We could, but I decide to leave instead.

Flora starts to kiss you. Her hands find your softening member. “Let’s go again,” she begs. “Fuck me until I’m too weak to walk.”

“Stop,” you say, pushing her back.

You’re glad you decided to take Flora out of Tiny’s Tavern because the first person you run into is Amara, casually dressed to counter the lingering winter chill. She isn’t adorned with black but is dressed with browns and reds, almost the opposite of “not sticking out” to attract attention.

“There you are,” she says. “I’ve been looking for you.”

“Yeah?” Flora shifts beside you. “Here we are.”

“Where were you?” Amara urges.

“Exploring,” you say before Flora can reply. “We stopped in Tiny’s Tavern and had some coffee.”

“Foolish of you,” Amara grumbles. “Anyone sees you there?”

“No,” you say. “It seems Kenji’s observations were right, though. There is a small leftover caravan there laying low.”

“Hence why I told you to stay away from there,” Amara shakes her head. “Who’d you talk to?”

“Just the staff, I promise.”

“And their name?”

“Miranda,” you pause for effect as if having to think. “She’s been here for a while. She knew who I was from before.”

“I’m familiar,” Amara said. “Don’t go there again. The coffee isn’t even that good.”

Flora lets a light-hearted laugh bubble out from her mouth. “Yes, I think I noticed that. But, I’ve always had high taste!”

“And I can’t avoid being picky with what I eat,” you follow with, hoping to defuse some of the tension with Flora. Amara either doesn’t care enough to investigate or figures you aren’t dumb enough to be fooling around with one of her favorites. Not after the shaming and degrading she’s put you through, at least. Amara looks around, her eyes drifting to the snow. “So, we should head back together then?”

“Yeah,” Amara says, deep in thought.

The walk back is done in silence. Flora tries to talk to Amara to smooth the situation over, which seems to work reasonably well, but it does make you feel like a third wheel slightly. When you’re back, Kenji is in the kitchen with Alexandra, playing with a deck of cards. Judging by his expression, you’re confident in your guess that he’s been losing. Your thoughts solidify when you see Alexandra’s smirk.

You don’t want to tread any further on the thin ice you’re already on, so you break away from the others and return to your room to sleep until told otherwise.

…

…

It’s the first of April when the weather breaks into a loose Spring. There’s snow in the trees and patches of white on the ground. It’s cold at night, and flurries still greet you between days. Contracts are run with Kenji while Alexandra continues to recover, but she’s soon hobbling along with you during some of the mundane bounties.

Amara spends nearly all her time with Flora, but that doesn’t stop you from meeting up and going out whenever it’s slow. And speaking of meeting up…

Plans are arranged with the caravan, Benjamin’s Group. You manage to keep things downlow and somehow hidden. Kenji sees you a few times, leaving without an announcement, but he never stops you. Alexandra spotted you once but didn’t suspect anything of it.

Amara’s concern was too wrapped up with Flora since she was acutely aware of her trying to escape. Unfortunately for Amara, she hadn’t grounded you enough to keep you from doing the thinking and the heavy lifting that put your position to run away.

Despite what the name suggested, there was no one named Benjamin. Instead, the remaining leader of the group was a younger girl called “Glass.” She had red curly hair, dark green eyes, and deep freckles dotting her face. When you met her for the time, she was bandaged and on crutches. However, on the first of April, she was generally outfitted for the day without being tarnished with medical supplies. The only off-putting thing about Glass was that her right pinky was missing.

You hid most of the details and talked about Flora like she was a medical expert and a contractor of shorts. Glass tried to acquire Flora’s “file.” Still, you lied and told her career as a contractor began in the winter and only did odd jobs. The saving graces were that they needed personnel and that your record was full of completed contracts and only a handful of premature terminations.

Glass signed you as a caravan guard for Benjamin’s Group and attempted to arrange that she’d rally you up the day they left. This offer was quickly dismissed, and you told her you needed a date and time for a meet-up. She thought for a moment and then glanced at the others that were lounging around you.

“I don’t know,” she sighed. “We need horses. We need supplies. We’re down 30 guys, so spreading them out to collect these things is hard. Unless you–”

“Sorry,” you cut in. “I can’t help with those things. Not in a timely or effective manner, at least.”

She nods. “Then you better talk to me every time you see me because we could leave anytime, depending on when those things are pooled together.”

...

...

The searching was hard, but the waiting was more brutal, especially when you were taken out of town for a contract and could not talk to Glass or know the situation of the Benjamin Group. You were relieved every time you saw their members walking around, but you also wondered how long you would endure the torture of waiting.

The day Kenji left, Amara paired you and Alexandra together to conduct errands while making it blatantly clear she wanted you gone as soon as she hired your replacement. This gave you a good enough excuse to leave and talk to the Benjamin Group now, but it took more work to keep Flora caught up with the news.

And unfortunately, you got the news to depart when you were least expecting…

It was the 10th of April in light rain when you returned from a small-time contract. Glass came riding beside you as you entered the town. “Warren,” she exhaled. “We almost left you and your friend behind.”

She looked at Alexandra and bowed her head slightly. “Are you Flora?”

Alexandra stepped back. “No, I’m not. So what’s this about?”

Glass cleared her throat, pulling on the reins of her horse. “Warren signed a contract with us as a caravan guard–”

“And Flora?” Alexandra created space between you and Glass, inching her back to the house.

“Alex,” you say, hiding your movements toward her. “Whatever you’re thinking, it isn’t like that.”

Glass makes a noise. “Oh, are you two…dating?”

“No!” You and Alexandra snap at the same time at Glass. She laughs uncomfortably, realizing she’s stumbled into something serious.

“So, what’s going on?”

“Something fucked,” Alexandra steps back, moving her jacket to flash her sidearm. “So, you better take Warren and get out of here.”

Glass pulls on her reins again, soothing her horse. “I paid for two contractors, so I’m getting 2. This involves me, so tell me what’s going on.”

Alexandra relaxes. “Calm down. I’ll just pay you back.”

“Money isn’t worth shit if I get clipped on my way back,” Glass looks at you then. “You worth the trouble or not?”