B3 Chapter 1: Ready to RollDevin Redcliffe stood atop the tallest guard tower in Corwyn Pass, a letter in hand. The icy winds that hissed about the mountain peaks bit at his skin like a nest of angry vipers, seeking out any patches of skin that had been foolishly left exposed to their attacks. Yet at this point, the wind’s assault hardly phased him anymore. After so long stationed in this gods-forsaken place, the cold had proven the least of his concerns.He read over its contents again. His father’s instructions to pull back and leave the pass behind had come as a surprise, but not an unwelcome one. Devin and his men had been protecting this pass ever since they’d left the duchy behind, which was far longer than he’d care to think about. And despite the fortified and advantageous position they found themselves in, defending it had proven to be anything but easy.Corwyn Pass was supposed to be an assignment of much honor and glory. It should have been flush with men and support from the king, its men never wanting for fresh weapons, new armor, and the best choice of supplies. After all, this pass was the most straightforward way into Novara in the far west. It led directly onto the plains beyond and, from there, it was only a short march to the kingdom’s capital. There were plenty of other places that one could try to attack and enter Novara. But if this pass fell…. Well, the rest of the warfront wouldn't matter.Yet as Devin looked out over his men, who busied themselves with preparations for the retreat, he saw a different story entirely. Breastplates that bore more dents and scrapes than stretches of intact metal. Empty quivers hung alongside swords and spears that might as well have been serrated for all of the notches they bore. Even their hand wrappings had been cobbled together (...)