“Hello, the camp!” The man from across the river yells as Thea and I reach the edge of the bank.

“Howdy! Doing some fishing today?” I yell back lowering my hand to tuck my thumb into my belt. Trying to seem relaxed doesn't come easy when my mind is screaming to be on guard. Our two groups stared at each other from across the river. My mind is telling me that the man is sizing me up the same way I am him.

“Thought we might do a little. Seemed to be a good day to blow off chores and spend some time with my boy.” The man yells back motioning to the boy with his rod. “However, our spot is on your side of the river. We alright to come across?”

“Come on, just go nice and easy.” I yell back. I grab Thea’s wrist gently and we take a handful of steps back from the bank. Sarge sets himself at Thea’s left shoulder, tail still as he prepares for a possible attack. “If something happens, remember to grab Sarge’s handle and stick by him.” I whisper to Thea as the two step onto our bank.

“I was not expecting to see anyone stopped out this way.” The man says to me with a little smile. “Most folks push on into town when they are this close.” As he speaks, he urges his boy to stand behind him, holding onto his pole. His eyes move from me, to Thea, then to Sarge, seeming to be sizing us up. As I nod and smile, I take note of the short sword and dagger on his hip.

“Well, we couldn’t help it. We didn't know where the town was or how close it may have been.” I reply still smiling and trying to stay calm. Now that they are on this bank, I can get a better look at the two of them. The man is taller than I thought initially, nearly the same height as my six foot two frame. He seems to be lean muscled with a set of wide shoulders giving him a slim v shape. I get the feeling that he’s stronger than he appears at first glance. He has a hard edge to him that reminds me of how a combat veteran is back home.

“Travelers, huh? We don't get many out this far. Most stick to the old imperial road east of here.” He says brown eyes glancing down to the holster on my hip. He does not appear to recognize what the pistol is, but seems to make the connection it's a weapon of some kind.

“What can I say, I prefer the backroads when I’m not in a hurry.” I reply gently. Trying to give off the feeling of a lazy vibe as if it’s a normal view on traveling.

“You should be careful out here. I haven't seen it personally, but there are reports of a Thuvian ram being seen in the area. Damn thing killed two of our goats last week.” He says with a small smile. He sets down his bucket and he pushes his hat back gently, revealing a head of close cropped brown hair as he continues.

“I placed a subjugation quest with the local Adventurer’s Guild. So far there hasn't been any takers.”

“I don't think it will be a problem any more.” I say with a light chuckle. “We ran across it setting up camp and we put it down.”

“You’re lucky you didn't get bit. Those things are a real piece of work with those teeth.” The man says wincing while he rolls his left shoulder. The way he reacted gives me an idea he has been bit by one before. If I were to guess, I’d say it was on the shoulder he was currently rolling.

“Damn thing managed to bite my dog. Lucky Thea here is a skilled healer, so we didn't have any lasting issues.” I say motioning to her with my hand.

“A healer huh? My wife used to be a skilled cleric back in our adventuring days to. Nowadays, she mostly treats injuries from accidents around the farm. It’s a quieter life, but we needed it.” He says shoulders relaxing. Now knowing that we killed the ram, it seems to have put him slightly at ease.

“My pa used to be silver ranked.” His boy says from behind him. “He was really strong, he even met the king once.”

“Can't say I was overly impressed with the fat bastard.” The man says. His eyes go wide as he realized what he said out loud. Looking at my face, as if to judge my reaction, he starts to speak in a hurried nervous tone. “Not that it's anything but a personal opinion though. I mean the king is a fine man and trying his best for us here.”

“Easy there.” I say raising a hand to quiet him down. “We don't exactly have any love for him either. I’d be just as happy if he managed to trip and break his fat neck going down a set of stairs myself.” I say smiling a little. From the way the man reacted, I get the feeling he isn't happy with the king for some reason.

“Huh, as if he would walk himself up a set of stairs. Rumor is he has a team of slaves that carry him anywhere that has any kind of incline to it.” The man says before handing his pole to his son and sticking out his hand. “My name is Marcus, this is Shilo.”

“Jim.” I reply shaking his hand. Nodding to Thea and Sarge, I tell him. “The elf is Thea, dog’s name is Sarge.”

“You named your slave?” He asks raising an eyebrow. Deciding to see what happens and deal with the consequences after, I reply.

