Into The Riverlands Novels & Stories

Weak knocking awakened River from her deep thought. She was busy preparing herself for the occasion but she was barely stopped by something that went through her mind. "Miss River, is that over?" Troy asked outside her door. River let out a deep breath before answering Troy "I'm done," her short reply. Troy slowly opened the door then entered and bowed to River. "We can leave now Miss Madrigal,"

Without wasting any time, I rushed towards the river and quenched my thirst, the cool water providing a much-needed respite from the scorching heat. Feeling refreshed, I decided to take a dip in the river. The water was cold and invigorating, washing away the dirt and sweat that had accumulated on my body. As I swam, my mind wandered to my friend Bella. We had often debated about the existence of maidas, those mystical creatures said to possess magical powers. I had always been skeptical, but now, as I lay in the river, surrounded by nature's beauty, I couldn't help but wonder if there was more to the world than what met the eye.

Towards the river. I didn't stop walking until I saw the river in sight, then I felt it again. That presence watching me. It was like a strange spirit. No scent but a strong aura. The one that had watched me once before—before I got to the direlands. It wasn't here to hurt me. So I kept walking till I got to the rocks beside the river. Another territory, but I'll bravely cross into it.

His promises to me were as fragile as bubbles, vanishing into thin air. When I was ten, the River family adopted me. My father and Rowan's dad, Patrick River, had been good friends. When my father was diagnosed with cancer, he entrusted me to Patrick before he passed. When I first arrived at the Rivers household, everyone except Patrick was cold to me. Since I was adopted, the maids and even Rowan's mother thought it was unnecessary to show me any respect. I had to tiptoe around, just trying to survive in that house.

He did not feel that he was doing wrong and did not regret anything. Whenever he heard the moans and pleas of his victims, he confirmed once again that his beliefs were true. Donn started running toward the lower part of town. The city of Riverheim was built at the junction of two rivers, whose flow merged into a new great river which extended from Riverland to the west coast of the Kingdom of Lothal, in Sealand.

I collapsed to the floor, crying uncontrollably. When I was just a baby, Grandpa had bought me from human traffickers. He saw me crying, helpless, and with all his savings, he rescued me, sparing me from a future of being crippled and forced to beg on the streets. Back then, I was wrapped in a blanket embroidered with the word "Hope." My grandfather, Debron, wanted my name to reflect his own, so he named me Deborah Hope, saying I was a gift—like a symbol of hope, meant to bring new meaning to life.

I was indebted to him, he had set me free and was fighting the dragon so I could stay here in my blissful ignorance. The news stories just kept coming though and I couldn’t seem to avoid them, bodies washed up on the river, businesses robbed, cars crashing on the highway. The small port city was now a warzone in my wake. To make matters worse I had begun looking over my shoulder as if I expected to find someone there, all the horrible things around me I felt like the time in my world was slowly dwindling away. I felt like I was holding on tightly to a sinking ship, ready to drown with it.

“I can feel him… but something is wrong.” I glanced at him. “Something has been wrong since you let a human mark you.” He did not argue. River shifted his weight, eyes scanning the unfamiliar surroundings. “So,” he said carefully, “how exactly do we navigate our way around the human world.” I looked around slowly. Cars passed. Lights flickered. People moved without knowing what walked among them. No wards. No council eyes. No rules carved into stone. Just chaos pretending to be normal. I smiled. “We blend,” I said. “We follow the pull. And we stay quiet.”

And the mountains—those silent sentinels—would become strongholds for us before the week’s end. But the river clans, always slippery, always watching from the edges, were still weighing their loyalties like merchants at a market stall. Waiting to see who would win before they placed their bets. “The river clans are undecided,” he said, and I heard what he didn’t say: They’re afraid. They want to survive. But survival was a luxury the rest of us had already spent. There was no neutral ground in a kingdom built on ash. "Let them watch," I signed. "Let them see who survives the flood."

I said to her. “We are taught to stay away from the river so we don't get spotted and killed by a Dark Wolf clan,” I said. Donae shook her head. “That's probably a stipulation Yomen put to make you guys afraid of leaving your pack. You realize the truth. I should know, my mother left.” “Also,” she continued, “the River Tangen runs through all the shifter land. It flows from Visteria down to Lucid Lands, then Eucharia and peaks here in Wisteria. There's a waterfall.” Excitement shone in her eyes.