The Kranjir caravan was ready and waiting when Kai turned them into the courtyard.

The enchanted equipment had been collected the day before, so the Kranjir were waiting only for them to arrive.

A sharp whistle rang out as Verdan came into view, and the caravan slowly rolled into motion, with Kai joining onto the end of the procession as they wound out from the courtyard and through the city.

The clopping of dozens of hooves on the paved streets filled the air and drew a lot of attention from the people of the city, but there was far less interest than when the caravan first arrived.

The guards at the northern entrance already had the gates open when the caravan arrived, letting them pass through without needing to slow down.

Verdan watched eagerly as Kai drove them through the gates and into the pass through the mountains. He didn’t know how this journey would go, but it was sure to be interesting.

The pass wasn’t wide enough for the wagons to go comfortably side by side, so the caravan kept to its current formation as they slowly made their way through.

The pass opened out to a flat area with a number of switchbacks that led down to a cleared section of woodland.

Looking out from the higher ground, Verdan ran his gaze over the heavily forested area north of the mountains, admiring the scenery.

The woods around the clearing below were reasonably young, but the forests in the distance were old and dark, promising secrets and danger in an equal mix.

Verdan shared a look with Kai, seeing some of his excitement reflected in the eyes of the Sorcerer.

While they’d been here before, they hadn’t gone far from the mountain and had spent little time exploring, so there was still a lot to see.

The caravan began to slowly make its way down the path to the clearing below, which looked far more organised than the last time Verdan was present.

The resurgence in the economy of Hobson’s Point had seen a matching increase in the logging taking place in the area surrounding the city.

While much was done to the south of the mountains, a good portion did come from these forests to the north, and it showed in the changes Verdan could see.

What had once been a dilapidated and abandoned clearing with little more than a firepit to its name now had several log cabins that had been put together and a large shelter where lumber could be stored for transport.

There were around two dozen people in the clearing as the caravan rolled through, and Verdan noticed several large carts being loaded with lumber at the storage area.

Smiling to himself, Verdan turned back to the path ahead as they left the clearing behind.

Last time, they had taken this path and then turned off to head toward Gwen’s cabin, but this time, they carried on towards the logging camp.

The camp was much the same as the clearing they’d seen but on a larger scale. The whole place was a hive of activity as they approached, and Verdan noted the larger number of permanent structures within it. This camp had clearly been designed to support a large number of people.

The path the caravan was following passed close by the camp, but the Kranjir didn’t stop, and the logging teams were too busy to take much notice.

“A lot different than this time last year, that’s for sure,” Kai said, eyeing the camp as they passed it by.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“Very true. It’s hard to imagine even that first clearing as being overgrown and abandoned when looking at this.”

“A sign that the adventurers have been putting their new equipment to good use.”

“Here’s hoping that the Kranjir do the same,” Verdan muttered, his eyes lingering on the camp for a moment more before they passed out of sight.

-**-

After the logging camp, the path widened before joining onto a larger trail that was smoother for the wagons and gave them more breathing room.

The path to the pass through the mountains had deteriorated somewhat, but Verdan put that down to years of disuse more than anything.

Regardless, it was good to have an easier path to follow, and the smoother ground meant that they were able to pick up their speed a little.

The caravan was still moving relatively slowly at what was essentially a walking pace, but that was to be expected with it being fully laden.

The majority of the Kranjir were riding in the wagons, but there was a small group mounted on horses who had been leading the way.

The mounted group was split into two, with most of them being lightly armed outriders, but there was a core of more heavily armed cavalry that included the Chosen.

Now that the path was wider, the outriders began to scout ahead in earnest while the rest of the cavalry spread through the winding caravan.

“Wizard, good to see you,” Ciaran called out as he cantered down to them atop a powerfully built horse. The Chosen was wearing a chainmail hauberk with a large two-handed axe hanging from his saddle, giving him an imposing look. “I wasn’t sure if you would truly commit to coming back with us, but your apprentice was adamant.”

“I did make him a promise,” Verdan said with a tight smile. Dirk and his mother had been given transport with the Keeper directly, but Dirk had promised to come find Verdan once they stopped for the day to continue his training.

“As it should be,” Ciaran gave an approving nod as he absently stroked the neck of his horse. “My father has asked me to pass on our plans. We expect to reach today’s campsite at mid-afternoon. We will stop for the day and make any final adjustments, so let him know then if you need anything. Beyond that, we don’t intend to stop for anything, so we ask that you stay to your wagon.”

“Do you expect trouble so soon?” Kai asked, gesturing to the cavalry escorting the caravan.

“The Darjee grow brave with their raids, and the forests tend to attract all manner of creatures. We have learned to prepare for anything when travelling outside of Clan territory.”

“Where exactly does Clan territory begin?” Verdan asked curiously.

“The heartlands of the Clans is everything north of Bristaen, the cracked mountain of the north.”

“And how far is that?”

“It will take us two weeks to reach Glarn by caravan, which is in the foothills of the Bristaen.”

“So, what is all this land then?” Verdan asked, gesturing at the steadily thickening forest around them.

“No one remembers who this land belonged to anymore. It is a lawless land now, one plagued by monsters and evil. Some people still live here or move here to try to retake areas of it, but it is a constant battle. The Steel Custodian and Defiant Flame Sects are a good example of this.”

“So the Darjee threat, where are they based in relation to all that?”

“The Darjee tribes are found in many places between Bristaen and the Grey Peaks, but the tribe troubling us is west of the Bristaen. We don’t know their exact location yet, but they are pushing into the lands of Clan Thrain and must be stopped.”

“I see. Thank you for explaining all of this,” Verdan said, mentally filing away everything Ciaran had explained.

“My father instructed me to be forthright and clear with this. Otherwise, I would not have,” Ciaran said, his expression hardening as he looked between the two of them. “You have my thanks for agreeing to aid us, but bringing you north with us puts my father in a difficult position. As he no doubt told you, many of the Clan will not appreciate your presence, and that will reflect on him.”

“I understand, and we will make sure we do nothing to make things harder for your father,” Verdan said, holding his hands up, palms out.

“Thank you,” Ciaran said, a touch of tension leaving his posture. “The Clan should follow my father’s guidance, but if you have any problems, send for me.” Ciaran whistled to his horse, picking up the pace and making his way to the front of the caravan once more.

“Well, they certainly know how to make us feel welcome,” Kai said in a dry tone. “Are you sure this was a wise move?”

“Not really, no, but the benefits will hopefully outweigh any problems we run into.” Verdan’s answer was somewhat absent as he eyed the weapons of the Chosen that he could see.

When Ciaran had come closer, Verdan had noticed that there was a design etched into the blade, one that seemed to incorporate all of the free space on the metal.

Looking at the other Chosen, Verdan noticed that they, too, had elaborate etchings on their weapons. The designs weren’t exact duplicates, but they were close.

Considering the issues caused by Verdan’s enchantments, it wasn’t a huge jump to say that these etchings were likely related to the power of the Chosen.

The exact nature of that link was hard to determine without seeing them in action, but Verdan had a feeling that he’d see Ciaran in action sooner or later.