“She might wear a collar, but as soon as we are out of Dolus I’m getting it removed. I don't see her as a slave, and I’m not going to treat her as such.” Staring into Marcus’s eyes, I see the words registered. I drop my hand, which makes him pause and look over the three of us. He narrows his gaze.

“You realize that kind of talk could also be considered treason.” Marcus says with his right hand moving to the shortsword on his belt.

“Treason? I think I’d have to be a citizen for that wouldn't I?” I ask, fixing the smile on my face. My hand rests on the grip of my Beretta, feeling the cool metal. Part of me is aware this can go south very quickly. The voice in my head is yelling, screaming, banging against its cage. Telling me to move, make space, don't let him be this close.

“Even if you aren't a citizen of Dolus, while on its soil, you are bound by its law. It might pay to remember that if you plan to be here long.” Marcus says pulling Shilo back behind him.

“Soon as I find a way out, we won't be here.” I say with the smile still on my face. “Maybe you can give us a hand with that?”

“How would I do that?” Marcus asks, taking a gentle step back. He’s planning on running, or fighting. I can’t figure out which, but either way it’s not good.

“Point me in the way of the nearest town for a start.” I say. “I get the feeling you don’t have a problem with us. So much as a problem with being found with us.” I say looking into his eyes.

Marcus’s eyes travel over me, then Thea, and finally Sarge. While licking his lips, he seems to be weighing his options. There's no way of knowing if he knows we are being hunted. Or if he's just riding off some instinct he feels in his bones. His son said he was silver ranked. Not that I know what the hell that means. Judging by the way his boy said it with pride, tells me it's an accomplishment.

“Gullyfair?” Marcus finally says breaking the silence.

“I am a lost child seeking the wayfair!” Screams Thea as she tries stepping in between Marcus and me. She raises her hands and begins to speak quickly, motioning for me to calm down. “He is a friend, trying to take me home. He doesn't know the codes, but he can be trusted.”

“Not knowing the codes is one thing, but how can you be sure he can be trusted?” Marcus asks, hand still at his sword. “I can't risk my family on just words.”

“He has saved my life three times already. Yesterday, he proved he has no love for the king and he’s not afraid to do what has to be done.” Thea says turning her head to look at me.

“Just how did he prove that?”

“We were followed by a group of the knight’s brethren when we escaped. Jim killed all but one of them. The last one he made swear an oath to Ava not to hunt us.”

“How big was the group of knights?” Marcus asks looking from Thea to me.

“There were thirty-five of them from the start.” At Thea’s words, Marcus begins to laugh.

“You expect me to believe he took on thirty-five knights and won?” Marcus asks, pointing behind Thea to me.

“He could have handled more of them. I know you have no reason to believe me, but it's the truth. None of that matters right now. We need help.” She replies while easing her body back against mine.

“If it was just you maybe. Him not knowing the code makes this a hard choice.” Marcus says with his left hand coming up to scratch his cheek. His right stays near his sword, eyes not leaving me. He seems to have zeroed in on me as the threat, ignoring Thea and Sarge. That’s fine by me. As long as he’s focusing on me, it leaves Sarge an opening.

“Can you just pass us along to the next chain?” Thea asks.

“Maybe, but you can't stay here. This road may be a side road, but it's too well traveled during the daylight hours.” He says turning to look back at his son. “I can't take you anywhere either without risking my son.” Looking back into my eyes, he narrows his gaze. “I will not risk my son, no matter how much I want to help. Do you understand?”

“I get it.” I say using my left hand to push Thea to the side. “I won't ask you to risk your son. Just tell us where to meet someone. We can leave and no one will see us together.” I say holding both my hands out, palms up.

“How fast can you be ready to leave?” Marcus asks looking around our camp.

“Within ten minutes, we can be gone. The only proof we were here would be tracks and that stack of bones by the rack.” I say quickly running over how long it would take to break camp in my head. Nodding his head in my direction, Marcus seems to be lost in thought.

“Take the west road.” He says pointing back across the river from where he came. “When you get to the crossroad, stay straight. Two miles past that, there’s an old communal barn. No one’s used it the last three seasons except younguns courting.” Marcus says.

“What do we do when we get there?” Thea asks.

“Wait for contact from the next link in the chain. I'll have to go to town and let him know where you are. So it might be late tonight or early tomorrow before they show.” Marcus says looking around the clearing again.

“How will we know they were sent by you?” Thea asks as she wraps an arm around my waist. I feel myself start to relax under her touch, not realizing how tense I had gotten.

