The river stretched quietly through the trees, its steady current carrying away the silence that had settled over the group.
Iris stood at the edge of the water for a moment, watching Snow and Dog explore the riverbank. The two dogs had already forgotten about everything else, moving from one spot to another as they sniffed the unfamiliar surroundings.
Benjamin crouched beside the water and scooped some into his hands.
"It's clean."
Iris nodded. "It looks like it."
"That's good."
Henry looked down the length of the river. "We should still be careful. We have no idea what lives in this world."
Caleb glanced at the water.
"Great. So we found a river full of mystery creatures."
"You don't know that," Veronica said.
"I don't know that there aren't any either."
Elias chuckled. "Fair point."
Iris looked at the water again. She understood their caution, but after everything they had been through, the sight of fresh water was almost impossible to ignore.
