JENNA: * Jo gives one last yawn before mumbling a similar sentiment and dropping off on her own. The pouring rain provides a comforting backdrop to her dreams, lending them a mild quality they haven't had of late. It's with reluctance she wakes the following morning, half sitting up before she realizes the heavy patter of water hasn't ceased in the night and is in fact still coming down steadily outside. She gives a faint curse and flops back down.

JUSTIN: * Shane wakes with the sound of Jo hitting the ground again, and he sits up with a groggy stare, nearly colliding with the low ceiling. He mumbles what might be a question of some sort, but it is hard to decipher words in the early-morning gurgling. His eyes eventually find Jo what little light the clouded morning sun can get through the tent fabric, and he squints hard while he attempts to fix his voice. "Is it morning...?"

JENNA: * Jo gives a low, faint sigh, pushing herself upright again. "Yes, unfortunately ..." She squirms around until she's facing the front of the tent and pokes the flaps open to display the downpour outside. "At least the wind died down ... this is not going to be a pleasant ride." She attempts to peer across the clearing, where the wagon is, but she can't see through the rain.

JUSTIN: * The idea of wet doesn't sit too well with Shane, and his face shows his disgruntledness by way of a brief, but disgusted look. "It's not going to be a pleasant exit from the tent, as far as I can see..." He thinks on this for a bit, then rolls over and curls up again, thinking this should be reason enough to go back to sleep.

JENNA: * He is rewarded with a brief, sharp smack across the back, but that is Jo's only comment before launching herself out into the rain and to the wagon, swearing as she goes. It doesn't take too much heavy pounding to gain entrance, and she scowls faintly at Douglas' wonderment before sitting down sharply to dry off a little. "Are we moving on today?" she demands.

JUSTIN: * There is a momentary feeling of guilt as Jo slips out into the rain, the sting of the brief slap still prickling on his skin. He goes so far as to sit upright, tugging his boots over and half-heartedly beginning to slip them on. Somewhere between point A and point B, however, he flops onto his back again and stares up at the fabric of the tent. Enduring the occassional splash of rain making it through the open front flap, he heaves a sigh and attempts to fall asleep again, at least until he gets more than a smack.

JENNA: * Though Douglas clearly feels the storm is reason enough not to continue the journey, his servant is of another mind, determining that there's no way to know how long the rain will last, and Douglas' father wants them home as quickly as possible. Thus out-argued, Douglas sinks back with a sigh, until he's pointedly reminded that at least he get to sit in the wagon. Jo sighs heavily, then dashes through the rain again to get back to the tent.

JUSTIN: * The sound of Jo's steps landing outside the tent causes Shane to jerk up again, fumbling with the straps of his boots in half-awareness, pretending it's what he was doing all along. "S-so we moving now or what?" The slur of sleep is highly evident.

JENNA: * She scowls at him, making a half-hearted attempt to dry herself before pulling on her cloak and grabbing her gear. "The old man says it's urgent they get back home before Douglas' papa thinks he fell into a gorge." She pulls the hood of the cloak up over her face. "So yes, we're moving. Hopefully we'll move out of the storm."

JUSTIN: * Shane looks most unhappy with this news, but continues to tie his boots as he wakes up further. "Mmmph." Is all he manages at first, at least until he's gotten his own cloak on and pulled the hood up to protect against the unwanted downpour. "I don't remember rain being a part of this contract." He says with an almost grouchy, but mostly just tired tone. He snags his stuff and vacates the tent -- finding his cloak is next to useless after all.

JENNA: * Jo doesn't bother to respond, making her own way out of the tent and starting to tear it down. The manservant has also ventured into the storm to help hitch the pecos to the wagon, and they appear even less pleased than their human companions, squawking and ruffling their feathers -- and occasionally spraying anyone nearby with even more water.

JUSTIN: * Shane makes a valiant effort to avoid getting even wetter than he is, and is rewarded with an extra wet crotch and butt after hopping into the saddle of his peco. This doesn't lift his spirits any, and he looks downright sour as he trots the flustered animal back around the wagon and waits sullenly for departure.

JENNA: * Once the animals are hitched and the tent stowed away, Jo swings up to her own mount, already dripping wet and scowling at teh weather. "The hell with this!" she shouts, and they roll onto the road. The manservant seems to be largely of her mind, though he smiles apologetically as they start down the road.

