An autumn rain last night had turned the newly quarried dirt road at the entrance of Newly Town into a soft, sticky mess.
Velin stood by the roadside, his expression calm. A simple, long linen garment made him look no different from the commoners craning their necks behind him.
Caroline stood by his side, the hem of her long, dark-green dress splattered with specks of mud.
The young woman furrowed her lovely brows. "To make a lady wait for so long... what an ill-mannered bunch."
She ground an unsightly little pebble under the delicate tip of her shoe, venting her impatience.
At the edge of the horizon, a column of dark shapes seemed to squirm up from the earth.
The shapes drew nearer. The dull thud of hooves shattered the morning tranquility of the swamp, growing from a distant beat into a thunderous roar.
