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able to pull it out.  Toward evening, the storm finally started to break up.  Traven was grateful when the rain finally stopped, and he whittled a spoon from the leftover wood.  When he finished, he slowly put the spoon away feeling quite proud of himself.  Ahead of them the road rose slightly, and the sun was hidden from view behind it.  It looked as though he would have to spend yet another uncomfortable night sleeping on the ground before they finally reached Kavar.
    “How much farther are we going to have to ride tomorrow to reach Kavar?” Traven asked.
    Hank just looked back at him with a grin on his face, and John pointed ahead.  Traven looked ahead confused.  As they came over the rise, there, silhouetted against the setting sun rose the great walls of Kavar.  Traven’s jaw dropped in amazement at its immense size.  He had not imagined that a city would be so large.
    “Didn’t they tell you that Hank always makes the journey in three days?”

 
     
    5
     
     
    Traven could not stop staring with wide eyes as they slowly made their way down the rise towards the east gate.  The gray walls rose thirty feet out of the ground.  Atop the walls, towers squatted as they gazed over the surrounding countryside.  An enemy could be spotted miles away from the towers, and never had an army breached the city’s walls.  The tops of several buildings could be seen even above the walls, their roofs covered with bright red and blue tiles.  The sun reflected off the colorful roofs, dazzling the eye.
    Traven was so intent on the city that he was startled when they arrived at the bridge that they would need to cross to get to the city.  The bridge was not what startled him.  It looked sturdy enough.  It was wide enough for two wagons to easily fit across it side by side and made of strong stone blocks.  The thing that startled him was how much water flowed under the bridge.  The Adrinavelle was much larger than he had ever imagined.  It dwarfed the Blue River that emptied into it further to the west.  The river rushed past in front of them making him feel insignificant.  The Adrinavelle had to be at least twenty arm spans across!
    The stone blocks rang as they slowly began to cross the bridge over the river.  Traven was surprised that they were the only people in sight.  He had expected a lot more traffic near such a large city as Kavar.  It was surprisingly quiet.  He could not see anyone entering or leaving the city as they slowly approached the east gate.  He was even more surprised to see that it was closed.  John had told him that the gate stayed open until after dark and was opened very early in the morning.  As Traven glanced over at Hank and John, he found that he was not the only one who was confused.
    “There’s still at least an hour of light left!” Hank exclaimed.  “Why are the gates already closed?”
    He shook his head with a sour expression on his face as they got closer and closer to the walls.  As they pulled up in front of the gate, a guardsman slipped out from a small door that was almost invisible in the wall next to the gate.  Traven realized it had been painted to resemble the stones of the wall.  The gate sentry advanced towards them cautiously trying to look in every direction at once as if expecting an ambush.
    “What might you be doing coming to Kavar so late?” the grizzled guard demanded suspiciously.
    “What do you mean late?” Hank demanded right back.  “I can’t remember the gates ever being closed this early in all the years I have been selling sheepskin.  Why don’t you tell me why the gates are closed so early?”
    “Whoa there shepherd.  Calm down.  You mean you really haven’t heard the news?”  When Hank shook his head, the guard continued on.  “The countryside is full of bandits.  No one living outside the walls of the city dares to even step out of their homes after sunset.  There are plenty of caravans and farmers that have been