The road from the residential district curved east, and the workshop district appeared when the first buildings came into view.
The tanning operations hit first. Treated hide carried a sharp acidic smell that lingered no matter how the wind shifted. Coal smoke sat beneath it in heavier layers, and under both was the mineral scent of heated metal, harsher than ordinary craft ironwork. That smell came from the weapons section farther east.
The street widened as they entered the district. It had to. Loaded carts moved in both directions here, and the road was broad enough that neither driver needed to pull aside.
The oldest buildings stood nearest the entrance to the district. Tanneries occupied the west side of the road, ironworkers the east, and both showed the signs of age.
Outside one leather workshop, a craftsman stood at a heavy timber table inspecting a saddle. He flipped the piece face-down and ran his thumb along the stitching, testing the tension for weak points.
