It seems to be an easy road from Ar Mukon to Ar Eleron, what I believe is the northernmost coastal town before one reaches the Kiremo Desert. We’re also out of the mountains, and are following the river along its final stretch to the sea. However, the elders at Ar Mukon saw fit to warn us of what we’re walking toward. Apparently, Ar Eleron and the other towns and cities in the region are somewhat lawless. Since the mountains separate this part of Etnyben from the rest, the Great King ignores it. The people fend for themselves, and the land is a haven for brigands, pirates, and other unsavory folk.
That doesn’t mean we’ll be unwelcome anywhere we go. There are still plenty of friendly people living here. We’ve passed a number of farms and several small villages in the past week or so, and they’ve always welcomed us. Even so, Dawn says we have a group of people following us at a distance, probably with plans to waylay us when we’re not at our most vigilant. It almost reminds me of that road to Sehol where we encountered and defeated a large band of brigands that was roaming the region. The biggest difference this time is we do not know their intent. Perhaps they are merely honest travelers like us.
Something I’ve noticed in the past few days is the presence of large clouds overhead. These appear to be storm clouds, but lack the storm. They float east, tend to bunch up when they reach the mountains, and then slowly disappear over the ridge. Since I’m unfamiliar with the weather along this coast, I don’t know what to make of the clouds. They might be a warning of something ominous, or they might just be the usual weather here. Either way, we’ll have to take whatever comes.
After months of travel through the rugged lands of the passage and north of Saval, this area is lush and green. The plants are different. The wildlife is different. Even the birds are different. All of this has Boktoseethet and Alkaar amazed at the difference. For people unaccustomed to traveling to remote lands, such difference is hard to imagine. On the plus side, Hungry manages to catch us plenty of birds to eat.