Rowena woke before sunrise and rolled out of bed. She was always an early riser but today was different— she had been sent a note asking her to meet Nimi at dawn by the river. Her friend had something to tell her.
As she padded down the path, she wondered what Nim wanted to say. Did she have a new crush? A new song? Maybe she had some item or place to show her.
Winding through shortcuts and alleys, Rowena soon reached the banks of the river. The river Farana was a sluggish, muddy ribbon of water that cut through the east side of town and spilled into the big lake to the north.
Nimi was there, kneeling on the bank and trailing her fingers in the water. She jumped up as soon as she saw Rowena.
"Ro, there you are." She nodded towards a grove of trees away from any houses. "Let's talk over there." She said, walking towards them and gesturing for Rowena to come.
Rowena followed, curious as to what the secret was.