The second day passed even more smoothly. The mountains gradually fell behind them, replaced by gentler forestsand wider roads occasionally used by merchants or hunters.
Although they avoided villages to prevent unnecessary attention, seeing signs of civilization again lifted everyone's spirits considerably. Birds replaced monstrous roars. Wagon tracks replaced beast trails. Even the air somehow felt more familiar.
Boren eventually drifted toward Sage near the center of the formation, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as though he had been wrestling with an important philosophical question for the past several hours.
Sage noticed him from the corner of his eye and immediately sighed before Boren had even opened his mouth."If you're about to ask me how much treasure we brought back," Sage said without slowing his pace, "the answer is still no."
