Renn stretched, letting out a long whine of relief as she did so.

I studied the way she twisted her waist, and coiled her arms around each other. She twisted a bit, in a way that reminded me of the source of her bloodline.

Cat indeed.

Once done she let out a happy huff, and then turned and nodded to me.

She was ready.

“I know you don’t like carrying much stuff Vim, and that we already have a bunch of baggage, but I really think we should maybe consider some kind of tent. We’ll not always get lucky and find a cave,” Renn said as she stepped into one of the puddles as she came over to me.

“You’d be surprised. Though… maybe. I’ll consider it. When alone I never need to worry about the weather, and usually we’re in the north so there are enough towns and stuff along the road to keep shelter when we need it,” I said.

“Not many towns out here Vim. Plus the few we encounter are all… well…” Renn hummed as she debated what word to use to describe the famine, plague ridden towns.

“Not up to par, yes,” I agreed.

“Yea that,” she nodded.

Hefting the final bag, I secured it to my back and nodded to her. I was now ready too.

She smiled happily at me, and nodded back.

Stepping away from the cave we had used to keep dry last night, we headed back towards the road we’d been on. It was a good distance away, albeit visible from here.

Renn happily hurried to keep up with me. She notably did her best to walk through as many puddles as possible. It was a good thing that the ground wasn’t too muddy, even though not as solid rock as it had been lately. Grass and trees were starting to return, becoming more commonplace. But although still a dry ground, and heavy with dirt, the ground was very good at soaking up the water. Likely because last night’s monsoon had been more wind than rain, really.

Alone I’d never let such a storm keep me from trudging along my path. No strong winds or heavy rains could stop me.

But Renn was another story. And not just because she was still recovering from her sickness.

“How much longer Vim?” Renn asked.

“A few days. We should reach a river soon, which leads to their town. You’ll start seeing houses and stuff along it… or at least, we should,” I said. The famine and plague had done a lot of damage to the last few villages we’d passed through… so I wouldn’t be surprised to find most of those small family homesteads now empty, or gone entirely.

“Does that mean we might be able to sleep in a real bed tonight then?” Renn asked.

“Actually if it doesn’t storm again, I’d like to just go straight to them. I can carry you if you get too tired, if that’s okay with you,” I suggested.

Renn paused, long enough to give me a weird grin. “I’d be more than happy to let you carry me,” she said happily.

Figured.

She splashed into another puddle again as we reached the road. It was a dirt one, but it looked as if at one time someone had tried to layer it with stones and pebbles. There were enough everywhere; all the same river washed color, to tell me they weren’t natural. But the attempt had been… poor. It was in the end, just a plain dirt packed road.

Which was funny… I could have sworn at one time there had been a stone road here. Made by the previous kingdom.

I wonder what happened to it. Likely buried under grass and dirt, or simply misplaced.

“How far are we from Lumen, Vim?” Renn asked.

“A few weeks at this pace. From the Weaver’s we’ll head north a bit more until we reach the Crypt. From there we start heading back west, to lands you’re familiar with. We’ll circle north-west, checking on a few other members and then head back south. If no one has any requests or needs us, we’ll actually head back towards Telmik, passing north of Lumen as we do,” I told her of our route.

“We won’t go through Lumen…?” she asked softly.

I tried not to smile at her, since her question had sounded a little sad. “No. Unless they need us. Brandy knows what route we’re taking, so she knows where to send letters to intercept us if we’re needed,” I said. Hopefully she wouldn’t.

They really should be able to last a few years without me, at least. If not… what was the point of them taking over?

“Hm… Then what? Once we go back to Telmik?” Renn asked.

As we walked, I noted the way her tail swayed in the air. Its perkiness was back. When we had first left that inn, once she felt fine enough to travel, it had hung low. Nearly touching the ground. And not because she had wanted it to.

She was doing much better now. She honestly was acting as she had before she got sick. I didn’t see, or feel, any weakness in her mannerisms or actions. Nor did I hear it in her voice, or smell anything strange from her.

Yet it had only been a few days since we had left that inn where she’d gotten sick. So I was doing my best to treat her as if she was still recuperating. Even if she herself seemed to have no plans to do so.

I needed to keep our pace even. Slower than usual. Nearly back to the pace we’d taken when she first joined me. Before she grew accustomed to my more normal speed. And although I hoped to walk continuously for the next few days, until we reached the Weaver… I knew better than to push her past her limits. The moment she seemed tired or exhausted, I’d have us stop. Storm or no.

