Solace

Finally, the carriage came to a stop, and Alier stepped out. He motioned for Ethan to follow and from the entrance of the forest, Ethan could make out the silhouette of the ancestral shrine in the distance. 

The convoy had stopped in front of the shrine gate made out of bamboo. The actual building was still a bit further ahead however, the shrine premises had arrived. 

The fifty knights unmounted and bowed to Alier as they took formation outside the shrine gate, surrounding the shrine premises. 

Seeing this, Ethan's eyes flashed with a curious light as he asked, "Aren't they coming in?" 

"No, this is the White Family's Ancestral Shrine, and no one other than our kinsmen is allowed to enter," Alier explained. 

Ethan nodded with understanding and looked ahead at the stone-paved path before them.