In the morning, everyone had gotten ready to leave. The extra meat would be left behind if any of the other King’s Guard had decided to use the place afterward.

“The next house is gonna be a bit farther this time,” Hector said as he took his seat at the front. “As such, we’re gonna make a quick stop at the nearby town. If need be, we’ll spend the night and leave early tomorrow and skip that house. Either way, by tomorrow, Mercy, you should be in the hands of the Highlander clan as proposed…”

“Yeah,” Mercy said, with a thin smile.

Jon felt a small silence pass through the air. He realized that with Mercy returning home, it would be the end of their travels together as a group. Tallow had no reason to stay, Mercy would be in her homeland for the foreseeable future, and Hector would be getting married and his focus would be on the castle. Jon felt a huge twinge of foreboding in his body. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths.

It’s my job… it’s my job… Job… Job… Job…

He stayed in this trance for so long, he was surprised when no one interrupted him after a while. He opened his eyes.

Everyone had retreated into their own space in the wagon. Even Helia and Stewart, who were extremely chatty during the entire ride yesterday, averted their eyes, and although they sat next to each other they didn’t show any apparent interest in the other person.

Jon decided to try to make a conversation starter. If they were gonna all leave after this, he would at least try to have some more interactions with things.

“Did you like the ribs I made?” Jon asked in the air.

There was a wave of compliments like, “oh yeah delicious,” and “it was really good,” all spouted at the same time. Everyone immediately returned to silence after that.

Not good enough… Jon hated having to be the one to steer the conversation. Still, it was a burden he would bear for the sake of his friends. He tried to think hard for a good strategy to do so.

He thought about the farm and possible ideas to emulate. Jassiter was sociable and friendly, but he never seemed like he wanted to make conversation first. He always had to be approached, which Jon was starting to understand why his mother was always so persistent and making Jassiter and Jon talk to each other.

Am I like this?

Jon decided to think more about his mother. She talked to a lot of people and made conversation. What did she talk about?

Upon further thought, Jon realized that his mother often spoke to Jon about things focused on him, and occasionally about his father. She never really talked about herself or other people. Jon realized that his mother probably did this on purpose so that he was always comfortable. but even he couldn’t just talk about himself in this situation. He wanted to branch out of the situation.

He wanted to talk about someone else.

Having this goal planted firmly in his head, he decided to move forward with trying to achieve it.

He looked at Tallow, deciding to emulate his mother in this conversation.

“What are you doing after this?” Jon asked her.

“Huh, me?” Tallow sat up. “You’re asking me something?”

Jon opened his mouth to affirm his intention, but Tallow immediately cut him off with her answer.

“I don’t know.” She leaned back. “I was supposed to meet up with Sabez, right? But now that plan's gotten all frazzled up. Maybe I’ll hang around here a bit.”

Jon’s heart fluttered.

“Really?” he asked with a grin.

“Yeah. I mean, I don’t like to stay in one place too long,” Tallow said, “but, until Sabez comes back, there’s nothing for me at home. So…”

“So are you thinking of joining the King’s Guard?” Helia asked.

Tallow scarfed. “Hell no. I don’t need no big wigs telling me what to do or whatever. I already got that back at home.”

“You’d be working under Hector’s sister, though,” Mercy said. “And she and Sabez seem to respect each other.”

“And you’ll get to be with friends!” Helia added.

“I don’t need friends to decide my future,” Tallow crossed her arms. “Screw that.”

“In fact,” Helia continued, “you’re probably more than friends at this point. You’re like a family!”

Tallow’s eyes widened.

“My family’s dead!” she said quickly, turning around and facing away. “Besides, if you do things for your family, you end up like dead-man walking over there.”

She didn’t have to say it out loud for Jon to realize she was talking about Hector. He was beginning to pick up on more and more subtle clues to what people really meant when they spoke. He wondered how much of things back home he really missed out on just because he wasn’t paying attention properly.

“Isn’t Sabez your family?” Mercy asked. “And his sister?”

“That’s complicated.” Tallow said quickly before she grimaced. “Alright. Stop it. Jon, your turn. Is your family dead?”

