Chapter 76: The Grand Old City of Gorthmorde
The road north from the chapel unfolded gentle and short, only a few hours' ride—not backtracking, not returning the way they had come, just skirting the jagged curve of monster-infested woods and mountains that blocked the straight southern path to Gorthmorde.
The dense, deadly wilderness loomed to one side, a wall of shadow and faint, distant growls, while the wide, well-trodden highway curved steadily onward.
The air here was softer, warmer, and carried none of the sharp, biting chill that had clung to Hannah all through her days in Bennington.
Hannah breathed in slow, and her shoulders relaxed a little beneath her tunic.
The sun lay light on her skin, not harsh, not freezing—just warm.
She was slender, easily made cold by wind or frost, and Bennington's endless crisp air had left her shivering more often than not, even indoors.
