Young Writers Society

Nodding, Nubes started walking in that direction when Lasan did. Lasan wasn't exactly fast, thanks to everything he was carrying, but the leopard holding up some of it helped.

And it was progress. Nubes didn't know when they'd lose sight of the bunkers, or how long Lasan would walk before he started getting cold again. At the very least, Nubes could use a little bit of fire magic, but he'd lived in a place where any fires could've easily fizzled out in the moisture or taken out a town - it hadn't been something he'd been keen on learning. But the bunkers hadn't answered any of their questions; maybe the next place would.

Briar hung near the back of the group, not exactly a part of it. She kept her gaze toward their surroundings, her senses all on high alert. If something attacked them, she wanted to notice it first.

The thought of starting a conversation crossed her mind, then quickly dissipated. Silence was fine. She worked best in silence.

As slow as Lasan was moving, it wasn't long before Nubes found himself walking just ahead of Briar.

He held back a sigh - she looked on edge, tense, nervous. Granted, they didn't know if they were in a safe situation or not, but he couldn't help but feel that Briar was at least a little unnerved because of him.

"I would like to apologize," Nubes said to Briar. He didn't feel sorry, but he figured it'd be something she'd like to hear. "I was trivializing being an assassin, and, given how stressful it has been for you, I feel like I made you uncomfortable."

She continued to watch their surroundings as she answered, "You have," she admitted, "but only because your wording isn't dissimilar to how my sister views the job."

She didn't know why she added the second part. Now, she could anticipate follow up questions. Questions she wasn't going to be able to fully answer.

She glanced over at Nubes.

The apology had been a formality, she knew that. Most apologies were. So maybe he would refrain from asking questions. Maybe he wouldn't care.

Ryder tried to not pay much attention to Nubes and Briar's conversation, but it was hard not to when they were so close by. It was one of the more interesting ones, too - Lust and Gluttony were having a conversation of their own, but it was just Gluttony pointing out things and Lust commenting on them.

Nubes wasn't quite sure if Briar would appreciate him keeping up the conversation, but a question made its way to the front of his mind. "Was your sister conscripted into the same line of work?" the leopard asked. "I was."

That wasn't the question she had been expecting.

"She was, though I believe she enjoys it."

Briar adjusted her grip on the packs she was carrying, fighting off one too many unsavory memories.

"Hmm," Nubes said. "No, I cannot say I ever enjoyed it - I was fascinated by it, it was the cornerstone of my life, I wanted to be better at it, but I found my other jobs more entertaining."

She glanced over. She could ask about his other jobs. She decided against it.

"Is your fascination cause for worry?" she asked, going back to scanning their surroundings.

Nubes immediately shook his head. "None at all - once I found someone who was better than me, and once I was basically out of that job, it was remarkably easy to disengage from it. It's not something I plan on returning to, anyhow."

Lust pulled Gluttony a little closer to her at the comments being exchanged; Ryder didn't blame her. It was more than a little terrifying to hear the two nonchalantly talk about murdering people, even if Nubes claimed that he was no longer fascinated by being an assassin.

Briar nodded to acknowledge that she'd heard, a twinge of bitterness and jealousy sparking in her chest. She imagined for a second, just a second, that she could do what he described. That if she discovered a job she couldn't do, she could just drop it. No strings attached, no punishments.

"Good," she said, "I could not claim the same for my sister."

She should stop talking already. They didn't need to know about Queenie. She didn't need to speak to them at all, not at the moment, anyway.

"A rather common attitude on your sister's part," Nubes said. "One finds ways to cope, I suppose."

"I suppose," she echoed. Her eyes flicked to the others. They were uncomfortable. She stepped away from Nubes, hoping he would understand that the conversation was over.