When the hands of the pocket watch pointed to seven, Anse and the other two bade Emon farewell and set off.
They truly did not want to camp in the wilderness again. Baldur's Gate had suddenly suffered disaster; all manner of monsters and madmen had emerged, and chaos reigned everywhere.
At their pace, if they set out early enough, they could reach the West Coast before sunset.
Anse had Gray Hawk scout ahead. With it around, they could not possibly stray too far off course.
Near noon, they finally found a "road"—a winding little path marked with wagon ruts and the footprints of people and livestock, clearly used often.
After passing through a stretch of woodland, they saw endless cornfields before them. The stalks stood half a man tall, a vibrant green sea brimming with life.
Young, able-bodied men patrolled the field edges with dogs. The corn was still far from ripe, so they were mainly guarding against wild beasts.
The farmers were immediately wary of the trio's arrival, but once Anse removed his cloak, most of their hostility vanished, and they answered nearly every question.
This village was called Bull Horn Village. It had only a few dozen households and was private property of Baldur's Gate's Stelman Family.
Following this road west for more than ten kilometers would lead them to Silver Scale Bay, famous far and wide for its silver-scale trout.
Anse and the others did not even stop to rest. They ate something casually and continued onward.
Though narrow, the path was still far easier to travel than the wilderness. After just over three hours, a sprawling cluster of low buildings appeared ahead, packed chaotically across their view and steeped in the sights and sounds of civilization.
Farther beyond lay endless azure blue, where sea and sky