Cart wheels creak as they roll and bounce along cobblestone streets outside. A large fire burns within, staving off the dark and damp. No one speaks, although a random cough is heard here and there as guards keep vigil. A lever is pulled and the chains of the main keep gate jangle as they are pulled, lifting the portcullis. Rats skitter through shadow, squeaking if they’re discovered, their nails scritching against stone.
