The guard atop the gatehouse roused himself. He'd been dosing, leaning against the side of the small wooden structure designed solely to keep him dry, and house a small seat. He had a pike and armour on, and emblazoned on his tabard a golden lion upon a blue background. It wasn't a crest Janica had heard of... But then there were many, many crests she didn't know.<br/><br/>He squinted down at her, weighing her up a little before nodding fractionally. "P'raps! Lord's got a soft spot for travelers uh, like you." It was a welcome lack of bluntness that he didn't out and out call her an attractive woman, but neither of them had much pretense that that was -why- she was being let in. "Leave any weapons by the gate... Follow the path down through the courtyard, an' speak to one of the maids or summat, I'm sure she'll point yeh in the right way."<br/><br/>He dipped out of sight, and a few moments later there was the jangling, cranking noise of the large portcullis in front of her rising up, lifting skyward to admit her.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>