PrologueThe wheels of the wagon bounced and slipped down the muddy slope, unable to provide any meaningful traction against the sheer face of the hill. Hog, Kirby and Broseph walked behind the wagon, and it was only by their efforts that the wagon did not slide free and tumble down into the valley below. Each dwarf had a duty to perform. Zon and Roved held the pack animals, a pair of yaks, and Ingish guided the wagon from the front. Ute oversaw the effort. She knew that it would only take one slip and their expedition would be doomed to failure, lost without tool or provision in an alien land.
As they descended into the valley, the air became thicker and thicker with humidity. The heat was overwhelming. Ute stopped to catch her breath, and wiped her brow clear of sweat for what seemed like the fifth time that minute. The 6 settlers took a similar break, fetching provisions from their wagon for a snack. They looked exhausted. Ute might not have had a physical burden on her back, but the knowledge that she was responsible for the lives of these six dwarves, not to mention the success of her expedition, lay heavily upon her.
Ute knew they could not stop for long. They had precious few hours of daylight to bring the wagon into and back out of this valley. It would be suicide trying to maneuver such a load in the dark, not to mention the risk of attracting the attention of valley's less friendly denizens. She loosened her throat.
"Oi! Git a move on, ye short-bearded bunch o' Kobolds!" The dwarves quickened their pace. The yaks grunted in the heat, and the wagon began shifting down the face once again.
. . .
Ute stood numbly in front of the roaring mass of water in front of her. The travelers had just begun celebrating their successful passage down the valley when Zon ran through the trees with news of the river. Not just any river, Ute mused, but the biggest river she had ever seen, and certainly far too big for them to cross. That was nearly an hour ago, and the skies were beginning to darken. Ute had to give the settlers her word on what they would do. There was, of course, only one option available to them, as it would take the strength of Armok himself to get that wagon up the hill again. They would have to settle here, Ute decided. For better or worse.
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