Chapter 227 — Four Lanes, One Load

Later that afternoon, Nia found Mari standing beside a stack of drying screens at the lower trade shelter, arguing with a man who had apparently decided that lifting something higher would make it narrower.

“Put it down before you break the edge,” Mari told him. “I have been waiting for these since the last market, and I intend to use every one of them.”

The man lowered his end of the load. His companion followed, and the carrying poles settled onto the supporting stones with a heavy knock.

Nia stopped beside Shen and looked at the bundle.

Six drying screens had been packed together with thick cord and protective reed wrapping. Two were considerably broader than the others, their wooden frames extending beyond the four smaller screens stacked between them.

The packing had brought them safely over the road, but the complete bundle was too wide for the covered passage leading toward the lower kitchens.

Ren stood on the other side with his travel ledger tucked beneath one arm. His dark-red hair was tied back, and his fox ears turned toward Nia when he heard her approach.

His familiar smirk appeared before he greeted her.

“Rovan found you. Good. Mari has been explaining her opinion of my carriers' judgment, and I'd rather finish unloading before she discovers something else they did wrong.”

“I haven't started on the seller,” Mari said. “You can tell him I expect the frames to arrive without damage after I pay for them.”

“They did arrive without damage. Or they had until someone decided to take the entire stack around that bend.”

The taller carrier rubbed his shoulder.

“We thought we could save a trip.”

“And now you've brought the load back,” Ren said. “Next time, finish unloading before you decide the route needs improving.”

The man accepted the correction and moved aside.

Shen came closer to examine the exposed frame edges.

“Have you found any damage?”

“Nothing visible from the outside. The seller used the packing arrangement we agreed on, but I wanted you to look before we took the screens apart.”

Ren shifted the upper wrapping aside so Shen could see the wooden frame beneath it.

Mari folded her arms.

“I've counted six. Two broad and four narrow, exactly what I ordered. Now I'd like them in the kitchens where they can be useful.”

Kael approached from the lower path before anyone could answer.

He wore his lighter spring outer layer, and his black tiger tail moved behind him as he looked over the carrying poles and the narrow passage beyond them.

Nia stepped toward him. He lowered his head when she reached him, accepting her kiss before resting a hand briefly against her back.

“Rovan found you,” he said.

“He found both of us.”

Kael glanced toward Shen, who was checking the end of the bundle.

“Good.”

Ren moved to the side of the load.

“We need to get the broad frames to Mari's lower drying area. I can separate the shipment and use the outside approach if that entrance is open for carriers.”

Kael looked toward the covered turn.

“The inner passage is too narrow for the broad frames, even separately. The grinding-room entrance will take them, but the carrying poles need to come off before the last turn.”

Ren nodded.

“I can have the men carry the frames upright from there.”

“Keep them clear of the drainage edge. The stone is still uneven near the outer wall.”

“I saw that coming in. We'll stay toward the grinding-room side.”

Kael returned to the bundle and examined the supporting stones.

“Set the weight evenly before you loosen it.”

Ren had already directed one of his workers toward a spare support beside the shelter wall.

“That's what we're doing.”

Kael checked how the weight rested on the carrying poles while Ren directed his workers to steady the stacked frames.

Shen lifted a loose section of protective wrapping.

“Ren, look at this corner.”

Ren came around immediately.

One narrow screen had shifted slightly inside the stack. Its wooden frame was sound, but the cord fastening at the corner had stretched against the adjacent screen.

“The padding moved,” Ren said.

“Yes. The crossing has taken the pressure.”

Ren pressed the wooden edge without disturbing the damaged binding.

“Can you repair it here? I'd rather not send a damaged frame into Mari's kitchen and have her discover it while food is drying.”

“With a replacement cord. The wood is sound, so the repair should be simple.”

Ren handed his ledger to the worker beside him.

“Put this on the dry ledge. Then find Shen a clean length of binding cord.”

The worker took the ledger toward the shelter wall while Ren helped Kael lift the heavier end of the bundle.

Nia crouched beside the exposed screens.

The four narrow frames had tighter weaving than the broad ones, with fewer gaps between the reeds. She examined the surface of the nearest screen, then looked toward Mari.

“Are the narrow ones going beside the lower hearths?”

“That was the idea. We have more cut food coming through the kitchens, and the old racks are already occupied.”

“What about the dried red strips?”

Mari gestured toward the narrow frames.

“These should give us more room for them.”

