227 - The Road to Millhaven

The road west of Windscar followed a shallow river for several miles before turning north through open farmland. By the time Subin Vans and his companions passed the last cluster of farmhouses, the morning mist had lifted, revealing fields of pale grain and wooden storage buildings scattered across the countryside.

Millhaven lay beyond those fields, a settlement known for flour mills, preserved food, and the warehouses that supplied smaller communities throughout the region. Its location made it an important stop for merchants travelling between the agricultural districts and the larger trade centers. With several northern roads still restricted, Millhaven had become busier than usual, although much of its stored produce remained unsold because caravans were reluctant to travel through dangerous territory.

Subin walked at the front of the group, his sword resting at his waist. Han Yerin kept pace beside him, while Park Jae-hyun and Liu Wei followed a few steps behind. Ara carried the documents Garrick Voss had provided before their departure, including a copy of the disputed iron contract and the information collected from the roadside inn.

They had left Windscar after receiving the patrol's report that morning. The details were brief, but they gave the team a clear destination.

Venn Arlo's horse had been found at a small farm west of the old quarry road. The farmer had explained that Venn arrived the previous evening, paid for a night's shelter, and left on foot the following morning. He had not appeared injured or frightened, and he had told the farmer that he intended to reach Millhaven.

The patrol had followed the trail as far as the point where the road divided toward several agricultural settlements. Unable to identify which route Venn had taken with certainty, they sent their findings back to Windscar rather than wasting time searching every road.

The report also clarified the apparent overlap in the investigation. Garrick had arranged for a patrol to check the western road and nearby farms, while Subin's team had independently visited the roadside inn the previous afternoon. The team had not intercepted the patrol or repeated its work; the two investigations had uncovered different parts of Venn's movements.

The innkeeper had confirmed that Venn stayed at the inn two nights earlier and left early the following morning. He had also described a grey-haired man in a dark coat with a metal clasp who spoke privately with Venn that evening. The patrol's discovery of the abandoned horse gave the team a later point in the broker's journey, and the farmer's account suggested that Venn had continued toward Millhaven voluntarily.

That did not explain why he had disappeared during a dispute involving a valuable iron shipment, but it meant they should speak to him before deciding what his absence signified.

"At least we know he wasn't dragged away from the inn," Jae-hyun said as they followed the river road. "Unless someone went to considerable trouble to make it look that way."

"We have no evidence of that," Ara replied. "The farmer saw him leave on his own. Until Venn gives his account, we shouldn't turn an ordinary disappearance into something more complicated."

Jae-hyun shrugged. "I said unless. I didn't say it happened."

Yerin glanced at Subin. "What do you think?"

"That he left Windscar for a reason, and we don't know what it was yet." Subin looked ahead toward the road's northern bend. "We find him, hear his explanation, and decide what matters after that."

It was a straightforward answer, but it settled the discussion. They had no reason to accuse Venn of fraud, and no reason to assume he was innocent of every part of the dispute. The contract, the altered copy, and the testimony of the three merchants would have to be considered together.

By midday, the first buildings of Millhaven came into view.

The settlement was larger than Brackenford, though less densely built than Windscar. Its central road ran between stone warehouses and timber-framed shops, with several water-driven mills standing along the river. Their broad wooden wheels turned steadily in the current, carrying the sound of grinding grain across the nearby streets. Carts loaded with flour sacks moved between the mills and storage yards, while workers stacked barrels of preserved vegetables beneath covered sheds.

The place looked prosperous at first glance. A closer look showed the strain beneath that appearance. Several warehouses had their doors open but few carts waiting outside. A line of merchants stood near a registry building, arguing over storage charges and delayed deliveries. On the northern side of the settlement, a caravan rested in a fenced yard, its wagons still loaded despite the workers gathered around them.

"They have goods but not enough buyers," Ara observed. "The roads are disrupting the normal movement of supplies."

"Which means a shipment that should have been sold weeks ago may still be sitting here," Liu Wei said.

"Or it may have been sent somewhere else," Yerin added. "We shouldn't assume the warehouses are full of the same goods Garrick described."

Subin nodded. "First, Venn."

They entered the main trading street and asked at the registry office whether a licensed broker named Venn Arlo had arrived recently. The clerk checked the day's entries and then consulted a ledger from the previous evening.

