The rest of their journey passed in relative peace. The road ahead was quiet, the forests no longer bristling with the tension of lurking ambushes. The merchants rode with a renewed energy, their once-wary glances replaced with lighthearted conversation. Saeko remained vigilant, but even she could sense the shift—this part of the land had grown quieter.
By the time the first blush of dawn touched the horizon on the second day, the town of Rivermere appeared in the distance like a jewel nestled in the valley. Towering stone walls surrounded it, their ancient surfaces weathered but strong, crowned with banners fluttering in the morning breeze. Behind those walls rose slate rooftops, the glint of glass windows catching the early sun, and the distant chime of bells marked the beginning of a new day.
