The Two Trails

With a heavy heart, and despite feeling weak from the overindulgence, Astra decided that she had to get out of Allaria the next morning. For her to stay in the cursed kingdom would be like staying passively on a sinking ship when a lifeboat was available. And she did not see anything that she could do that would be of real help.

She consulted with the mayor of the town. He noted that there were two ways over the Shreken Mountains. The terrain of the Trail of the Caves was easier, cutting through the low pass of Hershey Saddle, and passed through fine meadows with good ponds. The problem was that it also passed by a dragon's lair, and ended at Malboncton, which was not the friendliest place for a lone traveller. The Tangential Trail, on the other hand, wove through mountain switchbacks over the steep Gill Pass and ended in the tribal lands of Dunchovia. The trail was bleak, and would take extra time to traverse, but there were no known enemies on the trail, and Aqualaria's relations with the Dunchovians were excellent.

Astra packed as much meat and water as she could carry, took two horses, and headed for

1. the Trail of the Caves.
2. the Tangential Trail.

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