"Eventually married couples get their own tent. For now you'll have to make do," Thomas said as he guided Slip and I through the encampment.

The Silken Band was far bigger than I had expected. There were likely thousands of people here… and considering we were leagues from any settlement, human city or otherwise, it was clear they were all bona-fide members.

No wonder they were both so well known amongst the humans, but also so willing to let Slip and I join so readily. A group this size likely had what Vim would call a revolving door. Whatever that meant.

"We're not married," I said, reminding him for the third time since meeting him.

Thomas ignored me, and pointed to a large red tent. One that had strange designs sewn into it. Ones I didn't recognize. Some kind of animal, maybe? "That's the mess hall. Get food there. They serve three meals a day, and usually have leftovers and snacks throughout the rest of it. But they do run out, and if you piss off the cookers good luck ever getting a decent meal again," he warned.

"Noted," Slip said, taking his warning to heart.

"What've we got there, Tommy!?" a woman shouted as we passed.

"Fresh blood, married blood too!" Thomas shouted back happily.

A few of the nearby mercenaries clapped in hollered, welcoming us into the band… as I frowned and felt like leaving it already.

How many times did I have to say we weren't married? If this was a running joke, it was going to get old very fast.

Slip giggled softly next to me, and elbowed me. "See? Just accept it already," she teased.

I ignored her. "How do we get assigned jobs?" I asked.

It was clear now that this band was big. Too big. Too big for them all to go on every job every time. Thus the group we had worked and traveled with here, escorting those prisoners. That had been ten men, and that was a fraction of their force.

"You get put into a group. As I said. You're in mine, as I've said. So from now on you go where I go, and do what I tell you, until you prove you're worth more elsewhere. Which won't take long based off what I had seen. Just put up with it, and you'll have your own banner in no time and your own tent. I promise," Thomas said happily, both teasing me and being serious.

I sighed at him, since that hadn't been why I had asked.

Why did he seem to think I wanted my own men and tent so badly…? Was your own tent really that big a deal?

Was having your own soldiers and group that big a deal? My mother had asked me to not draw too much attention to myself, so I didn't want such a thing even if it was something to be desired. Yet it seemed to these mercenaries that was everything they could ask for.

"Won't take him long. Just wait till you see him on the actual battlefield," Slip said happily.

"I bet. I'm not stupid, I saw you move that wagon. You don't look it but an ox you are," Thomas said happily, speaking of me and my strength as if I was some neat new toy he had found.

"Arrows even bounce off him, just wait till you see it," Slip added, bragging.

"Now that I would like to see!" Thomas said.

Let's not.

Hopefully joining this band wasn't going to be a mistake…

It didn't take long for us to be brought to a huge tent. One that looked as if it could hold hundreds of people. Thomas took us to one corner of it, where a couple rickety cots were hidden behind some thicker curtains and drapes. "Cleanest beds available, plus you're tucked away in the corner. Try to keep it down, remember quite a few of the men here are quick to jealousy and several haven't had a woman in months. Just a fair warning," Thomas teased as he gestured at the cots.

"So… this tent is yours?" I asked as I turned to look at the few people in here. A few people were hidden behind their own curtains, sleeping or resting, and the rest that either had their curtains drawn back or were sitting outside of their little sleeping areas were all relatively ignoring us. A far cry from the boisterous shouts from those we had passed on our way here.

"No. My crew isn't here at the moment. This is something of a communal sleeping area. They'll be back in a few days; you'll get to introduce yourselves then. For now just get rested, make friends, and stay out of trouble," Thomas said… and then abruptly turned and left.

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Watching the man go, I felt strangely mystified.

Were all larger mercenary bands this… lax? Or was it just something unique to this one, or maybe to him?

"What were you expecting, Branch? To get sent straight into battle or something?" Slip asked as she stepped forward to our new sleeping area. She went to putting bags down and getting situated without any hesitation.

"Well… maybe? I need to earn money," I said.

"We will. You will. These larger groups don't move as quickly as the smaller ones, but when they do move it's momentous. You'll see," Slip said as she went to taking off her boots.

Shaking my head at her, and the rest of the humans who so obviously didn't find this odd, I decided to just let it be.

