Auri carefully unrolled the restored map flat against the tabletop, the corners held down with whatever weights he could find. His gaze flicked across it quickly, searching for something—anything—that could give them a tactical edge before the storm cleared.
Beside him, Wrye unfurled his own map, parchment creasing in sharp folds. The paper was newer, thick and utilitarian, marked with coded glyphs and quick shorthand. His routes were bold and recent, outlining the current merchant paths, along with notations in ink that only a mercenary like him would know how to read at a glance.
Wrye flattened it beside Auri's, eyes scanning the mismatched layouts. "These are where they've been hitting trade lines lately."
Auri leaned in, eyes darting across the inked symbols and sharp notations. He read quickly, mentally cataloguing every strike zone, detour, and coded warning. It was precise. Brutally informative.
