---
Emberfall city is now fully visible. Zephyr's pulse quickened. He turned to Fenna. "What is your uncle's name? You never talked about him."
"Arlen Dale. He runs a dyehouse down by the canal quarter. Light green roof, big sign of an inkpot." She paused. "He's honest, mostly. Just… boisterous. I never talked about him, because…" She paused, "I will tell you later. Now is not the time."
"Okay! Tell me when you're ready." Zephyr laughed. "Boisterous sounds good after Stonejaw."
Emberfall's outer wall was low, built from dark basalt bricks that almost blended with the scorched ground. No pennants of the Royal Guild flew here, only mismatched banners.it was a crossed hammer and quill, a red phoenix emblem, an anchor over rising smoke. Free guilds.
Two sentries lounged at an iron rimmed gate, eyeing newcomers with casual suspicion. One was a broad woman in a leather scale puffing a coal weed pipe, the other was a lean half elf, flicked carved bone dice.
