After a very speedy and silent meal of goat stews around, Kimba stood as she looked to her fellow mercenaries.

“You know the drill. Get the rooms, get what you need, don’t let them leave your sight.” The sisters shrugged, still having most of their ales to finish, but Kimba threw hers back with one final chug. “I’m off to get more discounts.” It was probably for the better that she didn’t see Tallo’s expression, and just turned away to go sweet talk Albert.

“Know the guy?” asked Rin as she scooted over to give Fulmosk a little more space in their booth. Tallo turned his scowl to the tabletop.

“No.” But he tapped his mug awkwardly with his fingers.

“Should we get rations?” Fulmosk didn’t seem to feel the tension, oddly enough. Tallo seemed to understand the silence enough to let the sisters communicate through only their own expressions, but the assistant couldn’t stop himself from asking another question. Rin sighed.

“Alright,” she said as she rose from the table. “You two get the rooms—Nina, luggage? Skinny guy and I will go shopping.” And after dropping a few coins on the table, Fulmosk followed Rin out the tavern door. Tallo took no time to scoot into that booth, pulling his own mug of ale with him. Nina let out an exasperated sigh.

“Thank you! Nice to breathe,” she said, stretching her massive arms on either side of her. Tallo didn’t say anything, just shifted some of the bags under the table so he could have more space to stretch his legs. Nina stared at him, deep blue eyes watching the way he avoided looking at or listening to the world around him. “You always like this?” Tallo looked up.

“Like what?” He managed to keep the bitterness to himself this time. Nina shrugged. Tallo pursed his lips, and despite his truest effort, couldn’t tune out the sound of Kimba laughing very loudly over a stupid joke Albert could hardly finish. A piss poor performance on her end, but Albert didn’t see it.

“Grumpy,” Nina finally said after a long pause. “Like you’re really mad.” He was. Kind of. I could feel it from him, but I couldn’t figure out where it came from.

“What is in this for you?” Tallo asked, gesturing to the table. Nina cocked her head to the side.

“I think it’s four hundred and—”

“I know how much gold you’re making from this. I meant….” He gestured broader. “This life? Running around with…weapons and horses, and never knowing a permanent bed?” And although I could tell he wanted to turn to look at Albert and Kimba just a couple tables away, he managed to suppress the urge.

“As opposed to…?” came Nina’s genuine question. Tallo seemed just as confused.

“Anything else.”

“I’m not good at anything else. You any good with a sword, or ever hunted before?” And though she didn’t seem bent on making a point, Tallo took her words with a grimace. “Thought not.”

“How did you find out you were good at killing things and scaring people?” And, despite the way he said everything else, it wasn’t until he said this that Nina’s good spirits soured.

“When our parents died and Rin got sick, and I had to fight for coins in a rink to pay for her medicine.”

Tallo’s face fell. “I’m sorry,” he said sincerely. But he gestured behind them, to Kimba’s and Albert’s clanking ales. “But—this? After your sister got better, didn’t you want to do something…else?” More, he clearly wanted to say. He didn’t, but Nina heard it anyway. Her tone never recovered from his previous question.

“The doctor told me he wasn’t going to get any medicine for me, not unless I paid twice as much for him to expedite the delivery,” she started curtly. “Kimba found us and gave us his supply, which he had anyway, but he was trying to get more money. It was enough to get Rin better enough to let us travel to the next town over. Kimba escorted us the whole journey, took us under her wing, paid for Rin’s medicine until she was better. We owe our lives to her.” She took a moment to calm herself by emptying her mug. “And anyway, we’re good at it and we like it. Should be enough for you.” She sloppily grabbed at the coins on the table and rose. “Watch the stuff. I’ll be right back.”

Nina carried four of the bags. One on each shoulder, one in each hand, while Tallo only carried his own. He offered to grab another, but after she stared him in the eye, he backed away.

He waited until the two of them made their way to the second floor, and opened the door for Nina before he tried to talk to her again.

“I’m sorry. I meant no offense.” Nina grunted when she dropped three of the bags.

“Intention only half matters.” She hardly waited for him to back out of the doorway before she went next door and stood, waiting for him to unlock it. He pursed his lips as he did so, but hesitated before turning the knob.

“If that’s so, then why is—why is that acceptable?” he asked, gesturing to the floor below. Nina waited for him to get more specific. “The—the fact that we’re only getting discounts because—”

“Ooh!” sounded Nina, to Tallo’s cold horror. “I get it!” And though he seemed a little too desperate for Nina to be completely wrong with what she was about to say, he began to protest.

“It’s not that—”

“You’re upset we’re not all falling at your feet, pretty boy?” Tallo’s cheeks reddened as he thrust open the door. Nina clicked her tongue in pity, not something he was used to receiving. “Don’t worry, Rin and I aren’t the bloke-seeking types.” She brushed past him to throw in the final bag she carried. “I promise you, you’re good-looking!” Though with how the words fell off of him so quickly, it was hard to tell if it was because he was used to hearing it, or he truly never heard it before. With how quickly he recovered, I understood it to be the former.

“The question isn’t about me!” Though now that Nina mentioned it, he definitely noticed. “The question is—”

“Kimba’s not the type to fawn, either, lad.”

“We’re only getting a discount because she’s pretending to like him.”

“So?” Just with that simple question, Tallo’s argument fell apart. He hesitated, and Nina led him out of the room. He remained silent as he locked both of the doors, and handed the proper key to her. They started their way down the creaky stairs, and he grimaced until they returned to their table, which, thankfully, wasn’t given to anyone else.

“It just doesn’t seem right,” said Tallo after he finished his own drink. Nina, although she seemed to forgive him for the earlier marks, watched him carefully.

“And you?” she asked. “Have you ever wanted to do something else?” The question sent a spike of adrenaline coursing through his veins. “Or did you always want to be—”

“You don’t know what I am or am not.” The waitress from before came back to collect the empty mugs and replace two fresh ones in front of them.

Nina frowned. “Guess I don’t. But I guess I don’t care, either.”