Chapter 178 - 173: Into the Foothills
Morning came quietly to Riverside Village.
There was no dramatic sunrise.
No sudden storm.
No warning from the mountains.
Just another cool morning, birdsong, and the steady sound of the river flowing beside the village.
Yet everyone in the expedition knew this morning was different.
Today, they were leaving the road behind.
John stood outside the village hall with his field satchel secured across his shoulder.
His navy cloak moved gently in the breeze.
He looked toward the north.
The Ashen Peaks were much clearer now.
They no longer looked like distant shadows.
The lower slopes were covered in thick forests, while the higher peaks disappeared into thin layers of cloud.
John stared at them for several seconds.
Then Lythriel walked up beside him.
"You’ve been staring at those mountains for five minutes."
John blinked.
"Have I?"
"Yes."
She handed him a piece of bread.
"Eat."
John accepted it.
"Thanks."
"You’ll need it."
She pointed toward the mountains.
"We’re going uphill today."
John took a bite.
"Fair enough."
---
The expedition began moving shortly after sunrise.
The villagers gathered along the road to see them off.
Edwin stood near the front with several other residents.
"Safe travels!"
"Come back safely!"
"Don’t forget us!"
The expedition members waved back.
John noticed the little girl from yesterday standing beside her grandfather.
She was holding a small wooden dragon.
John smiled when she saw him.
She waved both hands.
John raised his hand in return.
The caravan slowly moved north.
The village became smaller behind them.
Eventually, Riverside disappeared from sight.
---
For the first few hours, the journey remained easy.
The road followed the river upstream.
The land gradually became hillier.
Fields disappeared.
Trees became more common.
The road narrowed.
The wagons began moving more slowly.
John walked near the rear of the caravan with Lythriel, Sylvara, and Aerion.
The Soul Raven flew overhead, occasionally landing on tree branches before taking off again.
Lythriel looked up.
"Does it ever get tired?"
John shrugged.
"I’ve never seen it complain."
"It probably thinks we’re the tiring ones."
Aerion glanced toward the raven.
"That creature has survived longer than most kingdoms."
John looked at him.
"You really think it’s that old?"
"I wouldn’t be surprised."
The Soul Raven gave a quiet caw from above.
Lythriel looked up.
"Did it just understand you?"
Aerion’s expression remained serious.
"Probably."
Lythriel sighed.
"Great."
"We’re being judged by a bird."
John laughed.
---
Around midday, Commander Gareth ordered the first serious halt.
The road had become too narrow for the wagons to continue safely.
Ahead was a steep slope covered with exposed roots and loose stones.
Gareth studied the terrain with several scouts.
After a few minutes, he gave the order.
"The wagons stay here."
A murmur moved through the expedition.
"We’ll unload the essential supplies."
"The wagons and animals will remain at this position under guard."
"Everything we need beyond this point will be carried."
John looked toward the mountains.
So this was it.
The end of the road.
---
The expedition began transferring equipment.
Food.
Water.
Tents.
Medical supplies.
Research equipment.
Rope.
Tools.
The process took nearly two hours.
Everyone had to be careful about what they carried.
Anything unnecessary was left behind.
John checked his field satchel one last time.
His journal was there.
The old map was safely protected.
The observation guide from Aldric was tucked inside the front compartment.
And the little wooden dragon from Riverside was in an inner pocket.
He smiled when he felt it.
Then he closed the bag.
---
"Ready?"
Sylvara asked.
John looked up.
"Yeah."
Lythriel adjusted her sword.
"I’ve been ready since breakfast."
Aerion looked toward the forest.
"Then let’s go."
---
The first section of the mountain trail was surprisingly peaceful.
The forest was dense but beautiful.
Tall trees covered the slopes, their branches forming a natural canopy above the trail.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves in thin golden beams.
Birds called from somewhere deeper in the forest.
The air smelled different here.
Cooler.
Fresher.
John could hear the distant river far below them.
Every now and then, he spotted tracks in the soil.
Deer.
Wild boar.
Small predators.
Nothing particularly dangerous.
Still, the guards remained alert.
---
John walked beside Eric, the surveyor he had met earlier.
Eric carried a measuring device attached to his belt.
Every few minutes, he stopped to make notes.
"What are you recording?"
John asked.
"The elevation."
Eric showed him the device.
"We’ll compare it with the old maps."
"That’ll tell us how accurate they were."
"Exactly."
John looked around.
"So all of this becomes part of the new map."
"Yes."
"Even this trail?"
"Especially this trail."
Eric smiled.
"One day, someone else might use our map."
