The snow crunched quietly beneath her feet as she walked. Their journey had been long and arduous. They'd crossed land and sea to get to their current location, and yet they were still so far from their destination... if that destination even existed. Elizabeth pushed forward, feeling a slight ache in her leg as she trudged onward. The 'road' they were traveling on was, in truth, little more than a trail, nearly entirely covered by snow and full of jagged stones and holes. Its status as a pathway was only confirmed every few miles by a series of signs that had clearly seen far better days. If these signs were to be believed, however, they were nearing their destination. As her cane struck yet another inconvenient stone, Elizabeth threw a glance back towards her companion. The bitter cold of Gris was no place for child, but the boy had insisted. Despite the poor climate, however, Noah seemed to be just fine. His nose and cheeks were reddened from the frigid wind, but he still wore his same contented smile, soldiering on without a care in the world. Elizabeth turned back to the road. If she was right, others were likely making the same journey. Tikkis' work had made significant waves amongst some of the more shadowy corners of society, and many would no doubt have also been inspired to set out. The thought of exactly what kind of people they would be running into made her nervous. This nervousness only grew as they rounded the road's final turn.


   A citadel of dark grey stone loomed before them, a monolith of darkness in a sea of white. There were stories surrounding the place, and even more surrounding its lord. Alec Cross, the Vulture, Lord of the Reins. He was a man of many titles. According to the stories she'd heard, he'd been born a slave, but had led a coupe of the local government. In Gris, he was known primarily for his cruelty, but he'd held onto his territory much longer than some. Ordinarily, Elizabeth would've opted to avoid such a place, but it was the last taste of civilization they would get for quite some time. As the spires of the old castle grew closer and closer, the blonde woman's grip tightened around her cane. A warm voice broke the silence behind her. "Wow... It's bigger than I was expecting. Especially to be so far out here." Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, it's... impressive."


   The great iron gates of Vulture's Roost stood solidly locked before them as they reached the city. The duo came to a stop as a rough voice echoed down from the ramparts. "Halt. Declare yourself and your intentions." The Esterlian woman's eyes rose to the top of the wall, where they locked on what seemed to be the gate's watchman. He was fully armored in black iron, with a stylized helmet that resembled the head of a bird. A longbow rested at his side. Clearing her throat, Elizabeth raised her voice. "My name is Elizabeth Tosli. My companion is Noah Kass. We intend to rest and resupply in Vulture's Roost before heading north." The guardsman leaned over the wall's edge. "North, eh?" For a moment, Elizabeth could've sworn she heard a chuckle. "Sorry Miss, but you're going to have to wait a while. We've got orders to stop anyone headed north until the Lord can speak with them. Seems he's heard some uh... interesting stories." Elizabeth narrowed her gaze with a soft, but furious huff. She had half a mind to just go around the city, but they needed supplies. Noah turned towards her, still wearing the same smile. "So I guess we'll have to wait a little while... But hey, we get to meet somebody important!" Elizabeth sighed, shaking her head. "Yes, I guess we do." Truthfully, she hated the thought of becoming the center of attention, it was not a position that had ever turned out too well for her in the past. She turned back towards the road, taking a seat on a nearby boulder and staring back the way they had came. In the distance, she thought she saw movement. There were very few reasons for someone to travel so far north. As she watched, her fingers tapped nervously on the head of her cane.