Chapter 51
Cradle was a slow town even in the daylight. Before the sun crested the far horizon to send a scattering of soft purple light over the open crater that the town was built in, everyone that needed to be working already was. Hard-packed ground ran the length of the twisting roads of the town with the smell of sodden dirt riding the air, settling before the sun could stare down at the shadowed town directly. During the evening rush, when people left the cavernous depths of the silver mine to filter towards bars and homes, they would kick up clouds of the dirt again. The settling of the dirt was as reliable as any timepiece, except for every six days when the people rested and attended chapel.
Alara walked the streets. She rubbed her eyes and took a moment to lean against the pos
