The dwarven envoy arrived at Yohan's southern gate on a dry-season morning with two guards and a mule loaded with document cases, and the particular bearing of someone accustomed to walking into rooms where they had not been invited.
His name was Durrek Stonepick. His letter of introduction, which Vess at the gate log transcribed with great thoroughness, identified him as a commercial agent operating on behalf of Thane Borin Ironbeard of Khaz-Dorum in an unofficial capacity and without commitments of any kind. He was shorter than every person at the gate by a significant margin and appeared entirely unconcerned about this.
The gate guard sent a runner. The runner returned with Sakh'arran twenty minutes later.
"Commercial agent," Sakh'arran said, reading the letter.
"Unofficial capacity," Durrek confirmed.
"Which means you can be disowned if this goes badly."