Nia looked toward the lower kitchens, where smoke from one of the active pits had begun drifting across the open work area.

“Then I'd keep the fine screens away from that side. The narrow weave will be useful for the red strips, but we still need to keep the food clean while it dries.”

Mari followed her gaze.

“The older drying area near the washing wall gets more moving air.”

“That sounds better for the strips. We can use the broad screens for larger root pieces and gathered leaves, but the fine-cut food needs a surface that won't let pieces fall through every time someone turns them.”

Mari considered the arrangement.

“What about the berry sheets? The workers have been asking for more drying space for those too.”

“Those should stay in the warm alcove near the old grain room,” Nia said. “We already know the smooth heated stone works, and the pulp needs steady warmth without smoke. The new screens won't replace that, especially when we're still trying to get the sheets to dry evenly.”

Mari nodded.

“The alcove stays as it is, then. I'll have the smaller screens cleaned for the red strips and other cut food.”

“We should try one small batch first,” Nia said. “If the pieces catch on the weave when we turn them, we'll need to adjust the cuts.”

“Then come down when we're ready. I have enough workers cutting different sizes already, and I'd rather have you show them what you want before we fill every screen.”

“I will.”

Ren looked up from the bundle.

“Where do you want the narrow frames delivered?”

“The drying area near the washing wall,” Mari answered. “Leave them there for cleaning. I'll decide where they sit once the older racks are moved.”

Ren repeated the destination to his workers and returned to the bindings.

Once the additional support was beneath the lower end, he began loosening the outer cord. Kael steadied the heavier frames while Shen caught the reed padding and helped separate the narrow screens.

Nia gathered the reusable wrapping as the workers lifted the frames clear.

When the damaged screen was free, Shen carried it to a low work ledge.

“Hold this edge,” he told Ren.

Ren came over without asking which side Shen meant.

He caught the frame beneath the stretched corner and held it at an angle while Shen worked the damaged cord loose. The replacement arrived a moment later, and Shen threaded it through the existing crossing.

Ren adjusted his grip when Shen reached beneath the frame.

“You could have told the seller to check the inner bindings before stacking everything,” Shen said.

“I did. He checked them before the last crossing. If I had known one was going to shift, I would have packed the narrow frames separately from the beginning.”

Shen pulled the replacement cord tight.

“The wrapping shifted afterward. The crossing itself held until the frame pressed against it.”

Ren examined the neighboring bindings.

“Then I need to change how the seller packs them, not how he makes them.”

Shen nodded and continued working.

Ren watched his hands for a moment before speaking again.

“You sound exactly as you did when you made me unpack that entire herb basket.”

“The damp packets?”

“Yes. The seller swore it was only the outside cloth, and you refused to leave until he opened everything. I lost half the morning bargaining with him afterward.”

“Three packets were damp.”

“I remember. I made him replace them, and the next time I returned, he had changed his storage shelves. Apparently you frightened him more than losing a customer would have.”

Shen's mouth moved faintly.

“He should have been more concerned about what he was selling.”

Ren laughed softly.

Kael came over with the remaining protective padding folded beneath one arm.

“Is the frame ready?”

Shen checked the corner again before nodding.

“It needs washing before use, but the binding will hold.”

Kael looked toward Ren.

“Have him pack the broad frames separately next time. The road can take the weight without the smaller ones wedged between them.”

Ren nodded.

“I'll show the seller where this corner shifted. There's no need to change the screens themselves.”

Kael passed him the folded padding.

“Use that around the broad pair for the lower trip.”

Ren accepted it, and Shen helped him secure the larger frames for the short journey around the outside approach.

Mari came back from speaking with a kitchen worker.

“If you've finished repairing that one, I would like my drying room back before the afternoon food work begins. They've already started washing the next batch of roots.”

“We're ready,” Ren said.

“Then send the narrow ones through first. I don't want the workers standing around while we decide what to do with them.”

The younger carrier collected Ren's ledger from the dry ledge and handed it back before taking up his end of the narrow frames.

Nia and Shen went with Mari to the washing-side drying area while Kael accompanied the heavier load around the outside approach with Ren.

The lower passage was busy with midday work. A man carrying two empty water vessels stepped aside for the screens, then complained to someone farther down that the water station had borrowed the smaller vessel and failed to return it.

Another worker answered that he had seen it beside the washing area that morning.