JUSTIN: * Shane dedicates himself to silence for the time being, perhaps letting the gloomy morning influence him more than it should. He stares blandly ahead as he marches his peco along beside Jo's -- occassionally drifting head, sometimes back. The only movement aside from his peco are the random glances at the sky above, attempting to judge how near they are to the storm's end. The storm that wasn't even supposed to be there.

JENNA: * In a testament to nature's perversity -- or perhaps her sadism -- the rain doesn't let up until they're partway into Payon Forest, only a day or so from their destination. Setting camp before the last push, Jo pauses to swear for a moment at the heavens, watching water drip gently from the leaves of the trees as the cloudless sky winks innocently down at them.

JUSTIN: * Shane shares in Jo's aggitation, sitting and staring stubbornly ahead, as leaves drop their payloads every few seconds. Larger than raindrops and extra splashy, they seem to seek out the top of his head with some sort of sick animousity. However, he refuses to comment on the annoyance, and instead watches Jo attempt to get things situated. "Want help?"

JENNA: "If you would." She pauses for a moment as Douglas exits the wagon, looking around with interest. "The tent will probably be dry enough ... if muddy." She straightens from where she's attempting to set it up, walking over to their employer. "We're probably just as safe from bandits in Payon as we were in the storm, but we'll keep watch tonight." He nods, clearly more interested in the scenery than her words, and she shrugs, walking back to the tent.

JUSTIN: * Shane sets about trying to clear an area for a small fire, though he's doubtful they'll find anything dry enough to light unless Douglas is keeping some in the wagon. His clothes would make a decent kindling (if rather smokey), but he pushes that out of his mind as quickly as it enters. He sits back in the mud and stares at Jo and the tent, watching with one eye closed against assaulting water droplets.

JENNA: * Jo sets up the tent with relative speed, sighing and sinking into a crouch when she finishes. "There's some wood in the wagon," Douglas suggests out of nowhere, guessing that the wet is most of the reason there's no fire yet. "I'm not sure why it's in there, but I don't think anyone's using it."

JUSTIN: * Shane stands up and swats uselessly at the mud crusting his clothing. "Well you've got a strong set of arms -- bring it over." He shakes his hands out in one, last ditch effort to clear them of the muck, and turns Douglas a very brief, precise stare. Judging by the look on his face, he is obviously feeling impatient with the young man -- generally just out of spite.

JENNA: * Jo gives Shane a sharp look. Clearly this is not how one is to treat one's employer. Douglas doesn't seem to mind, however, giving a cheerful salute before trotting back to the wagon for the goods. He and his manservant return shortly after with enough firewood to last the night. "There's more in there, too," Douglas says comfortably, shooting Shane a cheeky grin. "Just say the word.

JUSTIN: "If I think of a way for you to make yourself useful, I will." Shane says shortly, ignoring the looks and not returning either of them. He kneels in the dirt and begins arranging the firewood, stripping bark to use as kindling.

JENNA: * Douglas shrugs, ambling back to the wagon, and Jo crouches next to Shane, delivering him a sharp slap on the shoulder. "Don't take that tone. You want to get us fired?" She frowns, setting some of the wood in position. "What's he done to get you so angry? As employers go, he's one of the best I've had."

JUSTIN: * Shane jerks at the slap, turning Jo a half-hurt, half-annoyed look. "What tone? Our job is to protect him, and that's what we're doing." He turns back to the fire he's preparing, looking rather self-pitying. "I don't need to wait on him. And what are you worried about? He has to realize that if he doesn't pay us, there's nothing stopping us from taking our payment from his corpse." The extremeness of that assessment doesn't seem to strike him until after it's been said, and he fights back an embarrassed redness for even saying something like that. "I mean -- you know what I'm trying to say... Besides, he's cheeky and... and he's not much of a gentleman."

JENNA: "That's no reason to be an ass," is Jo's short, hot retort. "Word spreads -- it'll be harder to get work if you piss someone off." She frowns, going back to her packs for flint and tinder. "At least we'll get a hot meal tonight. We're near enough the river I can go ahead and catch some fish." From her tone, it's clear she'll be just as glad when the job is over.