“Odds are there will be a request or two at Telmik. There hadn’t been any last time because I’d recently been there. Not even a few months before. So we’ll head to wherever we’re needed and from those places take a new path. Hopefully one that heads south and then west, up along the coast instead of against it as we had coming down,” I said.

“So… we really just make big circles then? Just choosing slightly different paths each time?” Renn asked.

I nodded. “It’s more of a zigzag pattern, really. Sometimes we need to circle back or go a distance away, to one of the farther members, but it’s rare,” I said as I waved a finger in the air, mimicking the paths.

“You don’t always go to Landi, right?” she asked.

“Yea. About one in three times when I come this way. There are only a few locations I go to each time. Like Lumen,” I said.

“What location have you not been to the longest? Who haven’t you seen in a long time?” Renn asked.

Her question made me pause, and I frowned. The longest…?

“Well… Hm… most likely the mouse couple up north. Near Elk and his family. Or maybe the Penguins. I think last time I saw them was when they visited Telmik. And that was at least a hundred years ago,” I said as I thought about it.

“A… hundred years ago? Really Vim?” Renn asked worriedly.

I shrugged. “They live very far away Renn. It takes me over a year just to get to them. And that’s with me rushing as fast as I can. With you it’d probably take twice as long. Unless they actually need something I can’t afford to go that far from the Society. Not just to say hello,” I said.

It was regrettable… but they were the ones who refused to leave their homelands. They knew the risks that being so distant brought.

“Do… do I slow you down that much Vim…?” Renn asked worriedly.

“Hm? No. What I meant was that was with me running at full speed, without stopping as much as I can. I’d not be able to do that with you… or anyone, for that matter. I won’t lie to you; we do travel a little slower while together… but not enough to worry about. Remember half the time I’m traveling with someone else too. Honestly you keep up rather well, all things considered,” I said.

Renn grinned at me, pleased to be complimented. “Brandy and Oplar travel around too right? Do any other members do so? You mentioned those twins before too,” she asked.

“There’s a few, yes. Actually Brandy and a few others sometimes come this way, to the Weaver. Merit’s friend is here, remember? She comes here every so often too… though she hasn’t asked to join me here in a long time. Ever since she settled in Lumen. Maybe something happened,” I wondered.

“Oh…? That’s not something I wanted to hear. Why do you think something happened?” she asked.

Shrugging, I accidentally stepped a little too harshly in one of the puddles. The splash made Renn have to duck away, since some hit her. She laughed at me, though, and didn’t take offense or seem bothered. “Sorry,” I apologized.

“Did talking about Merit annoy you that much?” she asked with a laugh.

“No. I’m actually in a good mood… that was an accident,” I said truthfully.

She hummed as she stepped a few feet away from me. Likely because we were about to walk through a large batch of puddles. Some were even a little deep.

“Anyway, I think Merit made a point to visit them every few years. If she hasn’t been going lately something must have happened… I don’t think she had died, so I’m just making assumptions. Merit can be… fickle. Touchy. Emotional,” I made a light comment about her friend. I didn’t want to say too much, since not only would it sour Renn’s mood but honestly Merit didn’t deserve it. She and I didn’t get along very well, but I had no choice but to praise her lifestyle choices and ability to endure.

There weren’t many who could live such harsh lives as she had and still wake up in the morning.

“No more than any of us, Vim. Still, I hope she’s okay. I’d like to meet a friend of a friend,” she said.

“Hm…” I nodded. I guess I couldn’t argue about that. Out of anyone in Lumen for her to dub friend, Merit was really the only one worth such a high praise. So far at least. She’d been the only one, other than Tosh, to vote against banishing her. And Tosh had very likely only done so because of me. I liked the man, but I knew he’d always favor me when it came to such things… which made him biased.

Merit on the other hand would usually do the opposite. She’d vote against me just to spite me. So for her to have cared enough for Renn to vote in her favor… well…

Walking through the batch of puddles, I found myself smiling confidently as I made it through them without causing another mess.

“Is it that hard, Vim?” Renn asked as she got closer again, thanks to the lack of puddles.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Controlling your strength,” she said.

Ah…

“Yes. Sometimes,” I told the truth, yet not all of it.

“Is that why you try not to let people touch you? Or you them?” she asked.

“Well… it’s an excuse for it, at least,” I admitted.

She smirked at me. “I see.”

“To be honest… It’s when I get emotional that I need to be careful,” I said.

“Hm…? But you just said you’re in a good mood,” she pointed out.

