Less Than Thirty Minutes

As the gate creaked open, the feverish roar of the mob abruptly fell into silence, as if they had never truly believed the gates would yield to them.

The men in the crowd instinctively tightened their grips on their weapons, bracing themselves for the ambush they feared might be lurking.

But instead of the cursed shifters, a lone young woman stepped forward from beyond the gates.

Her unexpected presence unsettled them, whilst their eyes darted across the area, searching for any hidden threats, but no one else seemed to be lurking.

Tension rippled through the crowd as their suspicion deepened. Though the woman before them moved with calm confidence, her appearance made one thing clear, and that was the fact that she wasn't a Northern like the rest of them.

Bewildered and cautious, the crowd exchanged wary glances, uncertain of what to make from her arrival. The winds howled, breaking the silence.