The oil lamp in the kitchen burned at an absolute minimum. It cast a low, orange glow over the stone floor, just enough to keep the room warm against the deep winter chill without wasting fuel.
Mara was already dressed and moving efficiently behind the counter when Vane walked downstairs at the fifth hour. She did not bother with a polite morning greeting. She simply glanced at him, turned back to her cutting board, and delivered her report.
"The return parcel is wrapped and sitting in the cold cabinet," Mara told him. "I also slipped a zone briefing addendum into the inner left pocket of your deployment pack. It contains the official eastern ridge correction and a highly detailed ambient field variance table."
Vane stopped. He looked down at his heavy canvas pack resting by the back door.
"You actually found a variance table."
