Jon sat lazily in the back of the wagon while he and his friends had traveled in silence. It wasn’t an awkward silence, however. It was a shared silence of weariness. Having just sent Mercy home and finishing the battles of the day had allowed them the first true rest in a while.

Jon realized that ever since leaving his farm, his brain had been on high alert thinking about the next task. Without the presence of Mercy, and without any apparent missions, he could do nothing but sit in and take in the light rumbling of the wagon.

He looked across his seat to Tallow, who had the razorgrip at her side, keeping it near her instead of having it sheathed. She seemed to hold on to it as if it was a companion keeping her company. Her arm, which had been recovering from its massive injury, was slightly charred, but most of its color had returned to it.

“How’s your arm?” Jon asked.

“Oh,” Tallow looked at Jon before glancing down at her arm. “Uh, it’s kinda sore, I guess. I hadn’t really thought of it.”

She sneered at Jon. “If you hadn't mentioned it, I probably wouldn’t have thought about it.”

“Oh, sorry,” Jon said. He decided to keep to himself.

“That’s good,” Tallow suddenly backtracked. “I should be taking care of myself more often. Now that everything’s over.”

Over. The words stung Jon.

Tallow turned to the front of the wagon. “Hey, poindexter! You got something for my arm?”

Hector and Mallory exchanged glances.

“Who’s poindexter?” Hector asked.

Mallory ignored him and turned back to Tallow.

“You forced it out of its cast,” Mallory said. “So, like, you know… there’s not much I can do now. Maybe I could give it a massage or-”

“No massage!” Tallow responded quickly.

“Alright.” Mallory grimaced. “Then find something to put some pressure on it. I dunno. There’s not much I can do right now.”

“Then just say that,” Tallow said. “I don’t mean to overwork you.”

“Honestly,” Mallory said after a moment of thought, “if you’re moving it around, then it should be close to healing.”

“I thought it was supposed to leave lasting damage,” Hector asked, turning back to Mallory.

“Uh, well…” Mallory shrugged. “I dunno-”

“Say that one more time!” Tallow declared.

“No, sorry!” Mallory waved his hands in protest. “I mean, I have a couple of working theories. One is that you didn’t physically take the weapon away. You hit it away.”

“Hit… what type of work-around bollocks is that?” Tallow cried.

Mallory continued his attempted delineation.“There’s also the possibility that since you and Jacquline were in a fair duel, and you didn’t seem to hate each other, that maybe she didn’t see you as much of a threat threat and-”

“You mean she sees me as a friend?” Tallow looked disgusted

“I mean, you take what you can get,” Mallory said, shrugging again before turning back around.

Tallow sighed. She suddenly moved from one side of the wagon to the other, sitting next to Jon. She leaned onto his side.

“You’re gonna be my something heavy,” she said. “For my arm.”

Jon understood. He would support Tallow’s arm.

“You don’t like friends,” he said after some thought.

“Huh?”

“Friends,” Jon said. “You don’t like to have friends.”

Tallow sighed. “I do like having friends. I just don’t like having to be chummy with every friggin-’”

She stopped and looked up to the sky. “What’s that?”

Jon looked up in the same direction. He saw a shadow soaring in front of the sun.

When he understood what it was, he whispered to himself.

“Genevieve.”

“Genevieve!” Hector and Mallory had turned over their shoulders and looked up into the sky as well.

The shadow suddenly dived towards the wagon.

“Incoming!” Tallow yelled. Everyone grabbed something to push themselves up to a stand, but she was up first. By the time Jon was trying to ready his gun, Tallow’s had already drawn her sword back with both hands. She swung hard towards the sky.

Wind mana soared high up, straight into the incoming shadow.

It hit its target, slowing its descent. Genevieve finally moved into the light as she flipped down onto the back of the wagon.

Even with the aid of the wind mana, she landed hard onto the back of the wagon with her feet, shaking the wagon and causing the horses in the front to neigh in concern.

“Whoo!” She wiped her forehead from sweat and started speaking frantically. “You guys! What happened? I saw the house and then I freaked out and then I was-”

“It’s done,” Hector said firmly. “The twins are safe. Mercy’s safe. It’s all over.”

