Kelmar rose from the coast like a monument to commerce.
Stone walls thirty feet high. Guard towers at regular intervals. Ships crowded the harbour, their masts creating a forest of wood and rope. Even from a mile out, Gabriel could hear the city. Voices. Hammers. Gulls crying overhead.
It was three times the size of Eldenreach. Maybe bigger.
"Saints," Gilbert breathed. "I've never seen so many buildings."
"How many people live here?" Ennu asked.
"Twenty thousand, give or take." Adan's voice carried the weight of someone who'd been here before. "Biggest port in the Northern Kingdom."
They approached the main gate. A line of travellers waited for inspection. Merchants with carts. Farmers hauling produce. A group of pilgrims in grey robes.
Gabriel pulled his hood lower, hiding his eyes.
The guards were thorough but not aggressive. They checked carts for contraband. Asked questions about purpose and destination. Collected gate fees.
