Chapter 636: Road to Survival

Caron, a young lad from a village near Skyreach Castle, bore the typical Stone Men traits with his dark brown hair, bright black eyes, and fair complexion.

In Dorne, south of the Red Mountains, the people are generally divided into three major ethnic groups, though collectively called Dornish, they have distinct classifications.

The Salt Men dwell by the sea, primarily around the Arms of Dorne near the Dornish Sea, along the edges of the Red Mountains. With their soft, dark, olive-toned smooth skin and windswept long black hair, they are primarily fishermen and sailors, serving as seasoned mariners in the Dornish fleets. Oberyn and the Martell family epitomize the Salt Men traits.

Then come the Sand Men, residing in deserts and narrow valleys. Their skin, even darker than the Salt Men due to the relentless sun, carries a reddish-brown hue.

Lastly, the Stone Men, inhabiting the high mountains and passes of the Red Mountains, are the tallest and most beautiful among the three. Descendants of the Andals and the First Men, they have brown or golden hair. Unlike the other two groups who are wary of outsiders, Stone Men are more welcoming, sharing ancestry with the Andals and the First Men. However, within Dorne, their apparent physical and cultural differences make them resemble their enemies, leading to their ostracization by the other two groups.

Now, young Caron, leading his villagers away from their ancestral home near Skyreach Castle towards the outer world, found all routes sealed by noble lords.

Once an open thoroughfare, the Prince's Pass was a primary route to and from Dorne, far more navigable than the treacherous Bone Way with its steep cliffs. Now, however, it faced strict inspections, allowing only merchant caravans, and that too in limited numbers.

Thus, Caron, along with his mother, younger brother, and several villagers from Skyreach, had no choice but to risk traversing the Red Mountains towards the frontier, and ultimately to the Riverlands.

Their exodus was driven by desperation; life in Dorne had become unbearable. Traditional nobles imposed exorbitant taxes on their lands, especially during wartime, leaving barely enough for survival.

However, elsewhere in the Seven Kingdoms, such practices had ceased. Now, tax collectors from the Iron Throne ensured taxes were collected transparently and fairly, alleviating much of the previous burden and significantly improving the living standards of the common folk.

This reform led to a positive cycle: improved living conditions reduced the numbers of bandits, bullies, and brotherhoods. People no longer driven to desperation chose not to risk dangerous paths.

But Dorne stood as an exception amid these changes. Initially, Dornishmen, wielding their privileges, acted arrogantly across the Seven Kingdoms, backed by a Dornish queen. Yet, as peace returned post-war, their privileges waned.

The city guard in King's Landing no longer turned a blind eye to their misconduct. Having offended many, Dornish caravans faced collective retribution from other traders, eventually being forced out of King's Landing.

The erosion of privileges was one aspect, but the Dornish soon realized that despite their aggressive stance, their living conditions were worse off than those they intimidated. They appeared as jesters in light of their previous actions.

While living standards rose across the Seven Kingdoms, Dorne stagnated, even regressing slightly. Many who had participated in the first and second conquest wars were knighted or even ennobled for their military contributions, facilitating a class transition.

Yet, Dornishmen were left out, as the king promised high autonomy for Dorne, leaving the rewarding of Dornish soldiers to Dornish nobles. But Dornish lords were unwilling to cede their lands.

Various tedious reasons caused the earliest batches of discontented Dornishmen to leave for King's Landing, Seagard, Lannisport, and others, triggering a mass migration northwards. The drastic decline in village populations finally alarmed Dornish nobles, who began prohibiting their peasants from leaving. However, it was too late.

"We will get out alive, right, Caron?"

Caron's mother, cradling his brother, her head wrapped in a scarf and slightly disheveled, asked with a trembling voice.

They were hiding in the woods of the Red Mountains, with Caron, familiar with the terrain, leading the villagers outward as their guide.

Among the remaining villagers were robust warriors, some even having served in the Dornish army, now holding homemade spears and swords, ready for anything.

Hearing his mother, Caron looked at her and his brother, then silently nodded.

"Yes!"

"We surely will."

Caron now regretted their escape a bit. Life in Dorne might not have been ideal, but at least they wouldn't starve, and it was home.

But there was no turning back. Their village head might have already reported their escape to Count Franklin Fowler. The 'Old Hawk' of Skyreach had long ordered surrounding villages, any deserter caught would face death.

By reaching the Prince's Pass, Caron and his companions had already ventured past the point of no return.