The old route began with a sign pointing into a wall.
Elian scraped the lichen from the arrow, looked at the rockfall covering its intended path and made a note without trying to improve the sign’s dignity.
“Eight kilometers to be told to walk into stone,” Renn said.
Kesh examined the ledge above them.
“The stone came later.”
“I’d hoped.”
Iven put the tool case down and looked along the escarpment.
They had left Stonewake after breakfast, following the upper road through the old host terraces and the bare ground beyond. The walk had taken two hours with their equipment. Tosk’s seasonal sheet marked a charcoal ascent here, once used to bring inland loads up from the lower road without taking the main ravine lift.