Oh well.

As annoying, and odd, as this place was… it was perfect.

There were enough people here I'd blend in. I'd be able to linger, for possibly years. Plus there were enough seasoned warriors that I'd not stand out too much on the battlefield. They had been joking earlier, but as long as I was careful those jokes would eventually fade away and be forgotten. Hopefully, at least.

Plus maybe I'll get lucky and Slip will find another man to catch her eye. I liked the girl, but only as a friend… plus… I mean…

Glancing at the woman who was already half-naked, I sighed and at the sight and went to make sure our little section of the tent was private. I pulled the drapes around our beds more closer, as to make sure no one saw her.

"I'm going to wipe off and sleep, Branch," Slip said happily, excited over the idea. I knew she was tired, so I had expected it… but like usual she didn't hesitate sometimes, even when she should.

"Enjoy yourself. I'm going to go… mingle," I said, using one of her words.

"Hm. Have fun. Make sure you slip into my bed when you come back, else they'll find it weird," she said as she yawned.

"Feh."

Leaving her alone, I stepped out through the drapes and went to leave the tent. I didn't worry about anyone doing anything to her, this place seemed very orderly.

Plus she was crazy.

I knew many of our members did such things with humans. Some even fell in love, married them and had children with them.

But the idea of it sickened me. Almost enough to make me want to puke.

Though how I was going to tell Slip that without breaking her heart…? I wasn't sure yet.

Just another thing I needed to figure out. One of countless.

"There he is! Come here and arm wrestle me, I hear you're as strong as an ox!" a large armed man shouted at me as I left the tent, barely making it half a dozen feet from it.

Smiling at him, and the small crowd around him, I decided this was exactly what I'd been looking for.

There were the mercenaries I knew, and expected to see!

"What do I get if I win?" I asked as I stepped forward.

The small crowd around him burst into laughter, which only drew more attention. But I could tell by the sounds of the laughs that it was all in good fun. None had been offended, or found me wanting. If anything it seemed they were glad their new comrade was the type to say such a thing.

"Get the table ready!" the large man barked as he finished laughing, grinning wildly in anticipation as they cleared the table of cups. They also pulled the chairs away from it, likely so we could stand as to use our weight and torque as we arm-wrestled.

I didn't plan on winning. But it would be a good way to gauge how strong a human could be, particularly one as big as him.

Walking over to the table, across from the muscular man, I smiled as I held my hand out. "Branches," I said.

"Branches? Klime," the man took my hand, shaking it in introduction.

Nodding at the man, we both shifted our hold as to prepare for the wrestling. The crowd around us grew closer, and louder.

While holding the man's hand, and seeing just how big he was compared to me… especially since my arms were rather thin. They always have been. I realized this was the first time I've done such a thing since leaving home. I used to do this with mother and Vim often.

Yes. This would work. I'd be able to put up with Slip and all these odd humans here, like Thomas, for some time. Long enough to learn more of the world, and my place in it.

This was much better than being a merchant, working for the Society, or hiding like those at the Sleepy Artist or my siblings. This would be fun. Painful sometimes, but fun.

"Ready?" a man asked the two of us, and we both nodded.

"I hear you pushed a prison cart on your own. I want to feel what such strength is like," Klime said with a grin.

"I had only pushed it a few feet…" I groaned. Why were they all making such a big deal of it? We had brought those prisoners here, and it had started to roll away down the slight hill it had stopped on after they had emptied it. It had rolled towards Slip so I had simply stopped it, and pushed it back up the hill a bit.

They all laughed a bit, and I sighed and decided to lose. I'd hold a bit as he tried to win, but then give up and let him win. I'll do it in a way that lets him think I'm no pushover, but nothing as special as he thinks I am. To squash these stupid rumors.

My mother had warned me about standing out. Vim had ordered me not to. My father begged me not to.

And I knew they were right. It wasn't good for our kind to stand out. Humans liked the strong and the unique, but only to a point. And only until they grew to fear them… so…

Time to lose. Proudly. Like an owl would.

"Go!" the man slapped the table, loudly, and we were suddenly arm-wrestling.

Then I failed immediately by breaking the man's arm.

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