"What an impressive estate!"
Boren and Valeria stood before a pair of towering metallic gates that loomed above them like a wall of forged dusk. The surface was intricately etched with patterns of wings and flowing coins that caught the late afternoon light, reflecting dull flashes of gold.
These gates were set into equally imposing walls of pale stone, which stretched outward on both sides until they disappeared behind clusters of tall cypress trees, creating a private fortress within Riverdale itself.
The smooth, unblemished walls were guarded by men in polished breastplates adorned with the crest of a feather woven in gold thread against deep blue cloth.
Each guard stood straight-backed and silent, halberds grounded but hands firmly gripping their shafts. Their disciplined stillness made it clear that this was no ordinary merchant's residence; it was a domain accustomed to defending its wealth.
