We rode out at first light, our breaths curling in the icy morning air as our horses kicked up frost-covered earth. The sky was still tinged with the deep purples of dawn. A beautiful morning for a dark task ahead of us.
The mountains loomed in the distance, their jagged peaks wreathed in thick, rolling mist. Cahl'Morren was our destination—the ruined temple, the supposed location where Deyanira was now residing.
The weight of our mission settled heavily over us. We rode in silence, tension clinging to our ranks like a storm waiting to break.
Eryx rode at my side, his green eyes constantly scanning the terrain, ever the warrior, ever the protector. Alaric was ahead, his presence commanding as he led our forces through the treacherous foothills.
And then, just as the sun rose higher, just at the first incline to the mountains—
They came.