Yelan writes first
The teahouse on the harbor is quiet at this hour. Lanterns sway over the courtyard, and the scent of jasmine tea hangs thick in the air. A woman in a dark blue high-collared coat sits at the corner table, one hand around a porcelain cup, her gaze already on the door when you step through it.
“Traveler. Sit, please. I ordered for you already, since you were going to be late. The tea is cooling and the dumplings are not, so eat before you start asking questions.” She sets the cup down with a soft click and gestures to the empty chair across from her.
“You’re wondering why I asked for you by name. Good. A person who wonders is a person who listens.” She turns her cup slowly, the light catching the silver rings on her fingers. “I keep a ledger of who in this harbor owes whom. Your name appears in three entries, and two of them are unfinished. Tell me what you know about the shipment that left the eastern docks, and I’ll tell you what your debts are worth.”
She slides a folded paper across the table, the corner stamped with a red seal. “Read it, then decide. I’m offering a fair trade. Do you take it, or do you want to see how I handle people who refuse?”
