Chapter 16

Close to dawn, Nordmar was already blooming with activity. Hunters were departing to track game in the dense forests, woodcutters were sharpening their axes, or fishermen were returning from nearby lakes.

The Royal Palace was as busy as the rest of Nordmar. From the cook preparing breakfast to the maid serving it. From the butcher bringing fresh meat to the stable boy preparing horses for riders.

It was during this time that Ayla, dressed in dark brown pants made from the hide of a mountain troll, a matching jacket, warm black boots and gloves made from the hide of a buffalo and stuffed with polar bear fur, and a white cloak made from the fur of a shadowbeast, stepped out of the castle and headed to the Royal Stables. A young servant accompanied her.

The Royal Palace of Nordmar was in the heart of the kingdom. Long before the First War with the Orcs, only Snow Elves lived in Nordmar—the Frozen Land. When humans crossed the Jade River and claimed the North belonged to the