Nonsensical assumptions continued to pester Jabari’s mind. For the first time, he wished he could remember some of the political teachings his mentor had desperately tried to impart into his younger self’s thick skull. The sunburst embroidered onto the red and gold cloaks each rider wore was key, but its nature eluded Jabari. All he knew for sure was the color scheme represented nobility and wealth and all that meant was maybe he could haggle for more coin at the end of the whole thing. Still, the part of his brain honed and sharpened to a fine edge that tied into his instinct continued to scream at him. Nothing about the job was making sense and his body wanted to turn around and head back to the village. Jabari refuted his inner voice and approached one of the riders just as another cloaked individual was headed into the shade of a nearby willow tree. 

“Fine armaments, good sir,” Jabari said. 

The rider said nothing. His eyes sized up the darker man below him and then returned to their front. 

Jabari ran a palm through curled black strands and short locs tied back with thin rope. Used two fingers to massage his goatee some before nodding respectfully and making his way around the rider and his horse. His instinct shouted at him again. He found it to be odd. As a Knight, he never would have given a second thought to this setup because as a Knight he never would have been a part of it. At the same time, because of the training he underwent, he knew something was off. He resolved to think more on it later. He had two days to do so, after all. 

Jabari watched as another rider trotted their steed up to the tent covered cart. They gingerly swung off their horse and stuck their head inside a tent flap. Then they entered. Jabari turned his attention away and headed towards the tree with the other cloaked individual. They were the only ones who stood out amongst the caravan so clearly it was the second mercenary. And the conversation between rider and lord would drag out for a while so this was the perfect opportunity. 

As Jabari neared, he realized his folly. He had been expecting another man to have to share the profits with and he’d assumed and thought no more of it. He was met with a woman instead. Not that it was a problem, but it did come as a surprise. In Jabari’s memory, the training to become a Knight’s apprentice and then a fully fledged Knight was tough. He’d never known another woman as strong as his sister, but seeing the woman and the sword at her hip was a dead giveaway. Unless she was also nobility, the uniqueness of the blade was hard pressed to be anything other than the blade of another former knight. Or stolen from one. Jabari decided to stop making assumptions. Maybe she was never a Knight at all, but what she was now was his partner. He quieted his thoughts. 

“Fine day for an escort, would you not agree?” Jabari asked, stopping just a couple of feet away and increasing the volume in his voice appropriately.