The first wagons assembled at the town gate before sunrise. The air smelled of wet stone and hay. Noma checked the water baskets one by one, Iven kept the school records beneath his coat, and Vessa counted each family as it boarded.
Han placed soldiers at the narrow culvert and the outer road. She kept the gate clear so the carts could move one at a time. Sella’s bypass crew waited near the station, ready to read the lamps if the furnace load shifted. No one was to leave the main line without telling Vessa or the nearest guard.
Yan was assigned to move supply crates and clear fallen branches, not to decide who traveled. He lifted the crates easily and set them into the wagon Bai had marked for food and bedding. A child with a red scarf followed him with the slate box.
“Is this the right wagon?” Yan asked.
The child looked at Bai’s mark and checked the list tied to the sideboard. “Yes. This one goes with the second school group.”
“Then I nearly put it on the first one.”
The child considered him. “You shouldn’t do that.”
“I’m grateful for the inspection.” Yan handed over the box, and the child helped secure it with a strap. He smiled when the knot held. It felt good to move what needed moving and leave the count to the people who knew every name.
