Six of Wands and Six of Swords

A victory and a departure, and the tradition reads them in that order. The Six of Wands is the return in triumph; the Six of Swords is the ferry crossing to calmer water. Together they describe winning and then leaving, which is a more common shape than winning and staying.

Associated with resolving something and moving on from it in the same motion. Read as a real ending rather than a reconciliation.

Finishing well and going anyway. Frequently read for people who leave on a high, which the pair treats as good judgement rather than as waste.

The Six of Swords is not an escape; the water ahead is flatter than the water behind. This pairing reads the departure as the reward rather than the cost.