"It did," she said. "The keep saw the design and the hands that made it. The cup was never poured. That is the whole of it."
Felix's jaw tightened once. He did not offer sympathy or anger. He only said, "I'm glad you're standing here."
"So am I."
They stood a moment longer while the valley settled into evening. Behind them the dens kept their careful quiet. Ahead of them the upstream stretch of river still needed reading. The work was real and immediate and did not require a conspiracy to matter.
Elara adjusted the strap of her medical kit.
"At first light," she said. "We map every den that draws from the same water. Then we decide whether the draft needs changing or the river does."
Felix's mouth moved in the smallest of agreements. "At first light."
