The air in the gorge was a static mass of heat and dust that clung to the throat. Limestone walls rose on both sides of the caravan, vertical and severe, narrowing the path until there was barely enough room for two wagons to pass in parallel. Kai, leading the march atop Valira, felt a tightness in his chest that wasn't due to the altitude.
"It's too quiet, Kai," Allice whispered. "I scouted the lower ridges before entering as you told me. There's no visible movement."
Kai nodded, fully concentrated on observing the terrain and ready to react to anything.
"Lint, bring the wagons closer! Don't leave a single meter of space!" he ordered, his voice cutting through the air with authority.
The caravan compacted under his command. In the center, Lint's salt wagon was closely guarded by Nick and Thorne. Lyla, sitting next to Roshia in the second wagon, maintained an expression of serenity, but Kai noticed her knuckles were white as she gripped the wooden edge.
