Both of them froze. Kael slowly lowered the ticket while Yenna turned toward the door, her expression hardening.
"What?"
He raised a finger to his lips and quietly approached the window. The forest was no longer empty. Armed figures stood among the trees, some carrying swords and shields while others held spears or staves. Their equipment varied, but enough of it looked expensive to rule out ordinary bandits.
Kael counted more than twenty Climbers and suspected there were closer to thirty. Several stood near the river, while others had spread around the house to block the most obvious escape routes.
A man near the front wore elaborate armor made from blue woven hide, reinforced with plates across his shoulders and chest. He carried a long spear decorated with silver patterns and stood as though he expected everyone around him to wait for his instructions.