Mari called over her shoulder, “Then go and ask before someone takes the larger one too. I need those vessels back before the evening meal.”

The argument followed the men farther down the passage.

Without the broad frames tied around them, the smaller screens passed easily through the turn.

At the washing-side drying area, Mari directed the workers to place them against a clean support.

Nia examined the older rack occupying the best section of the wall.

It held several shallow trays of drying roots, all large enough to remain on the broader weave without falling through.

“We could move that rack closer to the sorting tables,” she suggested. “Those pieces won't mind being near the busier work area, and it would leave this wall for the smaller food.”

Mari checked the trays.

“They still need another day before we put them away.”

“Then we don't have to take anything off the rack. Just move it with the trays still resting on their supports.”

Mari called two workers over and explained where she wanted the older rack placed. They lifted it together, keeping the trays level as they carried it toward the sorting tables.

Nia helped Mari check the trays after the move. A few root pieces had shifted toward the edges, but nothing had fallen.

“That should give us enough room,” Mari said. “We'll clean the narrow screens before putting them against the wall.”

“When you start the next red-strip batch, I'd like to see whether turning the pieces is easier on these. We may need to change how thin we cut them.”

“You can come down and help. If you're going to ask for thinner strips, I want you here when they start cutting.”

Nia smiled.

“I'll bring Shen too. He's better at making the cuts even.”

“He can show the workers how to hold the knife while he's here. Half of them keep cutting across the grain and wondering why the strips tear.”

The broader screens arrived through the grinding-room entrance while they were speaking.

Kael came in behind the carriers, followed by Ren, who had stayed with the load around the outside passage.

The men carried the frames into the larger drying area, where there was enough room to maneuver them without scraping the wooden edges.

Mari directed them toward the supports beside the communal sorting tables.

Kael helped lower the first frame, and Ren adjusted the position of the second set of supports before the workers settled the other into place.

Shen came over and checked where the frames rested.

“The weight is on the wood. The weave isn't carrying it.”

Ren straightened and brushed a few loose reed fibers from his sleeve.

“Good. The seller can make another delivery without having to explain why half his screens need repairing.”

Kael looked toward the outside entrance.

“Bring the broad frames around that way from the beginning next time. Have the men unload before they reach the grinding-room turn.”

“I will. That entrance also gives them room to stop without blocking the kitchen passage.”

Shen gathered the remaining protective wrapping and handed the usable pieces to Ren.

“If the seller separates the sizes, he can protect the corners without packing so much material between the screens.”

“I'll show him when I return east. He has a habit of packing everything as though the road is the only place it will ever travel.”

Ren began sorting the wrapping while Kael spoke with him about the lower approach and the weight of future trade loads. Ren had questions about the outer wall and whether the same entrance could be used when the kitchens were busier. Kael explained where carriers needed to leave room for ordinary traffic, and Ren compared it with the smaller receiving areas he used on other routes.

At one point, Kael reached for an empty carrying pole.

Ren took the other end before he could lift it alone, and the two men moved the pole out of the entrance while continuing their conversation.

Shen followed them far enough to return a sound length of wrapping to Ren's travel bundle. Ren shifted the pole against the wall and opened the bundle for him.

Kael finished setting the pole down.

“Ren, if you're taking the eastern lower turn, tell your carriers the second marker has been repaired. They can use that side again.”

Ren immediately opened his ledger to the route page.

“Since when?”

“This morning. Tarek sent the confirmation while I was on the western path.”

Ren marked the route before closing the cover.

“That saves me a crossing. I can send the lighter loads east without bringing them through the main shelter first.”

Kael nodded and returned toward Mari.

Shen handed Ren the last folded strip of usable wrapping before following.

Mari returned with a short length of clean cloth and looked over the newly placed screens.

“The broad ones are where I need them. The narrow ones can be cleaned and moved into place before afternoon work finishes.” She glanced at the men. “Thank you. Now I would appreciate having my workers back.”

The carriers returned to their regular tasks while Mari went to supervise the cleaning.

Nia followed Kael, Shen, and Ren toward the lower path, pausing only long enough to tell Mari she would come back when they were ready to test the red strips.

Outside, the afternoon light had strengthened across the stone passages. Several traders were preparing to leave the shelter, and a woman near the water stand was dividing food between three men who had evidently returned from work hungry enough to complain about the delay.

Nia slipped her hand into Kael's.

“Will you be home for supper?”

“The western path needs one more inspection, but Tarek has the evening patrol. I'll be back.”

