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their way through the city
gates after a long day of work.
    The border
cities of the empire were different than the rest.
    They centered
on a massive stone Keep, made to be like a miniature castle. They had many
rooms, banquet halls, a garrison, and armory. The outer walls were designed for
archers to pick off offenders while giving them ample defensive cover. In the
case of an attack, all the citizens of the developing town could retreat there.
Then, the town’s soldiers would go out and dispatch the invaders.
    A massive,
stone wall separated the Keep from the merchant district—during the day, the
streets would be lined with citizens selling and buying various goods and
services. Rippling out from the merchant district was the residential area,
containing houses of all size and architecture. Beggars huddled together in
stolen shipping crates. Hard-working merchants gathered with their families in
multiple room houses. Powerful nobles lounged about in their tri-level
mansions.
    After the
residential district was another enormous stone wall that wrapped around the
entire city. There was a gate on each side, leading out of the city and into
the miles of surrounding farmland.
    He reached the
city perimeter and stabled his horse. The inner streets were just as crowded as
the highway. He continued toward the Keep at a light jog. Saris would be
staying there.
    Thandril
approached the entranceway and slowed to a walk. He nodded a quick greeting to
the team of soldiers positioned at the gate and entered the outer yard.
    The Druid was
special in the army. Every man had seen or heard of his primal fighting
tactics. He answered to no one but Saris. He carried no rank, but not a single
officer would argue an order. He needed to find his Master, tell him what was
happening in the north, and warn him against some unknown plan that was already
set in motion for his demise.
    No one would
get in his way.

Chapter
7: Keeping Order
     
    A ladder was
quietly placed at the foot of the city’s outer wall, careful not to disturb the
sleeping city of Hillsford.
    The cold breeze
of night hushed and lulled the soldiers that stood watch, the lonely few that
remained of the city’s garrison. Their comrades added to the army marching
north. There was no thought of a counter attack from the Kilgarian tribesmen.
Barely a quarter of their army remained intact. Saris concluded that they would
flee further north to fortify their head village. He was wrong.
    Two men
climbed the ladder.
    Once they
reached the top, they kicked the ladder into the underbrush, hiding it from
anyone passing by. They hurried to the gatehouse, easily evading the few guards
that remained watchful.
    There was only
one guard stationed there overnight, and another patrolling the street.
    The two
intruders split up.
    One lowered
himself off the wall and onto the top of the gatehouse, dropping to a prone position.
He hung over the side of the building, sneaking a glance through the window. The
guard was desperately fighting off sleep. The intruder slipped off the side of
the small building in complete silence.
    His victim
shot awake to feel the cold blade of a dagger enter the base of his skull.
    The man held
the guard, noiselessly guiding his body to the floor. He leaned his head out
the door, spotting his partner dragging the other watchman’s limp body into the
shadows of a nearby alley.
    He was to wait
there until signaled that the street was clear. After a moment, a shrill
whistle cut through the eerie silence, and he jumped into action. He moved to
the gate, unlatching the wooden brackets that held it shut.
    The large door
slowly rose and a group of men, all wearing black leather armor and carrying shortswords
and round bucklers, rushed into the city.
     
    *
* *
     
    Saris took the
old baron of Hillsford’s quarters. The Baron had been dead for a year and there
was still no replacement for the far-off border city. Kuran, the surgeon, had
found a woman from the town to nurse