With Daryl handing over the supplies, Rick made one final sweep of the tree line, keeping an eye out for any signs of movement. He was willing to accept Ellis' story about his friend by this point, but the transaction had taken longer than he would have liked; the last thing they needed was for anyone else to stumble across them. Their location was secure, but it wasn't unreachable - This meeting alone had proved that much.

He had to restrain himself against shaking his head at the second salute, the ghost of a smile creeping across his lips as the other man took off, finally making the move to sheath his weapon.

The 'finish line' was a grisly thought, all things considered. Out of the three of them, the odds were that none of them were going to see the end of the arena; even if one of them did manage to step out on top, the other two would have been casualties of that win. There was no real victory to be had here - It only served to mark the end of one game, and start the wait until the next.

But... Rick understood the sentiment behind it.

With Ellis disappearing into the forest, his eyes were back on his partner, offering him a brief nod along with his own silent gratitude; had it not been for Daryl's subtle guidance, he might have let him walk... or worse. Helping him, even if it had taken Rick time to warm to the idea, had been the right move. It still wasn't a kindness he'd have extended to most, but Ellis didn't strike him as a bad guy; while he hoped not to see him again within the confines of the arena, crossing paths back in the Capitol wouldn't have been terrible.

As he headed back toward the cave, he brushed his hand against the other man's shoulder, the contact fleeting, but enough. Beth should have been back soon - Best they get things organized before then.