“We will need to establish a code. Something easy to remember so I can pass it along.” Marcus says turning back to me.

“Tell your contact to ask how many roads a man must walk down.” I said feeling a grin tug at my lips again.

“How many roads must a man walk down in his life?” Marcus asks, looking confused.

“Forty-two.” I reply causing me to laugh at the joke. Looking around I realize no one there would get the reference so I pull myself back together.

“I don't understand the joke.” Marcus says eyeing me as if I’m losing my mind. Glancing to Thea, I see her giving me a similar look.

“It’s from a book about a traveler where I’m from.” I say feeling slightly embarrassed.

“Either way it's easy to remember.” Marcus says turning back to his son. “Shilo, I need you to run home. I’ll meet you at the crossroad. Have mom give you my cloak and boots.” He says before giving his son a push back towards the road.

“You sure about letting him run off on his own?” I ask nodding towards his son as he starts through the river.

“The house is close by, and you handled the ram in the area. This way I can leave from the crossroads and not waste time going to the house first.” Marcus says turning back to me. “I don't know how you got caught up in all this, or where you are from. For all I know, you have your own reasons for helping the elf. I need you to know how serious this is though. Any one of us who help them could be killed anytime if we are found out. Don't make me regret helping you.” He says looking into my eyes.

“You are right that I have my own reasons, and I’m not about to share them with you. I won’t betray any of you that are helping. Right now, I’m just trying to get out of Dolus in one piece.” I say to Marcus. I want to trust him, but it's too soon for that.

“Time for me to go.” Marcus says turning back down the road, grabbing his bucket from the ground. “When you get to the barn there's a key under the round stone by the corner of the door.” He yelled over his shoulder as he enters the river.

“We should hurry and go as well.” Thea says heading to the fire to gather up what little gear is scattered around. As she loads the gear into the truck, I pull on my plate carrier, checking everything to make sure they are secure. Checking over my rifle, I turn to look at the fire ring. Seeing the barely lit embers, I know we can’t leave the fire still burning when we leave.

I glance around, realizing if I use water, it’s going to take several bottles or trips to the river. With a huff, I start to kick the loose dirt around the ring into the embers. I stomp the fire out and cuss at the heat coming up through my boots. As I get the last of the embers out, I hear a laugh behind me. I turn and see Thea’s hands clamped over her mouth, still giggling.

“What's so funny?” I ask as she continues to giggle to herself.

“I could have just put the fire out for you. Then you wouldn't have had to stomp around like a pissed off bull.” She replied. As I look at her, I realize her ears are turning red at the tips and wiggling back and forth. For some reason, I find myself wondering if her ears do that every time she laughs. I will have to experiment and see.

“And how would you go about putting it out?” I ask raising an eyebrow.

“Like this.” Thea says, raising her hand towards me. After a moment, I raise an eyebrow at the fact that nothing is happening. Just as I’m about to ask what she is doing, the sound of water running reaches my ears. I turn around and I’m surprised to see a miniature raincloud, about waist high over the fire pit.

“What the fuck!” I yelled jumping back. Sarge’s hackles raise at the water falling which causes him to growl low in his throat. Again, I hear Thea laughing. I turn and see her bending over at her waist, laughing uncontrollably. I notice that her ears are once again wiggling and turning red at the tip.

“Oh Goddess, I needed that.” Thea says standing straight again and wiping a tear from her eye. “Just because I primarily use healing magic, doesn't mean I don't know any other spells.” She says walking up to me. “I mean, how did you think I started the fire yesterday?”

“I hadn't really thought about it.” I say, turning back to look at the now wet fire ring behind me. “Though I can see where it can come in handy. Seems like you wouldn't have to worry about finding water with that.” I say as the cloud dissipates into the air.

“That's what most people use it for. However, it is limited to the water from the air around you. Here, it's no problem. In a desert, it would barely last a second.” Thea says walking up to me and bumping me with her hip. “Now that I loaded up everything, are you ready to go lazybones?” Thea asks grinning up at me.

“I was planning on helping.” I say turning back towards the truck. “I just got distracted with the fire and didn't know you could put it out in a second.” I say as we reach the truck.

Looking down at Thea, I see her smiling while she stands next to me. Opening her door for her, I tilt my head at the cab. Thea gets in as her ears are still wiggling. With a click of my tongue, Sarge hops into the floorboard, laying his head on the elf’s lap. Shutting Thea’s door, I walk around and climb in the drivers side, setting the rifle next to the gearshift again.

