Lawson rode his packhorse up a familiar path to the high ground behind the outpost.
From this vantage point, the entire border landscape lay before him. The outposts of Vilt and Rosenia each occupied a highland, with the valley floor between them a former battlefield where blood once flowed like rivers.
On either side of the highlands stretched a continuous primeval forest and steep mountain ridges. The terrain was complex and difficult to traverse, nearly impassable for horses.
This was a strategic chokepoint that any army would fight to control.
Without passing through the main route where the outposts stood, any army attempting to cross this border would pay a heavy price.
The dense jungle and steep cliffs would not only drastically slow an army's march but also sap the soldiers' stamina and morale. It could even cause units to scatter and men to die.
