Before leaving the barracks, Wei checked the supply list against the names on the departure roster. The group needed food, blankets, medicine and a way to carry personal gear. The Registry had locked the company weapons in its store. No one would take a weapon from a soldier who chose to stay.
The decision left the departing group with fewer ways to protect itself on the road. Huo asked what tools could serve as walking staffs and what should remain in the barracks. The men sorted the gear by owner rather than by usefulness. A cooking pot could be shared; a personal knife could not be taken from a soldier who stayed.
Gao asked whether the group could travel with the supply cart. The cart belonged to the company, and the quartermaster had not released it. Huo said they could carry the food by hand in pairs until they found a village wagon. The choice would slow them but keep them from taking equipment that had not been assigned to them.
They gathered tools, travel cloaks and the winter boots issued under the disputed forms. Gao asked to wait until morning before finalizing his departure. Wei marked him as delayed rather than absent. Huo suggested the southern bridge as a meeting point, where the road divided toward White Orchard.