JUSTIN: "Well, then you go do that." Shane says, more miserable the further this conversation goes. "And I'll stay here and babysit Prince Charming." He gets out his flint and steel and starts hammering away at the tinder with deceptive determination, not really caring much about the stupid fire at the moment.

JENNA: * Jo gives him a look bordering on disgust and resists the impulse to kick dirt over the few sparks he's managing -- if partly because the ground's too wet. She retrieves her line and starts toward the river, shaking her head. There are several minutes of silence before Douglas pokes his head out of the wagon and ambles over to crouch across from Shane and watch him work at the fire. "That was some storm, huh?" he says after a moment.

JUSTIN: "Do I look sociable to you?" Shane says without looking, finally managing to get some of the tinder to catch despite the damp ground beneath. "Why don't you go chase the skirt you're fancying? I promise I won't hit you -- honest." This time he does look up at Douglas, smiling in a most unfriendly way.

JENNA: * Douglas gives him a curious look. "Hey, I said she was hot, I didn't say I was going to try anything." He glances toward the river, then shrugs. "I just wanted to say you guys did a nice job during the rain.. had a crew up and quit once in the middle of one of those." He almost sets his rump in the mud, but he straightens again.

JUSTIN: * Shane rearranges the logs so they'll catch, hissing sharply and jerking a hand back after a brief eruption of flames leaps through the bottom of the pile. "And I'm sure the notion of dinner in Alberta was soley for business reasons." Shane says bitterly, sucking on his finger and standing up to go search through his pack for absolutely nothing. "We're getting paid to get you where you're going. There's nothing we can do about the rain -- there /is/ something you can do about your bizarre need to talk to me."

JENNA: * Douglas shrugs again, looking cheerful despite the growling from his unwilling conversation partner. "I doubt she'd say yes anyway. Nice thought, though." He plucks up a blade of grass and tosses it into the fire. "I had a question for you, anyway. You're from Juno, yeah? How much you know about guns and powder?"

JUSTIN: * Shane gives Douglas a level stare, dropping his pack on the ground without a thought and folding his arms over his chest. "And why would you want to know that?" He stalks back around the fire and crouches, picking up a small branch along the way and using it to stir the coals.

JENNA: * Douglas grins at him, boyish enthusiasm creeping into his voice as he speaks. "Well, my dad's a merchant, yaknow, but it's not really my gig -- I like to build things. Make things. Take 'em apart, put 'em back together, make something new. Inventor, I guess. I don't get to see guns real often, just when they come across the market, and the guys selling them don't always know what they're about ... I wanna know more, so maybe I can make one of my own or improve the design."

JUSTIN: * Shane continues to stare at the boy, a deliberate suspicion in the half-glaring look. He sets the stick he's holding aside and pulls out his gun, spinning it a couple times on his finger snagging it by the handle again. "Guns aren't toys. And gunpowder alone can be even more dangerous than the guns. You shouldn't mess around with it at all, if you ask me." He sticks the gun away again, deciding against any sort of further demonstration.

JENNA: * Douglas waves a hand. "Yeah, I know all that. I blew out Dad's basement one time ... he wasn't too happy, heh. But I know more about it now. I have a few at home." He peers at the gun before it's put away, curiosity on his face. "I haven't seen one like that before -- can I look?"

JUSTIN: "No." Shane says quickly, and his sudden, hard look only reinforces the statement. "You want to see one, join the Juno guard and get promoted to captain." His hand clasps unconsciously around the gun, perhaps remembering the last time someone took an interest in it. "Maybe when you spend some time learning in detail what a gun can do to a person, and what it's meant for, you'll lose your interest."

JENNA: * Douglas gives him a disappointed look. "I'm tellin' you, I already know. But if you say so." He scratches his cheek, frowning slightly. "I wonder if Nat's picked any up ... probably have to pay through the nose, though." He sighs heavily, by now musing largely to himself. "Thanks for stickin' through the storm, anyway." He unfolds to his feet and ambles back to the wagon, still talking to himself about where to acquire a military-grade weapon.

JUSTIN: * Shane shakes his head and stands up, taking out his gun and cocking back the hammer. He spins the cylinder and recocks, staring down the sights at the ground before letting the hammer down gently. "Yes, yes, yes. I'm sure you know all the science behind it. The fact you even know what gunpowder is tells me that much." He slides the gun back into its holster and walks away from the fire, sliding his coat off as he does so. "And no doubt you find it all very fascinating."

