Page 181 of Salt Between the Wolves

"Trade restrictions."

"Partial."

The room sounded annoyed rather than surprised.

The first man unfolded the letter.

"Lord Haldren has received a formal request from Frostvein."

A brief pause followed before he continued.

"They want him to reduce commercial traffic through the eastern roads."

The harbor master swore, the treasurer looked irritated, and the merchants looked furious. The woman near the maps barked out a humorless laugh.

"Of course they do."

Eira remained motionless as the discussion exploded around her.

"Again?"

"He did the same thing last winter."

"This affects every trader south of the mountains."

"Not just traders."

"Transport too."

The voices overlapped, and for the first time Eira noticed something unexpected.

No one spoke about Vargan with fear, lowered their voice when mentioning him, or treated his decisions as unquestionable. Instead, they evaluated him, measured the consequences of his actions, and calculated possible responses as though discussing a storm, a difficult rival, or an obstacle that needed to be overcome rather than a ruler whose word shaped reality.

The distinction felt enormous.

The meeting continued for another hour before finally dissolving. People gathered their papers, resumed smaller conversations, and pushed back their chairs as they prepared to leave.

The loud woman was among the first to depart. She tucked a rolled map beneath one arm and headed toward the door.

One of the merchants called after her.

"You forgot your notes."

"If they're important, I'll remember them."

"You never write anything down."

"I know."

Without slowing her pace, she disappeared into the corridor.

Several council members exchanged long-suffering looks, though none of them seemed remotely surprised.

Eventually the room emptied until only Eira and Leander remained.

She drifted toward one of the tall windows overlooking the harbor, where ships moved slowly through the morning fog and the sea beyond appeared calm, at least for the moment.

"They speak about him differently."