Potential Site

By midday, the convoy had left the narrow, suffocating mining valley far behind.

The rugged terrain gradually dissolved. Steep granite cliffs gave way to gently rolling plains, where endless grasslands were broken only by clusters of ancient oak trees and the occasional sleepy farming hamlet. Instead of rutted wagon tracks squeezed between rocky slopes, the King's Highway stretched across open country, allowing the four horses to maintain a brisk, steady trot.

Arthur leaned out the window, his hand holding his hat against the wind. "I don't think I've ever traveled this far east."

Samuel Wright looked up from the leather-bound survey ledgers spread across his lap. "Not many have, Mr. Pendelton. Before the reconstruction, this was just open crown pasture and seasonal wheat farms. There wasn't much economic reason to head in this direction."