FOURTEEN
Yun's favourite part of guard duty was walking the walls, even before his mother had ordered him to do so. Officially, he was watching for invaders, and from that high vantage point he could see so far, some days he could see clear to the mountains, on the rare occasions when they weren't shrouded in cloud. Striding along the walls gave him a sense of purpose, for if war came here, he would happily fight to protect his home.
Today, the mountains hid their crowns, and the people of the city went about their normal business. All except one woman, by the sound of things, whose shrill voice rang through the streets like a warning bell. Curiosity drove Yun to investigate.
The woman – scarcely more than a girl, judging by her diminutive size – struggled to keep two horses under con
