The charcoal-burner’s track delivers Renee, Elian, Mara, and Tomas to a public wayhouse beside the mill village road. The boundary lies behind them, silent beneath the wooded ridge.
The wayhouse stands empty but serviceable, with a swept hearth, a rain barrel, and a long bench beneath the eaves. No pursuit appears on the road.
Elian
Rest here, but keep the door unbarred. Travelers use this road, and a closed wayhouse invites questions.
Inside, Mara sets out bread and dried apples. Renee places the sealed route tablet beside Elian’s folded map, while Tomas studies both without touching either.
Tomas
The tablet records the wardens’ intended circuit and release. Elian’s map records the roads they concealed, including this track and the northern passage.
Elian
The false trail drew the watcher toward the village road. I needed that watcher looking outward while we moved through the streambed and crossed beyond the posts.
Tomas
The old circuit was never merely a boundary. It was a net of observation, and someone kept tightening it around selected travelers. Here, we can compare every mark before choosing our next step.
“as night settled in, I ask Tomas how are you feeling”
SUCCESS (Superb Diplomacy, rolled +2)
Night settles over the wayhouse, turning the road silver beneath the moon. The hearth gives little heat, and the mill village lights have dwindled beyond the fields.
Renee
Tomas, how are you feeling?
Tomas looks up from the maps. Firelight catches the tired lines around his eyes, though his posture remains watchful and controlled.
Tomas
Wary, but sound. The crossing took less from me than I expected. I am relieved to be beyond the boundary, though I do not trust the quiet yet.
Mara
You have been holding yourself rigid since the shed. Sit back before the bench decides for you.
Tomas gives Mara a faint, reluctant smile and lowers himself against the wall. Elian checks the unbarred door, while the maps remain spread between them.
Tomas
I can rest tonight. Tomorrow, we compare the tablet with Elian’s records, then decide whether the mill village offers answers or only another set of eyes.