Hajin crossed the opened western pocket after the third bell, passing stacked Flint weapons and three covered militia bodies beside the casualty lane.
Hans's first runner met him beyond the orchard wall with a white toll token tied around one wrist.
The runner matched it against Hajin's route board before reporting.
"One rider reached the old bridge ahead of a cloaked carriage," he said. "The carriage carried royal relay tags, with no military standard."
Hajin took the western loop alone while Hans reorganized the militia and every summon remained at an assigned battlefield position.
The route avoided Flint campaign markers and carried him through abandoned orchards toward the toll bridge named in his reply.
A plain gray carriage waited beneath the broken toll roof with two exhausted relay horses and no royal guards.
Elina stood beside its open door and held a narrow case against her chest with both arms.
