Chapter 12
Battle
Ruarnon: Tarlah City
Hours before dawn, Ruarnon strode down a corridor through Tarlah Castle, their torso weighed down by a bronze cuirass secured by interlocking plates fitted with large pins. A short sword hung heavily at their waist, a quiver at their left hip, and a leather riding kilt swayed above bronze grieves as they walked. They carried a bronze helmet in their left hand and a bow in their right and were flanked by heavily armed and armoured guards. The corridor stretched before them and their retinue like a dark tunnel.
Linen-clad servants bowed as they passed, and Ruarnon breathed slowly to counter their racing heart. They kept their head high and tried to project confidence, not the nervous uncertainty that made their stomach churn. Part of Ruarnon wanted
