The Silent Ascent
"Yes, Sir Aden," the soldiers answered as one, their voices blending into one river of orderly deference. Some of the younger men swallowed, their gullets constricted, as the ring of their own affirmation sounded tenuous against the vastness of the knight standing before them. Sir Aden nodded once, his head movement infinitesimal, before turning with the fluidity of a panther and moving back toward the palace. The courtyard, tense with expectation before, lapsed into a new rhythm. Troops went back to their stations, their steps quiet but determined, and bore with them the silent promise to live up to the standard of the man they served.
