Sen drew the sound as a line that widened toward the bottom of the page.
“I know that isn’t how sound works,” she told Tavin. “It’s how the hole felt when I leaned over it. Narrow at the top, then open below.”
Tavin turned the paper so Ruka could see. She added a short line for the ridge and a cross where the shelter stood. Harun, seated with his bandaged foot on a stool, pointed out the marker post. Brin copied each feature onto a larger sheet, leaving uncertain distances in pencil.
Iven stood at the window with a cup of tea. His ribs were sore where the mineral breaker had struck him, but Sera had examined him and found no serious injury. She had been more interested in the animal’s wedge-shaped head and had asked Kesh to bring a sketch when the dust sample was examined.
“We have perhaps three days before Mercy’s position makes that descent impractical,” Tavin said. “A team could go back today, but the return would have to use the northern shelf.”
“How long is the northern route?” Neri asked.
“An extra half day on foot. Longer if the weather closes the upper path.”
Kesh set the sealed jar on the table. “The sour material contains mineral dust and a biological residue. I can’t identify the residue yet. The air in the shelter was poor, but the sample alone doesn’t tell us whether the channel is producing the hazard.”
