Most of the people joining us from Habbar decided to return to their homes today, leaving only Hibimage and Boktoseethet. I wasn’t privy to their discussions on the matter, but I believe they reached the conclusion that traveling such great distances would not have the positive effect on Habbar they intended. Personally, I don’t think they were prepared for the trials such a journey would present, and it only took a single night in the wilderness to convince them of that. I would consider them fortunate if they endured even half of the things we’ve been through in the past year. Fortunately, I doubt Habbar will remain isolated for too much longer now that it’s existence will be announced to the rest of the world, however, and expect they will eventually send out explorers on their own expedition to reunite with the rest of the world.
The rest of us continue south. Boktoseethet asked if we could just climb over the mountains and reach our destination sooner, but we explained the mountains were too treacherous for us to traverse safely. We’ll take the long way around the mountains instead. It makes me wonder, though, just how close to the passage we might actually be. If it’s located west from here, our trip south around the mountain range and back north will add many months to our trip. If Dawn said we could make it successfully over the mountains, I might consider it, but she hasn’t said anything, so our plans to go south are still in effect.
Hibimage took us to the place where the people of Habbar captured him so many years ago. It was by a cluster of trees he passed while chasing a deer that the people ambushed him. It really isn’t much to look at and appears similar to any other cluster of trees, but the knowledge of what occurred here is what sets it apart. He also showed us the place where he last saw Niahla’Sen’s mother, but all we saw were weeds without any signs of a camp from long ago. Niahla’Sen hopes to take her father and Boktoseethet to Perduva, and reunite the old man with her mother.