I nodded. “That’s an emotion too, Renn. Happiness is just as potent, if not more so sometimes, than anger or whatever,” I said.

“Ah… I suppose that is true, isn’t it?” she said as she pondered it.

It honestly wasn’t, at least in this scenario. But I didn’t want to admit to her the real reason I sometimes… was more than I was.

Not yet, anyway.

Plus it wasn’t a complete lie. My strength and abilities did get… out of hand… sometimes, especially so when emotional. But only to a point.

“I once hurt someone in the same way, a young girl… not realizing how strong I was. Luckily the witch had been there to save her. After that I’ve always been… very careful, or at least I try to be,” Renn said.

I nodded. “I’ve assumed. Most of us have similar stories. Plus I’ve noticed you’ve never had trouble interacting with our weaker members, or that bowl boy. You’re rather good at it, honestly, you’re far stronger than it seems,” I said.

“First… His name was Hark. Really Vim, why’s it so hard for you to remember something like that? And more importantly, what was yours? You were strong even when young right?” Renn asked with an odd grin.

Ignoring her first point, I nodded. “Luckily I was raised by two… special people. By the time I interacted with the rest the world, I’d been taught how to control myself. However it has happened over the years, regrettably. I’ve not only hurt people, and things, I’ve killed them too. Not too long ago…” I tried to think how many years it had been. “Maybe twenty or so years? I had fatally harmed a young child. A street urchin. I had been in the middle of saving one of our members from the northern church, and they had somehow jumped up onto my back. I’m not sure why they did it, but out of pure reflex I had grabbed them. To pull them off me. Well… even though I realized in the next heartbeat that they had just been a child, and not an actual pursuer or enemy, it was already too late. The damage had been done,” I said as I remembered it.

I hadn’t thought of that moment in years. It somehow hurt a little.

“Why would they jump on your back?” Renn asked softly.

I shrugged. “I don’t know. The only thing I can think of is they thought by aiding in my capture or something they’d be rewarded… but sometimes weird stuff like that just happens. I feel bad about it, but I’m not a god. I’ll not always be fully alert, or in control. Though if you’ll forgive me for voicing an opinion, it always sickens me. Not just the act I committed, but the things said by the one I had done it for,” I said as I remembered the rest.

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“The one you saved?” she asked.

Blinking his expression, and the words he had said after realizing what I’d done, as far away as possible… I nodded and decided to change the conversation.

This one was just pissing me off.

“Speaking of strength… maybe it’s time I started to teach you how to actually fight,” I said.

Her ears perked up, and a strange grin planted itself on her face. “Really? Finally! I’ve been wondering how to bring up that we’ve not been training lately, Vim, and it’s been bugging me senseless… though wait… what do you mean? Weren’t you already teaching me how to fight?” Renn rattled on some interesting things as she drew closer.

“I’ve only started getting you used to a sword. I’ve not actually taught you how to use it yet,” I said.

“What’s the difference…?” she asked.

“Everything. And I more so meant... well… you’ll see. We’ll wait a bit until you’re sure your bodies fine, though,” I said.

“I really do feel fine now, Vim. I feel better than I have in a long time, even. I don’t even have any muscle aches or anything,” she said as she glanced down at herself, raising arms to check them.

“I don’t doubt you Renn. But sometimes a fever can come back. No need to risk it just yet. Let’s just give it a little time, is all,” I said.

“Hm… okay…” she nodded, but I could tell she didn’t fully agree with me.

Truly I didn’t doubt her. She very likely did feel fine.

She was still carrying Beak’s heart after all.

But I was in no mood to push her body, and send her back into sickness. All that would do is make me hate myself more than I did already.

Although a little disappointed, Renn didn’t seem to let it bother her. She quickly stepped closer, leaning forward a bit as to smile at me. “Do you think I could become like you Vim? Maybe not… as strong, but as good?” she asked.

“I believe you have the mind and temperament needed, yes. To be honest you’d probably become far more skilled than those like Lilly… but…” I hesitated as she blinked at my words, and her smile twitched.

She said nothing, and waited for me to continue… and I slowed a little. I came to a stop, half-stepping into a small puddle as I did so.

Renn came to a stop too, and I held her gaze as she stood up straighter… waiting for me to say it.

“I do think you can take the steps necessary to become a true danger… but we won’t know until it happens,” I said finally.

“A true… danger…? What do you mean?” she asked softly.

“You can kill Renn. I can tell that. But there’s another step necessary, to become someone who I’d consider deadly,” I said.

