They kept walking, the streets narrowing as they drifted away from the main thoroughfare. Stone buildings pressed closer together here, their walls darkened by age, frost, and long winters endured rather than challenged. Snow had been shoveled aside in uneven paths, forming low white ridges along the edges of the road where footprints layered over one another, evidence of routine more than choice. Lantern light flickered softly overhead, pale flames casting long shadows that stretched and warped across the ground, bending with every step they took.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Then the smell hit them.
Rich. Savory. Warm.
