Lila nodded, adjusting the hood of her cloak. "Make sure the escort treats them with respect. They're not prisoners. They're people who were desperate. Word of how we handle this will travel faster than the sleds themselves."
The market square nearby showed its usual winter activity despite the cold.
A blacksmith argued with a trader over the price of new axe heads, their voices rising then falling into shared laughter when a clever insult landed.
A group of women sold fresh-baked flatbread from a stall, steam rising invitingly as customers stamped their feet to stay warm.
Elders sat under a sheltered awning, mending nets and sharing stories of past winters while apprentices listened and learned the knots.
The keep refused to let the cold or the recent hardships silence its daily life. That resilience was what she fought to protect.
