“Hey, something wrong?”

Amber snapped out of her thoughts, still gazing up at the stars before turning to face Valerie laying down next to her. She lifted herself up from the roof of their home, and sat straight.

“Nah, everything’s fine.” She said, swirling the bottle of beer around before taking a drink. She felt Valerie’s hand hold onto hers, and Amber turned to see her giving a glare that seemed to say: I don’t believe you.

“You’re a bad liar.” She said, plainly. Amber couldn’t help but chuckle, having been caught.

“Nothing, it’s just something Dane said the other day.”

“What? Did he confess his undying love for you?” Valerie teased. But Amber kept a somber expression.

“He told me he was thinking of going for the Gilding.” Amber said, in a deadpan tone.

Valerie sat back up, her brow furrowing. “What, he’s not serious, is he?” she asked. But all Amber could do was shrug her shoulders. Dane had given her dozens of harebrained schemes in the past, from ambushing a PK patrol for their weapons to starting their own gang of roving bandits. But none of it was ever serious, just blowing smoke or killing time by thinking of the most asinine ideas they could come up with. But the way he spoke about signing up, about how unsatisfied he was with his life, Amber hadn’t seen him speak like that before.

“I really don’t think he is.” Amber said with a sigh. “He seemed like he was in a bad spot the other day, started talking about risking his life for something worthwhile.” She said, looking down at her feet as she thought about just how unhappy her friend was.

Valerie shook her, head, laughing nervously. “I always knew he was a bit dim, but that is a really bad idea. Those trials just get everyone who signs up killed! Have you even heard of anyone winning? Or moving over to Aurum with a winner?” She snapped

“Come on, leave him alone. He’s not dumb, he just doesn’t think before he acts.” She said, letting a silent hang in the air. “Which is why I’m worried he might actually try to go through with this. He actually seems to have put a lot of thought into signing up.”

“Well, what did you tell him when he told you?” Valerie asked.

“I didn’t really say anything.” Amber replied. “He kind of caught me off guard, and a few things he said started making sense.”

“Oh God, you aren’t thinking about it too, are you?” Valerie groaned, trying to sound much less worried than she was.

“Hell no.” Amber scoffed. “Just, seems like something I can understand someone doing, you know?”

Valerie didn’t have much to say, humming in agreement as she laid back down, placing her head in Amber’s lap as she played with Valerie’s hair.

“So, you think it’s stupid to take a risk like that?” Valerie asked.

“Hm?”

“Dane, I mean. To risk leaving behind his mom, you, everyone that cares about him or needs him to get a rough job done. Just so he can chase some dream that probably won’t come true?”

The question put Amber off. After all, she understood taking risks. She took risks every time she went out on a job. But in the context of the Gilding trial? She could agree.

“Yeah, doesn’t seem like a good idea.” She replied.

Valerie dug her nails into Amber’s pants, pursing her lips and looking tense. Something was off.

“What’s wrong?” Amber asked. Valerie let out a pent up sigh, before speaking.

“That’s… that’s how I feel every time you and Dane leave town for a job. I worry that something is going to go wrong, and that you won’t be coming back.” Valerie said. “Every time you take longer than you say you should, I worry. I worry that… that goodbye was the last thing I said to you, and that I would have to live with the fact that there was so much more I wanted to say…”

Amber could hear her wife start to choke up, the usually well composed young woman starting to crack as she poured out her heart. She kept stroking her dark hair lovingly, holding her a bit closer.

“Val… most of the time we don’t even see another person on our trips.” Amber said in a soothing voice. “I promise you, most of our jobs are just guarding cargo, and even then we’re more glorified couriers than armed escorts.”

Valerie gave a soft sniffle, but said nothing.

“Would it make you feel better if you did a ride along with us sometime? Let us show you that being a Lancer is more boring than you think it is, and that it isn’t more dangerous than any other job?”

Valerie remained silent, but Amber could tell she was thinking things over.

“What would really make me feel better was if you told me you would hang it up and get a job in town.”

Amber just laughed at that reply.

“Come on, would you hire someone like me to work for you?” She asked. That got a small laugh out of Valerie, one she failed to stifle.

“Yeah, you make a good point.” She relented. “If you weren’t showing up late, you’d probably drink half the inventory before you clocked out early.”

“Ok, now it’s getting a little personal.” Amber said, as Valerie sat up to rest her head on her shoulder.

“If I can do one tag along with you, can you agree to consider finding some other kind of work?” Valerie asked. “I could try to talk to dad about showing you how to be an ammosmith, if you want?”

That was a very tempting offer… while a life of risk and danger was the only one Amber had ever known, being taught a trade like ammosmithing? That wasn’t something you turned down lightly. There was a reason Valerie was able to buy the space from Underground and turn it into her bar, and that was the fact her dad was one of the wealthier men in the area. Not just in Pythe, but probably for most of the Aurum territories. But still, was it worth trading in the life she loved for staying hunched over a bench all day? Even if it meant being set for the rest of their lives? Amber would need to think on that.

“Ok, it’s a deal.” Amber said, turning to kiss Valerie. “But you aren’t allowed to complain if you get bored.

“How long is this going to take?” Valerie asked, laying in the back seat of Dane’s van. Bertha was a small camper that he had saved up to buy for over a year. Complete with solar cells for power, a stove, toilet, sleeping space, and lots of room for cargo, it made them the envy of every Lancer within miles.

