1859. Mud mantis
"The rocks are all smooth Brother." Onyx had taken to slithering a little ahead on the riverbed. While it had been many years since anything walked through here, everyone found that the silt had settled and become fairly hard.
The rocks that Onyx found had been revealed as the river bed dried out. They showed themselves as the silt and clay bottom of the river was able to recede. now the smoothed rocks that had been buffeted by the water for too many years to count showed themselves clearly.
The many patterns on each rock showed how the earth had once compounded through nature's wrath. It revealed when the river had not been a river and only been a stream. It showed when the stream had been a mountain splitting in two and allowing water to flow. This was just the amazing nature of, nature.