Back in his room, Astron sorted things out for his journey. He did not have a lot, so it did not take long. Basically he would need his sword, the king’s medallion, and loads of luck. He had no idea how well Edward’s troops patrolled the woods, nor what awaited him if he made it beyond the Elderwood to the West Plains. He had only heard stories of the rolling grasslands, which were said to be home to numerous scattered farms. It would take a great deal of courage to find out for sure, and even more to stand up and talk to the Flyga, if what he had heard about Fliers in general was true. They were bigger than any Alvarosaurus or Gorvosaurus by far, and had tremendous claws and beaks. They mostly kept to themselves and ate fish, but when an unwelcome foreigner wandered into their territory,
