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Rick put on his cap and set off down the dirt road, heading back the way he'd come last night. "So, I'm hopin' we can make the trip in less than a week, maybe four or five days. That'll give us some time to scope out the meeting place and make a plan. That should be completely possible as long as we don't run into any trouble. Sound good?"
"It does." She walked alongside Rick, easily keeping pace with his stride. Not needing to anything more than she already did, she stayed silent as they walked.
Rick, however, was not that kind of personality. As soon as they were off the property, he spoke again. "So where have these kids been, if they haven't been with you? Somebody else been taking care of 'em?"
(I'm gonna sign off now, good night!)
Charlotte stopped herself from sighing– she really wasn't up for conversation. "Tomas was killed. Jessie was held by the government, though I imagine Axel took her back. Same goes for Will. My girl though, Tessa." At the mention of her name an automatic, affectionate smile lit Charlotte's face, suddenly making her look like the pretty young woman she really was. "She was real gentle, sweet. The youngest of the four. I think they returned her to her family after the war. I hope so, anyway."
(Okay, good night! Seeya later! ^^)
Rick nodded somberly. "I hope so too. It's a real shame that she still has to be tangled up in all this. I hope we can get to her before anything really bad happens." He glanced at the clear blue sky. "Sorry, I should warn you I'm the naturally chatty type. If you'd rather have some peace and quiet, you just let me know."
Charlotte hesitated. Maybe… maybe they could talk, if her answers were kept concise. It could be argued that more she knew the more she could use against him in case it was needed.
With a nod she said, "No. It's fine."
Rick instantly brightened. "Oh, all right then. I think it's always nice to have a good conversation while you're walkin'. Stimulates the mind, I believe. Have you done much traveling since you settled down here?"
"No," was all she said. Then paused, and continued. "I've been… recovering."
What a way to break it down.
(I'll be on and off for a while, our basement flooded and we have to mop it up T.T)
"Ah." Rick nodded. "Fair enough. That's what moved my dad back home, after the war was over. Recovery was definitely what he needed. He hasn't left the farm since." He trailed off thoughtfully. "I wonder how he's doin' these days. We haven't talked in….well, I guess it's been a few years now. I hope he's all right."
"Fathers are quite something," Charlotte muttered thoughtlessly. She kept her head high, attempting to keep her tone light and unreadable.
"Ain't they just? I do like mine, but he can be a bit of a codger sometimes." Rick spoke equally thoughtlessly. "What about yours?"
Codger. Southern slang, she figured.
"Dead," she said calmly. He'd died honourably and she had moved on. "Any siblings?"
Rick fell silent for a second, only just now realizing he might be treading on delicate ground. "Uh….yeah, a few. Three sisters and four brothers, to be exact. I'm the third-oldest." Should he ask about her family? He'd already made the mistake once, so he figured he might as well keep going. "And…you?"
This time around it was a bit harder to keep the cool facade up; she took a breath to silence the emotions bursting to come out after all this time. "No idea. She ran off." That was all she said, though she could tell the simple implication of Jodie was loaded with bitterness. She just hoped he wouldn't be able to tell. "Are you still in contact with your parents, your family?" she asked.
Fortunately, it seemed that the question distracted him from trying to read her expression. He looked away, seeming a bit sad. "Well….not really. My big brother's kind of in charge of the family business, don't'cha see, and he and I…don't get along so well. Some years back I couldn't take it anymore and cut loose before he could kick me out himself." He shook his head. "Sorry, it's kind of a long story. I won't bother you with the details. Bottom line is, I'm not sure when I'll get to go back home again."
Touchy subject.
"Look at it like this. However far, you've got a home," she pointed out in what could only be said as a kind voice.
He gave her a half-smile. "That is true. I try not to get too torn-up about it. Maybe my luck will change someday, eh?" It seemed like he couldn't stay sad about anything for long, even this. "And in the meantime, at least I have my health and my letters of recommendation. Those will keep me goin' for quite a while."
Charlotte sighed tiredly in admiration. He was so positive it seemed unnatural.
He might be a respectable person despite his job, though she didn't want to believe it. Principles, after all.
"There you go, then."
"Yup." Rick hitched up his backpack, adjusting his course slightly avoid some puddles from last night's rain. "So I take it you're pretty much on your own, like me? Doesn't seem as if there's many other homesteads around here. Is it ever lonely to be by yourself all the time?"
"To be fair, I've been weaned into it," Charlotte admitted quietly, stepping straight into the puddles, relishing the coolness in the harsh midday sun.
"I s'pose that would help," Rick conceded. "I got thrown into it kinda sudden, so I'm probably still adjusting. They wouldn't even let me take my horse when I left…I'm definitely still ticked off about that."
(YEE MY CAPS WON'T COME OFF, APOLOGIES)
"SMALL WORD OF ADVICE, SINCE WE'RE HERE," CHARLOTTE SUGGESTED. "YOU'VE STILL GOT A HOME. DON'T LET PETTY DISAGREEMENTS GET IN THE WAY OF THAT WHILE IT LASTS."
(lol that made me laugh XD I hope you can get that fixed without too much trouble!)
He glanced at her, rolling her words over in his head. "Yeah….you're darn right about that." He couldn't help but wonder if she'd learned that lesson from experience….something in her tone seemed to hint at it. But he'd learned by now not to inquire too closely unless she offered the information willingly.
"Anyway, it's really only my brother Johnny that I don't like. I miss the rest of 'em a lot, but I don't wanna risk going back yet because Johnny's got a mean streak and I don't trust him not to make everybody's lives miserable if he sees me again."
"Men can be very temperamental, can't they?" she mused, shuffling dirt beneath her bot as she walked. "Why did you stay in this line of work when you ran?" she asked suddenly.
"Well….it's about all I know how to do. And I really do know the ins and outs of it. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but Johnny knew he lost one of his best fighters when he got rid of me. I've built up a pretty good resume over the years, and I've always been able to find work somewhere." Rick shrugged. "Besides, the point of bein' a mercenary is that you don't have to pick a side. I've defended honest villagers from bandits before, and peaceful sanctuaries that couldn't protect their peace by themselves. I even kept a bunch of hoodlums from burnin' down a library one time, and got me some good books in return. It's dirty work, sure, but sometimes to can do real good for people because you don't have to follow the rules."