Scent: Part 13

The huge city walls of Vardenfell loomed out of the darkness. A road of paved stone led to the massive gateway and they hopped off their horses as they approached. The roadway was lit with torches and two great braziers sat either side of the city gates, casting eerie flickering light up the walls. Despite the late hour there were many people travelling through the gate, some of which were being checked by guards who stood at either side of the entrance. Reven craned his neck up trying to see the tops of the walls but they disappeared into the darkness. He had never seen anything so massive in all his life. The walls stretched away to the left and right, the sheer scale of the place was overwhelming. Reven never knew men could build such things. As they travelled through the gate Reven took a measure with his eye, you could fit fifty men shoulder to shoulder across the width of the gaping maw that was the gateway. And the gateway wasn’t really even that. It was a tunnel, a hundred strides long linking the innards of the city to the outside world.

 As they came out the other end of the tunnel Reven was again amazed by this place. He had thought Rosholt was a big place but it would have fit inside Vardenfell twenty times over. Reynard and Aisha chuckled at the look of wonderment on Reven’s face.

Vardenfell was a huge city. The outer wall was thick and tall and looked completely unbreakable. Beyond this wall were houses, multi storey tenements, inns, taverns, merchant shops and more. These all stretched off into the distance where they butted up against another wall that if anything looked even taller than the outer one. As they walked Reynard explained that within the inner wall is where the castle and the larger temples could be found, as well as barracks, tax offices and the houses of the rich and powerful. Reven’s head spun as he tried to drink in the sights and sounds of the city. As they moved further away from the gate the city grew quieter and the shop front and taverns gave way to more residential buildings. Reynard, who was acting as tour guide, explained that as there was only one way in and out of the city it made sense for most of the businesses to be near the gate, they were the prime spots. There were other areas of the city that played host to markets and taverns, clubs and restaurants but Reven wouldn’t see any those places tonight. Reynard and Aisha needed to see the master of their order and they seemed to be quickening their pace the further they travelled into the city.