Towards the Delta

The Danube shone in the early morning sun. I hop in the river to get breakfast. As I hit the water, droplets spray in the air catching the sun. Then they fall on me, sliding on my waterproof feathers. I dive through the clear water. The faint shine of the sun on the scales of the fish tells me where to find my food. After a good meal I return to the coracle.

Narcisa asks "are there any dams in the way?". I check with Cawlin. He and Codrin fly ahead and chat with birds along the way. "There are two big ones that are unpassable if the gate does not open. Most fish cannot get beyond it, but we must make a plan to pass. We will reach it tomorrow evening." he says.

Codrin: "we'll bring the coracle to the gate. Then I'll tell the person inside to open the gate."

Cawlin: "There is a tiny room inside. A human is there at times, but the wall feels the big ships. If nobody is there, we would need to trigger it somehow or be behind a big ship."

Penelope: Would that be safe?

Cawlin: No, not really. But it might be better than being ahead a big ship. Then our coracle would be smashed.

Philip: Why do humans have these monsters in the first place?

Cawlin: They call them hydrocentrals. They take energy from the water. Energy makes things shine or move. Our boat uses the energy of the water to move, too. We use energy to make things do what they are made to do. Humans control it better. They can use it for light or to make things move on land the way they want to.

Narcisa: I've had a nightmare. I dreamed our coracle was being pulled into a giant propeller and that we were going with it. It made me think of dams and of big ships. I hope it won't turn true.