"Ragnar, come out here! You need to see this!"
Aria's voice cut through the rumble of the carriages, sharp and excited like she always got when spotting something big.
I sighed, setting down the map I'd been staring at, and pushed my way to the front.
The carriage swayed a bit as I moved.
Aria was up in the driver's seat, her hands tight on the reins, eyes fixed ahead.
She nodded toward the horizon without a word.
There they were.
massive stone walls, stretching up about 20 meters, topped with rows of weapons and armor glinting in the sun.
Guards paced along the battlements, their postures stiff, watching everything below.
We kept rolling closer, the horses snorting as the gate came into view.
It was a heavy iron thing, barred shut.
Suddenly, a booming voice echoed from up top: "Halt!"
Aria glanced back at me, her eyebrows raised in that 'what now?' look she always gave.
I nodded, signaling it was fine.
She pulled the reins, and both carriages creaked to a stop.