"Venn Arlo?" he said. "He registered here yesterday afternoon. He didn't list a merchant company, only his own name. He asked whether the flour warehouses were accepting temporary storage contracts."

"Did he rent one?" Ara asked.

"No. He spoke with the storage supervisor and left before the office closed. I can't tell you where he went afterward."

"Did he seem troubled?" Yerin asked.

The clerk thought for a moment. "He was tired. That isn't unusual for someone travelling on foot. He paid his registration fee and asked about the road back to Windscar. Then he changed his mind and asked about the northern road instead."

That detail drew Subin's attention.

"Did he say why?"

"No. I didn't ask. People change their plans all the time."

The clerk pointed them toward the warehouse district, where the storage supervisor might remember Venn's visit. Before leaving, Ara asked for the name of the person who had handled the registration. The clerk gave her the name and allowed her to copy the entry number into her notes.

The warehouse supervisor was a broad-shouldered woman named Dema, whose office stood beside a flour storehouse. She remembered Venn immediately.

"He came asking about space for several crates," she said. "Not enough to fill a wagon. He wanted to know whether we could keep them separate from the regular merchant stock and release them only to a named recipient."

"What was inside?" Subin asked.

"He didn't tell me. I wouldn't have accepted the crates without a declaration, and he didn't have the goods with him. He was asking about the terms before committing to anything."

"Did he mention Windscar?"

"He asked whether a shipment could be redirected there after being stored here. When I explained the fees and paperwork, he said he needed to settle something first."

"Did he leave an address?" Ara asked.

Dema shook her head. "No. But he asked about a lodging house near the southern mill. If he stayed in Millhaven, that would be a reasonable place to look."

They thanked her and headed toward the southern mill.

The lodging house stood on a narrow street behind a grain warehouse. It was a modest two-storey building with a stable at the rear and a small dining room filled with workers taking their midday meal. The owner confirmed that Venn had rented a room the previous evening. He had arrived alone, paid in advance, and left his belongings in the room while he went out.

"He came back after sunset," the owner said. "He ate here, asked whether anyone was travelling to Windscar the next day, and then went upstairs. This morning he left early. He took his bag with him."

"Did he say where he was going?" Subin asked.

"He said he had business to settle. I didn't ask for more."

"Was anyone waiting for him?"

The owner shook his head. "Not that I saw. A man came looking for him later in the evening, but Venn had already gone upstairs. I told the visitor that I wouldn't disturb a paying guest. He left without arguing."

Ara leaned forward. "Can you describe him?"

"Middle-aged, perhaps older. Grey hair, dark coat, a metal clasp near the collar. He carried a walking stick, though I don't know whether he needed it."

The companions exchanged glances. It matched the description the innkeeper at Windscar had given them.

"Did they speak before that?" Yerin asked.

"Not in front of me. The visitor arrived after Venn returned. He asked whether the broker was staying here, and I told him I couldn't share a guest's details with a stranger. He seemed annoyed, but he left."

"Which direction did he go?" Subin asked.

"Toward the northern road. I didn't watch him for long."

Outside, Jae-hyun folded his arms. "That is the same man from the roadside inn. We have two witnesses placing him near Venn."

"Near him, yes," Ara said. "We still don't know who he is or what he wanted. We also don't know whether Venn was avoiding him or simply trying to complete his business."

Liu Wei looked toward the northern end of the street. "And Venn asked about the northern road before he left."

"Then we check the road and ask at the next settlement," Subin said. "We don't need to guess at his intentions."

They returned to the lodging house to ask whether Venn had left anything behind. The owner allowed them to inspect the room, which had already been cleaned. There was no hidden correspondence, no discarded contract, and no sign of a struggle. A small patch of dried mud remained near the window, but the owner explained that Venn had entered through the front door and walked upstairs with muddy boots.

Ara checked the room's simple writing desk. A sheet of paper had been used to record the lodging fee, but nothing else remained. Whatever Venn had been carrying, he had taken it with him.

The team left the lodging house and followed the northern road until it divided around a low ridge. Beyond the ridge lay a series of small settlements and storage farms. The road was passable, but wagon traffic had worn deep ruts into the softer ground, making travel slow for anyone moving on foot.