“I hope not,” Jon answered.

“You cheeky bastard,” Tallow kicked Jon lightly in the shin while giving a wide smile. Jon couldn’t help but smile as well, even if he didn't know why he was being cheeky.

From there, Jon went on to talk about everyone in his family.

“There’s my mother,” Jon started, “and my father… they live at home.”

“Yep, yep, very brilliant people raising you,” Tallow said, “continue!”

Mercy gave Tallow a dirty look, but Jon continued as requested.

“Then there’s Jason… he left. He’s my brother. Then Ben left. He’s my other brother. And then Susan. She left after.”

“Were they born in that order?” Tallow asked.

“Yes,” Jon said after that thought.

“There’s also Dan,” Mercy added. “He’s a part of the family.

After some more thinking, Jon agreed.

“Yeah.” Dan was family.

If Dan was family, did that mean Graves was family too?

“I still can’t believe you have siblings,” Tallow continued. “I never once thought about what your family would be like. Not that I need to. But I’m glad your folks are doing well, and you seem to be getting on alright with them.”

Jon nodded. “Yeah.”

“What about Sabez’s sister?” Mercy asked. “You wanna go into details about her?”

“She’s nice.” Tallow said. “I dunno.”

“That’s all you have to say?” Mercy responded.

“Stop it. How about you, love?”

Helia was still staring down at the floor until she realized that Tallow was speaking to her.

“Oh, me?” She sat up in surprise. “I… I don’t have family. It’s just me and Stewart…”

Everyone turned to Stewart.

“Oh, right. Yep. Just me and Helia, til the end of time…”

They definitely weren’t acting their usual chipper selves. Jon wondered if their families were also a sore spot, or if something happened in between the day and after. It seemed implausible since they had slept in separate rooms the night before, but Jon still knew that things had a chance to fly over his head, even if he was more careful than usual.

The wagon finally entered town, with no gates outside to stop the wagon from entering onto its roads. The buildings were reminiscent of the ones back in the first town Jon had ever visited with the group outside of the Townsend. This one definitely seemed smaller, and the streets were filled with more space, but there was still the vibe of traders and vendors that Jon hadn’t experienced ever since staying in the castle.

“Alright,” Hector said, turning back to the group as usual, “I’m gonna see how traffic is. If it’s too high, we’ll wait ‘til tomorrow morning. If not, then we set off for tonight. I still think it’s too far, but-”

“I’m in no rush,” Mercy quickly said.

“Right,” Hector nodded. He looked at the couple for their answer.

“No rush at all,” Helia answered.

“Alright. Uh…” Hector scanned the group. “Meet me back here when you’re ready. I’ll probably have the inn by then.”

He then looked at the couple.

“You two can be in the same room again,” Hector said. “I think what I did was unnecessary and-”

“No, it’s fine!” Helia responded. “You can separate us again. It’s fair.”

“Yeah, yeah, it is,” Stewart added. “You may keep us apart as long as you like.”

“Er... Sure… You guys stay apart then...” Hector looked at Mallory, who shrugged.

“In fact,” Helia tried to get out of the wagon by herself. Jon saw her struggling, and just as he reached out, she landed on the ground hard, but still on her feet. She threw her hands up in a bit of fanfare.

“I would like to check out the designer fabrics!” she said.

“And I…” Stewart said, gingerly climbing down, “would like to see the tools.”

“I’d be interested in the tools,” Mercy said. “So, I can go with Stewart.”

“Don’t assume I’d be into fabrics because I’m Vindhazi,” Tallow said.

“I don’t know what a Vindhazi is!” Helia repeated after.

“I’ll stay with this girl,” Tallow said with certainty.

“What are you gonna do, Jon?” Mercy asked.

“I’m gonna go with Tallow,” Jon answered. He was concerned about her sling. He trusted her enough to stay on her own, and she was probably still more capable than Jon at this point, but Jon still wanted to watch over her.

“Alright.” Mercy nodded. “I understand.”

Jon was glad she did. If Tallow had heard the reason he chose, then there would have been pushback.

