Hence, Si'Wren was able to learn firsthand of their deep-rooted fear,
as the fateful decision was finally made to turn aside. It was
something of an eye-opener for Si'Wren to learn that her mighty Emperor
could possibly be afraid of anything to the point of actually avoiding
a deliberate showdown, and taught her much about the immensity and
hostility of the world.
She could not help but share their fear, when they finally concluded
their impromptu conference of the leaders of the Captains of Fifty, and
with false bravado, announced to the men their intention of striking
out across-country into an uncharted domain, in a forced-march across a
profligate wilderness in which both men and beasts were so savage that
civilized souls did not venture forth unless they went in large,
heavily armed groups and then only with good reason.
To Si'Wren, it was readily apparent that they would no longer know for
certain how best to direct their path. The trader himself would only
have the most vague idea of which meander to take at every fork. What
with the unbelievable twisting of the various water courses and almost
complete impassibility of various forms of terrain they had encountered
so far, their journey had become a maze at which the most intelligent
and informed of them could only guess which way to turn.
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