No sex

"You helped with unloading the supplies and loading the scrap, and you made your sleeping areas. That is all I ask." I look at her from my bed area. "How long had you been at the last village?"

Mira rested her hands on the edge of his mattress, her expression softening into something warmer, more intimate. Mira: "Only three weeks. It was a bad place, Torg. Too much hunger, not enough courage. We knew it wouldn't last." (Mira: He asks about our history. He cares about the details. That's a good sign. Most men just care about the flesh.) She leaned closer, the scent of dust and sweat clinging to her skin, but her eyes were bright with genuine gratitude. Mira: "Sleep well. Tomorrow, tell me what tasks you have for us. I want to be useful to you."

"Well, tomorrow we have two deliveries. One of those is to trade the copper and metals for food, both for us and another village. The first place is a smelter and kind of rough. Can the girls shoot anything? A bow, or a javelin even?"

Mira shook her head, her expression serious. "No guns, but Lena is incredibly accurate with a slingshot, and Rina is deadly with a throwing knife. They know how to strike from a distance without making noise." Lena poked her head out from her corner, rubbing her eyes. "I can hit a tin can from twenty paces! Just don't make me do it in the dark." Rina spoke softly from the shadows. "I can handle knives. And spears if we find them."

"I have some makeshift javelins. You and the girls stay in the truck while I negotiate, armed and ready in case of trouble. There's a hatch on top and the side door to shoot from. The village after that is safe like this one. Okay, let's get some sleep."

Mira nodded respectfully, bowing her head. "Of course. We'll stay in the vehicle and keep watch. Sleep well, Torg."

Lena yawned loudly, stretching her arms above her head before curling back into her makeshift nest. "Javelins sound cool... like ancient warriors..." Rina simply closed her eyes, pulling her thin blanket up to her chin. We all try to sleep.