“What is it…?” she asked as her tail twitched.

“Cruelty.”

Her left ear twitched, and her eyes narrowed. “Cruelty,” she repeated.

I nodded.

For a tiny moment she stared into my eyes… but then she looked away. To our feet. Or rather, to my own. To the foot that was in the puddle.

“You’re already a warrior, Renn. You have the body, the strength and speed, plus the basics. You’re not a frail woman unable to defend herself. Plus… I believe you can kill without hesitation, if the need requires it. But I don’t know yet if you can be cruel enough to be like Lilly,” I said.

Renn’s cheek made an odd movement, and I realized she was biting the inside of it. Chewing on it, as if anxious.

I hadn’t meant to be rude or make her cry… but I had been honest. Maybe a little too honest?

“There’s nothing wrong with that Renn. Don’t take my words as an insult. In all honesty you could probably beat Lilly, with a little more training. I was just… forewarning you, I guess,” I said.

“You don’t kill cruelly, Vim,” she then said.

I shifted, causing the puddle to splash a little while Renn’s eyes returned to my own. She then nodded, as if to tell me she was willing to argue her point if needed.

“Only because you’ve not seen me need to yet. The only foes you’ve seen me encounter have been those too weak or simple to require such brutality. You’ll not think the same when the time comes. Likely not too far from now, too. Regrettably the world never runs out of lowlifes or threats,” I said.

Renn grabbed her elbow, to squeeze it lightly. It seemed this was bothering her more than I had thought it would. Interesting.

About to ponder the reason… I decided to instead just get an answer.

“Why does this bother you so much Renn?” I asked gently.

She blinked, and her tail flicked lightly. “I don’t like the idea of you being cruel, I guess. Even if I understand why, or that it’s needed, it still upsets me… I guess,” she said.

Huh… “Here I thought you’d be more bothered by your own dilemma. Are you not worried about having to do what you don’t like, or feel is right?” I asked.

She nodded. “I do. Of course. But… I also know that if it came to it, I’d do the same. I’ve been cruel too, Vim, for those I protected. For Nory. For the kids. Even for Fly, in those sewers. I had been willing and ready to do almost anything to get her out of there,” she said.

I was about to make a comment on that singular word she had chosen. That… almost.

It was that almost that didn’t cut it. That little detail was what made me doubt she could really go as far as I’d expect of her, in my position.

But…

Keeping my thoughts to myself, I smiled gently at the woman who huffed as she compartmentalized and processed what I was saying. She was coming terms with loving a man who just reminded her that he did things that went against her own moral compass.

She knew I did. She knew I had. And would again. Yet acknowledging and accepting it were two different things.

“Can I say something selfish?” I asked her.

Our Societies jaguar perked up as she focused on me, and nodded quickly. Excited to hear it.

“I’d honestly rather you never became so, Renn.”

For a small moment Renn only gaped at me, but then she gave me a very toothy grin. “That is pretty selfish, for you!” she declared.

“It was, wasn’t it? Don’t tell anyone,” I said.

Renn giggled happily, and I stepped forward. To return us to walking.

She didn’t follow after immediately, and chose instead to stick behind me and laugh for a moment. It didn’t take too long for her to get it all under control, and then hurry after me.

She stepped up next to me, and elbowed me lightly. “Can I ask why not, Vim?” she asked.

“Of course you can. And it’s because anyone can be cruel, Renn. It’s harder to not be so,” I said.

Renn’s happy smirk slowly died as she pondered my words, and then she tilted her head. “Is it really? I’d think it’s more normal to be kind than cruel.”

“It’s precisely why you think such a thing that makes me hope you never change, Renn,” I said.

“Are… are you teasing me?” Renn asked as she frowned, as if she didn’t get what I was saying.

Maybe she didn’t.

“No. Would you like me to?” I asked.

She nodded quickly.

“The only person I want you to be cruel to is me,” I told her.

“The…” Renn’s face twisted into a weird smile and utter confusion as she tried to understand what I had just told her.

And oddly, it continued to only grow more confused the longer she pondered it.

Smirking at her, I nodded as I looked ahead. To let her simmer on that for as long as she needed to.

Walking relatively quietly for the first time today, we rounded a large batch of trees. Ones that had been hiding thick lush grass. The river could be heard in the distance, and not far from us was a sign.

Approaching the signpost, I frowned at the symbols carved into the hastily made signpost.

“Is the plague here too…?” Renn complained as she broke the silence, leaving her deep concentration.

