### 281

When at last the fury of the battle has passed, you look down and see the lifeless corpses of the demons. Unbelievably, in the face of such overwhelming odds, you have triumphed. Exhausted by the effort of your defence, you drop to your knees, panting heavily. Eventually Tanith's efforts rouse you, and you resume your journey east.

In the dim light of night, you see a sparkle in the distance. It is a river. Both you and Tanith break into a run, only stopping, breathlessly, to drink its cool waters. You have drunk long and deep before your thirst is quenched. Tanith expels a breath of satisfaction, sitting up on her haunches and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She scours the land.

'I'd guess that this is the Dolani River,' she says. 'It leads south, where it fills Lake Dolani about thirty miles downstream. Upstream, its source is somewhere in the Kashima Mountains.'

To continue your journey east, you will have to cross this river. It is too wide and deep to wade across here and the current is too fast for swimming. The river is likely to be narrower and shallower as it nears its source.

Turn to 201.

Concept copyright © 1986 Joe Dever and Gary Chalk.
Text copyright © 1986 Ian Page.
Illustrations copyright © 1986 Paul Bonner.