There's another caravan coming across the plains. You hear about that?
Yeah.
They're estimating two thousand. Gotta be another Palaji migration.
So? What do we care where those condescending little pricks go? Long as they don't stop here.
You ever been to the Palaji Coast?
Nope.
I have. There's a lot of those "condescending little pricks."
If you say so.
This is, what, the fifth caravan this year? Doncha think that's a lot of Palaji heading south?
They've got no interest in us, and even if they did, they're hardly a threat. Unless they're selling you something.
Their stuff is pricey, but it's quality.
Here we go.
I'm serious. You ever use tools from the coast?
Do I look like carpenter to you?
They make weapons, too you know. And armor.
I've never seen a Palaji armorer.
Yeah, but they make it.
I don't care how fancy a man's sword is or what filigree runs round his bracers. He brings trouble to Cantonaïas, I'll skewer him like a goat.
Don't it make you wonder, though, why they're going?
Simple. Same reason thousands of us flock to Fu every year. Opportunity.
You think they're running out of land?
Maybe, or just not happy with the options.
I guess. Still, we've got somewhere to go. What's waiting for them down south? More plains, then mountains.
There wasn't anything in Fu two hundred years ago, but yeah, I get it. Fu was an empty paradise. Where they're headed? Carrion Clans, diamond giants, and Sherta raiders. The Nations. All kinds of bad news for settlers.
Then there’s a band of refugees back on our doorstep.
Yup. Sounds about right.
The thing is. You never see 'em headed back north. They must find something, hey?
Or their heads all wind up on stakes. Or they starve. Or they get escorted to the mines. You want to know what's south of here? Go ask Thauir. He was in the delegation to The Nations. Two years. He's got plenty of stories about the ‘glories’ of the south. A man’s better off in Gath.
No doubt.
