Tiredness forced Cassandra to lie down. It was a big boat. Besides her, Vasilisa had fallen into a slumber again. Cassandra looked up at the moon, which was as thin as a fingernail. Then, painfully, feeling the boat rock beneath her, she propped herself on one elbow and sat up again. The mist was still there, hanging low and ragged over the surface of the water. But the marsh itself had changed.
"We are almost there, my lady," said Nayris.
"After we get to the tree, is she going to open the portal right away?" Cassandra asked Owlyn.
"I will have to," Vasilisa answered her without opening her eyes. She was now able to sit up with the support of Cassandra's backpack. The gnomes had given her a stronger medicine, which helped fight the fever and pain, although her strength was still recove
