What Paycheck?

"What do you mean, we don't get paid?" I asked.

"Oh, WE get paid." Kronan said. "You two don't."

"I have my recruitment contract." Niska said, pulling the papers from inventory, and filing them back there before either of us could even think of snatching them.

"Ah ho!" Kronan said, "Then it is only you who shall not be paid."

"I have never before needed to prove to the person who hired me that I have been hired, and only the once had to argue about my wages."

"And who hired you?" Kronan asked. "Did they come east and then north with us?"

Niska snickered. "Oh please. You got recruited by someone who wasn't even part of the army?"

"I..." but I couldn't SAY it. "It might have happened that way." I admitted.

"No contract, no pay." Kronan said.

Niska looked at me sideways. "You can't have mine."

I waved a hand in dismissal. "Still processing."