Sen’s caravan reached the Registry checkpoint under a cloudless afternoon sky. Two wagons carried medicine, grain, and a crate of bandage cloth; two families rode on the second cart, bound for seasonal work at White Orchard. Bai had the manifest ready before the clerk stepped from his booth.
The clerk compared the cargo marks with the route sheet. “Roots, grain, cloth, empty bottles,” he read. “I’ll need to check the seals.”
“Of course,” Bai said. “The grower and ferry receipts are attached.”
A shout came from beyond the barrier. Men stepped out from behind a low stone wall, blocking the road. Their leader wore a leather coat marked with a blue strip like the Registry’s office color, but he carried no uniform badge.
“The cargo violates a Registry restriction,” he called. “Hand over the crates.”
Bai did not move toward the wagons. “Show us the writ.”
The leader held up a stamped copy of the earlier guild notice. Qinghe came to the side of the cart and examined the seal without taking the paper. “This applies to guild stock,” she said. “The manifest lists ordinary market goods. It does not prohibit these roots or cloth.”
“Then why is the caravan carrying them to the refuge?” the leader asked.