John nodded.
There was something satisfying about that thought.
They weren’t simply exploring for themselves.
They were creating information for people who would come after them.
---
By midafternoon, the terrain became noticeably steeper.
The trail narrowed to little more than a rocky path.
The wagons were now far behind them.
The expedition had become a long line of people carrying packs.
Conversation gradually became quieter.
Everyone was conserving energy.
Commander Gareth occasionally ordered short pauses.
No one complained.
Even Lythriel had stopped joking.
John looked toward her.
"Tired?"
She shook her head.
"Not yet."
"Just saving my breath."
"Smart."
"I have moments."
---
During one of the breaks, John noticed something unusual.
A stone marker stood beside the trail.
It was partially buried beneath moss.
At first, it looked like a natural rock.
But when John brushed some of the moss away, he found a carved symbol.
A circle.
With three lines crossing through the center.
He froze.
"Lythriel."
She walked over.
"What?"
John pointed.
"That doesn’t look natural."
Aerion approached next.
He crouched beside the marker.
"You’re right."
Sylvara examined it carefully.
"Could it be a boundary marker?"
John pulled out his journal.
"Maybe."
He carefully sketched the symbol without touching the stone further.
Eric noticed what they were doing and came over.
"What did you find?"
"Possibly an old marker."
John explained.
Eric examined it.
"The carving is heavily weathered."
"Could be centuries old."
John looked at the symbol.
"Maybe older."
---
Commander Gareth was informed.
The commander came over and studied the stone.
"Any idea what it means?"
"No."
John answered honestly.
"Not yet."
Gareth nodded.
"Then mark the location."
"We’ll investigate it properly when we return."
John looked at the marker again.
"When we return?"
"If we stop every time someone finds an interesting rock..."
Gareth said dryly.
"We’ll reach the ruins next year."
A few nearby researchers laughed.
John smiled.
"Fair enough."
He recorded the location carefully.
Then the expedition continued.
---
As evening approached, the first wilderness camp was established.
The location was a relatively flat clearing surrounded by trees.
A small stream ran nearby.
Guards inspected the surrounding area before allowing everyone to settle.
Tents were erected.
Cooking fires were prepared.
Supplies were organized.
The camp gradually became lively again.
After hours of walking, everyone seemed relieved to sit down.
John placed his satchel inside his tent and stretched.
His legs were tired.
Not painfully.
Just enough to remind him that the mountains were already demanding something from him.
---
Lythriel sat beside the campfire with Sylvara.
Aerion was nearby sharpening one of his arrows.
John joined them.
"How was everyone’s first day?"
Lythriel sighed.
"My legs hate me."
Sylvara laughed.
"You said you were ready."
"I was."
"Before the mountain started going uphill."
John laughed.
Aerion quietly added,
"Mountains tend to do that."
Lythriel stared at him.
"Thank you for that observation."
---
Dinner was simple.
Stew.
Bread.
Dried fruit.
Water.
Nothing fancy.
But after the day’s journey, it tasted better than any feast.
The expedition gradually became quieter as people retired to their tents.
John remained beside the fire.
The flames crackled softly.
Above them, the forest canopy allowed only small glimpses of stars.
He opened his journal.
---
**Day Seven – First Mountain Camp**
*We entered the foothills today.*
*The road ended.*
*The terrain is more difficult than expected, but manageable.*
*We found an old stone marker along the trail.*
*The symbol doesn’t match anything I’ve studied yet.*
*It may be unrelated.*
*Or it may be important.*
He paused.
Then added:
*Tomorrow we go deeper.*
John closed the journal.
---
For a moment, he simply watched the fire.
Then he felt something.
A faint sensation.
The same one from the previous night.
He slowly turned his head toward the forest.
Nothing.
Just trees.
Darkness.
The distant sound of water.
The Soul Raven sat on a branch above him.
Its eyes were fixed in the same direction.
John narrowed his eyes.
"You sense it too?"
The raven remained still.
Then...
It spread its wings.
It flew silently into the darkness.
John watched it disappear between the trees.
He considered following.
But something told him not to.
Not yet.
Instead, he remained by the fire.
The expedition had only entered the foothills.
There was no reason to rush.
Tomorrow would bring another day.
Another climb.
Another piece of the mountains.
And perhaps...
Another clue.
Far above the camp, hidden among the trees, the Soul Raven landed on an ancient stone pillar.
The same symbol John had discovered was carved into its surface.
The raven stared at it for several seconds.
Then it looked toward the deeper mountains.
Something was there.
Something old.
But it did not move.
Not yet.
---
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