Out from the gate they flew in a thunder of hooves, each animal churning a wake of divots, glad for the release of exercise. Ahead of Anest, Nightwind was a glossy streak of fluid motion; beneath him, Thunder fully lived up to his name, the pounding power as of a destrier of old that shook the very earth as it bore its rider down upon the enemy like an avatar of doom.
Out past the farmlands they flew, and on past the last lonely dwelling huddled under the eaves of the wood as if to hide, finding itself beyond the reach of Lund's protection.
They came presently to a faint trail on their right, and Belloc slowed Nightwind to a trot as they followed this through the wood. After some distance the trail rose sharply, and ended in a grassy glade atop a knoll. It had seemed dark in the wood, but Anest saw now that dawn was upon them, and to the east through the trees could be seen the Great Tower and battlements of Lund. Cast in silhouette by the first rays of sun from the east, the Great Tower rose like a pronouncement of
denial to the foes of the Four Kingdoms.
In the centre of the glade there was a firepit, long disused, surrounded by boulders whose purpose clearly was for sitting upon. Belloc rode straight for this and dismounted.