She squeezed his hand.

“Good.”

Shen walked beside Ren, still discussing the protective wrapping. Ren had apparently decided that Shen should inspect a different supplier's packing the next time he visited the eastern road.

“The eastern seller carries several dried fruits you haven't seen,” Ren said. “If you're going to criticize his storage, you might as well bring back something useful.”

“Send me a description of the fruit first. I'm not traveling two days because you want me to inspect another merchant's shelves.”

Ren laughed.

“He does have a better storage room than the last one, if that makes the journey more appealing.”

Shen shook his head, but his expression remained relaxed as they continued walking.

Nia smiled as they reached the upper fork.

Kael bent to kiss her before turning toward the route board. Shen kissed her as well, then headed home to begin supper.

Ren remained beside her a moment longer.

His fox ears angled toward the path Kael had taken.

“He'll have the eastern marker information out to the patrols before I finish telling my workers.”

“He probably sent it already.”

Ren glanced down at his ledger.

“Then I should go before my men take the wrong turn. I still need to check the eastern load before they close it.”

Nia touched his arm.

“I liked seeing you today.”

His gaze returned to her face.

“Even with Mari threatening to keep us all at the shelter?”

“She was happy with the screens once they were in place. She just doesn't believe in letting people enjoy themselves while she's working.”

Ren's smirk softened.

“I'll remember that the next time I bring her something.”

Nia smiled and rose to kiss him.

Ren bent toward her without hesitation, his hand settling warmly against her waist. The kiss lasted a little longer than their farewell required.

When she stepped back, he brushed a loose curl away from her cheek.

“I'll be leaving Hearthfang before dark,” he said. “I have a buyer waiting beyond the eastern road tomorrow.”

“Then make sure you eat before you leave.”

“Shen has been telling me that for years.”

“He's probably going to keep telling you, too. I know how you get when you've got too many things to finish.”

Ren glanced toward the lower shelter, where his workers were gathering around another load.

“I'll eat before we leave. They've already set aside food for the road.”

“Good.”

Nia kissed him again.

“I'll see you when you come back.”

“You will.”

He released her and turned toward the trade shelter.

Nia watched until he reached the lower path, where one of his workers was already approaching with a folded route strip.

Ren took the strip and began speaking with the man as they walked.

By the time Nia reached home, Shen had already returned to the evening meal he had begun preparing before Ren's earlier visit.

The dried meat he had sliced for broth was simmering in a pot near the hearth, its savory scent mixing with garlic and the warm smell of stone grain. Shen had also taken out a portion of leftover roasted bird to brown for the table, and a bowl of greens waited beside the preparation surface.

Nia washed her hands and stopped briefly at the cooler shelf.

The covered bowl of prepared goldheart still rested beside the unopened fruit. She had saved a portion for Kael earlier, and she checked that the covering remained secure before leaving it for after supper.

She came up beside Shen.

“The broth smells good.”

“It needed more time after we finished with the fruit. The dried meat has softened now, and I was going to add the greens once you came back.”

Nia looked into the pot. The broth had taken on a deeper color from the dried meat, with small beads of fat collecting along the surface.

“Did you add more garlic?”

“A little. I remembered what you said about the last pot.”

She leaned against his arm and kissed his shoulder.

“That was the right choice.”

Shen turned his head and kissed her properly before lifting the lid from the smaller pan.

“I also thought we could brown the leftover bird again. There isn't enough for another full meal by itself, but it will go well beside the broth.”

Nia looked at the pieces waiting in the pan.

“You already started.”

“I remembered how much you liked the crisp edges last time.”

“That sounds good.”

She reached for the greens.

“Let me finish those while you do the meat.”

Shen handed her the cutting knife and shifted the bowl closer.

They worked together as the afternoon light moved across the preparation surface. Shen turned the bird pieces as their edges browned, while Nia finished cutting the greens and added them to the simmering broth.

She tasted a spoonful after the greens softened, then adjusted the seasoning with a little more garlic and a small amount of salt.

Shen tasted it after her.

“That balances the dried meat better.”

Nia nodded.

“The first spoonful was a little too heavy. The greens help.”

Kael returned before the grain was finished warming.

He washed, removed his outer layer, and came directly to Nia, resting a hand at her waist while she moved the broth pot away from the strongest heat.

She turned and kissed him.

“Everything settled?”

“The western path is clear. Tarek has the evening patrol.”

