| 370 With one eye on the weather building to the north-west you urge Pallenten onwards, setting her course squarely for the Devkraager Tor and the legendary entrance to Stoneholme. The mountain itself hangs in the haze of the horizon to the south-west, still a great distance away but already growing to dominate the landscape. Truly it will be a wonder to behold when you are close enough to explore its fringes. As you ride you continue to search the horizon ahead. It is as you expect, there is little in the way of habitation here, old farmsteads and the occasional gaping maw of a long abandoned mine are all you find as you pass swiftly over the lush grasses of the plain. The lack of human occupation has kept these lands wild and hard to survive. To look at the verdant growth of the grasslands and the rich stands of forest it would be easy to see why the early settlers of this area considered this the perfect place to build their homes and farmlands. It took only the passage of a few years to show that only the hardiest of men can extract a living from its soils. The warmth and fine days of the summer months are a deceptive lure to those wishing to farm here, the summers are not long enough, and the onset of winter brings with it a severity of weather that can be withstood for a year or two, but no longer. In the end only those farmers who could protect their livestock over the long winter survived for any length of time, and even then only those who had access to all-weather roads could properly make a living. It spelt ruin for many families, the failures of the earlier settlers has meant that not many Kalboreans have remained. Their legacy has endured though, scattered about the plains and forests as crumbling buildings and stone fences, silent monuments to the many attempts made to make this frontier a home. Perhaps one day others will try again. Shortly you come to a small stream, almost hidden from view by a slightly raised embankment and a low hedge that runs along both banks. The stream flows roughly west to east and is about two metres wide. The waters appear cool and clear.
| Do you wish to stop for a moment and let Pallenten drink? If so turn to section 364. If you would rather push on and water Pallenten later, turn to section 381.
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