Lily frowned as she walked through the forest. Her legs ached slightly from unaccustomed effort, since walking through the woods in full travelling gear was a far sight from 45 minute sessions at the gym, but that wasn’t what bothered her. And it wasn’t the way the warm spring sunshine made her damp and itchy with sweat, although that was certainly an annoyance. It wasn’t even the flies that kept buzzing around their group seemingly no matter how many Amber casually incinerated with her magic. No, if anything, it bothered her that this was too easy. “These woods… They just don’t seem as thick or as scary as I remember… I mean, maybe I’m misremembering it, but…” “No, you’re right.” Adam replied. “But it isn’t really that strange. There have been people living around this area for many thousands of years now. Arranging the environment to suit their needs is something people do almost instinctively.” “Are you saying people have been working to make this forest easier to wander through?” “Not necessarily. Even if there’s been no directed effort, removing an inconvenient tree here, burning away a bramble thicket there, it all adds up. This might look like a forest, but at this point it’s more like a park or a garden.” Adam trampled a patch of stinging nettles, feeling very grateful for his big, solid boots. “I mean, not a very well maintained garden, but still.” “I’m surprised there are that many people out wandering these woods in the first place. Aren’t there bears and wolves around these parts?” This time Sven chimed in. “Not for the last three thousand years or so. I spotted it in an agricultural report while I was helping Adam. There isn’t an undomesticated predator larger than a fox anywhere in the central kingdom.” Lily frowned. “How does that work? Don’t you need predators to keep animal populations in check?” “People take care of that. Applying for a hunting permit for state-owned lands isn’t difficult, and there are lots of people looking for work.” “Fruit trees.” Amber said, seemingly apropos of nothing. “What about them?” Lily asked, confused. “There are too many.” Looking around, Lily realized that there did seem to be an awful lot of apple, plum and cherry trees spread throughout the woods, their messy branches heavy with blossoms. “I suppose you’re right.” “It makes sense.” Adam replied with a shrug. “People are far more likely to spread fruit seeds around than other seeds, and they’re less likely to cut down a tree if they can get fruit from it.” “So, what? This whole forest is just one big hiking trail?” “The same thing happens on our world.” Sven replied with a shrug. “Forests grown for lumber are full of nothing but high-quality lumber trees spaced at reasonable distances. Campgrounds are cleared of brush and poisonous plants to make for better trails. In some places the closest thing we have to untouched wilderness is national parks, and even those are usually full of trails and rest stops.” “It’s just survival of the fittest. But in this case the things that are most fit to survive are the things people want to keep around.” Adam trampled another patch of nettles. “And the things that are a pain to get rid of, obviously.” Lily nodded thoughtfully, a small frown on her face as she kept wandering through the long-since tamed ‘wilderness’. After a few days of largely unremarkable travel, the group found themselves at the outskirts of another small village. Adam had planned the route to include frequent visits to small communities like these to resupply, while avoiding larger communities where they were more likely to be recognized. This particular example went by the name of Narrowglen, which was an odd name for a village right in the middle of a wooded lowland. From what Adam had been able to glean from old records and surveyor’s maps, the original Narrowglen had been a much larger town up by the border, and this little village had been founded by refugees after the war. Over the course of its thousands of years of completely unremarkable history, the village had migrated almost half a mile from where it was founded as old houses were torn down and new ones constructed. The oldest building currently standing was a roadside inn, and that was where the group hoped to refill their supplies. “It will look too remarkable if we all show up.” Adam stated. “The least conspicuous-looking of us should go and buy supplies while the rest of us wait here.” Sven and Lily looked at him pointedly. “What?” They looked at each other, then turned to amber, before turning back to Adam with raised eyebrows. Adam huffed. “Fine. I get it. I’ll go.” Grumbling quietly to himself, Adam, wandered down to the inn and opened the door. The interior was simply furnished and sparsely decorated, but still managed to give a cosy, welcoming air. The man behind the counter, a stout gentleman in his late fifties, greeted Adam with a curious smile. “Hello there, friend. Not a lot of strangers about these days, and you look like you’ve been roughing it too. What brings you here?” “Doing some work for the Crown.” Adam lied easily. “I’m out inspecting the state’s forests and wildlands.” The man scoffed. “Inspecting the forests indeed. It’s amazing the Crown still finds the time and money to give people such meaningless busywork in times like these.” “True, but I’m not exactly going to complain. The coin is good, and I get to spend a lot of time out in the fresh air. Besides, it’s not like I have a lot of other prospects.” “Too right. Lots of people with no work these days. It’s a bleeding shame. And now I hear there’s stirrings of a war! A war, can you believe it?” “So I’ve heard. Still, I’m well out of it. Not a lot to fight over out in the woods. I do need to fill up my rations, though. Dried goods, hardtack, some wine or beer suitable for travel. It’ll be a good while before my next town, so load me up with as much as I can carry.” “Now that I can do. Just gimme a mo’.” Adam waited as the man bustled around, scrounging up dry rations and weak beer. Once it was all gathered, the man spoke again. “That should see you good. Say, could I interest you in some cider? Local brew, wildapple, though you could hardly tell from the sweetness of it. Nicely aged too.” Adam considered the matter, and then shrugged. “I don’t see why not. Give me a few bottles. Might help pass a dull evening or two. It’s not like there’s a lot to worry about out in these woods.” “Not a lot for you to report then, Mr. inspector?” “Oh, you know how it is. You see one bit of woodland and you’ve basically seen them all. Still, I got to write up my reports all neat and regular. Can’t afford to slack off, or they might realize they don’t need me after all.” The man chuckled heartily, and Adam deliberately overpaid just a little bit for his purchases, calling it the ‘compliments of the royal coffers’. In part, he did it to play his part as an overpaid public servant, but he also did it because he knew this inn couldn’t be getting that much business, and he doubted it would get any better in the near future. The man helped him stow his purchases, and Adam set out with a smile that masked his sombre mood.