JENNA: * It isn't much longer before Jo returns, bearing fish for them both and sticks to roast them on. She appears to be in a cheerful mood, having recovered from her earlier irritation. She hums a bit, in fact, as she's setting the fish up, though she doesn't say anything to Shane right off.

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't seem to care for once -- much too annoyed at everything and anything to notice the difference. He tosses his cloak inside the tent and seats himself well away from the fire to mind his own business, tinkering with his gun again absently and not sparing either of the others a glance.

JENNA: * Jo doesn't say anything until the food's prepared, tossing an absent-minded "Food's ready" over her shoulder before finding a rock to sit on that will keep her bottom out of the mud. In the wagon, the other two seem to have attended to their own needs, so it appears the call was directed primarily at Shane.

JUSTIN: * Shane gives a noncommital "I'm not hungry", not bothering to turn and address the person he's responding to. He stares down at the weapon in his lap, the silvery finish reflecting the fire's light behind him. Apart from occassionally turning the gun in his fingers, he doesn't appear to be moving at all.

JENNA: "The hell you aren't," Jo retorts, getting to her feet again and stalking over with his share of the meal. "Don't waste food. Eat." She thrusts the fish at him, having difficulty fathoming his remarkably unpleasant mood. "It's only a day and a half more, then you'll likely never have to see him again, so stop sulking."

JUSTIN: * Shane grabs the stick and stabs the end into the ground, continuing to ignore it thereafter. "/He/ is only part of the problem. And I wouldn't expect you to understand or care, so don't bother." He pushes his gun roughly into its holster and crosses his arms in his lap before leaning on them, giving the forest a sullen stare. "You don't have to look at me or listen to me if it bothers you."

JENNA: * Jo's expression becomes truly aggravated, and for a moment she loses control over her strong impulse to hit him. Her hand lashes out to smack him upside the head, then she crouches in front of him, gaze boring into his. "What is the matter with you? I didn't think the rain could put you in this bad a sulk. What did he do to you? And what else is a problem? I'm tired of this." Her voice is low enough not to carry past the two of them as she speaks, though her tone is intense enough she might as well be shouting.

JUSTIN: * Shane cringes at the sudden, blunt contact, and turns quickly to face her -- only to turn again when she moves back in front of him. "It's not--" He bites his lip, and when he talks again his voice is much quieter. "It's not that simple." His voice is a hiss, half anger and half guilt. "I'm just... there's a lot on my mind, and I'm sick of being accused of... of things, things that aren't true -- everytime I turn around."

JENNA: "Just what did he accuse you of?" she demands. "Murder? Rape?" She can't think of anything else that would get this kind of reaction. "Either way, I find it hard to believe you'd take him seriously --" She draws back slightly, frowning, and reaches back around to take hold of his fish and jerk the stick from the ground. "Either way, starving yourself won't make you feel better."

JUSTIN: * Shane's expression does a fairly good job of conveying how disgusted he is at her guesses, but he quickly tries to draw a neutral expression across his face. He partially succeeds, looking more or less like a child who's had his feelings hurt, but is too proud to cry. "We're almost to Alberta, it shouldn't even matter." He grabs the stick, stabbing it into the ground next to him again, without even thinking about it. "You'll still get paid. And if the amount of time he talks to me is any indication, I doubt he cares nearly as much about my 'attitude' as you do."

JENNA: * Jo glares at him for a moment, then gives up in disgust, getting to her feet. "Eat your food," she snaps over her shoulder as she stalks away, retrieving her own and settling down on her rock to eat. When she finishes -- it goes savagely quick -- she throws the sticks and remains on the fire and watches it balefully for a while. There's no movement from the wagon -- apparently its inhabitants have settled in for the night.

JUSTIN: * Shane rubs at his head visciously, disheveling his hair, but in the end finds his thoughts are no less aggitated for the effort. He stares into the mud with an expression of resentment, feeling very alone and lost in his troubles. This stare finds its way to the fish, and he shudders with lingering frustration. Again he turns, giving Jo a brief look -- something unreadable on his face now -- before grabbing his fish and disappearing into the tent.

