Hajin let the stream overlay fade as the next night settled beyond the registry casements.
Marrick unrolled a clean vellum sheet beside his wrapped wrist while Ferra stood at the desk, flatly ignoring the chair. Outside, Juna rolled a snowball toward Ash between the warm courtyard braziers while Hajin checked the nursery watch's posted roster.
Marrick slid the quill beside the registration line before she could drag it anywhere near the clan field.
"Words here," he said, tapping the blank line with the quill's dry end, "no hammer drawings, the trade board needs a signature its examiners can actually read."
"Then teach your trade board to read a hammer, it might learn something useful before supper."
Marrick kept his thumb on the approved name field, sweat beading along his hairline as he bowed.
"They inspect the letters under magnification, and an unapproved clan glyph hands some clerk a reason to freeze our transit licenses."
