Roland maintained his composure as the guards came to him. He was not a prisoner, he reminded himself. In everyone else's eyes, he was being done a great honor. He bowed deeply.
"I thank the Council for allowing me to be of service to Klain." In the deepest part of his bow, he looked at Doctor Sherman. The man looked stoic and simply nodded encouragement at his apprentice.
It would have happened within a few weeks, but Roland would have loved the opportunity to say goodbye. What would Finn think of him disappearing without a last word? Riley would love it. He cringed to think of how he could be painted with this action.
Standing, he turned to leave flanked by the soldiers. The registration office for the military was only across the square, but it seemed they would walk him the entire way to make sure the act was completed. Young men were told to come to the office with nothing; for the next year, all their clothes, food, and everything would be the responsibility of the military. No personal effects were allowed and they were taken to the camp immediately upon arrival.
Roland sighed. It seemed dehumanizing, but he supposed it was meant to build kinship and teamwork. Signs of disparate wealth and status were stripped from those in training, making all equals. Outside the registration office, a man sat under a shade at a table. In front of him was a large book and a quill.
"Name?" He asked. If he had any curiosity as to why the young man before him was escorted by Hall Guards, he did not display it. The registrant was obviously either a troublemaker or someone of importance, and any reaction either way could be the wrong one.
"Roland, Apprentice to Dr. Sherman." If Roland had had a last name as an urchin, he'd long forgotten it.
The registrar made a note of the name and date. "Report inside and get changed. You'll leave for camp at noon."
Noon was an odd time to begin traveling, in Roland's opinion. Why set out when it was about to be the hottest time of the day? But, he wasn't in charge and hadn't done much traveling until recently. They probably knew best.
Moving inside (thankfully the Hall guards had turned and left once he was registered), he encountered a man who grabbed his shoulders, turned him round once, then twice, then pushed him down into a chair and inspected his feet. Without a word he disappeared into another room. He reappeared momentarily with a uniform. It was a simple ensemble for a soldier, with dark pants, a cream colored shirt, and a matching coat. The brown leather boots were nicer than Roland had ever owned.
"Put this on. It's the only one you'll get until season change. Winter uniform's different. Armor and weaponry will be provided only during relevant combat exercises."
"Thank y--" Roland said, but the man had left the room once more. Roland changed quickly and wondered what to do next. He walked around the room in the new boots, testing them out.
They fit rather well, and Roland wondered at the strange man's talent for judging size. Still, new shoes were always stiff at first.
The man returned, took Roland's clothing that he'd came in, and seemed about to throw it out.
"Wait" Roland pleaded. "Those are the nicest things I own. Could you send them to Dr. Sherman?"
Skeptically, the stranger eyed him up and down, then assessed the clothing in his hands.
"Please." Roland added this simply. He wanted to offer to pay him for the trouble, but would that seem like a bribe? A bribe in the military was a serious offense.
The man slowly nodded.
Roland smiled hopefully as he pressed his luck. "May I send a note with it?"
The stranger's lips pursed. "Be quick about it then." He jerked his head to the corner table where some supplies sat. Roland quickly penned a note to Dr. Sherman for everyone to read, and then glanced at the man before adding a separate note for Finn.
"Thank you, sir." Roland said.
"Don't tell anybody you're getting special treatment. You're all nobodies to me until you're done proving yourselves." The man gruffly left.
Roland closed his eyes and heaved a heavy sigh. What a way to begin a year.
___________________
Mrs. Sherman was the first to react to Dr. Sherman's lonely arrival back at the house.
"What happened? Where is our boy??"
"Remember when I told you I thought I had offended the Provider?" Dr. Sherman began.
"What's going on?" Riley entered the room, having eaten breakfast and sat with Mayra by Finn's bedside for a while. His sister had now gone back to bed after sitting up for the last shift with Finn.
"The Provider decided that in light of Roland's report, that he must be eager to immediately begin his military service. The Hall Guards escorted him to the registration."
Mrs. Sherman took a deep, sad breath. While she didn't think Roland was in any danger, she would miss the boy she'd treated as a son and would have liked to say goodbye before he left. Riley's eyes widened.
"Can they do that? What sort of place is this?"
"Hush, young man. Though you're from an outlying village beyond where they check on these things, as long as you're here you might keep a low profile. If they find out you're here with no intention of ever doing service, it won't go well for you." Mrs. Sherman scolded Riley. Her heart was already sore for Roland and she would brook no nonsense right now.
"She's right, you know," Added the Doctor in his deep baritone voice. "If you have no interest in a year of training, you'd best be off as soon as your friend is better."
