Their First Move

The Northern Land's main gate loomed ominously ahead, and it was a formidable barrier of stone and iron, which was encrusted with layers of frost that gleamed in the dim light. It stood as an imposing testament to the harshness of the land, watched over by the Alpha's patrol.

The guards, draped in thick furs to shield themselves from the biting cold, had a grim and hardened look about them, despite observing them from afar.

Their breath curled upward in pale mist, eyes vigilant and unyielding as they scanned the horizon.

Esme counted four guards stationed at the gate, each gripping a spear, their stances rigid and purposeful. Their gaze offered no comfort or leniency, and apart from these four, there were no other defenses at the gate, a fact that confirmed why this gate was the weakest point in the Northern stronghold. It was a vulnerability that had been debated amongst Donovan and his inner circles when planning routes into the Alpha's territory.