Edge’s day had been long and stressful. His body was bone-weary, but his mind was so overstimulated that it was racing with manic energy. He decided that his best chance of getting a full night’s sleep was to work it all out of his system by putting his body through its paces.
With that goal in mind, he walked over to the public green, letting the magtech lanterns guide his path as he replayed the fight in his head. He was still processing everything that he’d learned. The mistakes he’d made and the split-second decisions that had saved his life. How close he’d come to dying on far too many occasions, and his massive pile of gains.
On top of everything else, he was intensely curious to learn who Sakura was, how she had known so much about Warren, and why she had decided to help him. Since that was a mystery that he had no way of unraveling at present, he shelved the matter for now.
When he arrived at the green, Edge stepped onto the track and started doing laps. He was the only one working out at this time at night, although there were lots of people camped out on the grass. He let the evidence of their lives wash over him. Voices telling stories around the fire. The smell of a late dinner frying in a pan. The enthusiastic moans from tents where people were getting up close and personal and didn’t care who heard.
He pushed himself hard as he circled the track, not bothering to regenerate his muscles this time around. Tonight, he wanted to completely exhaust himself. To let the burn in his legs take his mind off the day’s ordeal. At last, panting and shaking, he came to a stop, enjoying the crip evening breeze blowing across his sweat-soaked body.
Edge did one last lap to cool off, and took a shower in the adjoining facility. Then he walked back to the Pioneer, where stopped to eat dinner in the common room. He enjoyed the free beer that Sam offered him when he saw the expression on Edge’s face, then spent a few minutes chatting with the other patrons. He heard a few people talking about a fire in the grasslands, but so far, no one had noticed that Warren was missing or connected the two events, much to his relief.
Then he went up to his room for a long soak in the tub, letting the hot water melt the last of his troubles away. When he toweled himself off and slipped between the covers, he was able to relax and let go this time around. He fell asleep not long after, curious what the morning would bring.
Edge woke up early, washed his face, and packed up his belongings. Then he wrote an apology note and set it beside the towering pile of sopping towels that he had left in the bathtub, promising to tip Rita a few hundred Credits the next time he saw her for the trouble.
He walked down the stairs and took a seat at the bar. He made small talk with Sam while eating breakfast, then closed his tab and turned in the key to his room. If all went well, he would be sleeping at Trapper’s lodge when he got back, although he planned to stop by the Pioneer every now and again. He’d grown fond of the tasty food and the cheerful ambiance, not to mention Sam and Rita’s company.
On his way out the door, Sam shook Edge’s hand and then handed him a roll of dried sausages to take on the trip. When she saw he was leaving, Rita walked over and tossed him a small pouch filled with handmade candy. They both wished him luck and then he continued on his way.
He opened the pouch and tried one of the sweets as he crossed the districts. It was hard and tasted like honey and cloves, with just a hint of citrus. These are fantastic. I’ll share the rest with everyone after we make camp, to celebrate our first night in the field.
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On his way to Trapper’s, he made a quick stop by the Consortium’s store. When he stepped inside, he found Bee in the middle of wiping down the countertops. Edge chatted with the cheerful shopkeeper for a few minutes, then bought a pair of flashbangs, a smoke bomb, another stink bomb, and two regular nets.
After a bit of consideration, he went ahead and purchased the magtech water purifier he’d had his eye on. He might not need it on this excursion, but it would come in handy sooner or later and the device only weighed a few pounds.
When he arrived at the lodge, everyone was already out front. The hunters were hard at work, going about various tasks as they got ready to head into the field. Riller was packing a crate with extra arrows, fletching, and bowstrings. Jumo was moving some big barrels filled with provisions from the storeroom to the yard, carrying the heavy containers two at a time.
Edge waved to both men, then went to ask where he could make himself useful. When he saw Sasha walking though the yard, he tipped his hat as she sauntered past. He didn’t say anything other than, “Thank you again for the thoughtful gift. It was exactly what I needed.”
She smiled at him, then left without a word, leaving him to believe that he’d manage to play it right. He wasn’t sure what was going on between them just yet, but he was excited to find out when they got back. Regardless of what the future might hold, it was nice to have another reason to get out of bed in the morning.
Before he talked to Trapper and started pitching in with anything that still needed to be done, Edge moved over to where Violet was loading the wagon, crossing items off a list as she added them to the bed. It was clear from the concentration on her face that the woman took her duty as quartermaster seriously. After some consideration, he decided that he trusted her enough to ask for a favor. She might eventually connect it with Warren’s disappearance, but he was already planning on sharing more of his secrets with the crew once they were in the field.
He got Violet’s attention, drew her aside, and said, “I was wondering if you could help me out with something while we’re gone. I managed to do a number on my new armor and was hoping that you could show me how to patch it up, at least long enough last through this trip. I would be happy to pay for your services.”
He took off his pack and unfolded the blue leather suit, wincing as he took in the copious burns, tears, and holes marring its once pristine surface. Violet set it down on a bench to inspect the damage, eyes going wide when she realized just how much punishment the durable armor had taken during his fight with Warren the manslayer. “Holy shit, Edge. What in the hell happened to you yesterday?”
“I ran into a bit of unexpected trouble, although I’m trying not to advertise the fact.”
He could see a dozen questions blossom in her mind, but the purple-eyed hunter just nodded and said, “You are one mysterious bastard Edge Vasher, and you have a rare gift for understatement. I’m surprised that you’re still alive after all that, regeneration or no.” She ran her fingers across the savaged suit of armor with expert precision, testing the strength of the material between her calloused palms.
When she was done, Violet handed it back. “The good news is that’s its salvageable. It will last for at least a few more fights before it falls apart. It won’t be perfectly waterproof anymore and it’s going to be an ugly job, but I can stitch her back together and patch up what’s missing. Don’t worry about paying me. Keeping the crew’s gear maintained is part of my job, and I have a skill that will help to restore some of the lost integrity.”
She clasped him on the back and then grinned. “Consider it my investment in your future with us. I’ll work on it while we’re camping and have it ready by tomorrow night. If you ever feel like sharing the story of what happened, I would love to hear it.”
“Thank you, Violet. Really, I mean it.”
“No problem, Edge. Happy to help. Now stop flapping your gums and help me finish loading the wagon. It’s time to get out there and find out what you’re made of.”
He hung his pack from a fencepost, where it would be easy to grab on the way out. Then Edge rolled up his sleeves and got to work, glad to have made another friend.