Something suddenly occurred to Riley. "Speaking of her, I'll go check on her to see if she needs anything."
"Don't try anything untoward, we're right here in the next room. I'm not sure she'll even be awake since her last dose of medicine." Mrs. Sherman called after him as he left.
Riley sat down in the chair next to Finn's bed. She dozed lightly and seemed to be resting a bit easier than before. Her hand lay on top of the blanket and before he could stop himself, he took it in his own.
Her skin was soft. He moved his thumb across the back of her hand and marveled. His farm-calloused hands were so different than hers, despite living next door and having such a similar life.
Her eyelids fluttered. "Hm?"
"Sorry, I didn't want to wake you," he whispered, "I'm back."
"Roland?" She murmured sleepily, her eyes not even open.
He dropped her hand and pulled back as if struck, then calmed himself. "No, no, it's Riley."
"Riley." She came more fully awake now and blinked hard several times to push the heaviness out of her mind. "Good Morning, Riley." She struggled to sit up.
"You're looking much better today." He complimented.
"I'm feeling better, but sleepy." She gave an unladylike yawn. "How is everyone else?"
"Mayra's asleep now, I slept well, and the Doctor and Mrs. Sherman seem well."
Finn blinked slowly at him. She had a sense for when he was up to something, and had that sense now.
"I'm not sure how Roland is." He shrugged noncommittally.
"Why is that?" Finn asked carefully.
"I didn't see him this morning before he left, and may not see him ever again." Riley looked down at his hands.
"Riley, please stop playing with me and just tell me what it is you think I should know." Finn leaned heavily back on the pillows supporting her. What an exhausting person Riley could be.
"Roland just turned himself in for his military service. He'll be gone for a year." Riley turned to Finn's face to gauge her reaction to the news.
"Oh, he... he didn't tell me that." Her eyes welled in spite of her best efforts to contain herself.
Riley wanted to drive the point home, but felt overwhelming guilt in the face of Finn's tears. They made him want to fix everything, even if it meant ruining his own chances.
Finn's eyebrows furrowed. "Why wouldn't he tell me that? I guess I'm not important enough to be told. It only makes sense. We've only known each other a few days. There's actually no reason why he WOULD need to tell me, apart from common courtesy. I just probably expected too much from the man. Sure, he saved my life, but he's probably helped save hundreds of lives. I don't suppose I matter to him any more than all of those people."
Riley leaned away, more afraid of the verbal tirade than he had been of the looming tears. He was glad he hadn't piled on, Finn was doing a marvelous job of criticizing his rival all by herself.
Energy seemingly spent, she laid down again and rolled to face the wall. Her shoulders shook slightly, and Riley debated silently what he should do. He hadn't been around crying women all that much. What was expected of him? Should he leave? Stay? Try and say something comforting?
"Dearie?" Mrs. Sherman entered the room. "I have a letter for you."
Seeing the patient's state, she shot a piercing look through Riley. "No. Upsetting. A patient." She said slowly.
Riley held his hands open in surrender and confusion, and the woman softened slightly. Young men could be oblivious as to what might or might not upset a lady. She cut her eyes to the door and Riley took the hint, leaving with a soft "Feel better." to Finn.
"Dear, I don't know what the young man said, but it will be fine." She soothed, sitting down. "I'm sorry that Roland won't be back. What a sudden thing to be taken away without being given a chance to come tell us all goodbye!"
Finn sniffed and rolled away from the wall, "What did you say?"
"Dr. Sherman just finished telling me about it. That Provider doesn't care for my husband and thought to get at him by making Roland start his military service immediately. I thought we had a few more weeks before he would have to start, but I suppose he's been pushing it for a long time now. Many lads volunteer as soon as they're sixteen to get it over with. Roland was always so reluctant we didn't prod him, but his next birthday would have been cause for him to be thrown in jail for treason if he hadn't reported."
Finn wiped her eyes, "I had no idea," she said.
"Poor thing doesn't want to fight, only to heal. Can't say I can blame him for his logic, but then again, I volunteered at sixteen."
"YOU volunteered? I though only men were required to do the military service!" Finn was aghast at the thought of female soldiers.
"Yes, only the men are required to give a year. For women it's entirely optional, and not precisely the same. The women's training usually focuses on the support efforts of war; how to take over the city's jobs if the men are called away, basic hand to hand self defense and siege defense, how to put out fires and bolster weakened structures. It's quite enlightening. And a great way to meet all the young men." She winked at Finn.
"Well, I should go check on the Doctor to make sure he's not working too hard. I'll be back to check on you later."
She laid a letter on the table beside the girl.