Lucian did not contact the Hidden Ledger from the mountains.
Helmar's new force would send messengers toward the same settlements Lucian needed to cross. Any rushed attempt to deliver a report risked placing him beside men who recognized Blackwater Reach's private signals. He kept north of the river for two days, passed around the mining junction, and joined the main road only after reaching territory where a lone adventurer no longer stood out.
The return to Ironcloud took longer than the outward journey. Lucian changed caravans twice and spent one night in a freight station crowded with miners, traders, and off-duty airship crew. No one asked about the mountain mud on his boots. Half the travelers carried the same mud.
