Rhess waited until Kaelen and the others disappeared around the corner.
Only then did he turn toward the western offices.
The corridor was quieter here.
Most of the graduates had already gone to meet their new commanders. Officers moved between rooms carrying documents, maps, and equipment lists. Somewhere farther down the hall, someone was arguing loudly about their departure date.
Rhess walked past them.
He stopped outside a heavy wooden door.
A small brass plate beside it read:
WESTERN RESPONSE UNIT
Rhess knocked once.
"Enter."
He opened the door.
Three officers were inside.
The woman behind the desk looked up first. She was older, with silver beginning to show in her dark hair. A scar ran from the corner of her left eye toward her cheek.
"Rhess."
"Commander."
She gestured toward the chair.
"Sit."
Rhess remained standing.
The commander studied him.
"You've received your dispatch."
"I have."
"Then I assume there's a reason you're still here."
Rhess nodded.
"I want it changed."
The other two officers looked at each other.
The commander leaned back.
"You're asking to change your first assignment before you've even met your unit."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"I don't want the western response unit."
"That's not a reason."
Rhess folded his arms.
"I want to serve with Kaelen."
The room became quiet.
The commander stared at him.
"You understand that assignments aren't made according to personal preference."
"I understand."
"Do you?"
"Yes."
"Then why are you here?"
Rhess didn't answer immediately.
He looked toward the window.
"Because I've trained with him for years."
The commander waited.
Rhess continued.
"I know how he fights. I know what he does when he's under pressure. I know when he's going to take a risk and when he's pretending he isn't going to take one."
One of the officers smiled faintly.
Rhess ignored him.
"Kaelen knows the same things about me."
The commander tapped her fingers against the desk.
"And?"
"We work well together."
"You have no idea whether you'll work well with your assigned unit."
"Neither does the unit."
The commander raised an eyebrow.
Rhess continued.
"That's exactly the point. You're putting people together because they fit certain requirements on paper. I'm telling you that I already know the person I work best with."
"That isn't how the Order operates."
"Then change the assignment."
The commander stared at him.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Finally, she sighed.
"You have become significantly more difficult since graduation."
Rhess almost smiled.
"I've been told."
"Who?"
"Kaelen."
"Of course."
She picked up his assignment sheet.
"Your western unit is experienced. Their commander has requested someone with your combat profile."
Rhess nodded.
"I know."
"They're currently preparing for an operation along the western roads."
"I know."
"You would be useful there."
"I probably would."
"Then why would I move you?"
Rhess stepped closer to the desk.
"Because Kaelen's group will need someone who can fight beside him."
The commander looked at him carefully.
"You're assuming his group will need you."
"No."
Rhess shook his head.
"I'm telling you I want to be there."
That answer seemed to catch her off guard.
"Why?"
Rhess hesitated.
Then he answered honestly.
"Because I've spent years fighting beside these people."
His voice was quieter now.
"I don't want the first thing we do after leaving here to be walking in different directions."
The commander studied him.
Rhess looked down at the assignment paper on the desk.
"Maybe that's selfish."
"It is."
He nodded.
"I know."
The commander leaned back again.
"You understand that if I approve this, someone else has to take your place in the western unit."
"I'll take responsibility for finding a replacement."
"You don't have that authority."
"Then give me the authority."
One of the other officers laughed under his breath.
The commander looked at him.
"Something amusing?"
"No, Commander."
She turned back to Rhess.
"You really won't let this go."
"No."
"I can send you out west."
"I know."
"You can refuse the order."
"I know."
"You could make yourself very unpopular."
Rhess shrugged.
"I've survived worse."
The commander sighed.
Then she stood.
"Wait here."
She took the assignment sheet and walked through a side door.
Rhess remained alone with the other two officers.
One of them looked at him.
"You know, most people try to avoid extra work."
Rhess looked over.
"I'm not most people."
"I noticed."
A few minutes passed.
The commander returned with another officer.
Kaelen's group commander.
Rhess recognized him immediately.
He had seen him around the branch before, though they had never spoken much.
The commander placed two papers on the desk.
"Kaelen's group has been assigned three members."
Rhess nodded.
"Kaelen, Maeve, Seralyn."
"Correct."
"Three is small."
"At the moment."
Rhess understood.
"You're considering adding me."
"I'm considering whether you're worth the trouble."
Rhess almost smiled.
"Ask Kaelen."
"I intend to."
Kaelen had no idea any of this was happening.
He and the others were standing outside another office, waiting for their group commander.
Maeve glanced down the corridor.
"Rhess is taking a while."
"He said he had something to discuss."
"That's vague."
Seralyn leaned against the wall.
"Maybe he's challenging the assignment."
Maeve looked at her.
"You think?"
Seralyn smiled.
"Rhess isn't exactly subtle."
Kaelen shook his head.
"He'll be fine."
Maeve looked at him.
"You sound very confident."
"I know him."
"That's exactly what he said earlier."
Kaelen looked confused.
"What?"
"Nothing."
The office door opened.
A tall man stepped out.
"Kaelen?"
Kaelen straightened.
"Yes."