“Good. Supper's almost ready.”

Kael looked toward the smaller pan.

“You browned the bird again.”

“Shen remembered how we liked it.”

Kael reached toward the finished pieces, and Nia caught his wrist before his fingers reached the food.

“Get a plate. You'll have the first portion when we finish the broth.”

He looked at her for a moment, then took one from the shelf and carried it to the table.

Shen moved the pan off the heat while Nia ladled the broth into three bowls. The greens had softened without disappearing, and the dried meat had given the liquid enough richness to serve with the warm grain and browned bird.

Kael received the larger bird pieces. Nia brought the prepared redneedle oil to the table so he could add more heat to his own serving.

Shen kept his broth mild.

Nia sat between them and tasted another spoonful, pleased that the garlic had come through without overwhelming the savory dried meat.

Kael added redneedle to his bowl before eating.

Shen noticed how much he used.

“There's already some in that portion. Taste it before you add more, or you'll end up with half the oil in your bowl.”

Kael tasted the broth.

Then he added a little more.

Nia looked at him.

“I don't know how you enjoy that much. I like the heat, but you keep asking for more every time we use it.”

Kael looked at her bowl, which held more garlic and less redneedle than his.

“You have more garlic.”

“Because I like garlic.”

“I like this.”

He lifted another spoonful, apparently satisfied that the matter required no further discussion.

Shen continued eating his mild portion.

A few minutes later, Nia stole one of the darker browned bird pieces from Kael's plate while he reached for his water.

He noticed as soon as he looked back.

“You have your own.”

“Mine wasn't that dark.”

Kael moved another browned piece toward her bowl.

“Take that one.”

She accepted it and continued eating.

Shen watched them over his cup.

“I offered to brown hers longer, but she wanted to finish the greens first.”

“I changed my mind when I saw his,” Nia admitted.

Kael finished the piece she had left him, apparently satisfied with the exchange.

After supper, Nia retrieved the covered bowl of prepared goldheart from the cooler shelf.

Kael looked at the golden pieces as she set them beside him.

“Is that the fruit Ren brought?”

“Yes. We finally learned how to open it without making everything bitter.”

She moved the bowl closer.

“I saved enough for you to try.”

Kael picked up one of the pieces and tasted it. Nia watched his expression while he chewed, and Shen reached for a clean spoon to take a smaller portion himself.

Kael swallowed.

“Sweet.”

“Very,” Nia said. “The first one was so bitter we couldn't finish a single bite. This one is completely different.”

Kael took another piece.

“The texture is softer than I expected.”

“Almost creamy,” Nia said. “I want to try doing something with it eventually, but Ren said it's difficult to transport once it's ripe. We still have one unopened fruit, and its stem hasn't loosened yet.”

Kael looked toward the cooler shelf.

“Leave it until it's ready.”

“We will.”

Shen finished the piece he had taken and covered the small amount remaining in the bowl.

Nia returned it to the cooler shelf beside the unopened goldheart.

When she came back to the table, Shen had brought out a few preserved sweet root pieces. Nia took one and left the larger portion where he could reach it.

Kael rose to collect the heavier cooking pot.

Nia brought the empty bowls to the washing side.

“Ren has a buyer waiting tomorrow,” she said. “I told him to eat before leaving.”

Kael took the bowls from her.

“His workers had food ready at the shelter.”

“Good. At least somebody planned ahead.”

Shen smiled faintly.

“Ren has always been better at remembering his workers' meals than his own. When we traveled together, I used to set his food beside him while he finished his accounts.”

Nia leaned against his shoulder.

“Then I'll keep reminding him.”

Shen kissed the top of her head before reaching for the drying cloth.

Kael washed the cooking pot while Nia rinsed the smaller bowls. Shen dried them and returned each to its proper place, occasionally reaching past Nia when she left something on the wrong side of the basin.

She nudged him with her hip when he moved her cup.

“I was still using that.”

“You finished drinking, but I'll leave it here if you want more.”

He returned the cup to the edge of the basin within her reach.

Kael made room for her beside him as he lifted the heavy pot to drain.

Nia moved closer, her shoulder brushing his arm, and picked up the last bowl.

Shen reached past them to hang the damp drying cloth, then took a fresh one from the shelf. He folded it once and handed it to Kael, who had already turned toward him with the wet pot in his hands.

Nia rinsed the remaining bowl while the two men finished putting away the supper dishes.