The note was on the doorstep when Alistair went to draw the bolt for the night.
There was no bird, no runner, and no scan-disturbance at the perimeter. Someone had walked up to the base door through open territory without being read, and that should not have been possible.
He knelt slowly. The note was folded once, plain paper, no seal, and no handwriting on the outside.
After a moment, he picked it up and brought it inside, closing the door without bolting it. Bolting it now would tell anyone watching that he had read it before he had read it.
Due looked up from the table, his hands stopping over a stack of registration drafts. Elara was already at the window, blade unbuckled but kept close.
Silas stood in the corner, where he always stood.
"What is it?" asked Due, his usual lazy tone gone.
"A note left on the step. It is unsigned, which is the first problem."
