Renault’s shoulders sagged as he stepped off of the steep, rocky path and on to the gentle sloping plains. Meskonga. Finally. He looked over his shoulder and gave the mountain a glare. While they hadn’t run into anything in the week it had taken them to get from the top of the mountain to the base, it hadn’t been pleasant, either. 

He tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword and swept his gaze around. There were a few trees here and there, but not enough for anyone to effectively hide behind. The grass was only a few inches tall and was beginning to brown in preparation for the coming winter. The air wasn’t cold, not yet but he could feel the chill coming. It wouldn’t be this nice for very long. He gave it a week at the most before the temperature would begin to drop.

He glanced at Mina. She didn’t like the cold. Would her new trick be enough for her to actually stay warm once winter was here in full force? She had William’s cloak, but what if the knight asked for it back? 

Renault could buy her a new one. He blinked and scowled. What the fuck was he doing? Why the hell would he buy her anything? That’s something husbands or lovers did, and he was most certainly not either.  

“Do you wish to be?” Kenshin’s voice came as somewhat of a surprise. 

“No. Why would I want to? I’m not getting tangled up with another lass. It only ends badly. Every time.” Renault shook his head.

“Not every time. You have not given it a chance since Atsuko. Mina is not her. I do not believe she will betray you as Atsuko did.” Kenshin walked next to him with his hands clasped behind his back. 

“You don’t know that.” Renault tightened his grip. “You don’t know. She could. Maybe she won’t want to, but she could. Everyone has a price.”

“I do not.”

Renault let out a frustrated sigh. “You know what I meant. Of course you don’t, because you’re part of me. You wouldn’t be able to sell me out simply for self-preservation.” 

“It is more than that, and you know it. It is more than simply being a part of you. It is honor and knowing when to do the right thing.” Kenshin glanced over at Renault. 

He sighed. Kenshin was right on that. Honor was important. Unfortunately, most people didn’t give a fuck about it. It was a foreign concept to the majority. He ran his hand over his face and adjusted his hat. 

He couldn’t deny that he was insanely attracted to Mina. She was a good looking woman and she gave as good as she got. It wasn’t often he came across a woman that could do that. 

Sure, she was a dumbass at times, and far too stubborn for her own good. He wouldn't even start on how arrogant she was. It wasn’t real though. He’d seen through the facade before, that day at the tavern. She was broken. Then, so was he.

“Perhaps your broken pieces can fit together to become whole,” Kenshin said. “After all, when you have dreams of a butterfly you are sure to fly high.” 

Renault stumbled forward and shook his head. “I don’t know. There are too many things that can go wrong. I don’t know if I’m willing to take that chance.”

Kenshin’s disappointment filled Renault. He frowned at his Spirit. “Don’t even start with that shite. I’m fine by myself.”

“Except you are not alone, and you’re not fine alone. You act like you prefer the solitude, but you do not. You like the banter, you have fun with this group of people. You even enjoy your silly arguments with Boris.” Kenshin turned his head slightly to look out across the flat landscape. 

“Aye, so what if I do? That doesn’t change that I’m better off alone. Having people around does help, but they’ll eventually stab me in the back. It always happens.” Renault scoffed and released the hilt of his sword and crossed his arms.

Mina glanced back at him, curiosity covering her features. She arched a brow in askance at him. He didn’t answer the unsaid question. 

She pursed her lips but kept walking next to Boris, talking quietly to him. 

“She cares for you, and you care for her. You would not still be here if you did not. Stop being stubborn and at least admit that to yourself, even if you are not willing to admit it to her.”

Renault scowled and glared at Kenshin. “Fine. I care for her. You happy? I ain’t going to do anything about it.”

If he could stap the Spirit for that smugness that rolled off of him in waves, he would. “Well, that is the first step.” 

Kenshin faded from sight and Renault fought down the urge to strangle the samurai. He lengthened his stride until he was in step with the other two. They both looked over at him, but there was no way he was going to tell either of them about his conversation. 

“Where do you think we are?” Mina asked. Her gaze went between him and Boris. 

“Can’t say for sure, don’t know much about Meskonga’s geography,” Renault said with a shrug. All he knew was that the country was flat. Nothing he’d seen had challenged that information. It was, indeed, flat.

Boris shook his head. “Same. We are on path though, so should reach a city or village at some point and find out there.”

Mina twisted her mouth and then nodded. “Yeah. Hopefully it won’t take too long. Not sure how we’re supposed to hunt when there isn’t anything to hide behind to get the jump on an animal. We’re running kind of low on rations too.” 

