it, letting its warmth caress him. Then he knew what to do.
He reached into the pit, and his arm sank into the muck. It was slick and wet, and black. He stretched and stretched until finally…
The piece of stone came into his grip and he ripped it out of the trench. Sludge and mud dripped off of his arm. He moved back to the crawlspace opening and squeezed his way through.
They all looked at it, and at Pim. Green light showered them. A jagged piece of green rock sat in the palm of the boy’s hand. They were speechless.
Pim moved past them to Shannara and held the stone up to her arm. “Heal her,” he whispered.
Green light enveloped Shannara’s arm. Her eyes fluttered. Pim pulled the stone away. “My arm… the pain is gone.”
Pim smiled.
“Careful, Pim,” Tolan said. “It is very powerful.”
“Maybe I should carry it,” Drith said. “My will is strong.”
“Pim should keep it,” Tolan said. “He is the most untouched among us: untouched by war, or by darkness. He is innocent.”
“Innocent?” Drith muttered.
Pim tucked the stone into his pack and eyed Drith. “I will carry it.” He said firmly.
“Very good,” Tolan said. “Now let us go quickly. We need to get back to our lands.”
They started off, and Pim watched as Shannara’s head hung low. The loss of one of her husbands weighed heavily on her. She walked close to Panno, not taking her eyes off of him.
Pim felt sad for her, but the stone couldn’t heal this pain, only time could.
###
On the ship back to Fionngall, the group gathered in talks about the next piece of the stone and its location. Pim felt the weight of his piece in his pack; it made his toes tingle.
The entire crew of the ship retreated below decks. They feared this magical item: its power actually made the wind blow the sails harder, and it spooked the lot of them.
Tolan looked up at Pim. “Your eyes… they are shining.”
Shannara took a closer look. “Like when you ran across the swamp water of Mort A’ghas.”
“How curious,” Pim said. “I do feel different, as if I could run across the sea right now.”
“The other piece,” Shannara continued. “What else did the Lich Lord tell you? Where did he say it would be?”
“I didn’t understand him. It was wrapped in another riddle.”
“Tell us, anyway,” Drith said from the back.
Pim shot him a look before turning back to Shannara and Tolan. “He told me the last piece was at times in my feet, and at other times, beneath them.”
“Beneath them?”
Pim shrugged.
“Anything else?”
“It was the same place my heart was.”
“Pim, that’s easy,” Tolan said. “Where has your heart been throughout this journey? What have you been worried about most?”
“My family,” his eyes widened. “My home… Gonnish? All this time!”
“Yes!” Shannara said. “It makes sense. Pim, your fleet… has any other Wivering been known to run across deep water?”
“No, my people have a legend: the First People traded their wings so we may farm in the fields and run upon the water.”
“Exactly. What did the First People do? They hid the stones, and risked their own power of flight to do so. Your fleet… you can run across water when no one else can. The stone… the last piece, it gave you this power. You’ve been touched by it. Don’t you see?”
“I’m not sure…”
“Remember the first time you ran across water back home? It is there that the stone is hiding.”
“The river?”
Shannara smiled. “The river. Looks like we’re off to Gonnish.” She turned and went to Panno, placing her arms around him and laying her head on his shoulder. Her last warrior stayed by their side, as if to guard them.
Pim had never seen Shannara as vulnerable as she was now. She exuded confidence at all times, a fierceness in battle, a stern, but compassionate leader. Now she leaned on her remaining husband as if at any moment she may collapse.
His pack vibrated; the stone begged to be freed, to be used. He thought of it and his fleet. It had still not fully sunken in that he’d had help running across the waters. He was not the accomplished, outstanding Wivering he’d thought he was. He was no different than any of the other Wivering in Gonnish. It wasn’t all the practice, the will, the praying… he was not special. He’d been amplified, boosted by magic beyond his understanding. For now, he pushed it to the back of his mind and relished in the fact that he