Matthew leisurely whittled at a bedpost as Kaitlyn used the rest of the cleaning water to put out the fire from breakfast.

“It looked fine an hour ago, Matt,” Kaitlyn said, chuckling.

“I just can not get it to look like the other three,” Matt said, holding the post out and turning it around before glancing at the cart filled with strategically placed furniture.

“I’m sure your dad appreciates the effort, but could we just sell it a little cheaper? Budget bed posts?”

Matt sighed. “We will never be able to turn a profit on this stuff. I just brought too much with us.”

“Oh Matt.” Kaitlyn sat down beside her husband and rubbed his back. “We’ll make the sales, do not worry. We got so many offers in the last town. If people are that interested in a small farm town, just wait until we hit a real city!”

Matthew sat silently, looking at the whittling knife blankly before a sound caught his attention. The couple’s horse began to step side to side as the sounds of a rider approaching grew louder.

Kaitlyn stood and squinted toward the morning sun to see a woman in white armor riding toward their modest camp. “Looks like a paladin, dear.”

“What? Here?” Matthew tossed the bedpost onto the cart and stood to greet the rider who was beginning to slow as she approached. The woman took off her pot helm, her close-cut black hair glistening with sweat.

“Good morning, Sir and Ma’am,” she said sternly. “I noticed your cart of furniture. I must ask, are the two of you Matthew and Kaitlyn Carpenter?”

Matthew started to open his mouth, ready to simply explain they were just trying to sell their wares and would be on their way, but was stopped by Kaitlyn’s eager answer. “Yes, we are,” she said, looking at her husband nervously.

“Is something wrong?” Matthew asked, his voice flat and stoic. A challenge rather than a question.

“I’m afraid I have some bad news, Mr. Carpenter,” the paladin said, climbing down from her horse. “I am Private Humble of the Eastern March Investigation Group, based out of the Crossroads Cathedral. We were called to your father’s home earlier this week.”

Kaitlyn looked nervously to her husband, who was simply staring at Humble, his gaze urging her to continue.

“Your father’s home had been entered forcefully. Eye witnesses tipped us to it, and when we investigated, we found your father’s body. I am very sorry, sir.”

Kaitlyn gasped. “I can’t believe this, Matt.” Matthew simply stared.

“I am prepared to escort you and your wife back to your home to handle any affairs for your father you may have.”

“That will not be necessary,” Matthew said, turning to look at the smoldering fire.

“What?” Kaitlyn was dumbfounded. “Matt, what are you saying?”

“It is no trouble, Mr. Carpenter,” Humble said. “It is my duty and my pleasure.”

“It will be fine, Private Humble. The Church can handle his remains.”

“Matt, don’t talk like that,” Kaitlyn said, reaching for Matt’s shoulder, but the man shrugged it off. “We should go back.”

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“Kait, we have all this furniture to sell. We have no money, we won’t be able to make it all the way home.”

“The church will cover any expenses incurred,” Private Humble said, bowing slightly.

“That will not be necessary, Private,” Matt said, turning to glower at her. “I am sorry you rode all the way out to us for nothing, but I appreciate you delivering the bad news to me.”

“Matt, stop it.” Kaitlyn was getting visibly frustrated with her husband’s attitude. “You are acting out.”

“Kaitlyn,” Matt said flatly. “I am fine. Private,” he said, turning back to the young paladin. “You are not needed anymore. Again, we appreciate your visit.” With that, Matt walked swiftly toward the furniture cart.

Kaitlyn turned to the paladin and frowned. “I’m so sorry,” she said, in a way that clearly surrendered to Matthew’s attitude.

“As I said, ma’am,” Humble said, turning back to her horse. “It is my duty.” The Paladin climbed back onto her horse and turned it away. “Good luck, to you.” The paladin began to gallop away slowly, leaving the husband and wife to their own issues.

“I don’t know why you did that, Matthew,” Kaitlyn reprimanded softly.

“Because we can not afford the trip.”

“But it is important. He’s your father, Matthew. We would make it work.”

“He would be more happy if I sold his damned furniture,” Matthew grabbed the bedpost he had been working on all morning and threw it to the ground. It snapped in half, having been whittled too thin for any real use.

“Matt! What has gotten into you!?”

“I can’t afford my own dad’s funeral. That’s what, Kaitlyn! And I shouldn’t have to depend on the Church to help me bury him. I refuse to let them help put my father in the dirt!” Matthew shouted back.

“Well, if you had sold the stuff to all of those families that made us offers, we would have some money.”

“It’s not my fault, Kaitlyn! It is not my fault we can’t sell this garbage! It is useless and my father was useless!” Matthew’s screaming came from nowhere, his spittle hitting Kaitlyn’s face with every consonant. “Just ask my mom in her unmarked grave outside of the town. She’ll tell you all about it! That’s of course assuming you can even find it.

“Just walk around out there shouting my father’s name and listen for the sound of rolling! That will be your best bet.”

Kaitlyn was dumbfounded. Flustered and embarrassed, she quelled her temper, which had eagerly attempted to match Matthew’s, causing a tangible change to the temperature around the camp. When Matt noted the warmth and the beads of sweat forming on his forehead he wiped them away, but the heat caused a new wave of sweat to bead up almost immediately. He suddenly calmed.

“What are you doing, Kaitlyn?” he asked solemnly, controlling his temper with the precision of someone who is very angry very often.

“Sorry, I-” Kaitlyn said, averting her eyes as Matthew walked toward her, his large hands gripping her shoulders. “I just got upset.”

“Please do not threaten me like that again.”

“Matt, you scared me, that’s all. It wasn’t a threat. I promise. I just lost control for a second.”

“You heard what I said, Kait.”

The conversation was over.

Kaitlyn strolled away, focusing on her emotions as she gathered her things from around the campsite. She pinged the non-living natural world around her to stop focusing on her hurt feelings from her husband’s aggression. The dirt was nonplussed by everything to the point it was nearly stubborn. The stones were stubborn to the point they were nonplussed. The water she had poured onto the cooking fire was profoundly distressed at how suddenly exposed it was. Meanwhile, though the average person would not notice, a red magic user like Kaitlyn could feel the anger and fury, no matter how miniscule, from the hidden embers still in the fire pit, enraged that Kaitlyn had betrayed them. This exploration of feelings outside her own calmed Kaitlyn, but she was still distressed. Matt had gotten so angry, not just at the situation, but at her as well. She watched him as she gathered the last of her things.

In silence, husband and wife packed their camp into the furniture-packed wagon and rode away. Kaitlyn noticed the gap between where she was sitting on the wagon and her husband. Barely the width of her palm, Kaitlyn felt the gap absolutely impassable. The minutes wore on, Kaitlyn watching the gap in the corner of her eye, heartbroken that such a silly thing made her feel so dreadful.

But the wagon struck a small stone, jostling its riders. The couple bumped together in the middle of the bench. Kaitlyn’s breath caught, expecting Matt to recoil from her, but when he moved the reins to one hand in order to put his arm around his wife, she felt peace once again.