“I think it is saying don’t enter if you’re sick, rather. That’s the symbol this region uses, not for death but to kill. Marked for death, basically,” I said as I pointed at the largest symbol in the center.

“Huh…? Oh. So it’s saying don’t come near if you’re sick or we’ll kill you,” Renn understood.

I nodded as I glanced down farther down the road. I still couldn’t see any houses or signs of people, but I knew they’d start popping up soon. “To be honest I expected to eventually run into a blockade or something. Though I expected it a little later, once we’re farther north. There are actual nations, with real militaries up there,” I said.

“Hm? You mean like what Landi was doing, don’t you?” she asked.

“Yeah. Pretty much,” I said as we returned to walking.

“Wouldn’t people just… not use the roads then?” Renn asked.

“They will. Or will try. But it’s still effective, and a good deterrent too,” I said, and blinked a little to keep back the yawn that had nearly slipped through.

Renn hummed, not realizing how close I had just come to yawning.

Me. Yawning.

I’d done it a few times on that ship. With those pirates. At the time I had simply blamed it on my healing and the general… laziness I’d had at those moments.

Now though…

“Vim?” Renn drew my eyes and attention, and she frowned at me.

“Hm?”

“Are you tired?” she asked softly.

Great. “Noticed…?” I asked worriedly. Was it that obvious?

She nodded. “Want to rest? Why didn’t you sleep at all last night?” she asked accusingly.

Because I didn’t want to admit I was actually tired.

“I tried,” I lied.

“Did you though?” she must have seen through it.

No. But I should have.

For a few dozen steps, Renn said nothing… then she sighed at me.

“Sorry,” I apologized softly.

“You should be. You’re lucky I’m so understanding sometimes. If we had been a normal couple, one would question if you were cheating or something,” Renn said.

It was my turn to frown. “Cheating?” I asked. And... a normal couple? What was that supposed to mean?

She nodded. “Yeah? Coming home tired all the time would be a good indicator I think,” she said.

Was it…? “If only that was all it was,” I said lightly.

“So something is wrong…? You’ve said it was odd before but… Should I be concerned?” Renn asked, dropping the weird teasing about cheating thing.

“Don’t know yet… I feel as if I’m healing, or just got done healing massive damage. It made sense after Lumen for a bit, but by now I should be fine,” I said honestly.

Not to mention I have actually slept. I slept while we were quarantining. I rested while she visited Landi. I rested while she did, in that inn. Though honestly I’d not really slept much since the quarantining…

Yet even though I’d not slept much, I should not be tired. Not anymore.

Something was wrong. And it was time I stopped ignoring it.

But what did I do about it?

“Something is wrong, I think,” I finally admitted.

Renn made an odd noise as she stepped a little closer. “Jeez Vim… why didn’t you say something?” she asked.

Hadn’t I? I mean I thought I’ve made it clear that me being so tired was strange…

Or well…

Maybe I hadn’t. I might have pointed out that it was odd, but not necessarily something to worry about. My fault for shrugging it off.

“Want to set up camp Vim? Before we reach the Weaver?” Renn asked.

“No. We’re already behind schedule,” I said. Not by much, but if I kept allowing it to compile then it’d become a problem later.

“Then what Vim? You can’t just keep getting more and more exhausted. All that will do is get someone hurt or killed, eventually,” Renn said worriedly.

“Says who? I’m actually very good at persevering through exhaustion and wear,” I defended myself. If she had any idea what I’ve endured and accomplished while broken she’d never let a thought like that ever enter her pretty little head.

Renn made an odd face at me, but I wasn’t able to spend long studying it and enjoying it. It was a new look for her. A new expression. One of worry and anger mixed in an odd way.

Instead I had to look down the road, to the pair of horses approaching us.

And the knights sitting upon them.

Renn turned, and I sighed as I bent a little, as to let her quickly dig out her hat again.

“We’re not done having this conversation Vim,” Renn said as she went to hiding her tail and ears.

“Sure,” I agreed as we slowed a little… both to give Renn time to hide her traits, and for me to study the approaching men.

Or rather, a man and woman.

It didn’t take long for them to reach us, and they slowed once they did. I came to a stop, which made Renn do the same, as I held the man’s gaze.

They weren’t heading past us, but for us. He had even turned his horse a little as to approach us at an angle… in case he needed to spur the thing away at a moment’s notice.

“Ho’ there,” the man greeted us, and I looked for any sign of his allegiance.

