Tavic and Corin

Tavic and Corin survive partly because enemies aim first at people who look important. Tavic finds the side door, Corin remembers why it mattered, and between them an accident becomes a passage, a delay becomes a warning, and a joke becomes the only reason a patrol arrives in time. Caerdun's officers often learn to value them after embarrassment has done its educational work; the realm of records still needs eyes willing to notice what the official plan forgot. Keldrun understands them faster, because road courage often arrives muddy, hungry, laughing, and late by one breath rather than one hour. They smell of oat dust, wet leather, stolen apples, lamp smoke, and rain under eaves. By the time pride looks down, the battle has usually shifted under its boots.