“Tired already? It’s only been a few hours! We’ve got about another day to drop off the package, and then we head back home.” Dane said, looking at Valerie in the rear view mirror. She groaned, shifting in her seat as Amber rolled her eyes.

“Well, what are you even delivering?” Valerie asked.

“No idea.” Amber replied. “Don’t usually ask unless the client is fishy, but Spiro is on the up and up.”

“Usually.” Dane added with a scoff.

“Well, you were right, Amber.” Valerie said. “This is a pretty boring job.”

I told you so… she thought to herself, surprised it took Valerie this long to complain. Hopefully, though, this would ease Valerie’s anxiety and show her that things weren’t always so bad. Amber might have embellished how mundane it could be on the road, but she knew how to handle herself. Valerie had no reason to worry.

Some time later, after Amber had grown sufficiently bored with looking out the window and watching the scenery pass by, she checked back on Valerie. She had fallen fast asleep in the seat behind them, her face buried into an old pillow.

“Told you she’d regret it.” Amber said, chuckling as Dane kept his eyes ahead of him.

“Hey, Dane, let me ask you something.” Amber said, leaning back in her seat.

“Shoot.”

“Mama Es. ever get on your case about being a Lancer? You know, try to get you to quit?”

“Eh, once every few weeks she’ll start scolding me about it. But usually I can bring back a big enough pay right after to keep her happy for a little bit.” He replied. “Why, trouble with, uh?” He asked, nodding his head back towards a snoozing Valerie.

Amber nodded her head, giving a wordless confirmation.

Dane grunted in understanding, staying silent for a moment. “Hey, you ever give any thought to that poster I showed you?” Dane asked, a bit of excitement under his whisper.

“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that.”

Whatever Amber had on her mind went unsaid. Dane let out a cry of shock as he whipped the wheel back and forth, the tires losing traction on the old road, causing the van to swerve side to side. The passengers all cried out in confusion as Dane tried to break, only for the vehicle to tip over on the side of the road. The airbags deployed, cushioning Dane and Amber from most of the force, but Amber’s heart sank as she heard a loud thud behind her.

“Val!”

Amber scrambled to unbuckle herself and reach behind her. Valerie was laying on the wall of the lopsided van, groaning as she tried to sit up.

“Val, are you ok?” Amber asked, climbing out of her seat to kneel down next to her wife. Valerie took her hand from her head, looking down at the blood that had pooled in her palm.

“Oh shit…” Amber whispered, trying to smile and calm down Valerie.

“Hey, it’s ok! Really, just a scratch.”

“Liar…” Valerie groaned as she leaned back against the seat she had fallen out of.

“Uh, Amber?” Dane said, starting to sound worried.

“What?” She snapped, looking behind her. Through the windshield, she could see three figures approaching her. They weren’t wearing their masks like they had been the last time they met, but Amber wished they were. At least then she wouldn’t be staring at the pig faced Adlams.

Amber’s heart sank when she saw them, and quickly stood up to help Valerie get comfortable.

“Valerie, stay here.” She said.

“I’m not just–“

“I’m not asking you, stay put!” Amber snapped. She felt her throat tighten, wondering how Valerie would react. She hadn’t raised her voice to her like this before, but this was a dire situation. Valerie was hurt, and Amber wasn’t going to risk her injuring herself any further. But Valerie seemed to understand, nodding as she sat back and tried to calm her breathing.

Amber and Dane crawled out of the door, steadying themselves on the asphalt. Amber stumbled for a moment as she struggled to find her footing, and looked down.

Oil. Somebody had left it here as a trap.

She grit her teeth and looked back up at the three Adlam brothers ahead of her. The smallest wielding a lead pipe, the crooked nosed one with a thick plank of wood, and the largest with his signature nail ridden bat.

“Looks like you folk had a bit of an accident.” The crooked nosed brother said, hocking and spitting on the ground as they approached. “Need to be more careful ‘round here…”

“Beat it, boys. We’re not looking for a fight today.” Amber snapped, seeing red as she prayed that Valerie would hold through in the van.

“Well that’s too damn bad!” The largest brother said, swinging his bat in the air as Amber and Dane stepped back. “’Cause we got a bit of a score to settle!”

“If this is about the salvage, PK’s took it. We didn’t even get paid.” Dane said.

“This ain’t about that!” The smaller brother snapped. That was when Amber made an observation.

“Where’s your sister?” She asked.

The three brothers stayed silent for a moment, their faces contorting in anger before the crooked nosed one spoke up.

“Don’t know. We never found her after she ran in the swamps.”

Oh, shit. Amber thought. The brothers weren’t just here to settle a petty grudge, they were out for blood.

Amber stepped forward, ready to meet the brothers and accept their challenge. Valerie was still in the back of that van, hurt, and there was no way they were getting out of here without a fight. Dane stepped ahead, and Amber could have sworn he was growling like a wild animal. She felt down for her waistband, and sighed with relief to find that her pistol was still at her side. Pulling it out, she aimed it at the largest brother as he approached her.

“I’m giving you all one chance to turn around, and we’ll pretend this never happened.” Amber said.

No response. The brothers kept stepping towards her, no change in their expression.

Amber grit her teeth, knowing that this wasn’t going to end clean. She cocked back the hammer of the pistol, knowing she would have to be fast and reload a clean round quickly. She pulled the trigger, but her stomach lurched as the loud shot that she had expected failed to ring her ears, and instead she heard the charge of heavy footsteps ahead of her.

The bullet was a dud.