Berra woke up to find that Xenofos was holding (and guarding) the egg. She immediately asked for it, and he refused to give it. She demanded it, despite the looming presence of Nameless who would ordinarily have been a focus of her attention. Nameless got Maalira to talk Berra down, although Berra recognised that Nameless had assumed Maalira would use magic on one or the other of them.

There were ducks and people in the city – especially lots of ducks. Berra recognised Devolin, but did not pursue.

Outside the city, where they were safer from flooding all of Clearwine, Berra asked for her egg again, so she could talk to it and ask it what it wanted. After she swore she was not going to break it, and would defend it with her life, Xenofos handed it over. Unfortunately she could not understand it, or else it did not answer. Nevertheless, she kept the egg. She explained that it needed to be set down in a place where the spring should be, and then she would have to walk along where the river should flow, down to another water course.

The various ducks and people gathered around Nameless and Berra to make their claims to the river. Berra told Nameless she’d take the Humakti Lord’s advice on where to put the river but would like a well dug in her village in return. Then, a few hours later, possibly triggered by mild hypothermia, she had a better idea. Pausing only to stare at a rather drunken Rajar assaulting a tree, and to suggest that Maalira healed it, Berra put forth her suggestion: let the river go to the Ducks in exchange for the beak money claims that they were making against the Colymar. Nala and Varanis helped to persuade the ducks of this, and later, in court, Leika ruled that way.

Berra was awarded with a well for her village as thanks for dealing with the cursed house, and they prepared to set off for Quackford and the duck’s suggested river position.

“When I say fuck you, I don’t mean in the way you want me to.” – Berra

“No, this egg is not going to go a step further uphill.” – Xenofos
“Fly him, Varanis. Or else someone else will.” – Berra

“Initiate, silence.” – Nameless
“You’re not my Lord.” – Berra

“Are you content to suspend your legal claim?” – Nameless
“… I don’t think content is the word, but I’ll do it.” – Berra

“You hear me, little river? Try to keep to your banks, but you’re a river, so it’s optional.” – Berra

“Berra mutters a bit before dawn, “Bother. Torograi’s going to hear about this.”” – Berra

“So, is a lot of water an appropriate thing to wear to court?” – Berra

“Berra kneels to the Black Spear.” – Berra

*deep bow to Leika when she dismisses her own claim* – Berra

“We will reward Berra with a well to be sunk in her clan, and the sage with a gold arm-ring.” – Leika