What does Jonas realize about his friends? How does this affect him?

For the first time, Jonas recognizes this not only as a game of good guys and bad guys but also as a game of war. He watches the children attacking and pretending to fall on the ground, but when Asher pretends to hit him, he remembers the boy who lay dying on the field of battle, and he remains standing, trying not to cry. The children leave nervously, and he asks Asher to stop playing that game. Asher refuses, saying that games are his expertise, although he apologizes for being disrespectful to the new Receiver. Jonas tries to explain the cruelty of the game but gives up. Fiona offers to ride with him along the river, which he would normally love to do, but he no longer feels that he can. His friends ride away, leaving him feeling friendless because they cannot understand what he feels.