They left the second inn after full dark.
The eastern quarter had settled into its night quiet. Pale stone still held the day's heat underfoot. Shutters were drawn. The few people still moving on the street kept their heads down and their steps purposeful. Clara walked point. Eli took the left flank.
Lara stayed close at Atlas's right shoulder. The residual weight of the shared eyes and the map sat under Atlas's ribs, but the living circle of the four of them kept it from cutting any deeper than the next step required.
The scribe's shop was dark on the ground floor. One lamp burned in the upstairs window. They climbed the narrow stair without speaking. The door opened before any of them knocked.
