Kai had never gone this far west before. While she knew of a river that existed beyond the forest she frequented, she hadn't ever been there. Tonight, she finally summoned up the courage to go.
Perhaps it was because she was born and raised in a desert, but she found large bodies of water unsettling. For example, she had once mistaken quicksand for a large puddle and when she walked over it, she got stuck. Fortunately, she had help to get out, but it didn't help endear her to water any more.
After she went through the forest, she saw it. She took a deep breath and repeated a manta to herself, "I mustn't be afraid."
Then, she stepped towards it and stopped when she got to its edge. It was a slow moving river. So slow, in fact, that chunks of algae floated around on its deep blue surface and glistening moss grew on the boulders that jutted out from it. While it wasn't fast, it was deep. She couldn't see the bottom of the river and she had no desire to test how deep it was with even a single leg.
After this, she drank from it. It was only a matter of time, since she had developed a powerful thirst on her way here. It was cool and refreshing. She didn't want to stop...
