Edda took them to the plateau bowl before the sun reached the rim.
From the crossing yard the ground appeared to rise into bare rock. A path climbed between two outcrops, turned sharply and opened onto a broad depression sheltered by the escarpment. Terraces followed its slopes. Water shone in a reservoir near the center, and beyond it stood a cluster of low buildings with smoke rising from two chimneys.
“That’s our main storage,” Edda said. “The springs feed it through settling channels. We have a second reservoir farther north and smaller tanks for the households above.”
Sol stopped beside the path and looked across the bowl. “How much land is under cultivation?”
“Enough for the people here and some trade. Not enough for the number you gave the council.” Edda handed her a map. “The shaded sections are used now. The unshaded ground isn’t automatically empty. Some is grazing, some floods, and some belongs to people who haven’t decided whether they want it mapped by visitors.”
Neri unfolded a larger sheet on a portable board. “We’ll mark only the areas we’ve been authorized to inspect.”
Halen’s two workers, Tera and Vos, joined them at the first terrace. They carried measuring poles and a basket of stakes. Halen had explained the survey to the households whose land lay along the planned route. One family had declined access to its orchard until after harvest; the party marked the boundary and did not enter.
