He wondered if the Lykians were at war, and thought about asking one of the soldiers guarding the wagons. But he decided against it, that he would wait to ask the king himself. He walked on, his eyes scanning the distant mountains, and taking in the dry-smelling air of that increasingly mesmerizing land, despite the hidden dangers he suspected lurked in the distance.
The Lykian capital of Xanthos was located on a high acropolis, overlooking the river below, and was visible from all directions. It was a jewel set in the crown of Lykia, surrounded by low, rocky hills covered with scrub and olive groves, sweet-scented pine, and towering cypresses.
As they travelled the road toward the hazy acropolis, the river reached to its walls, tree-shaded, and lithe like a serpent stretched out in the