I found none. No emblem. No flag. No colors. He wore mostly leather armor, with only his chest plate being metal. The woman wore only metal on her feet. Her boots looked heavy. Too heavy for her. Or she wasn't accustomed to riding a horse, and was having difficulty because of it.

Not an odd appearance. Most knights in this era couldn’t afford metal armor. Plus for most it was too bulky than useful… but…

“How can I be of assistance, fair knights?” I asked him.

The man smirked and scoffed. “Please. I’m no more a knight than you are, and you know it,” he said.

Shifting, I frowned at the man who seemed to have calmed down a little. He crossed his arms, and slouched forward a little… putting himself in a position not suited for combat at all. It blocked his sword, and tangled his horse’s reins.

Glancing to his companion, I found her studying Renn. She looked about as old as Renn did, making her more a girl than a woman, but she was a little bit taller and wider in the shoulders. There was a faint smell of sweat from her, and a tiny layer of it on her brow. She had been doing something physical not too long ago. She also looked tense.

He was relaxed, but she wasn’t.

An odd pair, honestly. Maybe this region was this desperate... to employ such people for soldiers.

“Well, assuming is a fun past time of mine. Pray take no offense,” I said lightly.

He laughed, which made the woman’s horse’s ears flick. Similarly to how Renn’s did sometimes. “Aint’ that the truth! When we’re bored we try to stir up trouble. It’s always made me wonder how our women put up with us,” he said.

Hm. “Can’t be because of our coins, or good looks, I’m sure,” I said, to see if my assumptions were true.

The man sighed and smiled. “Good. Thought so based off the look of ya’ but you never know anymore. Where you from mate?” the mercenary asked, just as relieved as I was to hear the familiar code-phrase.

“Actually, farther up north. We’re heading back to our band, the Silken Band,” I said.

The mercenary frowned and sat up a little more. “You’re serious?” he asked.

I nodded. “Unless you got bad news for me,” I said.

“None at all, far as I’ve heard. Huh… you’re a long way from home, then. Hm…” the man looked away from me, for the first time, and turned his gaze to Renn. I heard her tilt her head and shift behind me upon his gaze.

“Let me guess… hired to keep the sick out?” I asked him, both to get his eyes off Renn and also to somewhat focus the conversation.

He nodded. “Aye. A pain, and makes me feel more like a bandit than anything else, but it pays well. The two of you don’t look sick, are ya?” he asked.

I shook my head. “We’ve been staying clear of people as much as one can. It helps that that Nation of Stone is culling all who are, too,” I said.

The mercenary nodded. “Indeed it is. Glad to hear the rumor is true,” he said, taking my words as gospel.

After all, why wouldn’t he? In his eyes we were now comrades… though under different banners.

Which made his lack of one interesting. Even if currently employed as something of a guard or patrolman, he should still have a mercenary band he belonged to and paid tribute to. Yet he had no markings, or visible colors. Not even a hint of one.

Neither did the girl.

“Mind if we walk with you back to town? I’d like to hear what news I can from you, if able,” the man then asked as he went to hop off his horse. As to walk alongside me.

I kept myself from sighing as I nodded politely. After all refusing wouldn’t have been very mercenary-like of me.

When not at war with one another, mercenaries were in truth comrades and compatriots. It was how they survived such a dangerous lifestyle. By trusting no one but themselves.

Breaking that trust would just make him draw his sword. Since then to him I’d no longer be a mercenary, and thus warrant death. Since I’d pretended to be one.

“Names Vim,” I held my hand out as he turned, and he grinned as he took it.

“Martin. My sister here’s fresh blood, a virgin of the field,” Martin waved at the girl who was clambering off her horse.

Ah. Not his wife or companion then.

“Plague I’m assuming?” I asked lightly as our hands separated.

“Aye. Took the whole family other than her, so now here she is. Tough life but she’s doing alright,” Martin said as the girl calmed her horse. It had tried to step away from her after she had gotten off it.

“World’s always cruel,” I said, and turned as I was about to introduce them to Renn… but she was already on the move.

She stepped forward and held her hand out to the sister, beaming a smile. “I’m Renn!” she introduced herself.

Renn had somewhat caught the young girl off guard. She had just been turning around, after settling the horse, and nearly jumped at the sudden close proximity of Renn. The mercenary girl shifted, and blinked a worried look from Renn to her brother… who promptly huffed and ignored her.

“So? What riches did you find down south, daring the stones and plague?” Martin asked as we started to walk, leaving Renn and the unsure sister behind.