The first thing Shion did was yank off her cloak without saying a word—there really wasn't time to explain. She dropped to one knee beside the wounded bandit leader, wrapping the heavy fabric tightly around what was left of his forearm, right between his wrist and elbow. She pulled it taut until the heavy bleeding finally slowed to a trickle.
The axe-wielder just stared up at her. It wasn't a look of gratitude, or even confusion; he was looking at her the exact same way he had looked at everyone during the fight. He was measuring her, calculating, searching for some kind of advantage that surely still had to exist, even now while he was bleeding out in the dirt.
"You should have let me die" he grunted.
Shion didn't miss a beat, pulling the knot even tighter. His face twitched despite his best efforts to hide the pain "That wasn't the job" she said.
That actually silenced him for a moment. For the first time since they had met, he had absolutely nothing to say.
Eren stepped closer, keeping her sword drawn as she scanned the clearing. The rest of the bandits weren't moving much. The woman who had surrendered just stood there with her weapon resting on the ground, while the men who hadn't run off into the woods looked back and forth between their wounded leader and the two mercenaries.
The change in the atmosphere was obvious. Just minutes ago, they were a dangerous gang following a man they thought was invincible. Now, with one of their companions having already fled into the forest, they were just a group of tired people standing around a failed plan.
"Are there more of you?" Eren asked.
The surrendered woman glanced toward the house, her eyes lingering on the smashed doorway and the smoke still drifting out of the shattered windows.
"Inside?" she asked quietly.
Eren didn't bother answering since they both already knew the truth, making the woman look away with a sigh.
"No" It was a simple enough answer, but the look on her face made it obvious there were other questions she desperately wanted to avoid.
Shion noticed, of course. She always did.
"How many villages?" she asked.
The woman's jaw tightened, and a different kind of silence settled over the clearing. It wasn't fear this time—it was shame.
"Too many," a voice came from the dirt.
Both women looked down at the axe-wielder. There wasn't any pride left in his voice, but there wasn't any regret either, just cold certainty.
"The weak exist to be used. They always have"
Eren's grip tightened around her hilt. Three months ago, she probably would have argued with him, demanding to know how anyone could think like that. Now she knew better. Some people didn't need to be understood; they just needed to be stopped.
"Interesting philosophy," Eren said, looking right back at him without flinching. "It doesn't serve you very well when you're the one bleeding"
For a brief moment, the man actually looked away. It was quick, but she caught it.
Shion stood up and glanced toward the path they had taken to get to the farm. The sun was dipping lower, and the forest felt a lot farther away than it had earlier. They had a badly injured prisoner to deal with, a handful of surrendered bandits to escort back, a ruined hideout to search, and a town waiting for answers.
She looked over at Eren "Can you walk?"
Eren shifted her weight, and her leg complained immediately, but she ignored it "Can you?" she asked back.
Shion looked down at the blood soaking her own clothes, then back at her partner "Probably"
Eren let out a short laugh. It hurt her ribs, but it felt good anyway.
The bandit woman watched them for a second before speaking "The horses are behind the house. They were meant for moving supplies, but there are enough to carry everyone back" she paused, lowering her voice "If you actually plan on bringing us back alive, that is"
Shion looked at the rest of the group, the leader at her feet, and finally back at the woman "That was always the plan" this time, nobody in the clearing doubted her.