Kingdom of Ash

Their enemies moved deeper into the throat
of the pass. Ren’s arrow held steady.
Leave one alive, Aedion had ordered before
they’d taken their positions.
It had been a lucky guess that they’d
choose this pass, a half-forgotten back door
into Terrasen’s low-lying lands. Only wide
enough for two horses to ride abreast, it had
long been ignored by conquering armies and
the merchants seeking to sell their wares in
the hinterlands beyond the Staghorns.
What dwelled out there, who dared make a
living beyond any recognized border, Aedion
didn’t know. Just as he didn’t know why these
soldiers had ventured so far into the
mountains.
But he’d find out soon enough.
The demon company passed beneath them,
and Aedion and Ren shifted to reposition their
bows.