I start the truck and slowly move, following the road Marcus indicated. Surprisingly, there is some kind of natural bridge made of stone just under the surface of the water. Keeping a firm grip on the wheel incase the truck starts to slip, I ease us in and out of the river. Once out the other side, I begin to relax a little bit, even though the road is nowhere near as good as the blacktop roads back home. I grew up driving on dirt roads a lot worse than this back home.

“You want to tell me what happened back there?” I ask Thea as I drive.

“What do you mean?” She asks turning in her seat to look at me.

“Marcus went from stranger to you trusting him in about a second. Then there's the chain you mentioned and us hiding in a barn.” I say glancing over in her direction.

“That's kind of a long story.” Thea says rubbing Sarge’s head with her hand.

“Looks like we have time.” I say motioning to the empty road ahead of us. With a sigh, Thea begins to talk, telling me a little more of her story.

“Before I was captured by Dolus’s soldiers, I was an adventurer as well as a priestess. Through the contacts in the guild, I learned there was a secret group in Dolus that smuggled people out. There used to be people who came around and took up coin to help bribe guards where needed. They would buy slaves across the border and I used to donate as often as I could. I had several friends who had been enslaved, very few of them ever made it back.” As Thea continues to talk, we pass the crossroads. Soon, the barn is coming into view as her story progresses.

“It didn't take me long to find out the codes from human adventurers who helped. I figured if something ever happened, it would be better to know them then to not. I never planned on being captured though. I just thought I would be able to pass the codes along as needed.” She says as I pull the truck into the barn’s lot. Stopping in front of the barn’s double doors, I set the brake and pull it out of gear. While leaving the truck running, we hop out and began searching for the round stone hiding the key.

Finding it quickly, I turn the iron key over in my hand as I walk up to the double doors. Seeing the thick chain running through the doors, I notice the heavy lock. I start to work the key in the lock and I’m met with a grinding sensation as I turn it. This lock has not been opened for a while and it's in need of some oil. Pulling the chain free, Thea and I swing the doors wide open, revealing the interior of the barn.

Pulling my Beretta from its holster, I quickly sweep the barn for threats. I look over my shoulder and see Thea holding the braided handle on Sarge’s harness. At least she is listening to what I had told her which was to stick close to Sarge. After a quick sweep, all I've found is dusty empty barn with a person sized hole in the back wall. I remember what Marcus said about courting couples the hole, which makes sense. It's a way to sneak in without being seen from the road or disturbing the door.

Looking up, I see a loft above us, two ladders leading up at the front corners of the barn. Huffing to myself I holster my pistol as I scale the ladder quickly. Blinking my eyes in the dim light of the loft I circle the barn again. There is an opening on each wall, closed over by a flimsy looking door. I start to inspect and the first thing I find is it opens almost silently. I kneel and see oil glistening off the hinges.

I race to check the other openings. Each of them squeal loudly on their hinges as they open. There is no sign of any oil on any of the other hinges which makes me wonder about the first. I return to it and notice a pile of old hay. It smells slightly musty sitting beside the doorway. As I get closer, I notice a blanket tucked in behind the hay which causes me to stop. As I pull the blanket, a bottle of some dark liquid rolls out, sliding to a stop at my feet.

Popping the cork, I give a tentative sniff at the contents. A sickly sweet aroma reaches my nose followed by the sour bite of fermentation. Some kind of wine and a pile of hay, yeah I’m overreacting. I realize this door faces east. Odds are I just found some teenager’s love nest. They spread the blanket out, pour some wine and watch the moon rise through the doorway. Chuckling, I cork the bottle back, replacing the blanket and closing the door.

“Anything good up there?” Thea asks as I slide back down the ladder.

“Depends, do you like moldy hay and cheap wine?” I asked smiling at Thea as I hop back into the truck. I spin the truck around, back it in, and shut it off.

“Cheap wine is ok, but I’m not much of a drinker.” Thea says as she helps me close the door. I work the chain around the closed doors till the ends are both inside and close the lock on the ends. The door might just slow someone down, but they aren't opening it without me knowing it.

“Me either. I used to drink a lot, but it stopped being fun after a while.” I say walking around the truck. Looking around more intently, I notice the signs of people being here. A few scraps of cloth here, an empty basket in a stall, and what looks suspiciously like a pile of used condoms in the corner. Do they even have condoms in this world? I wonder tilting my head. Getting back to the ladder, I notice a coil of rope hanging on a nail behind it. I toss it over my shoulder and scale the ladder again.

