IC noob here. First day on PS4 yesterday. Not happy with PVP changes ATM, specifically the 50% damage reduction. I wish it was more 20-30% but that is another topic...

I get on Thornblade which was pop-locked for EP (my faction), and showed relatively low pop for AD and DC. When I go into the sewers I left the safe zone and started farming daedric mobs for stones. Got up to about 2k over an hour or two, and banked almost all of them. Then decided to go exploring the sewers.

I was solo and worked my way all the way to the center which felt like a pretty long distance. I never encountered a single enemy from AD or DC near my "safe zone" or in the center. Finally picked a fight with too many mini-boss strength mobs and got killed and respawned back by the bank.

Here's where I blew it... I'm thinking to myself "I've been on here for 3 hours and haven't seen a single enemy. Plus it feels like a real hike for any enemy to come to our end of the sewers, so what are the chances I get ganked, right?" I take out all my stones and start pushing for the 4k/4x multiplier. Im approaching 3k, and I am in a group with one other guy. In convo I tell him how much I'm carrying and he says I should bank them, but we both agree that we haven't seen any AD or DC. Almost on cue, 3 DC pop out of stealth and promptly relieve me of 2.5k stones... Eff Word.

So now that you heard the story here's the question.

1)How'd did they get there? Did they have to come all the way from their end of the sewer, through the center, and through our side of the sewer? I was literally 2 corridors from our safe zone. Or can they go up top, and get down the ladders on our side of IC?

2)Also if that is the case, which is easier to do? Go up top, hoof it to the other side of the map, crawl down a ladder, and sneak around outside the enemy safe zone? Or to go through the sewer?