“Twins?” Genevieve was confused. “I thought they were-”

“It’s a long story,” Mallory said. “It's nice to see you again, though.”

“Huh.” Genevieve scrunched up her lips. “And Mercy’s returned as well.”

“Yep,” Hector confirmed.

“Wow, you guys did a doozy. I’m so sorry about everything I-”

“Genevieve, breath!” Mallory demanded.

“Yeah, yeah, I…” She fell onto her back, splaying out on the wagon floor. “I just need to be here… for a bit.”

And there, Genevieve stayed. Tallow had returned to her seat across the wagon again. Jon didn’t ask any more about her arm. If she was able to continue on without thinking about it, he figured that would be the best.

Eventually, Genevive had gotten back up from the floor, and leaned over the front of the wagon to talk to the two in front.

“So everything’s done!” she exclaimed. “That’s amazing! Good job, Hector!”

Hector groaned as she scruffed up his hair.

“What’s up with him?” Genevieve asked.

“Oh, you know,” Mallory said in a dry tone, “loss, heartbreak, the usual.”

“Hector, I never knew you were such a bleeding heart!” Genevieve shoved him in the shoulder lightly. Hector groaned again.

“I think he needs some time to recover,” Mallory told her. “We all do.”

“Alrightie, then. Get some rest.” Genevieve left the two men and sat down next to Tallow. “How are you guys?”

“Fine,” Jon said.

“Yeah, fine.” Tallow added. “Is there supposed to be another answer for that?”

“If you want!” Genevieve said. “Our missions can be incredibly tiring at times, but I’m glad that you stuck around for the entire thing. Are you sure-”

“I’m sure I’m not gonna join,” Tallow said. “I can’t just, you know, abandon my post.”

“What type of post?” Genevieve asked, intrigued. “Care to tell me more?”

“I’m a…” Tallow trailed off into a non-answer. “Don’t worry about it. I do stuff for my country. And when I’m done, I return. Except, I’m never done, so…”

“So, you’re staying with us!” Genevieve declared excitedly.

“I’m not… I didn’t say…” Tallow looked disappointed. “Where do you get off getting excited anyways?”

“Tallow doesn’t like to become chummy with everyone she meets,” Jon said.

He had just noticed Tallow’s stunned face when Genevieve started talking again.

“I get it!” Genevieve said. “You can’t just go around trusting everybody. A lot of shady types these days.”

“Then why do you trust me?” Tallow asked.

“Well, Mallory’s really smart,” Genevieve answered. “So, I trust him if he trusts you. And with Hector… I trust him with my life. So even if anything went wrong, he’d take responsibility and help me out.”

“‘Cause, Hector trusts you,” Genevieve said. “And I trust him with my life. Even if anything went wrong, he’d help me out.”

Another grunt from the front seat.

“That’s what a lot of women say about Hector,” Tallow responded. “I think I’m starting to notice a trend. You sure he’s not doing it on purpose?”

“I’m sure,” Genevieve answered with a knowing smile. “Hector will throw himself in the fire in order to defend a damsel in defense, but he never does it for love. That’s what makes him different than a lot of others.”

Jon remembered the multiple times Hector raced to his side when Jon seemed to be in danger, and he wasn’t a girl, so he agreed.

“Then what about Mallory?” Tallow asked. “He’s not the same?”

“No,” Genevieve answered. “Mallory… doesn’t stick his neck out for anyone but Hector.”

“Huh, I think you have a point there.” Tallow was mildly impressed. “I wonder if the two of them are in-”

“Enough gossiping!” Hector yelled out. “You guys are like children!”

Genevieve giggled, speaking in a lower voice. “No, I’m sure they’re not in love. They’re like… brothers. I mean they are brothers.”

“Speaking of brothers,” Tallow interjected, “Do you have anything to eat in that bag?”

“Ah, yeah.” Genevieve reached in and pulled out an egg. “I have this, and I also have a sandwich and-”

“That’s good enough.”

An egg suddenly exploded on the back of Hector’s head, engulfing it in shell and yolk.

Hector’s shoulders heaved as he gave a large sigh.