Effie couldn’t stay still in a room waiting for answers, she needed to see things with her own eyes and learn as much as she could in the days she was allowed to stay in the city. The loft was the nicest place she had laid her head, for a long while though, and as she thought of all the important questions needing answers and how she would find out her future here, Effie’s eyes felt heavier than she had realized. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep.
While asleep she dreamt:
The sky was so bright blue it was hard to look at. A river flowed smooth and calm, light danced off the water. There was a tree stretched over the water, holding itself up over the edge suspended. Everything felt so soft and carefree. She wasn’t stressed or running away like her usual dreams. Just everything bright like springtime, and sweetness in the air. The warm feeling lasted through her dream, and as she woke up.
Feeling so rested, Effie could not believe how good she slept. Without any fears or cares, just peacefully knocked out. The image in her mind, of the river all calm and the colors so bright stayed with her as she went out of Melanee's loft and to the kitchen to see what was for lunch. She wasn’t sure why but her sleep and dream recharged her spirit and mind, Effie felt amazing.
“Hey you’re awake!” Chimed up Melanee from behind the kitchen island, smiling over a pan with steam rising up. “You look great! Must have needed a nap, you aren’t staring at me like I just fell from the heavens anymore.” she teased with a laugh.
“Ha ha ya I for sure needed it, I feel great. I didn’t realize how much I needed it after everything.” Effie pulled up a barstool to the front of the island to watch Melanee cook. It seemed to be a veggie stir fry with some kind of sauce, whatever it was smelled amazing.
“Rose packed you a bag, its on the table, after we eat we can go through it and see if there’s anything we should add, it’s probably a long journey back to where you’re from. How long were you traveling for to get here?” Melanee dished out the food onto plates as she talked, handing a plate to Effie.
“I am not sure. I was in the river for what seemed like forever, but I was knocked out for some of it, so who knows how far I went. But after I made it out of the water, I guess 5 maybe 6 days. I never found food but I found water.” Effie said between big bites of veggies. Trying to eat it quickly because it tasted so good but also trying to slow down to not always look like a starving person as she ate.
“Where were you going after the river? Did you follow it back towards where you had come from?” Melanee asked, intrigued.
“I thought south would be the safest direction. I couldn’t follow the river, it was not a straight line and it was so winding. With the many branches of the river, it would never take me home. But South was probably the safest place to get my bearings and figure out a plan.”
“South…hmmm… Melanee said as she pulled down a large map from above them, hanging from the loft floor. It showed so much land, and pin points. It was so vast, Effie’s mouth dropped. It was obviously notated with places Melanee had gone or wanted to explore. Names of Cities and ruins dotted the landscape.
Effie dropped her fork and jumped up to the map, looking it over closely. Searching for anything familiar.
“Here we are.” Melanee pointed out a city, City of A. it noted. It had a circle drawn around it, with vast nothing to the north of it then tall mountain peaks, then cities and ruins west of the circle, east was the sea, and south of it was a cliff with water crashing down it, then again vast nothing. “Not everything is on here, this is just what I have seen. I haven’t been north of here. If you are north of us, it could be past those mountains, which I have never crossed. I don't know anyone who has gone North. I will have to look into what I can, see if anyone knows what could have been there. Maybe we’ll have to chart it ourselves.”
Effie looked over the map as much as she could while Melanee spoke. She wasn’t sure what any of the city names said but she saw how many Melanee had seen. She was impressed with her voyage’s leader. She felt very hopeful she would get back to her friends.
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