I though about. But now we seem to have other problems, and I think not of her Majesty any more. Is this serious, Robin?

The truth was that they did not know. They had no idea who the eagle was, not even if it was one of the Talking beasts. They knew not why it was following them. Not much to do they sailed on to let the day pass, but kept and eye on the sky now and then. Before landfall to make camp that night, they were all convinced that they were in fact followed. With a chill to her spine Ruth suddenly realised that this bird she had seen before. It was there when they met the Four Narnian Rulers. She back then thought it belonged to their entourage. The eagle had also been visible just before they found the pass to the Pier Mountains blocked by snow. At that time Ruth had thought it might had flown with notice to the Guard helping them around the snow. Now she was not as sure of that any more.

Coming down from the mountains toward the sea, the days were still pleasant, but the evenings got warmer. One late afternoon they decided that there was no need to pitch the tents, but instead they could more comfortable sleep under the open sky. One advantage of that was, of course, to watch the stars; something Ruth loved as much as the boat ride itself.

-"Sorry, no, Milady, it is not Sylin," explained the friend and servant of prince Corin. "Neither is it Sylein, with the vowels e and i becoming one 'aye' sound. There is an unpronounced consonant in between the vowels. Both vowels are to be heard as of their own, with a pause in between them; it is Syle-in."

And Ruth understood, because in her own old Semitic language it was such a letter as well, She was just to respond that even in English it was present, but never written, e.g. every time a lovely name beginning with the letter A was said; and that this letter was called Alef, being why we call the order of letter that Alphabet – yes, she had all that on her tongue while they were sitting on her laid bed. She never came to say it, and in fact the whole conversation was interrupted by a loud THUD.

-"Apologies, my Lord and Lady, really sorry about this; but I had a bit of a hardship during this my flight and had to do an emergency landing."

Deep in the mattress was a black bird, which seemingly just had fallen out of the sky. It raised its head to obviously apologise again, but no words came forth. Then also its head fell flat. It had gone limb and fully unconscious.