### 186

For two days you travel this road as it crosses the lush coastal plain of northeastern Dessi, which nestles in the rain shadow of the Great Masourn Mountains. The land is bountiful and neither you nor your trusty horse go hungry for want of fresh food. By noon of the third day you come to a village 30 miles from the city of Hikas. At first the villagers seem as placid and as peaceable as any you have encountered during your travels through Dessi, but the moment they see you approaching they immediately freeze in their tracks. Some drop the items they are carrying and others begin to tremble with fear.

If you wish to stop and talk to these anxious natives, turn to 171.

If you decide to ignore them, you can continue riding the road to Hikas by turning to 273.