Teige had slung the windbreaker over his uninjured shoulder, half-obscuring the bloody elastic sewn to his shirt. "Sure are," he said, shaking the man's hand, "that your station wagon up the hill there?"

"Oh, yeah," the man answered, and shook Hawk's hand next. Hawk looked at his hand, and then at him, at his crooked smile that reached up to his dark eyes. "That's ours. Hell of a honeymoon, right?"

"Running for your life to Enodia? Seems romantic to me," Teige said blithely, and shook the woman's hand next. She wasn't looking at Teige, though--she was looking at her husband, who Hawk realized was signing to her. He only caught parts of what was being said, just enough to know that the man was telling her that Hawk and Teige were moving north as well.

"So, y'all got any news?" the man asked, at the same time explaining--as far as Hawk could tell--what he was asking to the woman. "I see you got blood on your shirt. Lotta trouble behind you?"

The woman glanced up at Hawk, who hesitated, and then signed very carefully, "Nice to meet you."

She grinned at him in response and answered, "you too! How much do you know?"

Hawk couldn't help but smile back, responding "A little bit."

He realized Teige was nudging his arm just in time to hear the man say, "I'm Aram, by the way, and this is Kim."

"Pleasure," Teige answered, and Hawk bristled, realizing why Teige's grin was so huge and gleeful, "I'm Teige, and my blushing friend here is Hawk. Don't mind him, I think you've just stunned him--"

"Hey!" Parker yelled from the top of the hill just then, cutting Teige off, "Time's up! Let's go!"