The two of them landed lightly on the other side of the courtyard wall.
The fortress was still wrapped in the darkness before dawn. Only a few lanterns burned along the winding stone paths, their warm light swaying gently in the morning breeze.
Servants moved quietly between the courtyards with baskets and wooden buckets in their hands, careful not to disturb the silence, while groups of wolf guards gathered to exchange shifts before the hunting party set out. The entire fortress was already awake, but unlike the busy streets Xue Yao was used to, everything here was orderly and quiet.
Xue Yao instinctively kept her head lowered as she followed Little Ancestor through the shadows. She had only taken a few steps before he suddenly stopped, looked around to make sure no one was paying attention, and reached into his sleeve. After searching for a moment, he pulled out a small green herb with long, narrow leaves and held it out to her.
"Here," he said quietly.