“You may not be able to hunt here, that doesn’t mean that we can’t,” Renault said. “You may be a one trick pony, I am not.”

“One trick pony? Seriously?” Mina scowled. “I’m used to hunting in the forest, that’s not a bad thing. I didn’t often have reasons to hunt elsewhere. I was usually pretty damned good about keeping my rations good until I was able to get to the next village or town.” 

“Oh, aye, and that’s helping you so much now.” Renault snorted. “When we run out of rations, I will hunt for you, princess.”

“Princess? That’s reaching, even for you,” Mina said. 

“Oh? That so?” He arched a brow, the smile raising his lips against his will. 

“Yeah.” She scrunched up her nose, her own smirk on her features. 

“Should I leave two lovebirds alone? This is awkward.” Boris’s voice cut through the air. 

Renault frowned. “Lovebirds? Hardly. Just ask her, she wouldn’t touch me if I was the last man on earth. She said so herself.”

Mina paused and glanced over at him. “I did not say that. I’ve never even said I wouldn’t actually sleep with you.”

She blinked and her face slowly turned red. “That’s not…I mean.”

He couldn’t help but grin. “Do I make you that flustered, lass?”

Boris threw his hands into the air. “Yebani…Nyet, I’m done. I will walk ahead, you two figure out whatever is you have going on. Do not want to be part of it.”

Renault blinked as Boris stormed ahead of them. His small, round ears were flat against his head, and his striped tail thrashed against his legs. 

Mina didn’t say anything and he looked down at her. She was staring anywhere but at him. 

“What?” He asked, arching a brow at her. 

She glanced up at him and did the same back. “What?”

“You’re not looking at me. In fact, you’re looking anywhere, but at me. Do I have something on me face?” He asked, giving her a soft grin. 

“No, you don’t have anything on your face.” Mina rolled her eyes. 

“Then why are you refusing to look at me? I know I’m not horrible to look at.” He chuckled and adjusted the hat on his head.

Mina scowled and rolled her eyes. “That’s not it all. I just…I don’t know.”

Renault crossed his arms. She’d barely spoken to him since that night, had barely looked at him. He shouldn’t have broke down like that in front of her. He shouldn’t have broke down at all. 

So fucking stupid.

“Ah, you don’t know. Understood. I’ll leave you be then.” He strode up next to Boris, not waiting for her to respond to him. Before he got very far his arm was jerked back. He turned with a snarl. “The fuck are you doing?”

Mina stood there, his sleeve in her hand and she glared at him. “We’re not doing this. You’re not going to start being a dick to me again after what happened. I refuse to backpedal on our friendship.”

He stared at her, trying to comprehend the words she’d said. To make sense of them. She wasn’t mad or upset at him for showing his emotions? He narrowed his eyes at her. 

“I can do what I damned well please.”

“Like hell you can.” She moved in front of him and planted her feet, her hands bit into her hips. 

“Get out of me way.” He paused and went to step past her, only for her to step back in his way.  He stopped and curled his lip up. 

“No. We’re not doing this. You can’t open up to me and then close right back down. Fuck that shit. I’m not doing this hot and cold bullshit with you. Who knows how long we’ll be travelling together. Fuck. That.”

“She is right.” Kenshin didn’t appear, but his voice was clear as day. 

“Shut it.” Renault growled in his head. He didn’t need this from both of them. Even if they were right. 

“Then tell me why you can’t look at me.” 

“I’m looking at you now,” Mina stated flatly.

“Oh, aye, you are. I can tell you’re having difficulties keeping me gaze.” He glanced past her to where Boris was. The Ashan man had stopped several paces ahead and was turned back towards them. He was far enough away that their conversation wouldn’t be easy heard unless they raised their voices.

Mina’s scowl deepened and if looks could kill Renault would be naught but smoking mess on the ground. 

“I’m not having any issue keeping your gaze,” she retorted. 

He leaned forward until his face was mere inches from hers. Her eyes danced away from his face. “No issues, eh? What do you call that then?”

He scanned her face and his gaze landed on her mouth. He was very close to her. 

“Kiss her,”  Kenshin instructed. 

Renault ignored the Spirit. She had dragged her eyes back up to him and was staring steadfastly now, her full lips parted every so slightly. The urge to kiss her was so strong, he almost gave in. Almost. He pulled back and adjusted his hat. 

Disappoint flashed across Mina’s face, but she wasn’t looking away now. He raised both of his brows and tilted his head. “So, now you can’t look away? Make up your mind, lass.”

She rolled her eyes and turned on her heel. “We should get going. We’ve spent enough time going around in circles like this. Just stop being a dick.”