JENNA: * Jo takes this as an indication that she's on first watch, and she makes a brief, disgusted noise before settling in to watch the silent woods. After a few minutes. she shrugs and digs her weaving, still miraculously intact, out of her pack. She anchors it on a nearby root and sets about braiding the strands and her humming resumes.

JUSTIN: * Shane sits in the far end of the tent and eats his fish slowly, quietly, and with very put-upon reluctance. It doesn't occur to him that nobody can see the act, but it suits his state of mind just fine regardless. By the time he's half-finished, his stomach protests any further intrusion (fault of a stressed-out mind and body), and so he reaches out to stake what's left of the meal in front of the tent. He spares Jo a quick, passing glance, and retreats again to lie down and nap -- a plan he feels he won't have much luck with.

JENNA: * If Jo notices him, she gives no sign, getting halfway through with the weaving before she becomes completely bored and puts it away again. Then she gets to her feet and stretches, checking her weapons, and ambles off to do a quick circuit around the woods -- to see what's out there and stay awake.

JUSTIN: * Much as predicted, Shane doesn't spend any of his time asleep, merely wrestling with the same thoughts with closed eyes instead of open. Finally fed up, he crawls out of the tent and stumbles to his feet. At the sight of the vacant campfire before him, his first instinct is to panic -- having done it so many times in the past -- but he quickly reminds himself where they are and what they're doing, and that if anything was wrong she'd have told him this time. He makes his way to the fireside and sits, staring blankly into it and for the moment, at least, he finds a little bit of comfort in the quiet.

JENNA: * It's perhaps thirty minutes before Jo returns, stretching and yawning as she ambles back into the fire's light. Spying Shane, she seats herself across the fire and watches him silently, a number of things springing to mind, though she decides not to say any of them. Instead, she puts her hands behind her head and leans back against the trunk of the tree, expression bored.

JUSTIN: * Shane tries to ignore her for as long as possible, perhaps to prove something to himself, but it isn't long before he looks up anyway. It doesn't last long, eyes shooting back to the fire -- only to bounce back again. He shifts weight, he clears his throat quietly, and he rubs his palms together anxiously. "What do you plan to do after we reach Alberta?"

JENNA: * She shifts her gaze to him, arching an eyebrow. "Look for another job ..." She straightens, shifting her arms to rest them on her knees. "I don't like to stay too long.. it starts to cost. There should be plenty of business there, at least." She pauses, tossing a twig into the fire. "And resupply, naturally."

JUSTIN: * Shane isn't sure how to follow up his initial question, admittedly only asking so he wouldn't look like he was sulking. He rubs his hands a bit more before retiring them to his lap, where they stay for about half a second until one shoots up to scratch behind his ear. "Oh..." He gnaws at a lip, looking suddenly very nervous for some reason. "You don't think... you don't think we'll be doing this kind of work for the rest of our lives? ...do you?"

JENNA: * Jo scratches her cheek. "It's a job, isn't it?" Then she shrugs slightly. "I wouldn't mind. There's an element of danger, but it isn't hard." She leans back against the tree, watching him silently. "There are other kinds of work. If you'd prefer, you can try for a guard post in another city."

JUSTIN: * Shane furrows his brow, looking half-insulted by the notion. "Be a guard in a city that isn't even my own? I would feel completely out of place, I'd be at a disadvantage..." Shane sinks a little in his spot, not at all enticed by the idea of working this sort of job until he's old and grey. "I guess you really don't think about settling down, huh?"

JENNA: * Jo gives him a puzzled look. "Why would I? I've got nowhere to settle. I might have to find a place when I'm too old to keep going, but.. that won't be for a while." She tosses another twig on the fire, smiling faintly. "I like to travel. And this sort of work lets me." She glances at him again, shrugging. "I know you don't.. that's why I suggested it."

JUSTIN: * Shane is quickly becoming uncomfortable again, knowing full well that he won't be able to explain himself, and it will only end up in bickering -- like always, like always. He shrugs, staring at the dirt near his feet. "I know..."

JENNA: * Jo gives him a sideways look, wondering what he's getting at, then shrugs. "It's not like you have to decide now," she says carefully. "There's plenty of time." After a moment, she gets to her feet, stretching again. "Your watch is coming up soon.. do you want to get some sleep?"