“Here, tie this to Sarge’s harness, front and back.” I say tossing one end of the rope down to Thea. She quickly kneels next to the shaking dog, tying off the rope like I said.

“Now what? Oh! What?” She says as Sarge begins to climb the ladder. I help him up. “How the hell did you teach him that?” She asks as Sarge climbs to the top.

“I didn't teach him shit. He learned that one on his own.” I say untying the rope from Sarge and securing one end to a rafter above my head. “I was working on the roof last year and Sarge didn't like being left on the ground. So I’m up on the roof and he just followed me up. It's a bitch to get him down, but he can get up on his own.” I say climbing back down. “NO! STAY!” I say looking up where Sarge had been preparing to jump back down.

“So why do you want him up there?” Thea asks tilting her head.

“He can hear better than I can and I want him close by in case someone tries to sneak up on us.” I say hopping into the bed of the truck. Working quickly, I start to sort through the gear, gathering what we will need for a day or two. The dried jerky is in the mesh bag with the dishes . When did Thea do that, I wonder. I add in the remains of the first case of water, the blanket and bag, the browning rifle, mags for it, and the M1a. I also add a couple boxes of .308 ammo and a bag of unopened banana chips. Gathering it all up into as few bags as possible, I tie the rifles to the end of the rope. I then hand the lighter bag to Thea, motioning to the ladder.

“You want to go first?” I ask.

“You could just ask if you want to look up my robe you know.” Thea says raising an eyebrow.

“That wasn't what I meant by that.” I sputter out feeling my face start to get warm. What the hell! Now she has me blushing.

“Oh I know. I just wanted to see if I could get you to blush.” She says shouldering the pack and climbing the ladder.

“Pull it together Jim. Quit letting her get to you.” I say shouldering the other pack. A whistle catches my attention above me, causing my head to whip up. There is Thea standing on the top of the ladder looking down at me.

“Are you coming?” She asks grinning at me. As I’m looking up, I realize I can easily see up her robe. With the way her legs are spread, I can easily see everything. As that thought hits me, I pull my eyes two feet to the left. Damn thats a nice crossbeam, you just don't see work like that anymore. No fuck that, I have to nip this in the bud or she will never stop.

“No, just the way I’m standing.” I say climbing up the ladder behind her. “If you don't get a move on, we are about to get a lot closer acquainted.” I say pushing at her calf with my left hand which causes her to finish climbing into the loft.

“Wait, what was that first bit?” Thea asked turning back to me. Dropping my pack beside the ladder, I start to pull up the rope with the rifles on the end.

“I said it was just the way I was standing.” I say untying the guns from the rope. Turning to look at Thea and seeing her shocked face, I give her a wink. Seeing the elf woman start to blush, I laugh before moving the gear near the doorway.

The pile of hay gives us a semi comfy place to rest. I quickly check out the other openings and come to the conclusion that the east facing one is the best bet. Not only does it open mostly silently, but I can see a half mile down the road and part of the front lot. I open the west facing door a couple of inches and prop it open with a scrap of wood. Using a short piece of paracord, I tie it off. Now, it can’t open farther or close.

I lean against the wall and peer out from the open crack in the door. On the west side, I can see almost as far as I can on the east. Which means I will need to keep an eye on both as well as keep quiet. I walk back over to the east side and notice Thea sitting on the blanket, looking confused.

“You alright?” I ask worried something might be wrong with her.

“Where the hell did you come up with that?” She asks looking up to me.

“Come up with what?” I ask her feeling my mouth pull up into a grin.

“The whole just the way I'm standing thing. I never heard anything like that before.” She says as she stares up at me, causing me to laugh.

“Oh, that's an old comeback where I’m from. That and ‘No, but I'm breathing hard’.” I say as I’m sliding down beside her on the blanket. As I lay back, I examine the loft above us. It's a well made barn, even though it hasn't been in use for several years. There's no sign of leaking. The wooden shingles seeming to be close to the same side and freshly tarred this year, judging from the stains.

“Oh, that's great!” Thea exclaims bursting out into laughter. “You are going to have to teach me more of those.” She says laying back and easing her head onto my chest. “I almost didn't believe you had a funny side.” She says as she turns towards me and wraps her arms around my waist. “I’m glad you do though, you can't be serious all the time.” She says giving me a squeeze.

