Springtime in the Xornian lowlands was a very different experience to springtime in the mountains. Saul, Brand, and Zorea had been on the road for three weeks, and had descended from the last snows of winter in the heights, down through a rolling, mostly uninhabited country of low hills, long grasses, waterfalls, and scattered woodlands, and then further on into the start of the Xornian lowlands.

Here, the weather was gentle and the air was warm, with harsh mountain winds a distant memory. The rain—which, in the mountains, fell hard, heavy, and often—was replaced by a gentle, damp drizzle that was present in the morning and usually burned off by the afternoon.

The three travelers did not push themselves. They made steady progress south, observing the country around them and not talking much, mostly reflecting on all that had happened, and thinking about the future.

The road from Harkin’s Holdfast had been improved by the soldiers for the five miles or so nearest the village, but once Saul and his friends had gotten a few days away from the village it became harder going.

The raptors they were riding handled the terrain effortlessly. Saul found himself looking critically at the road, and wondering how much of a difference it might make to the North to have better roads for travel.

Perhaps more people would choose to settle up here if the roads were better? Though the land was harsh, there were resources out here, and the Xornians were a hardy people.

What new discoveries might be made if people could be encouraged to settle further north? What riches might be uncovered for the realm if only people could travel more easily?

When Saul had been Baraz Karak’s top general, forging an empire from the ashes of the Faction Wars, the state of the roads and bridges had been a constant headache. Though it was not dramatic or exciting work—nor was it cheap—Saul had insisted that the roads be widened and improved in all the lands they conquered.

Not only did this work allow troops to move around quickly in the land that he and Karak brought into their empire, but better roads also allowed swifter trade and quicker movement of building materials for the development of towns and villages.

Better roads meant less accidents, less broken cartwheels, less flooding and less holdups, and they meant that fast-moving groups of guards on horseback could keep the peace, driving out bandits and making transit between towns, cities, and regions safer for everyone.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

To take territory, one needs to use force to hold territory, not simply seize it. To conquer, one needs to be able to offer the people a better life than they had before.

“You’re very quiet,” Brand said curiously to Saul one evening as they sat by the campfire. “You’ve done nothing but glare at the path all day. What were you thinking about?”

“Roads,” Saul said, but he did not elaborate.

The Xornian highlands had been only very sparsely populated, but as they journeyed further south the land became gentler lowlands. The Sawtooth Mountains that had loomed so large over Harkin’s Holdfast shrank to little more than an imposing shadow on the northern horizon behind them.

Here in the lowlands, the climate was much milder, and the country was made up of many wide, interconnecting valleys among tall, bare hills. Here, the roads were better, and it was here that they encountered their first larger settlements.

Many small villages dotted the land, mostly housing herders and breeders of the many strange animals that were native to the region.

They passed by villages that had large covered enclosures for the breeding of giant dragonflies, and water-bound enclosures for the breeding of stone-turtles, and others made of dampened, flame-resistant wool for the collection and training of the fire-sprites that made such good servants in the Xornian Queen’s court.

Then there were the villages that sat next to artificial hills bored full of little tunnels. These were for the breeding and training of the Rattan, those small rodent-like humanoids who could be trained to learn the languages of humans and could carry out many useful tasks.

Saul was surprised to even spot goblin settlements here, where the small green-skinned people lived in relative peace with their neighboring humans.

“Not all goblins are evil,” Brand explained when Saul asked about this. “Plenty of them just want to live peacefully, farm, and trade, the same as everybody else.”

“What do the goblins trade in?” Saul asked.

“Oh, furs, leathers, and potions, mostly,” Brand answered. “Goblins are amazingly patient creatures, and very dextrous when it comes to crafting. They create things like mouse-skin gloves, lizard-leather riding gauntlets, or the marvelous cloth made from dragon-fly wings. They have the patience and the skill to make things like that, and the humans pay well for such exotic goods. There are not many of them, to be fair, but here there are a few small clans who have settled to a life of peace and of trade, and have become a valuable part of the realm of Xorn.”

Saul nodded thoughtfully, gazing over at the small houses and the deep, boggy ditch surrounding the goblin settlement. It looked peaceful. Smoke rose from the chimneys of the houses, and small, green skinned figures moved about within.

Even with all his knowledge of the world from his old life, he had never heard of such a thing as peaceful goblins settling to a life of crafting and trade. Clearly, there was still much to learn, even for him.