The first crate of Korthane goods arrived at Ashenveil's Market Hall on an Ironday morning, and by Steelday afternoon, the western ward's merchants were having a collective crisis of professional identity.
The crate was standard Hegemony trade packaging — ironwood slats, brass fittings, sealed with a wax-and-resin compound that kept moisture out and curiosity in. It had traveled eighty-seven kilometers through the Ironvein Corridor, twelve kilometers by wagon from the eastern staging area, and three hours through customs processing at the border office where Petra Ashford stamped its entry documentation and wrote, in the margin of her log: First civilian trade shipment. Contents: assorted luxury goods. Value: classified by sender.
