The ridge path narrowed to a ledge above the river. Yan went first, with Rell behind him and Miu bringing up the rear. The trail bent away from the imperial road, but its loose stones forced them to move single file.
Yan could have run ahead alone. Three-Step Ash Run carried him quickly over the exposed sections, and every burst strengthened his footwork. But the scouts knew how the ridge changed near the river. They could read the marks on the trees and tell a false path from one used by Han’s couriers.
“Keep the old trail on your right,” Rell said. “The lower track drops too close to the road.”
Yan slowed at the next turn. “How can you tell?”
Rell pointed to a pair of cut marks on the trunk. One faced the river; the other pointed along the ridge. “Han’s scouts mark a route with two cuts when the lower road is watched. One cut means it’s clear enough for a runner.”
They followed the double mark. A broken cart blocked part of the trail ahead. Its axle had split, leaving one wheel trapped beneath the frame. A courier crouched beside it with a bundle under his coat.
