Loman Lothian rode at the head of a column of soldiers and servants, doing his best to present a calm, confident demeanor to the people of Hanrahan City who either crowded the streets or gazed out at the advancing line of soldiers from the second-story windows of their homes.
They should have arrived in Hanrahan Town more than a day ago, but the sudden winter snowstorm had caught everyone off guard, and Loman's caravan of soldiers had been forced to spend an extra day and night waiting out the worst of the storm before they were able to travel again. Even when they did get back on the road, the snow that stood more than a foot deep across the road and piled up in drifts twice as high where the wind blew slowed them down considerably.
