The heavy wooden doors of the Stonehelm estate closed behind Boren with a low, resonant thud that echoed in his ears longer than it should have.
He didn't look back. The courtyard stretched out before him, perfectly symmetrical, with stone paths weaving through neatly trimmed hedges and silent statues standing like mute witnesses to generations of ambition and rivalry.
The guards at the main gate stood taller as he passed, their expressions shifting from surprise to something more akin to quiet scrutiny. News would travel fast within these walls. A private meeting with the Patriarch was significant.
Boren walked past them without breaking stride, his face calm and his steps deliberate. An agreement had been reached: Stonehelm would act.