“It’ll be good to have you around,” Tallow said to him, “so I don’t get driven crazy by this lunatic-”

Tallow stopped when she saw Helia smiling towards her.

“Very nice girl,” Tallow amended.

“Jon, can I talk to Tallow one moment?” Mercy asked, grabbing Tallow by the arm. “Keep the other two busy.”

“What?” Tallow asked, “but we can talk right-”

Tallow didn’t finish as Mercy jumped into the air, Tallow behind her. They disappeared into the light of the still risen sun.

Jon smiled at how cool they both were and turned back to the couple.

They were standing awkwardly next to each other.

They’re still not talking…

Jon didn’t know what to do with couples. His mother and father seemed to have disagreements, but they usually ended with his father apologizing, or his father ending the conversation to apologize later. His parents rarely avoided talking to each other if possible.

Jon climbed out of the wagon and waved at Hector and Mallory, who rolled the

“Dare I have a moment with you, Helia?” Stewart asked.

“You dare have a moment with me now?” Helia responded, a surprising sharp tone in her voice. “Now, of all times.”

“I’m just saying we should figure things out,” Stewart continued.

“I’ve always been saying that, since we found the damned house,” Helia responded, pushing him in the shoulder. “Really!”

“What?” He pushed her back in the shoulder. “And you think I haven’t been thinking about it? Why do you think I left that sign?”

“That sign was a disaster!” Helia said through her teeth. “You ever-”

Tallow and Mercy dropped down from what Jon assumed was the nearest building.

The couple suddenly seized up and made giant grins on their faces.

“You’re back!” Stewart said, raising his arms out. “Come on! Let’s us get some tools, shall we?”

“Right,” Mercy said, but not without a curious glance traded with Tallow.“Let’s go.”

Mercy walked up to Stewart, who held his arm out towards her so that she could grab hold.

Mercy ignored and went up ahead towards the edge of town, where Stewart followed.

Helia approached Jon and Tallow.

“Are we ready?” she asked.

Tallow grimaced and nodded. “It’s your show.”

Helia led the way into town, walking opposite of the direction Mercy and Stewart went. Jon and Tallow followed.

As they did, Jon looked at the different stands. He was reminded of the small streets of the Apartha Townsend and their many vendors. He wondered how many of them came from here, or where else they had come from. Little did he know that the stands were windows into other worlds or cultures he had never previously thought about.

“So,” Tallow asked, “do you know where we’re going?”

“Of course!” Helia exclaimed. “Many towns on this side follow a similar system. Weapons and tools are on the outside of town, as those are what the travelers and warriors are mostly likely to end up. And also my brother.”

Helia made a quick frown. “Hopefully.

She smiled again and continued her explanation.

“It also means that the people who are mostly like to cause fights to stay on the outskirts of the city, which is good for everyone.”

“Riight…” Tallow said. “You, it would make more sense if more places followed those rules.”

“It’s on an honor system,” Helia continued. “If a weapons seller decides to sell deeper in town, he may get more customers available to him, but he may also gain the ire of both vendors and patrons.”

“...and you’re gonna tell us about the other sellers in town do as well, right?” Tallow asked sarcastically.

“Further in town are the food salesmen,” Helia continued, not catching Tallow’s large exaggerated eye roll. “It’s a happy medium for food traders inside and outside the city to eat. Also, it’s the place where the least amount of people steal and get away with it. Either, they’re trapped in the center of the city, or have to go towards the outside-”

“Where all the dangerous people with weapons are,” Tallow said. “Got it. It’s like that in-”

“And lastly, fabrics and designer items of sort, are sold at the center of town,” Helia continued. “It’s where the wealthiest usually live.”

Wealth. Wealth was a concept Jon was moderately acquainted with. He knew about towns where some people seemed to own astronomically more than the others, but from what he knew from both the farm and the townsend, everyone more or less owned the same amount of things. The only person Jon had seen deal with money on a consistent basis was Dan, and yet, Jon never saw what Dan did with all of the money he made selling things in the townsend. He never seemed to have anything new with him other than the weird contraptions he collected occasionally. Was that what he spent it on?

