The quarry documents covered the desk in three loose groups. Dunna's crew schedule sat on the left. The transit contract summaries occupied the center. On the right were the crew chief names Godric had pulled from the archive.
Beorn had spent most of the morning working through the center stack. He compared the contract language line by line with the route notes Dunna had sent by runner earlier. The ledger remained open beside the documents, and the charcoal in his hand moved across the margin almost automatically.
The marks formed a route map. Rough lines, proportions only approximate, but enough structure to keep the information organized while he worked through the problem.
Aestrith stood at the window.
She had stayed there since morning with very little change in posture. The previous afternoon she had returned from the foundry carrying a faint exhaustion in her eyes. She had not commented on it, and he had not pressed her for an explanation.
Now she stood facing outside in a way he recognized. When she thought through a problem, she preferred a clear line of sight beyond the room. He let her work.
The knock came at the door. It arrived politely, but without waiting for permission.
Eadric stepped inside wearing a carefully pressed coat. His posture suggested he had spent time arranging his appearance before coming here. His face carried an expression of professional concern.
His eyes shifted toward Aestrith at the window. He paused there for a moment, mouth still slightly open, then redirected his attention to Beorn.
"I wondered if I might have a brief word regarding a few administrative matters that have come to my attention."
"Of course," Beorn said.
He did not look up from the page in front of him.
Eadric moved to the front of the desk and stopped.
"I've become aware," he began, "that certain supply work in the territory may be undergoing adjustment. The builders' guild in particular. There are reports that inquiries have been made about material sourcing that differ from the established demands."
He folded his hands together. "I mention this only because those demands have existed for several years, and changes of this type have, in the past, produced... friction in the commercial ecosystem. Once that friction begins, it can be difficult to manage afterward."
"That sounds like a reasonable thing to keep an eye on," Beorn said.
Eadric waited.
The pause stretched. When nothing followed, he continued.
"The primary concern involves the limestone supply in the northern quarter. The routes and contracts there have been managed through known deals for quite a long time. Those created a degree of stability for the construction trade, which benefits the city as a whole. If that supply chain is disrupted, the effects could reach building projects, wall maintenance, and other works that depend on reliable material deliveries."
"Consistency is important," Beorn said.
He turned the page.
Eadric's hands unfolded, then folded again. He had prepared several approaches before arriving. None of them had assumed this indifference. He adjusted his plan.
"Mr. Coss," he said.
He paused slightly too long before continuing.
"He manages a significant portion of the supply infrastructure in this territory. He has expressed some concern to my office that new contracts pursued by the seat may be moving forward without consultation with the parties most affected."
The delivery was smooth. The only flaw was the name. He had used Coss's name when it was not necessary.
"He has also conveyed a willingness to meet with you directly, if that would be useful. The goal would be to discuss how the territory's commercial arrangements might be adjusted in a way that serves everyone's interests."
Beorn looked up from the page.
"That's very considerate of him," he said. "I appreciate you passing that along."
A pause followed.
"I'll bear that in mind," Beorn added.
Eadric's expression changed slightly. He looked like a man attempting to locate the rest of a conversation that should have followed but had not appeared. He made one more attempt.
"In regard to the transit contracts and the quarry access," he said, "it might be worthwhile for my office to review the relevant documentation before anything becomes formal. It would be better to identify any complications before they develop."
Beorn considered the suggestion. His hand continued marking the margin.
"I'll keep that in mind," he said. "Thank you for raising it."
The tone matched the first response exactly.
Eadric remained standing at the desk for a moment. He had arrived with three prepared lines of inquiry. All three had been received with calm agreement and produced no additional information. The answers he came for were still locked behind the same wall they had been behind when he knocked.
He inclined his head.
"Of course, my lord. I'll leave you to your work."
He closed the door behind him carefully.
The room was taken over by silence.
Without turning from the window, Aestrith spoke.
"Word's been moving through the warehouse district for days. The high quarter too. Whoever manages supply relationships up there has been asking questions about the quarry roads."
"I know," Beorn said.
"Coss knows the batches are coming before the first one even leaves."
"Yes."
She turned from the window and studied him.
"And you're sending the militia."
"A few," Beorn said. "Enough to put my authority on the road in a form that breathes."
He set one document down and picked up another.
"The transit contracts are already arranged in the record. The batches traveling under those contracts stand on clear legal ground. The moment someone interferes with this seat contracted supply movement, they are in direct confrontation with me."
"Coss has people who can make a road difficult without it looking like interference."
"He does," Beorn said.
She crossed her arms.
"And if he uses them."
"Then we gain evidence that someone is making is interfering with a legal contract."
He looked up at her.
"Coss has survived all this time by making sure nothing visible could ever be tied to him. He's very good at it."
He turned the document over in his hands.
"I'm asking him to choose between two options. He can allow the batches to move, or he can start a confrontation that will inadvertently trace back to his network."
He set it on the desk.
"And he'll be doing it while the crown's legal position is already documented."
Aestrith stayed quiet for a moment, working through the situation.
"If he decides the loads are worth stopping anyway," she said.
"Then we learn something handy," Beorn said. "Specifically, we learn more about his network. It'll be valuable information to dismantle it in the future."
Beorn set the document down.
"Either way, a supply contract that has already begun operating is much harder to erase than one that has not started yet. I need the process to start."
She matched his gaze for several seconds.
"It better work," she said.
"It will," he said.
She turned back to the window.
Beorn lifted the next page from the stack and read the first line.
The route checked. The crew chief confirmed. Dunna's first batch scheduled. A militia squad assigned.
Godric had chosen them.
That detail mattered. It meant they were the squad he trusted most to remain visible and keep their hands at their sides, no matter what they encountered on that road.
The charcoal in Beorn's other hand had stopped moving without him noticing. He glanced down at the margin.
The route map from earlier remained there.
He added a small mark at the quarry end of the line. Then another mark at the Ashmark end.
After that he drew a single arrow connecting the two.
The supply would begin moving soon.