Every family in Odiern owned a boat or two. Most of them were suitable for fishing near the shore and to get to neighbouring villages. But those who owned ships, especially those built outside the River Valley, were considered wealthy and wealthy citizens. Such families were families of Zira and Nialeeka. Doubtfully you can find others who are mad enough to explore the outside world to get ships bigger than catboats.

When the girls' fathers were young, they had the chance to travel as sailors in the seas far away from the River Valley. They saw distant seas and vast oceans. The stories of the fathers about their ship flying across the seas, where you cant see the land for many days, made a lasting impression.

"How can exist so much water?" Zira asked.

"Come with us to the swamps in the season to look," the "good" brothers called out to her. "Heavens blessed our Odiern, and we don't have overflows after flood flows. But it's a common thing in the south. You wake up, and water is already knee-deep!

After that, Zira vowed that she wouldn't step from Odiern. But her curiosity did not want to calm down. The brothers had no choice but to take her to her father's sea ship.

Being simple sailors, Silben and Phelan could not have achieved anything outside the River Valley. But they remembered the peculiarity of their native land, namely, what residents of the river region often find right under their feet.

During the next several trips, they got necessary contacts with influential people, sold ancient artefacts from the Valley to interested rich people, and over time they were able to buy ships suitable for sailing the oceans and the River Valley.

Some people in Odiern disdained them for their ambitions and free spirit. However, when Phelan in that spring, many years ago, brought the ships to Odiern, they made a real sensation. The whole village was discussing the arrival of the vessels of Silben and Phelan.

The ships made an indelible impression on people who have only sat on boats and rowboats all their lives.

"They look like swans surrounded by a flock of mallards. Amazing!"

"The wind blows, and they become like clouds in the sky. And how fast are they!"

"These ships weren't built for the River Valley! How will they pass along, so to speak, rivers that change their course several times during the season? It's all about lees!" said a slightly more knowledgeable person.

Opinions could differ, but one way or another, the inhabitants of Odiern were delighted with the ships. Perfectly built, just from the staples, the vessels made an impression. They could both sail the seas, and due to low draft, they could pass along the waters of the River Valley.

Maybe these ships could go where people haven't been for many, many centuries? Would they help us discover the secrets of the annoying legends of the Valley that old-timers stubbornly retell for generations? Will the people of the Valley be able to find new and hitherto unseen wonders?

By the way, artefacts from the Valley made a real sensation in other countries. Braggers said that some alchemists were able to make some of them work mysteriously. Of course, people became interested in the origin of wonders. But why so far there have been few who wish to buy these of them?

The location of this area is far from the most frequently used sea trade routes. The path to the River Valley is exceptionally complicated by its navigation. In essence, this area is swampy, and without guides familiar with the nature of this place and its features, it is a simple matter to run aground here. The locals do not favour newcomers; therefore, so far, there have been few contacts with the world outside the Valley.

Young men who returned from a long trip with unprecedented goods and their own ships with a faithful crew became the most prominent residents of Odiern. Some sailors from the crews of the vessels also settled in Odiern, taking their wives to live here.

In the following years, families of Silben and Phelan prospered, and their voyages became annual. For most of the year, they sailed the seas and sought out new and unseen commodities, reselling them with sustainable profit. They didn't forget about wonders from their homeland. They bought artefacts in the River Valley's settlements, and in return, paid with money or goods.

Silben and Phelan were always friendly with each other, but after several joint voyages, they became real brothers. Silben also saved Phelan's life, so he accepted Silben's supremacy and encouraged Silben to be chosen as the head of the Odiern out of gratitude.

Over the years, Silben, as the head of the village, was forced to reduce the time he spent outside the Valley, leaving this obligation to Phelan, as one of his closest associates. By the time their girls turned barely ten years old, with the patronage of Silben, Phelan had become one of the most prominent River Valley merchants.

At first, Silben also drove his ship across the Valley and the seas, leaving his family in Odiern. He thought he would give it to Athorn when the boy grew up, but seeing that he was more inclined to fight, Silben grudgingly changed his plans. He temporarily placed at the head of the crew a trusted person from among his brothers, who was also friendly with Phelan. Together, they began to think through routes and think about increasing the wealth of Odiern.