At the Bellcut marker, the watch inspected the medical cart before anyone climbed aboard.
The clean supply box opened. The patient list matched the names accepted at the Gate. The League soldier’s personal knife traveled in a separate sealed cover under the receiving watch’s account, not beneath his blanket. Tavin looked offended when Hetra checked his side of the cart too, then spoiled the expression by laughing.
“Equal suspicion,” he said.
“Equal preparation,” she answered.
Iven stood beside the team while the attendant settled both passengers. The eight-hour window had opened. Eighteen kilometers of road lay ahead, with agreed stopping places and enough time to move at the patients’ pace instead of treating pain as a failure of punctuality.
It was the morning after the road agreement, the nine hundred and ninetieth day.
Ossa’s watch handed the inspected cart to the named traveling guard. Cenn’s patrol remained in its own position. Esren’s had repeated the hold order. Neither had to pretend the other had become a friend.
They moved.