“I’m sure there will be plenty of time to teach you all my shitty jokes. Unless, you’re planning on getting rid of me in the next few days.” I say with a laugh. The loft is surprisingly warm, given how chilly the morning had felt. Leaning back farther into the pile, I can feel my eyes starting to close.

“Nope, fuck that!” I exclaim sitting up. Thea lets out a short yelp as she is tossed off my chest.

“What was that about?” She asks looking up at me. She brushes her blonde hair from her green eyes to stare at me while I’m starting to stand.

“I could feel myself starting to fall asleep. I can’t have that right now as there’s too much to do.” I say while dusting my jeans off with my hands. Sarge looks up at me from where he had been laying beside Thea. Giving a short huff, it almost seems like he is laughing at me again.

What the hell is up with him lately? I think as I start to go over the loft again, checking for anything I may have missed. He’s always been smart as hell, but here lately it's like he’s damn near human. As I don’t see any obvious problems, I make my way back to Thea.

“So, what were you looking for this time?” Thea asks, laying back on the blanket with her arms behind her head. I glance down at her as I pick up the Browning and notice her robe is stretched tight across her chest. The warmth from the barn loft causes a trail of sweat to run down her neck. Catching myself staring at her chest, I quickly look away clearing my throat before I respond.

“I wasn't looking for anything in particular. Just to see if I missed anything the first time.” I tell her pulling the rolling magazine from the rifle. I work the bolt to empty the chamber and lay down facing the doorway. “We lucked out with this barn having these doorways on each side.” I say to Thea looking down the road through the scope.

“What do you think they are for?” She asks while moving to lay beside me. Glancing over, I see she is still laying on her back. Her head is tilted back to look out the doorway beside me, causing her ample chest to rise up higher.

“They use them to load hay or whatever else into the loft.” I tell her as I point out the beam hanging out with a pulley hanging off. “For loads they can't just throw up, they would run a rope through there. My grandparents had the same set up in their barn when I was growing up.” I see Thea seems to be listening to what I say, but her ears are wiggling as I speak.

“Sounds like you are pretty familiar with barns, huh.” She says grinning. “Did you spend a lot of time in them with other people?” She asks raising an eyebrow.

“Ok, you are doing that on purpose right?” I ask, deciding it's better to deal with this head on rather than ignoring it.

“Mmmmmm, doing what?” She asks grinning widely as she looks in my eyes.

“The innuendos, pushing your chest out, and getting as close to me as you can. All of that. You’re doing it on purpose, right?” I ask leaning on one arm to turn my body to face her. Thea blushes slightly under my gaze, finally rolling over onto her side to face me before replying.

“Kinda, but not why you think.” She says looking at me with a serious expression. “Yes, I love teasing you. It’s a trust thing though.” She bites her lip as she pauses. I wait for her to continue as I check the road again. “A part of me trust you as much as I have ever trusted anyone. That scares me when I actually stop to think about it. So to deal with that, I just don’t think about it. Instead, I just tease you with words or peeks at my body. Even touching you while you sleep.”

“Wait, what was that last one!?” I ask my head whipping around to face her again. Thea laughs at my reaction, her ears wiggling wildly as she covers her mouth.

“Teasing, I’m just teasing you again.” She says before clearing her throat and continuing. “When I’m teasing you, I’m kinda testing you to see if I can really trust you as much as I do. The way I see it, as long as you keep acting like you do, I know I made a smart decision trusting you.”

“What's your plan for if I snap because of you teasing me? What if I just decided to pin you down to the floor here and show you how your teasing makes me feel?” I say staring down the scope. I do my best to focus on the road as well as the rifle in my hands and not the body of the elf beside me.

“Thats a two part answer honestly.” Thea says, wrapping her left arm around my waist. “Because for one, if you did do that, then you wouldn't be a man that I can trust as much as I do. For two, maybe I'm hoping you will do just that.” She says her mouth nearly at my ear. I can feel her hot breath tickling my ear as she speaks.

“See, teasing like that isn't fair.” I say my voice coming out almost as a groan. I readjust my hips on the ground to alleviate the pressure building in my jeans. I turn my head to face her and see her wild grin.

“Why do you get so worked up when I tease you?” Thea asks while laying on her side and using her hand to stroke my face. “Surely you have been with women before. I mean this can't be all new to you, right?”

