"Yes, Crossroads." She raises her head up and down and the canoe starts to float again, slowly to the center. Dragonflies linger around the reeds as they depart, glowing as if crossed with lightning bugs. "I must commend you on the name."

Nerium pauses at his question. Perhaps it is just formality but few have ever greeted her with such an inquiry. Rose, yes, but not a Grimhilde. "I am well. I am learning, always. I give thanks to the dark so that the world may have its light." She smiles, softly.

There's a break in the surface of the water and a chittering sound. A small sickly green being with horns reaches out and wraps his fingers around Joel's arms, trying to tug him towards the water. Nerium acts quickly, sending a curse at the creature's hand, picking him up, and tossing him in the water. He lands with a splash and sad whimpers before backfloating away.

"Grindylows." Nerium rolls her eyes. "They're really just lonely creatures, but trying to steal friends away to the water typically brings them only corpses. This one's mostly harmless though. I named him Bob. He utterly despises it."