Radeon decided there would be no fight this time. Not because fear touched him.
Fear was expensive, and Radeon did not pay for things he did not need.
It was simpler than that. Fighting burned energy.
It spent breath, qi, attention, and time, and time was the only coin that never came back.
He had taken too much already to throw it away on a brawl that offered nothing but noise and risk.
"Fay. Listen. Crimson token, inside my cloak. Now."
Fay crooked a finger at the man lugging the tied cloak. He hurried over, eyes down, and held it out with both hands.
Radeon guided Fay's hand into the folds. The cloth was stiff in places, still cold from the river.
It smelled of damp stone even after the drying. H er fingers searched by touch alone.
There. An insignia sat stitched inside the lining, half hidden where most eyes would never look.
Fay pinched it free and held it up to the moon. The token was a crest carved in tight detail.
