"Meet Me By the River" is an old folk song in the Second Citadel series, claimed to be as old as "the First Citadel, at least." It is sung by Rilla and by The Keep, who also sang it to Lord Arum when he was a hatchling. Rilla and Arum discuss whether the song was originally written by humans or monsters, and whether it matters in the end.
In Knight of the Crown, Lord of the Swamp (Part 1), Rilla sings it to Sir Damien to calm him down. It is heard again in The Moonlit Hermit (Part 2), where it is sang by The Keep to send Arum and Rilla to sleep, and Rilla plays it for Arum on a homemade string instrument. Rilla sings it for both Damien and Arum upon first meeting them, despite being embarrassed about singing for people.[1] In The World to Come (Part 3), Rilla sings it for the child she, Damien and Arum make together, Hyacinth.
Lyrics[]
Meet me by the river, where the elderberries grow
When stars are silver, no one has to know
Meet me by the river, by driftwood and stone
I'll float down with her, no one has to know
And if the old man caught me stealing, wouldn't bother to lie
Mama let her baby grow through the ceiling, but do we wonder why
She seemed so bitter, bitten by the cold
I'll watch her shiver, and leave her alone
Meet me by the river, where the elderberries grow
When stars are silver, no one has to know[2]