A few miles later, the trade road began to narrow, and its surface grew rougher by the minute. They had already passed major forks branching to the east and west. Before long, the trail was just a rough swath of cleared ground that was barely wide enough for the wagon to pass through—a backroad leading to the northern farmsteads.
Now that the tension had been lowered by several notches and only one person needed to serve as a lookout, everyone began passing the time in one manner or another, although they all kept a watchful eye on their surroundings. Edge took the opportunity to observe the crew in action. He’d had a chance to work with each of them individually, but this was only his second time watching them as a group.
It was clear from their affectionate banter and supportive interactions that Trapper’s crew cared deeply about each other. That they were as much of a family as a collaborative commercial enterprise.
As the brave woman and men passed the miles beneath their boots, he began to get a better sense for the nature of their bonds. Edge knew that he had only seen enough to scratch the surface, but it gave him a better sense of everyone’s respective roles.
For example, Riller and Jumo acted like siblings. Jumo played the part of a supportive older brother, and it was clear that Riller looked up to him. Although the young hunter was generally quiet as a ghost, he opened up around Jumo—sharing small jokes and laughing as they teased one another.
Violet and Trapper had been working together for years. The women had developed a rock-solid partnership based on their long history and mutual trust. Even though Violet was older, at least as far as her puppet body was concerned, Edge had the sense that the woman held a deep admiration for the crew’s boss. She occasionally offered advice or a dissenting opinion but was happy to follow Trapper’s lead.
Although everyone spent some time walking beside Blue, the crew’s senior members were especially close to the friendly beast. He saw them reaching out to rub the space behind her horns even now and again—a spot the intelligent dino couldn’t reach herself. Blue liked everyone, but could be temperamental at times, holding a grudge until you won her over with compliments and scritches.
Jumo respected Trapper and treated her as the first among equals. Whereas Riller seemed to view the woman as more of a mentor, deserving of deference and respect. Violet and Jumo were surprisingly competitive. They were always trying to one-up each other when they shared stories and played traveling games, like seeing who could spot the most beasts within a given span of time.
Although the man never voiced a complaint, or spoke much at all for that matter, Edge had the sense that Riller found Violet to be a little crude and brash for his taste. The man didn’t seem to dislike the crew’s quartermaster, but her loud banter occasionally rubbed him the wrong way, and he would drop back to open some distance between them.
Edge had the hardest time figuring out how Sasha fit into the team. In part because she had only been with Trapper’s crew for about a month before he showed up. Violet saw herself in the younger woman, sharing advice based on the exploits of her youth. Trapper and Sasha seemed to get along, although their interactions were more formal than the rest of the crew.
He had the impression that Jumo and Sasha regarded each other as fellow warriors and brawlers, and they seemed completely comfortable around one another. There was a natural kinship and trust between them.
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Riller would occasionally sneak glances at the athletic woman when he thought that no one was watching. Edge had a hunch that the man had a crush on Sasha, which he hoped wouldn’t cause any problems after the night they’d spent together. But he couldn’t sense any hostility or resentment from Riller, so maybe he was overthinking the matter.
The going was slower than the day before, given the state of the road. But Trapper said that it was faster than going the long way around, and they might run into some of the missing farmers along the way.
When the crew took a break to rest their feet and eat lunch, Riller moved to stand watch while Jumo and Sasha got in a light sparing session. Edge watched on with interest at the contest of spear versus spear taking place before his eyes. He was eager to pick up a few pointers with his naginata from observing the warriors in action.
It was educational and entertaining to watch them go at it. They were both quite good. Far better than himself, given his limited experience wielding his new weapon. Although it was just a drill, the hunters engaged one another with enthusiasm, trying to best the other with technique, rather than a sheer show of Power. Jumo had the advantage in attributes, since he was mid stage-one, but Sasha had an affinity for the spear that almost evened the odds.
Edge watched spellbound, eyes tracing their blurringly fast jabs, parries, and dodges. He committed each technique to memory, trying to figure out how each move would translate to using his heavier polearm. When Jumo noticed his interest, he invited Edge to join in the fun.
While Sasha went to eat a sandwich that Violet had prepared a few minutes earlier, he detached his polearm from his pack, pressed the section of the shaft that made it extend, and then took up his stance.
When Jumo saw the naginata grow from travel-sized to its full length, he let out an appreciative whistle. “Damn, Edge. That’s a great weapon, especially for someone who is just starting out. The materials seem solid, the craftsmanship is top notch, and that extendable shaft is incredibly convenient. Who did you work your charms on at the Forge to get such a nice piece after just a few hunts?”
Edge laughed, buying time while he decided how much to reveal. “Ander took the order, although I don’t know how many people were involved in the crafting. I don’t think it was anything special on my end. The man just loves his work, and the project excited him enough that he was willing to offer a price I could afford. Before we get started, I just wanted to say that I’m a bit nervous swinging this thing at a friend. I can heal any stray blows, but I don’t want to hurt anyone by accident.”
Jumo nodded along with his words, then flashed a fearless grin. “Don’t worry, Edge. Unless you use a skill that catches me by surprise, you shouldn’t be able to dish out anything that I can’t handle. At least until you have more experience under your belt. Besides, even though I can’t heal like you, I am pretty durable. You would have to land a heavy hit to deal any serious damage. So, don’t hold back and show me what you’ve got.”
That marked the beginning of a vigorous sparring session. Edge focused on keeping his weapon under control, and trying to block the various blows that Jumo sent his way. The man moved slowly at first, telegraphing each strike so that Edge could bring his weapon to bear in time, then gradually picking up the pace as he pointed out flaws in Edge’s stances or swings.
Even though Jumo was taking it easy on him, the experience was humbling and helpful in equal measures. He hoped to spar more with the experienced warrior during the trip. Maybe Sasha too, if she is so inclined. Half an hour later, they were ready to move on. Edge drained his canteen and took the sandwich Violet had saved for him, eating on the march as they resumed their trek north.
Not long after, Trapper looked up at the sky and said, “We need to find shelter. A storm is coming.”
Edge couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary, but Trapper’s Perception was lightyears higher than his own, and the woman had been living out here for years. Fifteen minutes later, he could see the sky darkening along the horizon and hear the distant rumble of thunder.
They picked up the pace as the wind began to howl, racing the rising storm.