"Maeve. Seralyn."
They nodded.
"I'm Commander Arven."
He motioned for them to enter.
The three followed.
Maps covered one wall of the room.
Kaelen immediately noticed several marked locations outside the capital.
Arven sat behind the desk.
"Your group is small."
Deren's absence suddenly felt more noticeable.
Kaelen nodded.
"We were originally five."
"I know."
Arven looked at the reports.
"Deren has been assigned to the southern patrol."
"Yes."
"And Rhess to the western response unit."
Kaelen hesitated.
"Yes."
Arven looked up.
"Any objections?"
Maeve glanced at Kaelen.
Seralyn remained quiet.
Kaelen shook his head.
"No."
"Good."
Arven pushed three sheets across the desk.
"These contain your preliminary assignments. Nothing major yet. Patrols, investigations, escort work, local threats. You're being given time to adjust to operating outside training conditions."
Kaelen looked over the document.
"What happens after that?"
"You'll receive more difficult assignments if you prove yourselves capable."
Maeve looked at the map.
"And the three of us are expected to handle these together?"
"Unless one of you is reassigned."
Kaelen nodded.
There was something strange about hearing it stated so plainly.
Three.
Not five.
He looked down at the paper.
They had spent years as a group of five.
Now the Order had divided them with a few lines of ink.
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
Commander Arven looked toward the door.
"Enter."
The door opened.
Rhess walked in.
Kaelen looked up.
"You took your time."
Rhess glanced at him.
"Had something to take care of."
Arven folded his hands.
"Rhess."
"Commander."
Kaelen looked between them.
"What's going on?"
Rhess didn't answer immediately.
Arven did.
"Rhess has requested a change to his assignment."
Maeve's eyebrows rose.
"You did what?"
Rhess looked at her.
"I don't want the western unit."
Seralyn smiled faintly.
"I knew it."
Kaelen stared at him.
"Rhess."
"I know."
"You can't just change your assignment because you don't like it."
"I know."
"Then what did you do?"
Rhess looked at Commander Arven.
"I asked."
Maeve crossed her arms.
"That doesn't explain why you're here."
Rhess looked back at Kaelen.
"I want to join your group."
Kaelen blinked.
"What?"
Rhess shrugged.
"You heard me."
"Why?"
"We already talked about this."
"No, you talked about wanting to be here. You didn't tell me you'd actually try to change your assignment."
"I decided afterward."
Kaelen looked at Arven.
"And?"
The commander sighed.
"The western unit has agreed to release him."
Kaelen's eyes widened.
"Seriously?"
"On the condition that we accept him."
Maeve looked at Rhess.
"You actually did it."
Rhess smiled.
"Told you."
"You didn't tell me anything!"
"I didn't want to announce it before I knew whether it would work."
Seralyn looked at the commander.
"Are you accepting him?"
Arven looked at Kaelen.
"That's the remaining question."
Kaelen stared at Rhess.
His friend stood there with the same expression he had worn countless times before a fight.
Calm.
Certain.
Stubborn.
Kaelen knew there was no point asking him to reconsider.
But he also knew exactly what it would mean to have Rhess beside them.
He smiled.
"Yes."
Rhess's expression softened.
"Good."
Maeve sighed.
"I suppose we're back to four."
Seralyn nodded.
"Four."
Kaelen looked toward the door.
For a moment, he thought of Deren.
Four instead of five.
It wasn't the same.
It wouldn't be.
But it was still his group.
His friends.
The people he'd trained beside.
Rhess stepped toward the desk.
Arven pulled a fresh assignment sheet from a folder.
"Very well."
He signed it.
"Rhess will join Kaelen's unit effective immediately."
He pushed the document across the desk.
Rhess picked it up.
"Thank you."
Arven looked at all four of them.
"Don't mistake familiarity for preparation."
They listened.
"You know each other. That's useful."
He tapped the paper.
"But fieldwork is different. Out there, friendship won't save you from bad decisions."
Kaelen nodded.
"We understand."
"I hope so."
Arven stood.
"Your first assignment begins in three days."
Maeve looked at him.
"Where?"
Arven turned toward the map.
Then pointed to a small settlement north of the capital.
"Greyhaven."
Kaelen studied the location.
"What happened there?"
"Three patrols have reported missing supplies."
Rhess frowned.
"Raiders?"
"We don't know."
Seralyn stepped closer to the map.
"Then why send us?"
"Because someone has to find out."
Arven looked at them.
"Your orders are simple."
He paused.
"Go to Greyhaven. Find out what is happening. Report back."
Kaelen nodded.
"Understood."
Arven dismissed them.
The four walked out together.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Maeve looked at Rhess.
"You realize you just changed your entire assignment because you didn't want to leave us."
Rhess shrugged.
"I wanted to stay with the people I trust."
Seralyn smiled.
Kaelen looked ahead.
Their first mission had been decided.
Three days.
Greyhaven.
Four of them.
And somewhere far to the south, Deren was preparing for his own assignment.
For the first time, the paths ahead of them had truly begun to split.
But none of them yet understood how far those paths would eventually take them from one another.