JUSTIN: * Shane shakes his head, scooting back a little from the fire. "No... I'll be fine." He refrains from stating that he already tried and failed, and that's why he's out here in the first place. "You can go to bed early, if you want. I'm gonna be up anyway."

JENNA: * Jo tilts her head, then shrugs once again. "All right ... wake me up if you get tired. If we get started early, we can be there in a day and a half." She ambles over to the tent, then pauses, glancing back at him. Mulling it over for a moment, she decides against whatever she was going to say and slips into the tent. She stretches out there, staring vaguly into the dark, and it isn't long before she falls asleep.

JUSTIN: * Shane pulls his knees up and rests his arms across them, nodding absently -- and much too late -- in response, when Jo's words finally reach his brain. He has already determined he won't have to wake her, intending to use the time alone to try and sort his own thoughts out, and maybe get past some of his frustration and anger.

JENNA: * Jo sleeps comfortably through the night, waking at dawn to the sound of the breeze blowing through the branches of the trees. She frowns, rubbing her eyes, then gathers her things and sticks her head outside the tent to have a look around.

JUSTIN: * Shane is more or less exactly where she left him, staring at the fire with half his face buried in his arms. His eyes are open, if barely, but he is aware enough to notice the movement off to the side. He turns his head slowly, hair shifting in the brisk morning breeze, and he looks up at her wordlessly.

JENNA: * She gives him weary look. "I told you to wake me up when you got tired. You're going to fall off your bird like this." She walks over and crouches next to him, frowning. After a moment, she turns away, digging in her pack for a moment. When she turns back, she has a few pieces of jerky. "Eat, it might help you stay awake."

JUSTIN: * Shane turns his nose at the offer of food, burying his face into his arms more completely. "I'll be fine. I've done it before." His muffled voice doesn't sound as tired as he looks, but it doesn't sound like he's willing to put up much of a fight if she continues to insist. He turns to lay his head sideways against his arms, staring at her blankly. "Besides, I wouldn't have slept anyway."

JENNA: "Eat it anyway," she growls, offering him the food again. "Or at least put it in your pocket for when you're hungry later." She then rises to tend to the pecos, frustrated and annoyed. She manages only a noncommittal response to Douglas' cheery hello, helping the manservant as they hitch up the birds. "At least," she says, mostly to herself, "the rain stopped."

JUSTIN: * Shane puts the jerky in his pocket to avoid any further argument, zoning out again -- mostly so that he doesn't have to hear Douglas' voice, whether the boy is talking to him or not. Before too long, though, he stirs and climbs to his feet, working on cleaning the campsite so he can't be accused of being useless.

JENNA: * Douglas doesn't appear to notice, chattering cheerfully at whoever will listen. Once everything is packed away, Jo swings up onto her peco, watching patiently for everyone else to get in line. She seems impatient to get on the road, as if she wishes the journey would be over by evening instead of lasting another day. She turns a brief glare on Shane, then starts toward the road. Douglas notes it, but aside from a highly amused grin, he doesn't react.

JUSTIN: * Shane gets the rest of the gear packed up without a look or a word at anyone, climbing onto his peco afterward and riding at the rear of the wagon for once. A distinct change of pace, at least for the trip so far, but considering the alternatives are dirty looks and pointless chatter, it seems to be the only sane option.

JENNA: * The mood seems to hang over the rest of the journey, even though the sun is shining high above them as they finally pull into Alberta. Jo looks up wearily, then glances at Douglas. "Where's your store?" The boy turns to look at her curiously, then blinks. "Oh, right. It's off the market square ..." He points, some of his cheer fading as they approach his home. "It's pretty big.. hard to miss -- oh, hey Nat!" he calls suddenly, waving at a girl in thick glasses who appears to be sweeping off her front walk. She glares up at the hail. "And things were so /quiet/ around here." Douglas only grins. "Missed you, too."

JUSTIN: * Shane sits up straighter at the sound of another voice, once that hasn't been accompanying them for the past several days. The fact that this new voice seems to be as displeased by Douglas' chattiness has him at first intrigued -- but when he sees the girl behind the voice, he gives a sudden lurch and pulls his peco quickly around the wagon to avoid being seen. As if his gun might mysteriously disappear again by being in her mere presence.