A farmer working beside a drainage ditch remembered a man matching Venn's description. He had passed that morning carrying a travel bag and had asked for the shortest route to a settlement called Northfield. The farmer had directed him toward the main northern road.

Northfield was not their immediate destination, but it sat along a route that eventually connected to the road returning toward Windscar. Venn could have been trying to avoid the direct route, or he might have had business there. The team had no way to tell yet.

They continued to a roadside trading post, where a pair of wagon drivers confirmed that a lone traveller had asked about the northern route. One driver remembered that the man seemed to be in a hurry but had not attempted to hire a cart.

"He didn't look like someone running for his life," the driver said. "He was careful with his money and asked about the condition of the road. If he wanted to disappear, he wasn't making much effort to hide his direction."

That was the most useful observation they had heard all day. Venn was moving between known roads, asking ordinary questions, and leaving his name where required. He was not behaving like a man who had vanished without a trace. He was behaving like someone who had decided to travel without explaining his plans to the people expecting him in Windscar.

As the afternoon advanced, Subin decided they had enough information to report back to Garrick before pursuing the trail farther. Millhaven's northern road branched into several routes, and following every possible direction would cost them time without guaranteeing that they would find Venn.

Ara prepared a concise message. Venn had registered in Millhaven, inquired about separate storage for a small shipment, and left the settlement early that morning. Two witnesses had independently described a grey-haired man in a dark coat with a metal clasp who had sought Venn or been seen speaking with him. There was no evidence of violence, and Venn's movements suggested that he was travelling voluntarily.

They sent the report through the trading post's courier service and arranged to meet the courier at the settlement office before leaving the following morning. Garrick could decide whether to send another patrol north while Subin's team continued along the road.

That evening, the companions secured rooms at a nearby inn and reviewed the contract papers again.

The dispute still came down to three incompatible accounts. Belric Dane claimed that he had paid a twenty-percent deposit under a fixed-price agreement and was entitled to collect the iron after paying the balance. Soren Vale's amended copy required payment before collection, while Othar Pell had offered a higher price and claimed that the first agreement had been cancelled. Venn, the broker responsible for arranging the transaction, was the person most likely to know how the documents had changed hands.

"The storage question may matter," Ara said, tapping the notes she had made in Millhaven. "Venn was asking about keeping crates separate and releasing them to a named recipient. That could be ordinary business, but it might also explain why he was looking for storage space instead of returning directly to Windscar."

"Could the disputed iron be here?" Jae-hyun asked.

"Possible, but we haven't found any evidence that it is," Ara replied. "We shouldn't connect every warehouse question to the shipment just because the timing is convenient."

Yerin looked at Subin. "If Venn doesn't want to return, will Garrick be able to settle the dispute without him?"

"He can settle the commercial question if the contract and payment records are clear enough," Subin said. "But if someone changed the terms after the agreement was signed, Venn's account could determine who was responsible. We should give him the chance to explain before deciding what happened."

The next morning, the team collected the courier's response. Garrick thanked them for the report and confirmed that the iron shipment remained secured in Windscar. Belric's remaining balance was still held in escrow, and neither merchant had been allowed to collect or redirect the goods. Garrick had also instructed his clerks to preserve the original contract, the amended copy, and the payment records.

His message contained one additional request: if the team located Venn, they should ask him to return to Windscar or provide a written statement identifying the version of the agreement he had authorized. Garrick was willing to wait for a proper explanation, but he would not allow the shipment to remain disputed indefinitely.

Subin folded the message and placed it inside his coat.

They had not found Venn yet, but Millhaven had established that he was alive, travelling openly, and making inquiries about storage and roads. The grey-haired visitor remained unidentified, and the purpose of Venn's journey was still uncertain. Neither fact justified an accusation on its own.

The team left the settlement and took the northern road toward Northfield, following the last confirmed direction Venn had taken.

Behind them, Millhaven's mills continued turning, and its warehouses remained crowded with goods waiting for buyers. Ahead, the road narrowed between low hills before opening onto the northern farmland.

Subin adjusted the strap of his sword and kept walking. The next step was simple: find Venn Arlo, hear his account, and bring the facts back to Windscar before the iron dispute damaged more than one merchant's business.