Hajin reached the southern contract road with dried blood covering his torn coat from the manor fight.
Eight black-and-red wagons stood inside a tightening Flint detachment, their reinforced beds carrying the Sixth's scheduled outgoing gold.
Forty-eight soldiers occupied both road shoulders, using hooked pikes plus crossbows to separate the wagons from their hired local crews.
Twelve Serpent guards held a close perimeter around the teams, obeying a formation built to preserve vehicles rather than exposed workers.
Toma lay dead beside the lead harness he had cut before a panicked horse dragged its wagon into the worker line.
Evin, a younger road worker, had died across the second wheel while pushing two injured loaders beneath its reinforced bed.
Six more Sixth workers remained alive between both formations with wounds that required immediate treatment and removal.
[ New Sixth Region casualties ]
[ Toma and Evin: deceased ]
[ New serious injuries: 6 ]
