JUSTIN: * Shane gatheres both of their packs, just like he did when they arrived in Einbroch, and helps Jo to her feet when she's calm enough to gain decent use of her legs. He walks behind her, keeping a hand on her shoulder the entire way out. He doesn't want to lose her again at the first sight of open sky beneath them, before they can reach the safety of the city walls. All the excitement -- if it can be called that -- has left him feeling a little numb on the inside, unable to devote himself completely to frustration or compassion. "I'll come with you to the house, okay? Forget what I said earlier."

JENNA: * Jo nods, not quite having recovered the use of her voice. Once they're well inside the city, she stops, sucking in a deep breath, and she stretches skyward before dropping back wearily. "I can.. take my pack now," she says, glancing at him sideways. "Next time.. we should probably just ride."

JUSTIN: * Shane opens his mouth to insist it's all right for him to carry it, but he decides against it in the end. Whatever will make her feel comfortable sooner is more important at the moment. He slips the pack down from his shoulder and hands over to her, looking around briefly as if he could possibly need to get his bearings in a city he knows by heart. "Do you want to go straight there, or... do you want to rest first?"

JENNA: "We should go there." She shoulders her pack, looking weary. "The sooner this is over with, the better." She forces a smile, starting toward Shane's -- now the old man's -- house. "What he really wanted was probably to see the looks on their faces, huh?"

JUSTIN: * Shane repositions his own pack and starts after her, sighing quietly and looking no less tired and miserable than before. "They do have mail service, so I can't see any other reason for him to send mercenaries to deliver a piece of paper." He shudders a little, grimacing at the word. No matter how often it is used in reference to themselves and what they do, he still despises it.

JENNA: * Jo scratches her cheek, shrugging. "Guess it doesn't matter, long as we get paid.. right?" She hefts her pack, smiling wanly. "You can leave if he wants a full account.. I don't mind telling him." She glances around the streets, which are emptying as afternoon turns into evening. "Hope he's still awake."

JUSTIN: "Well of course you wouldn't, this was all your idea." Shane arches a brow at her, but his face reverts to neutral again as he turns his attention to the road again. "I don't doubt it. It's early yet, even for an old man. He's probably sitting up waiting for us like an eager puppy."

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head, smiling faintly. "I dunno.. old people and all." She falls silent the rest of the trip, nearly walking past the house before she stops, looking around the area curiously. The old man isn't present, but it seems unlikely he'd stay outside waiting for them. She glances at Shane, then shrugs, trotting toward the front door.

JUSTIN: * Shane shakes his head, repressing a look of amusement and wondering why he wasn't the one leading the way in the first place. He steps by her to give the door a sharp couple of knocks, then leans against the frame to wait. After a couple of seconds, however, he leans over to test the doorknob -- which opens without hesitation. "Hm. Maybe you were right, after all. He left the door unlocked for us." He eases the door open quietly, waving for her to go on ahead of him.

JENNA: * Jo ambles in, looking puzzled, and stops in the front hall to get her bearings. "Hey!" she calls. "Hey, old man!" There is no reply, however, and she glances back at Shane. "Guess I'll check the bedroom." She pauses, scratching her cheek. "Unless you'd rather come back.

JUSTIN: * Shane shakes his head. "With the way he was going on and on about this? He'd probably deduct from our pay for making him wait until morning. Just go on ahead, I'll see if he left a note or anything in the living area." He shuts the door behind himself, stepping over to turn on one of the oil lamps.

JENNA: * Jo nods, starting up the hall without bothering to turn on any lights. There's still sunlight coming in the window from the bedroom, visible where the door is standing partway open. She snorts faintly as she pushes it the rest of the way, remembering the last time she came up this hall. "Hey, old man, you sleeping?"

