The fungus monster lashed out, trying to slap the humans for letting it run away, but in the end he ran into the bushes after it. Cerys watched it leave, partly amazed at what had just happened, and partly disappointed that she still had not been able to use her magic. Both creatures were quickly out of sight, and out of earshot not long after that.

“We’ve wasted enough time,” Sir Carter said, the frustration in his voice growing. “Let’s go.”

The party hiked through the forest for what felt like the better part of a mile. Then the trees Thinned, giving way to a grassy field, and very soon after that, a sandy beach. It was not ocean water that they had come to; there were no waves lapping at the sand, no salt in the air. It was a lake and a big one, so far as Cerys could tell, for she could not see any other shore. As Ridley had said, there was the boat. It was a great deal larger than a row boat, but much smaller than a ship. Had they been on Earth, Cerys might have been tempted to call it yacht. She was not sure what to call it there in Summerlay. All she knew was that it looked big enough to hold all of them quite comfortably.

They wasted no time and climbing on to it, Ridley and Carter preparing the sails and pulling up the anchor. Before long, everyone was on the boat, and it was moving out over the dark waters.