"There were mostly prostitutes. Sometimes the men brought their wives with them, or nuns from the church would stick around to treat the wounded. The troop never stayed in one place very long."

His world had been so centered around Gambino that he never formed particularly close relationships with the other women in the company. Shisu died so long ago that he barely remembered her, though he does remember that they were nicer to him than the men.

"Mercenaries only care about money, so you don't really see kids. If you're there, you work and you earn your place. That'll mean cooking and cleaning if you can't fight. With all the wars around, the loot and money never ran too short, so..."

There was a practical nature to it, in a way. War was business, and business was plentiful. Unlike a lord's army, they always had the option to turn away an unfavorable task and be hired by someone else. They weren't obligated to follow their employer's whims without good reason, and no noble wanted to anger a mercenary company wandering around in their territory. One way or another, they got what they wanted.

"Beats living in some village as a peasant," he decides.