JUSTIN: * Shane's search brings him to the kitchen area, after finding the living room mostly empty. He is actively suppressing the urge to explore further, to see just how much the old man has changed his house from the way he remembered it. So far, he's noticed a lot of the items he sold with the house are still exactly where he left them. Whatever the new owner brought with him must not have been very much in the way of personal artifacts. Except books, which seem to have multiplied even beyond what Shane had left behind. On the counter in the kitchen, there are a few stacks of them, and as he's casually reading over them, he happens upon what he was looking for -- a note. Or at least, he thinks it's a note at first. It turns out to be a recipe of some sort, which immediately catches his attention.

JENNA: "Aha," Jo says drily, noting the lump under the covers and the very top of the old man's head protruding near the pillow. Since he doesn't stir, she decides he must be fast asleep, and she ambles closer to finish the process of waking him. As she leans over to pull the covers back, however, she notices a book on the nightstand and freezes. Straightening again, her eyes dart over the lettering once, then again. She may not be able to read it, but the title is as fresh in her mind now as the day it started her down her path. "You old /fart/," she breathes, snatching it up and staring at it. Then she remembers what she came in for and tugs the covers back. "Yo, time to wake up."

JUSTIN: * Shane, meanwhile, has momentarily forgotten about what he was originally searching for, instead engrossed in the fine recipes laid out before him. It isn't just one, but an entire group, all designed to compliment each other in some way. When he realizes the goldmine he's found, he quickly rushes to one of the drawers in the kitchen where he used to keep scrap paper, and is happy to find his supplies still present. He hops back to the recipes, a pencil and paper in hand, and begins to hastily scribble down notes.

JENNA: * For a moment, Jo can only stare, unwilling to concede to the reality that lies in front of her. Then she drops the covers, taking a slow step backward, eyes still fixed on the man's still form -- not breathing and very clearly dead. She doesn't realize she's kept walking until she collides with the doorframe, almost stumbling over something that gives a loud thud as it tumbles over.

JUSTIN: * Shane pauses in his writing for a second, looking up at the sound of the noise, and craning his neck to peer over his shoulder. He can't quite see all the way down the hall, so he instead uses his voice. "Jo? Is he awake yet? Tell him we don't have all night, we need our beauty sleep, too."

JENNA: * His voice shakes her from her daze, and she turns to stumbles out the door, stopping to lean against the frame. "Shane," she calls, but her voice is weak, cracking as she speaks. She pauses, then tries again. "Shane, get over here. The old guy isn't going to be paying us."

JUSTIN: "What?! Why?" Shane snags his scrap of paper and shoves it in his pocket, stalking around the corner and down the hallway. "Where is he?" He snaps, glaring rather fiercely. "I don't care how old and crazy he is, an agreement is an agreement."

JENNA: * At this, Jo starts laughing, and she jerks a thumb up the hall toward Shane's former bedroom. "You try talking to him if you want. I doubt he'll be very responsive." Her giggling continues after this statement, beginning to sound nearly hysterical.

JUSTIN: * Shane turns his aggrivated look to Jo as he passes her by, pausing momentarily. "That's hardly appropriate, Jocasta." He snorts, busting through the doorway into the bedroom and crossing the distance to the bed in two quick strides. "You better be sick or dying, old man." He snags the corner of the blankets and throws them off, reaching down to turn the body onto its back. It takes a moment for it to register, but when it does, Shane lurches back with a small jump. "Good gods! What on earth?!" He stands stunned for a few seconds, then whirls to the doorway and runs into the hall. "JO! Why in the bloody hells didn't you tell me he was DEAD?!"

JENNA: "D-didn't have a chance, did I?" She lifts one hand up to her forehead, finally managing to stifle her frantic laughter. "Wasn't really expecting.. I mean, it was just an afternoon." She rubs her forehead once and drops her hand again. "Wonder what happened."

JUSTIN: * Shane stares at her for a moment longer, then shakes his head in an attempt to clear it out. "I don't know! Maybe he just... choked, or something. Had a heart attack?" He begins to pace up and down the hall, utterly creeped out at the thought of a dead stranger in his house. "W-we have to notify the guard, we can't just leave him lying here. Who knows how long it would be before anyone thinks to check in on him?" He jogs for the front door, but comes to an immediate, screeching halt. "I... wait, I can't go in there... Jo!" He whirls again, dashing over to her and grabbing her hand to drag her toward the exit. "You. You have to go report this."

