1 Prologue

It ain't a bad day.

Calm waters, bright blue sky not a streak of white overhead, a bird singing far-off. What more could he ask for?

It ain't a bad day at all.

Even the humid heat couldn't ruin it. Still new to sailing, he'd learnt quickly to savour such waters. Nestling his back against the curved bow of the boat with his head in his hands, he listened.

Resonating in the bleached wood, he heard the water against the boats underside, running and gurgling. If he put his ear to the wood it would sound like a roar, but if he took it away it would be soft as a murmur again.

It reminded him of something. A while back when he was just a grub, he'd met a traveler, who taught him that if you tap your elbow it makes a soft sound but if you put a finger in your ear and then tap it, it becomes a whole lot louder.

The boy winced as three times, in quick succession a loud thwacking noise rang out.

Samantha. Her name was Samantha (he just called her Sam). She was a capital woman. His momma had warned to be wary of capital folk, saying 'they only know wet when it rains.' He hadn't the faintest idea what it was supposed to mean. Not like it mattered, no one from the capital ever came through that backwater of a place. Until she did.

Thwack! Thwack! He pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed deeply.

There was something striking about Sam. He saw plenty people. It wasn't just that she was strange. Strangers came and went all the time. She wasn't like two-tooth Tom, or like the man with the braided beard that sold potions for hip breaks and heart aches. No she was different - different.

What with clean clothes in the mud, hair all plated and organized. Maybe it was how she strutted, straight-backed, prim and proper. Maybe it was how she always held her head up, not like the rest.

Cra! Cra! Cra! Wood splintered and sundered. He winced again at the noise, but kept quiet. Nothing, not even he was going to ruin this for him.

She was soft where everyone had been hard, quick where they'd been slow and bubbly while they'd been dull. In fact she seemed not of this world, like a-

A loud clattering sounded. A metallic ring.

"Dangit Bo." Said the boy "Yur ruining my peace and quiet."

In a gravelly voice Bo responded.

"Well Shane." Dragging his name out, Bo responded in that gravelly voice of his. "I'm bored, what else am I supposed to do?"

"Count the trees or your toes, go sleep, I dunno."

"I tried that, but I ain't tired." Bo exclaimed. "And considering you ain't paying me any company, I'm gon' continue thank you very much." The boy sighed before closing his eyes and hoping he could sleep thr-

Thwack! Thwack! He let out a growl of irritation. Sleep was clearly not happening. Propping himself up, Shane rested his arms on the edge of the boat.

Opposite him was the old man. With a buck knife, he chipped away at a big block of wood. His head was bent down, brows furrowed in concentration.

"Whatcha carvin this time?" Still taking shape, it looked like the beginnings of a person.

"I'm nit too sure." Bo rotated the block, and chipped away at the base. Flakes of brown flew off, only to rest with a growing pile at his feet. "I'll figure it out later."

You could spot him for a seamen a mile away. A face crinkled like a used map, cracked like parched earth and weathered from years that were too hot, suns too bright. His hair and beard were long, bleached salt white. He had this pudgy nose that looked like it had been broken more than once, a reminder of brawls long past.

"Where are we?" Shane yawned. The scenery had changed since he'd last looked. The mouth of the water had tightened, A large cliff towered to their left. Overgrown trees and shrubs leaned toward them from both sides, like grasping hands.

"I..." Bo twisted and turned, looking at his surroundings as if for the first time. "I think we're by Goring." Bo's face churned in confusion. "Or have we passed it." He mused.

Shane groaned. "Don't tell me-"

"Hold on." Bo continued assessing the surroundings.

"I can't believe we don' lost again."

"We ain't lost boy, I know exactly where we're goin'."

"Bo you as blind as yur ugly, it ain't supposed to look like this." He spread his arms wide, gesturing to the expanse.

He pointed the buck knife at Shane. "I been smugglin' to Hyute since before you were born. All the ravines connect to the main water soon enough."

Shane grunted.

"You'll see." He continued. "We won't see a soul for days."

"Why dja say that?"

"This is widows way. Not even the devil dares pass through. "

"Widows way?" Shane had smuggled more than his fare share into the glittering city, but he'd never heard of widows way.

"Aye, most dangerous way into Hyute." Bo gave a gummy grin, showing some charred teeth.

Shane felt his hand hover by his longbow, instantly he started scanning the cliffs. When Bo saw this, he merely smirked. Shane rolled his eyes and reminded himself to never travel with the old man again.

"Bandits?" It was a simple question, but it sent Bo A'laughing. Shane gritted his teeth as he watched Bo laugh. Minutes later, wheezing for air he responded.

"Put that toy away. It'll use the dan-gum thing as a toothpick."

"It?" Shane raised a brow.

"Well if you want to be technical, her."

"Stop riding my hide Bo, what the hell you taking 'bout?"

"The lady of the lake."

"The what?" Shane furrowed his brows in bewilderment; Bo hunched over his bag. Rifling through it, he pulled out an apple and rubbed the cuff of his sleeve against it. Holding it before his eyes for a moment, he bit into it.

"The lady of the lake, we travelling through her territory soon enuf."

"Bo we've been on water for weeks, If there were ladies on the lake I'da sniffed them out like a hound dog by now."

"This ain't no ordinary lass, I'm talking about a monster tall as the trees, with tusks, claws and gills." Bo's face grew grave as he spoke.

"No way." Shane studied his expression, waiting for a smile to crack or a smirk to escape but none did. "Y'ure joking right?"

"I'm as serious as pig shit in summertime."

Now it was Shane's time to laugh, and he did whilst slapping his knee. From his gloomy face, it didn't seem like he got the joke.

"Oh don't be like that Bo." Teary eyed, Shane continued. "Common you don't really believe there's a monster in these-here waters do ya?"

"You won't be howlin so loud when the damned thing bites you harder than a June bug."

They kept quiet. Rather than watch the man opposite him, the boy turned and idly watched the scenery pass by. The boat curved around the cliff, and they needed to push its jagged side with the oar to stay centered. A winding path was spread out beyond them. A long, winding path. Bo noted he had to bring something to entertain him for the next trip. When he grew tired of the surroundings, he lay back against the bow of the boat only to find it uncomfortable, no matter how he wriggled and writhed.

Thack! Thack!

Bored, Shane asked. "Fine superstitious, tell me about her."

"Who?" he responded innocently. Shane gave him a look and Bo couldn't resist a smile, knowing it wasn't long before he wore out.

"Well she wasn't always a monster. No, in fact she was royalty and the p'urtiest of all. Making lords stare and ladies envy."

"Heh, I betcha she was a sight."

"That's what they say, but the redder the rose the sharper the thorn and this bitch was prickly." Shane wondered if she was like the town girls, chasing drunken men out of their house with the edge of their boot and the bite of screaming words. He shuddered at the thought.

"Well how the hell does a lady turn into a monster?" Shane asked, not minding the embellishments – I mean he wasn't in a rush to get anywhere – but he knew how Bo could take his time.

"Mmmm, so now you've an ear for my tale. Well I suppose..."