When they reached the tree line boundary where the forest gave way to fields of lichen and moss, the lead elephants were halted, as Hannibal had instructed.
After the scouts informed Hannibal of their arrival at the tree line, he rode forward to inspect the landscape. He and Rocrainium sat on their horses at the lower end of a small valley that caught the afternoon sun. An Alpine meadow stretched away before them, all the way to the perennial snowfields above. The sunny meadow was filled with hearty grass, moss, lichens, and heather. The light snowfall of the previous day had melted away.
Hannibal had called a halt for two days to allow the herds of cattle, horses, and elephants to graze and put on an extra layer of fat before they pushed on into the ice and snow.
While the people campe