JENNA: * Jo stares at him for a moment in surprise. "Er.. ah. Of course." She straightens away from the wall, giving him a concerned look. "Hey, just calm down -- it isn't our fault. The guard'll be able to see that.." She reaches out to touch his arm, doubting it will be any calming influence. "Go.. sit down or something. I'll be back." She doesn't move, however, watching him warily to make sure he at least listens.

JUSTIN: * Shane doesn't listen, at least not particularly well, still pacing back and forth as if there is anything to be gained from it. "I am calm! Of course it's not our fault!" His answers come late, and seemingly aimed at random to her earlier comments. He eventually does make it into the living room, though he doesn't sit. He stands in the corner, arms crossed over his chest and staring through the floor, while chewing at his lip.

JENNA: * Jo stares after him blankly, then sighs, deciding that's good enough. "I'll be back soon," she says, then starts out the door, expression weary. She's halfway to the guardhouse when she realizes she still has the book in hand, and she hesitates, then unslings her pack and slips it inside. She feels only a momentary pang of guilt, soon lost in the unease that fills her as she approaches the guard station. For the moment, all she hopes is that none of them remember her.

JUSTIN: * Shane finally takes Jo up on her suggestion, but not until she's well out the door. He collapses onto his familiar couch, rocking slightly as he tries to calm himself. It's hard not to think about the fact that there's a dead man in his bed, however, no matter what the cause is. If anything, it has at least caused him to forget his earlier crankiness. Not that the replacement is much better.

JENNA: * Jo pauses again in front of the door to the guardhouse, then takes a deep, bracing breath before pushing the door open and stepping inside. She looks around warily, avoiding the gaze of anyone who happens to be standing around, and walks slowly over to the desk. "Excuse me ..."

JUSTIN: * Sitting behind the desk is the same old, uniformed man that was there the last time Shane brought Jo to the guardhouse. He looks up after a second, apparently working on a schedule of some sort, and upon seeing the comely face before him, he sets his pen down and straightens. "Is there something I can help you with, madam?"

JENNA: * Jo looks at him warily, then gives a faint nod, puzzling silently about how she's supposed to phrase this exactly. "I .. need to report a death," she says finally, twining her fingers together uneasily. "An old man passed away this afternoon." Here she stops, scratching her cheek, as she hasn't the foggiest idea what Shane's address is.

JUSTIN: * At this news, the man sits back in his chair, looking properly surprised, yet sympathetic. "Oh, my -- I am terribly sorry for your loss, young lady. We will take care of this immediately..." He snags a pen and another sheet of paper, marking down a few things before clearing his throat and continuing. "We'll need a name and address for the record."

JENNA: "I.. don't know his name," Jo says blankly, staring at the pen and paper. "We.. we just took a job from him, and when we got back, he was dead." She looks up at him, embarrassed and suddenly very worried. "I mean.. the door was open, so we just wanted to check and see if he was asleep, and ..." She trails off, realizing this probably isn't helping.

JUSTIN: * The man taps his pen against the paper, looking up at her with a slight furrow of his brow and a little more skepticism in his eyes than before. "You took a job without getting your employer's name?" He sighs quietly, shaking his head. "Kids these days, don't know the first thing about business." He turns his head and raises his voice suddenly. "Jordan, get your keester in here on the double! Your break is up early!" He turns back to his paper, crossing something out and rewriting something new. At that moment, a young man appears from a side door, looking rather disgruntled -- until he sees Jo, at which point he stops and stares. "Jordan, you're going to follow this young miss back to the sight of a death, and record it. And I want a /proper/ report, this time, if you will?" The young man salutes belatedly, clearing his throat. "Y-yes, sir. Um... after you, miss." He smiles at Jo, trying with obvious effort to keep his eyes up.

