Demeterra found them the way she found everything — methodically.
The contaminated grain was not discovered through inspection. It was discovered through pattern. Three forward units reported gastrointestinal distress simultaneously — Gorvahn's vanguard companies, all supplied from the same depot, all presenting symptoms within the same four-hour window. Coincidence was possible. Simultaneous coincidence across three units was arithmetic.
Her Root Speakers — the priests who served as internal security, faith enforcement, and divine communication relay — traced the supply chain backward within six hours. Depot at Millstone Bridge. Milled flour, priority shipment, eastern bay. Third row, fifth stack.
The grain inspector for that shift was a twenty-three-year-old woman named Maren. Born in Deepwell. Rootist family. No outstanding warrants, no behavioral flags, no political connections that the Root Speakers' surveillance network had flagged.
