Juna had paced a line into the registry floor since breakfast, moving between window and map table.
Marrick had twice offered her tea, and twice the cup went cold where she left it.
"They sat on that ridge for hours, and we are doing nothing," she said while repeating the complaint a third time.
"I can still track them before the trail dies," Juna continued while turning toward Hajin.
"The trail east is less than one day old," she added while touching the map.
Hajin asked the obvious question from his comfortable chair without bothering to look up.
"We drag two men off their horses on a public road, and then what?"
"Let them report that this broke region has soldiers, walls, plus gold behind its gates."
"Fear is doing half of our work for free," Hajin said while returning to the supply lists.
Two dead scouts would buy one week of enemy caution at most, while a good mystery bought a whole season.
Juna stopped to glare at him, though a low sound rolled through the room first.