JENNA: * Jo nods, though she looks very much as if having a guard follow her all the way back to the house is not what she had in mind -- nor, she recalls, is it likely to make Shane happy in the least. "It's this way," she says weakly, slumping slightly as she walks out the door again.

JUSTIN: * Jo's new guard companion follows closely after her -- but not too close, as the view is better and easier to get from a slight distance. He tries his best to look professional and appealing, marching crisply all the way back to the house.

JENNA: * Jo sighs wearily when they finally reach the house, pushing the door open and casting her gaze about for Shane as she walks inside. "Hey.. you all right in here? I had to bring someone back with me ..." She tilts her head, peering into the living room. "Shane?"

JUSTIN: * Shane perks up at the sound of Jo's voice, and he stands up from the couch to walk toward the door. "What do you mean bring someone with you? I just told you to leave a report." He stops in front of her, looking somewhat irritable with his arms crossed and his hat on crooked. The young guard enters the house warily, at first wondering why Jo is trying to talk to the dead guy, and then realizing at the sound of Shane's voice that there is actually someone else here. At the sight of a captain's uniform coat, he snaps into attention -- despite the fact that aside from the coat, the rest of the uniform is missing.

JENNA: * Jo puts her hands on her hips, highly annoyed by this. "I don't know the address, all right? And neither of us asked for the old fart's name, did we? He's just here to record, all right?" She jerks a thumb over her shoulder, glancing back at the young guard, then stops, staring at him vaguely. "Uh.. you all right?"

JUSTIN: * Shane arches an eyebrow, peering around Jo at the guard. "I don't recognize you. New graduate?" It's the time of year, after all. Jordan looks confused, and a little jittery. "I... yes, sir!" He squints, giving Shane a complete look over. His eyes settle on the hat at last, with the very distinct absence of a crest. "Sir? You're a dischargee?" Shane grits his teeth together and points at the man hard. "None of your business." His finger moves to the hallway. "Down the hall. Do your job." He stomps out of the house, causing the bewildered guard to lurch out of the way to avoid being bulldozed.

JENNA: "Hey!" Jo barks sharply, alarmed and surprised by this outburst. She doesn't follow him immediately, however, glancing at the bewildered guard. "Look.. it's a long story." She then stops and shakes her head. "Better just make the report.. you need us around for anything?" She silently hopes not, so that they can get back to the inn and a little bit of quiet.

JUSTIN: * Shane ignores Jo's shout, making straight for the street, with the inn presumably his intended destination. Jordan slides his hat off, curling his fingers into the fabric nervously. "N-not really, no. Everything is just how you found it? Is there anything else you know about the death?"

JENNA: * Jo shakes her head. "He asked us to deliver a will to his family, and when we got back, he was like this.." She glances after Shane, annoyance breaking through again. "I think the idiot gave him a shake when he thought he was just asleep, though." She doesn't look back at the guard, gaze following Shane irritably.

JUSTIN: * The guard nods his head briskly, then fishes around in his pockets for his notepad and pen. "All right... I'd better get to this, then... Oh! I'll need your names, before you leave." He swipes at his brow, nearly having forgotten. "Then you're free to go."

JENNA: * Jo's gaze rolls momentarily heavenward, and she huffs a low sigh. "My name is Jocasta." She glances out the door again, but Shane has long since disappeared. "My partner is Shane." She folds her arms, leaning impatiently against the doorframe.

JUSTIN: * Jordan doesn't seem much comforted by the look on Jo's face, but he nods again, hasitly scribbling down the information. "O-okay, thank you." He glances briefly at her, head to to toe, and sighs quietly before scampering toward the back room, noting disappointedly that some guys have all the luck. Shane, meanwhile, is halfway back to the inn by now, though his pace has slowed somewhat -- about the only indication that he realizes he's left Jo behind.

JENNA: * Jo grunts instead of replying, then pushes away from the door and starts after Shane, irritated largely by the fact he left without her -- it wasn't entirely her fault she had to drag someone back with her. She sets off into the street at a rapid pace, silently relieved she doesn't have any bridges to cross to get to the inn.