“I've dated and had a few serious girlfriends.” I say as she makes me look in her eyes. “None of them teased me like you do though. They all ended bad too.” I say pulling my head out of her grip.

“Bad how?” She asks, pulling my head back to look at her.

“The bad kinda bad. I don't do well with people after a while. I mean, it starts out alright, but sooner or later the real me shines through. I start doing stupid shit and before I know it, I’m alone again. That's why I just stay alone. It's easier that way and I don’t end up getting hurt again.” I said feeling a tear forming around my left eye. Wiping it quickly, I see Thea staring at me with a shocked look on her face.

“I’m sorry.” She says dropping her eyes.

“You couldn't have known, so don't apologize. If teasing me makes you trust me, then dont stop on my account. If it gets to be too much, I'll let you know.” I tell her sliding the rifle between us. Thea looks at the rifle, then to me confused.

“Time to learn about this rifle.” I tell her pulling her closer to me so I can instruct her easier. I’m more than a little surprised at how easy I move her. I know she has felt very light under my hands when I’ve held her. Moving her, even that little bit, should have been harder than it was from this position.

“I know you watched me shoot it earlier and you loaded the mags like a pro.” I say wrapping my arm around her shoulder as I position the rifle in her arms correctly. “Now, it's time to get comfortable with the gun itself.” I said feeling the softness of her hand as I position it correctly on the rifle.

Thea pays attention as I run over the different parts of the rifle, parroting back all the information as I ask her about it. Soon, she’s working the bolt and safety with smooth steady movements. I run over the basics of the scope with her, explaining how to use it and what it does.

“Everything is so close!” She exclaims the first time she looks through the glass. I start to laugh as she spends the next few minutes moving the sight around. She can peer at the world from up close without having to leave the loft. “Are all the rings on your weapons like this one?” She asks

“Similar, but not the same.” I say with a smile. “That one is made for long distance shooting, so it has the most magnification on it. The rest are in the neighborhood of three to three and a half magnification. They are made for intermediate ranges and close quarters. This one is made to drop a target from upwards of half a mile away.” I say before continuing the lesson.

I have her practice pulling the trigger, the same as I did with the pistol. Over and over till she knows where the break is by heart. I explain how precision shots take time and practice and I end up promising to let her shoot as soon as it’s safe. We have no idea where the town is or if there is anyone close by who could hear us. Finally, I have her practice seating the mag and dropping it. When I’m sure she has the lesson down, I start to relax a little bit.

“That's good for now.” I say taking the rifle from her hands. “Let's take a break and get something to eat.” I say as I look at the sky and see the sun is already behind the barn. Where the hell did the day go? I wonder as I leaned the rifle against the wall next to the doorway.

“So when will you teach me about the other rifle?” Thea asks as she pushes herself up into a sitting position. She brushes dust and loose hay from her robe and I can't help but notice her breasts are bouncing under her hands.

“I probably won't teach you on that one.” I say nodding to the M1a. “I have more ammo for the AR’s and honestly, it's easier to learn.” I say, pushing myself up and leaning against the wall.

“Oh...ok.” Thea says while leaning over to grab a bottle of water. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Shoot.” I tell her as I take the offered bottle from her hand.

“Why did you park the truck the way you did, and why did you leave the other rifle in the cab?” She opens a bottle for herself.

“Hand me the jerky and I'll tell you.” I say catching the bag as she tosses it. “I parked the truck like that so we can get out of the barn faster if trouble shows up. We won't have to change directions, or spend time going from reverse to first. I left the other rifle in the cab because right now, it wouldn't do any good.” I say before taking a piece of jerky from the bag. I chew the meat and offer the bag to Thea, who takes a piece of her own.

“Yes, I could have spent some time teaching you how to use it, and I’m sure you would pick it up quickly.” I pause and take a drink of water, trying to figure out how to phrase the next bit.

“Honestly, I’m not sure if it would do any good or not. Until I know when we can fire off a few rounds without drawing attention, it's all just dry practice. I’d rather you keep practicing with the pistol, even if it is unloaded or you dry fire it.” I say offering her the bag again. Thea waves it off as she still chews the piece from earlier.

“So, it's not that you don't trust me?” She asks in a small voice. Looking over her, I see her once again pulling her knees up to her chest as she sits.

“No, that's not it at all.” I say huffing. “I trust you as much as I trust anyone right now. More than I trust most of my friends from back home if I’m being honest.” I say shifting to sit next to her. “I just don't have the time and ammo to train you the way I learned. I have to teach you this way.”

