Hrothgar grunted his agreement and turned toward the road to the north gate.

“Wait,” Alfhilde said, and Hrothgar turned, an eyebrow raised. “Not the main road, if they’re in the city. Sif, do you know the back ways? Can you take us to the northern gate quickly, and out of sight?”

“Probably,” Sif replied. She looked to Falthejn for confirmation.

“Lead on,” he said.

They made their way through side streets and alleyways, wooden buildings towering over the cramped passages. Piles of rubble and burnt-out buildings showed the targets of ontlig catapults and siege magic. Every now and again, war cries sounded above the dying groans of the city, as groups of ontr happened upon something which goaded them to attack, though Falthejn doubted there were that many living men left in the city.

They came to the gate along a narrow alleyway parallel to the main road. Falthejn waved for caution before they came to the alley’s mouth, and as he’d guessed they might, the ontr had posted a few guards by the gate, big examples of their kind. That made them smarter than the average rabble, and unlikely to be easily tricked.