They reached the Spire in a dank and murky dawn. The towering wooden gates were wide open, set in thick stone walls that curved in a protective arm around the tower. The archway through to the compound was two horse-lengths deep, and pitched into darkness. Shouts bounced down the damp walls, and she saw guards moving quickly across the courtyard, clanking armour and weapons. Horses stamped as they were readied, the air filled with damp wood-smoke, horse-smells, refuse and fear.
The guards above the gate ignored their approach. Acutely aware of the strange colour of her hair, Zhira tugged her hood into place again to hide it. Rhyode and Vesta had fallen back, the noses of their horses at her heels. Daisy hesitated in front of the tunnel. Zhira was forced to encourage the animal forward, bu
