Chapter 84: The Whispering Pass
Dawn in Athalor was a gilded affair, sunlight washing the palace towers in molten gold, but within the Citadel's grey walls, they prepared for a journey into shadow. Varian and his handpicked dozen were waiting in the main courtyard when they descended, their own travel-worn clothes a stark contrast to the polished armor of the palace guards on the walls. The escort were men of few words and hard eyes, their gear practical and unadorned. They looked at Kaelen not with courtly deference, but with the measuring respect of soldiers for a known, if retired, commander.