JENNA: * Jo's brows lift in surprise at the sight of the girl, and she covers a grin in Shane's direction as the wagon rumbles past. Aside from that exchange -- and a cheerful farewell wave from Douglas -- the girl doesn't seem to have much to say. It isn't long before Douglas' home comes into view, and as promised, the mansion is hard to miss.

JUSTIN: * Shane quickly forgets the unpleasant sight of the girl when they come upon the large dwelling. "This is where you /live/?" He asks out loud, contrary to all his efforts thus far to avoid speech. He pulls his peco around the front of the wagon for a better view, looking around to check if maybe there is some smaller house being dwarfed that is their real destination.

JENNA: * Douglas blinks, craning his head around to have a look at Shane, and nods. "Yep. Home, sweet home. Or something." He scratches his head as they stop at the gate. "I wonder how pissed Dad is .... well, either way." He vanishes back into the wagon, reappearing out the back. "Lemme go talk to him, an' I'll get your pay." The manservant gives him an impatient look, which he ignores, pushing past the wagon and entering through a smaller gate set in the stone wall. Jo leans back, eyeing the house appraisingly. "Big, isn't it?"

JUSTIN: "Big!" Shane rocks in his saddle. "The entire guard could live in there, and have room to spare!" He isn't sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing, in either case. "How do you suppose they manage the upkeep? It takes me all day just to clean my house..." The house he no longer has, but the point is still relevant.

JENNA: * Jo scratches her cheek, casting the manservant a sideways glance and smiling faintly. "I imagine if they're rich enough to own that house, they're rich enough to pay folks to clean it. Lots of folks," she adds after a moment. She pauses, then swings down from the peco, gathering her belongings from its saddlebags. The servant chuckles briefly. "Well over one hundred, miss," he says.

JUSTIN: * Shane looks astonished at this fact, staring at the servant with disbelief. "How does anyone get a moment of peace in that place?" He belatedly notices Jo has left the back of her mount, and he hurries to slide from his saddle and begin unpacking his items as well.

JENNA: * The servant chuckles again. "You would be surprised, sir. We find our moments. And you would be astonished at how quickly the younger and more agile disappear when there is work to be done." He chuckles again. Jo, unpacked, leads the peco to the back of the wagon and ties it there. "I think it would be easy to lose yourself in a house that size."

JUSTIN: * Shane follows around to tie his own peco beside hers. "You can find your way through the wilderness, I'm sure you could find your way through a house -- no matter how big. Myself, on the other hand... I could get lost in a closet." He hops onto the back of the wagon to wait, for the time being.

JENNA: * Jo smiles briefly, shrugging, and glances up when the smaller gate clangs open and shut again. Douglas has reappeared, looking mildly stunned. "Hey! He's not pissed at all, for some reason. He wanted to give you a bonus, too." He pauses, scratching his head. "He's usually a real tightwad. I wonder what happened. Anyway." He tosses Jo a money pouch, then turns and tosses Shane another. "Five thousand each, plus another five hundred from me. I really meant it about staying through the rain." He nods cheerfully.

JUSTIN: * Shane leans to catch, hopping down from the wagon to save himself from an embarrassing tumble. "F-five /thousand/? For just that? Are you sure that's not a mistake?" He's fairly certain he hardly made that much in a year at his previous job. Hell, he didn't even get that much for his house.

JENNA: * Jo turns a startled look at Douglas, who spreads his hands in a shrug. "I dunno. I told you he was feeling pretty generous. Either way, g'head and take it. Least I could do, right?" Jo looks faint for a moment, then she nods and tucks the pouch away, smiling briefly. "Thank you." Douglas nods again. "Sure! Hey, mind doing another escort job sometime? You guys were great."

JUSTIN: * Shane looks stunned, not the least bit because he doesn't particularly like the man. But it would be bad form to be ungrateful, rude, or anything less than thankful. "Wuh... we'd be happy to, if we're available. R-right, Jo?" He turns around without waiting for her to pick up the reigns of the conversation, tying the money pouch to his belt near his own.

JENNA: * Jo nods quickly. "If you'd care to have us back, we'd be happy to escort you." Douglas grins, clapping his hands together once. "It's settled, then! I'll be seein' ya." He turns and whistles sharply to the gatekeepers, and they finally roll the heavy iron gates open to permit the wagon to pass. Jo waves an absentminded and bemused farewell.