I believe the river we’re currently following is a tributary of the same river system that flows through the Razhin Jungle. However, since the mountains separate this valley from the jungle, the vegetation and animal life is mostly different. We still see some of the trees and birds from the jungle, but most of the plants we pass are types that survive in higher, cooler climates. I assume we are now about 150 nura south of the equator, but that means little since the start of summer is warming this hemisphere. I’ve been traveling close to the equator for so long, I haven’t seen any snow or ice since the voyage from Atalan, almost two years ago.
The telefs still spend most of their time walking through the river instead of beside the river. I don’t mind it though. Considering the heat, the river keeps the telefs cool, and I enjoy when Mo’Amu playfully splashes me. We’ve made impressive progress riding these large beasts, and in the past three months, have traveled a distance that could easily take us an entire year by foot. Rar is amusing. He makes up songs and sings loudly for the telefs. While they can’t understand a word he says, they like to sing along. The loud bellowing ends up echoing up and down the valley even after the song ends. If telefs don’t usually live in this valley, but people do, I can only imagine what they must be thinking, hearing such loud, bellowing beasts in the distance.
The Sisterhood operatives are back to their old habits of collecting plants. I’m not sure if they’re the same types of plants they collected previously, or some new types of plants, but I assume the idea is to sell or ship them to Atalan when we arrive at whatever destination we decide upon. With the massive size of the telefs, they can carry much greater burdens than just a rider and some equipment. I just hope they don’t gather enough plants that any ship transporting the load ends up sinking under the weight. I can’t imagine what the Sisterhood of Jadela’Mar would need with that many plants, even if they did make them all into medicine.