The group starts toward the chief's house together, but Val stops short after only a few steps, nose lifting into the air. He grins slowly. "Not in the mood for more meetings, I think. I'll catch up with you all after." He inhales again, deep and appreciative. "Something interesting nearby."
"You just smell something delicious," Lucien says.
Val chuckles. "Important market research."
"You're just copying me."
"Learned from the best." Val smirks at him.
Lucien beams at that, entirely disarmed.
They press on without him, passing further through the village. Houses, huts, workshops built low and sturdy against the terrain and Lucien catches a glimpse of what looks like a mine opening cut straight into one of the surrounding hills, workers filtering steadily in and out with spades and pickaxes slung over their shoulders, carts of raw ore trundling along a worn path toward the village center.
