AIDAN.
The thunder of fifty warhorses shook the stone foundation of the estate as we smashed through the ruined timber of the southern gates. Mud, iron splinters, and black snow flew into the air as Davian, Damien, and I led our heavy cavalry straight into the rear courtyard.
My broadsword was slick with fresh blood from the northern woods, but my chest burned with a dark, suffocating dread. The second we had realized Vincent's northern march was a decoy, we had ridden our mounts past the point of exhaustion.
"In the main corridor!" Damien shouted, reining his mount around as the sound of screams echoed from the inner archway. "They're inside!"
We didn't wait to dismount cleanly. Davian, Damien, and I vaulted off our saddles while our horses were still in motion, our heavy steel boots crashing down onto the stone courtyard. We hit the inner hallway at a dead sprint, our weapons drawn, ready to tear through whatever stood between us and the medical wing.
