Although Shade called it a river, it could not compare in scale to the Aronson River, the fourth-largest river in the southern Old Continent, which cut diagonally through Vesta City and connected directly to Wilundell. Still, this mountain river was at least larger than a "creek," allowing small boats to pass through.
So much time had passed since the Fifth Epoch, and the forest's appearance had changed greatly. Even Shade could not tell whether this was the river they had crossed during the Fifth Epoch while heading to the place where Miss Peggy McConaughey's key had been shattered.
He and the witch came to the riverbank. After he tossed a small piece of animal bone into the water, bubbles rose from the surface with a gurgle, and a small old wooden boat floated up from beneath the river.
Not even the Great Witch of Death could see anything unusual about the boat. She was merely curious why a boat summoned with bones was made of wood. Then, holding Shade's hand, she stepped onto the Small Wooden Boat, still having no idea what he intended to do.
"Do you need me to cooperate?"
"No. I'll dry you off. Just sit down and wait. It might not work, but it's worth trying."
The Small Wooden Boat's origin was connected to that body of water in death, and during the Battle of Green Lake, it had proven capable of "crossing space." Combined with the fact that the Ferry God had let him experience the power of "ferrying," Shade had thought of using it now to travel to the Edge of Life and Death.
But once the witch had settled down and the boat slowly began moving, Shade realized that his boat had no oar. It sailed entirely according to his thoughts. He wanted