Four days had elapsed since their departure from Cypress Village. They had bypassed two villages, diminishing the wagon count from fifteen to eleven.
They had finally gathered everything and were spending the night before embarking towards the Ocean.
Hilde was tempted to question Maddie about the decision to skip those two villages, but Arlo dissuaded her.
Arlo had no desire to interfere with every choice these people made. He simply wanted to fulfill their expectations of him, as his instincts hinted at a potential situation akin to the Yedlin Clan.
"I don't think we are doing the right thing," Hilde confided in Arlo.
They were seated around the campfire, with eleven children in front of them, encircled by wagons at the base of the Life and Death mountain.
Their plan was to set off for the Ocean the following morning when the sun was at its zenith.
