Dispatch from the salt road
November 11, 2026
Before dawn, the caravan leaves its last reliable well. The ridge provides shade during the first leg, but anyone who follows it all the way must carry enough water to reach the next cistern.
At midday, broken stone appears along the lower road. It could mark an old wellhead or the wall of an abandoned yard. Sending a scout costs daylight and gives the caravan a better basis for committing its supplies.
By dusk, the decision is visible in the camp: how much water remains, which animals need rest and which road can be attempted tomorrow.