Jon thought about Hector, and how he was referred to on this side of the land. He was called a duke, he was in line to marry a princess, and people often talked about the land Hector’s family owned, and that they wanted to own it themselves. People on the farm never seemed to talk about wanting other people’s land. He wondered what people would use it for if they did manage to force Hector to marry into their family.

The three of them stopped in front of a stand with large colorful carpets draped over the front.

“Hello!” he said. “Welcome! Is there something you would like to buy?”

He looked at Tallow and grinned.

“Oh no,” Tallow muttered.

The man spoke a word in another language, something Jon didn’t quite understand.

Tallow rolled her eyes and responded quickly.

The man clapped.

“Ah! Yes. For the kingdom! Friends and family discount!”

“We’re not friends,” Tallow said under her breath, crossing her arms as she did.

“Whoo-wee!” Helia jumped in excitement. “Discount! I wonder what Stewart would want to buy!”

She turned to Tallow. “Do you think that he would want to do something exotic and foreign, or local and classical?”

She put her hand on her chin. “Then again, if we’re going to another land, then we are the foreign ones. But, if we get a foreign fabric here, are we foreign foreign, or-”

“Uh, why are you asking what your fiance wants?” Tallow asked. “Aren’t you in charge of fabrics? Not that I care but…”

“Yes, but,” Helia waved the idea away, “We’re partners, so we have to consider what the other wants before we do it.”

Tallow shook her head. “Hard pass. I’m glad I’m alone.”

Helia turned to Jon. “What do you think?”

Jon looked at the array of fabrics.

They were all colorful, so much so that he almost felt overwhelmed by it all.

However, there was a nice purple one that didn’t seem so straining on the eyes.

“Jon doesn’t usually have a thought about this stuff,” Tallow answered, stunning Jon.

“He certainly does have a say, don’t you Jon?” Helia asked.

“...I like purple,” Jon said, pointing to the carpet.

“You see!” Helia exclaimed.

“Sorry…” Tallow turned red. “I didn’t mean to cut you off, Jon.”

“It’s fine,” Jon said. He usually didn’t have an opinion about things, so he was glad that Tallow was at least trying to look out for him.

“I’ll take the purple!” Helia said. “And that nice blue one! 2 wraps of each!”

“Honored!” the man replied.

Helia began to dig through her small brown bag at her side.

“...Oh no…” Helia said, “I forgot the money!”

Tallow sighed.

“It’s back in the bags!” Helia exclaimed. “I should get it.”

“I’m not walking all the way back to get some money,” Tallow said. “Then we have to walk back and-”

“I’ll do it,” Jon said.

“Great!” Helia hooked herself around Jon. “On to an adventure! You can stay here, Swallow!”

“It’s… Tallow!” Tallow shook her head as she watched Jon and Helia walk away. She suddenly heard the man behind the stand try to start a conversation in a native language again.

“...Someone kill me…” she muttered.

Jon watched Tallow respond to the man as he and Helia walked away. He hadn’t seen two people talk in a different language before.

He turned to look at Helia. He didn’t think he had been around someone so peppy before. Anyone else he went around with seemed to have something over their head, some sort of mission or job they had to get done. Maybe Macy was a little excited, but not in the sort of simple happy way Helia was.

“Jon!” Helia’s call made Jon jump in place. Her face had turned to panic.

“I think there’s someone following us!” she said.

Jon turned around.

The road wasn’t as full as in other towns, and the few people that were there seemed to not mind at all.

“...I don’t see anything,” Jon said.

“...I think I was looking at my own shadow,” Helia said. She patted Jon on the arm. “Never mind.”

They continued walking forward.

Jon stopped when he realized that the wagon wouldn’t be where they thought it was.

“...What happened, Jon?” Helia asked. Since he had stopped moving so quickly, she lost grip of his arm and carried on a few steps forward.

“Hector might not be there with the carriage,” Jon said.

“Oh…” Helia smacked herself in the head. “You’re right! We should-”

A man tackled Helia, lifting her up off the ground and running off with her in one quick movement.

Jon was so stunned his body wasn’t reacting. All he could see was the man running down the street with her over his shoulder.

Fast.

Jon started running after the man.