Sila's face did not change, but her scent did. Fear, sharp and sudden, under the practiced calm.
Thorne held the key up to the light. "You've carried this route for years. Explain this."
"I carry what I am given," Sila said. Her voice stayed even. "A woman in the southern market pays me to move small sealed cases to a drop point outside the keep walls. I do not open them. I do not ask names. That is the work."
"How long?"
"Two years. Maybe longer."
One of the trackers bound her wrists while the other checked the remaining wagons. Nothing else was out of place. The ordinary goods were left with the drivers under guard. Sila, the case, and the false-bottom pack rode back to Frostfang under Thorne's direct watch.
Lila and Elara met them at the inner gate. The yard was kept clear. Only the three siblings, two captains, and the prisoner stood around the opened case.