“How did you learn?” Thea asks as I slide an arm around her shoulder, trying to comfort her.

“My dad took me to the range with a thousand rounds of .22 ammo and a bolt action rifle. He went over the basic rules. Don't point it at people, finger off the trigger until your ready to shoot and all the things I’ve told you. He would then let me shoot, shoot, and shoot. He let me shoot till I finally calmed down enough to learn how to aim. He spent the next few weeks teaching me how to shoot the way he did.” Thea lifts her head as I keep talking, looking up at my face as I tell my story.

“When I got a little older he took me hunting. Mostly squirrels and rabbits, sometimes gophers and groundhogs. He always told me, ‘Make sure of your target, son. There's nothing worse than making a critter suffer cause you were in too much of a rush’. Every trip was the same thing. I learned to take my time with shots, to wait till the time was perfect. Let the game go if I couldnt gaurentee a kill. I was twelve when he let me go hunting by myself for the first time. He counted out five shells and gave them to me. He told me he expected five kills when I got home.”

“That night, we had squirrels and biscuits for dinner. I left with five shells, I came home with six squirrels. Dad laughed and handed me a box of five hundred and fifty. He said when I ran out to tell him and he’d get me some more.” I chuckle at the memory and look down, seeing Thea’s confused expression. “By the time the box was empty I was old enough to buy my own.” I explain smiling down at her.

“And the reason you can't teach me like that?” She asks as she tilts her head back to look into my eyes.

“I dont have the ammo for one. Two, the only gun I have that’s bolt action is the one I just showed you how to work. For now, our best option is teaching you the way I have been.” Noticing that it's starting to get dark, I stand up and pull our blanket from its bag.

“For now, you should try to get some sleep.” I say motioning towards the pile of hay covered in the found blanket.

“How is it this late already?” Thea asks, looking at the sky as she crawls over to the blanket. Kneeling down beside her, I help her pull off the gun belt and hang it on a nail on the wall nearby.

“Time flies when you’re having fun.” I tell her as I tuck the blankets around her.

“What about the person we are supposed to meet?” Thea asks while leaning back into the hay. I know she is wanting to stay up and talk, but her eyes are already closing in sleep.

“I’ll stay up a while and wait on them.” I tell her, trying to smooth her hair behind her ear. “If they don't show up after about five hours, I’ll have Sarge stand watch and I’ll join you in bed.” I say smiling at her yawning face.

“Don’t want to sleep yet.” She grumbles yawning again. “Can I ask a favor before I fall asleep?”

“What's that?” I ask as I start to stand again. Thea snakes a hand out from under the blanket, motioning me forward with one finger. I leaned in close, figuring she wants to whisper it to me.

“Kiss.” She says grabbing me around my neck. Before I can respond, she pulls me in close kissing me hard on the lips. “Ok, night now.” Thea says leaving me stunned, still kneeling over her. Where the hell did that come from anyway? I wonder as I stand. Collecting my rifle, I start a patrol around the loft while Thea sleeps.

Hours later, there is no sign of anyone coming down the road. Stifling a yawn, I look over to Thea and Sarge sleeping peacefully. As much as I can tell, it's almost midnight. Thea had told me at some point this world has twenty four hour days, same as earth. My watch seemed to be on Ohio’s time, not Dolus time. I realized that when it became apparent the sun didn't rise at one twenty in the am.

I pull off my plate carrier and lay it beside our makeshift bed. I start to grin. Two days in a row someone besides Sarge is in bed with me. This has to be a record. Laying my pistol belt beside the plate carrier, I sit to pull my boots off. I tuck my socks into my boots and debate for a moment before sliding out of my jeans too. As I slide into the blankets with Thea, she wiggles back against me. I can’t tell if she’s awake and teasing, or if that’s just her way.

“Sarge, keep an ear out for anyone, ok?” I say as I lean my head on top of Thea’s. From the darkness of the loft, I hear Sarge give a soft huff before standing. He gives a shake, then trotts over to the west facing doorway. In the dim light, I can see him with his head close to the gap. After a few minutes, he walks back over and sticks his head completely out the east facing door. Is he walking the same pattern I was? I wonder as I start to nod off. That dog is starting to act weird. Before I can think about it anymore I feel myself falling asleep with the smell of cinnamon and vanilla filling my nose again.