The hearing

I sat in the carriage, pen in hand, carefully composing my final letter to Mark. The journey had been long, and though I'd replied to him earlier, this letter needed to be precise—half a response to his inquiries, half a guide on how to proceed in Ethos.

The delay caused by our detour here would undoubtedly complicate things. Mark needed to know how to handle the politics there without our immediate return.

The carriage swayed gently as I wrote, my mind focused on each word. Jade sat across from me, quietly watching the city unfold through the window. I glanced up at him once, sensing he wanted to say something, but he held back, his expression neutral.

Before I could press him, the carriage slowed. A sharp whistle from one of our guards signaled that we were approaching an inspection point. I quickly folded the letter and slipped it into my satchel beside me, sealing my thoughts away for the moment.