The Pennant Bridge

Rosewood's walled harbor basin opens to the river on the town's west side, and the coast road that runs through the town as its main street has to cross that opening to go on. It crosses on the Pennant Bridge: a heavy timber drawbridge between two square stone towers, with great counterweights of iron and stone hung in each tower and a winch room above. When a warship needs to pass in or out of the basin, the bridgekeepers run a red pennant up the north tower, ring a handbell, clear the road, and raise the bridge in two halves until it stands straight up against the sky.

Crossing costs nothing but time. When the pennant is up, carts and walkers wait on either side, and the wait can be a few minutes or most of an hour while a hull is towed through. The soldiers at the towers check papers on busy days and sell hot cider to the people waiting on cold ones, at whatever price the soldier holding the jug decides.