SHIELD OF THE GODDESS

CHAPTER FIVE

SHALA

SHALA STEERED THE SMALL BOAT westward, toward the open sea. It glided over the waves, driven by a steady breeze from the north. The only sounds were the creaking and straining of the wooden planks and the mast, the stretching of ropes, the wind snapping the sail into shape, and her father Ereg snoring as he slept.

Several hours had passed since they embarked, and she could no longer see the eastern shore behind them, but she knew her way by the patterns in the stars. Keep the Great Wolf before you, then turn south toward the Standing Stones at the first sign of dawn, Ereg had told her.

Her mental world was quiet. She enjoyed the solitude of hearing only her own thoughts. She imagined being completely alone, sailing through the night sky, the River of Stars arching above and the three moons circling around her, on a journey without end.