CHAPTER FOURTEEN
I was more than a little apprehensive as we rolled our way through the thick woods. The day passed without incident except for an increase in traffic the further we traveled west. Wagons rolled to and fro with different loads depending on their direction. Many from our direction had loads of wood and stones while those from the city had sacks of flour and other foodstuff.
We crested a short hill a short hour before sunset and found ourselves looking into a bowl-shaped valley. A tall mountain range and a small plateau stood proudly on the opposite side of the bowl. The glistening reflection of two rivers flowed from those hills and through the green plateau where they met in the middle of the basin.
The valley was occupied not only by two rivers but by a bustling ci
