My skepticism finally resurfaced, but by then it was time to settle down for the night, so I could rise, refreshed and vigilant, to endure another day of trudging through rain, mud, and unappetizing meals.
After a few days, the rains seemed to recognize our determination and ceased. Even the clouds began to lift and thin. Mountains loomed ahead: the eastern Mountains in general, and Mount Wander specifically, a landmark I recalled from the map. The rain was gone entirely, as we had reached the arid lands west of the mountains. Whether by divine whim or natural anomaly, the Terran slopes were lush and wooded, while the western side would have been a desert if not for the streams, washes, and rivers that traversed it.
