Desmond leans in to say something to his brother, his voice too low for me to hear as they start a quiet conversation. I continue to ride at their side and take everything in, though I can’t help that my glance keeps turning back to Keane.
The Prince is proud in his features, his stance tall in his saddle as the black of his tunic reaches high up on his neck and accentuates his jaw. He looks commanding in his ride, in touch with himself and the role he’s presenting to the Kingdom of Pyre.
Normally, the lack of emotions on his face would bother me, but it fits the atmosphere of land around us. Keane is leading our group with dark, Warrior grace, his indifference strong instead of off-putting.
The road below our feet slowly turns from dirt and gravel to paved cobblestone, the horses’ hooves starting a steady thrum as they clatter underneath us. The small forests surrounding our sides becomes thicker, with more trees protruding towards the sky and their tops still covered in a thin white. They aren’t nearly as thick as our forests, but it’s a nice ensemble of browns and tans and white that all meld together, and if we were to throw a few crates of fire along the side of the roads, it’d make for one cozy but cold forest.
It gets cooler as we move onward, the white from atop the mountains now gracing the treetops more fully around us. The coolness prompts me to wrap Millie’s reins around the horn of her saddle and bringmy hands to my mouth, my lips blowing heat into the air as I rub them together.
The first sign of city life comes just a moment later, in the form of small cabins made of wood and stone that can be seen farther off the road. The smoke from their fireplaces roar into the sky above, the dark grey billowing out of the chimneys and gracing the air with the familiar smell of campfire. They’re small homes, looking like they can only host enough room for a single family, but they’re homes built for privacy with enough land spanning between them and their neighbors.
“Is Red Falls a large city?” I ask the men.
“The city outside the fortress is about the size of Brierman, nothing near as large as Gaumond,” Prince Keane replies.
“The city outside?”
He nods, still looking ahead, “the fortress of Red Falls is built into the mountain, but the main city is spread along the bottom of it. It’s rumored that the Pyrenese build most of their cities within their mountains as well, that they have vast tunnel system of caves that connects one city to the next.”
“I would love to see that,” I smile, trying to envision full cities within the mountains.
“Rumors,” Keane repeats, “I’ve never seen anything that alludes to it being true, outside of the fortress.”
“Oh,” I frown in my seat.
“But you do get to see that, Lady Alexis,” Lord Daniel looks my way curiously, “you have the Greenstone Mountain in Bardot. I’ve been told the castle is built into it just as the fortress is here.”
Daniel gives me a look of genuine innocence, his question not meant as a snide.
“While Castle Bardot rests against the mountain,” I smile in agreement, “we do not have cities or full livelihoods living within it. There are a few meeting rooms, yes, and the stairs that lead up to the Palisades, but the true city rests on top of the mountain.”
“It would indeed be a sight to see,” he nods.
The sound of another large group ahead steals our attention down the road. Pyre’s bannermen ride towards us, their horses galloping to a slow as Keane and Desmond trot up to meet them. I glance back at Cal again and smile when he catches my gaze this time.
A total of eight Pyrenese men greet the two Princes, all of them wearing the same maroon undershirt and silver armor with their pants a deep red in color, almost black. Keane clasps his hand on one of the men’s shoulders in familiarity as Desmond does the same, the three of them laughing at something from afar as we wait for their direction. My eyes narrow on that man, wondering if he’s the Prince though noting that there is nothing overly regal that stands out about him. The answer comes when Keane turns back around and addresses our group, the man whispering something to Desmond that actually makes the Master Informer smile.
“The soldiers will escort us through the gates of the city and to Fall Fortress,” Keane announces, “Prince McQuoid will greet us upon arrival while the Princess will meet us all at court later in the evening.”
We all nod and follow behind him and Desmond as the Pyrenese soldiers fan out within our group and ride with us. I ride side by side with Lord Daniel and notice that he’s looking at the ground below us in assessment.
“I’m in awe of your summoning, Lord Daniel,” I say quietly so that only he can hear.
A soldier comes up to ride beside us, his eyes trained on the road ahead.
Lord Daniel smiles at me, his brown eyes kind in their appreciation. “It’s taken many years to perfect but it still leaves me in awe as well, Lady Alexis.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the sight of magic,” I sigh, “and yours just keeps surprising me at every turn.”
He chuckles, “trust me, the elemental earth still surprises me to this day.”
I smile and look at the road ahead of us, watching as the soldier Keane and Desmond greeted is now riding alongside them and engaging in a friendly chat. They talk until a massive stone wall comes into view ahead, all three of them turning to the large archway that’s cut in the middle.
Through the archway and below a raised gate is the bustle of the city beyond. There’s carts and people walking across the main road while the smell of campfire becomes more prominent in the air. The sun is dipping low on the horizon, though my eyes immediately land on the vast mountain that rests as a background to the sky. The mountain is dominating and white, so massive in its expanse that it towers over the town below without an end in sight.
The buildings of this city are cut in stone and wood, while fires dance in every direction and the large maroon banners of Pyre fly with the cold breeze. The city actually reminds me a bit of Gaumond with its flames and banners, but it doesn’t have the steep incline or the many levels of buildings that are made of black granite. Everything here is mostly flat, with the shops and homes never reaching over a single story.
The sweet smell of cold berries in the air mixes with the burning of the wood, and I watch as small red cranberries are passed along from vendor to patron over pieces of bread. Walnuts are seen roasting over fires, the slight smell of cinnamon and sugar reaching my nose and reminding me of home. It’s a beautiful smell to accompany the simple surroundings, though it’s not as cozy as Fumagalli or as lively as Gaumond.
