At the end of the week, three occurrences raised everyone’s spirits. The weather broke in their favor, with sunshine and air that was so warm the snow around them began to melt day after day. At the same time, their road began a consistent and noticeable tilt downward, which Kane reported was a sign that they were over the heights of the mountains and heading downward towards the Twenty Cities. “But we’ll still have to go down the big cliff road,” Jody added. And after three more days, they passed an active coal mine, and began to intermingle with other traffic on the road. Mules and carts carried numerous loads of coal down the mountain road, making a wider, busier, and muddier path. Mindful of the greater traffic and the approach to civilized areas, Hope and Jody asked that the horse-riders be allowed to ride ahead of the mules and the wagons. Alec turned to Andi. “What’s your opinion?” he asked. She shrugged. “We probably won’t see bandits, but the miners can get rowdy, especially if they’ve been working isolated up in the mountains all winter.”
