Far From Home All Alone

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Even with all the clothes that Zoran was wearing, he shivered, pulling the fabric closer to him in hopes it might make him warmer. Zoran was so used to the scorching heat of the desert, the sun that never gave up in its goal of burning. The nights were cold, yes, but he was used to having the warmth of a house, or at least a fire, to protect him from that. He wasn't used to being out at night, and he really hadn't expected that the woods would be as cold as they were. Not that he had much choice in coming here, he had no idea what he was going to do and this seemed like the best plan that he would be able to think of: Find people.

His feet moved, one in front of the other, his boots beginning to drag more and more against the ground as he grew tired. He had no idea how long he had been walking, not having payed much attention to sun rises and sets. He only knew that he was growing very hungry and that his water supply was growing non-existent. His main goal should probably have been to search for water but doing that in the woods compared to the desert seemed like a scary and impossible task to Zoran. Instead he just kept walking, looking around him as he did and listening as much as he could for the sound of water. WHat else could he do?

Instead of the sound of water, Zoran eventually came to hear the sound of footsteps other than his own. He paused, hands moving over his face to make sure that it was covered. It was. If Zoran found another person then maybe they could help him get water and food. Maybe they would be a part of a village and he could live there. He knew...Zoran knew that his face was a bad thing, he could remember all the times that it had caused people to lash out at him but he held hope. After all, what else could he have? His parents were no longer with him and Zoran felt mostly numb. There were people who had still loved him, despite his face. His parents. Theo. Maybe if Theo was still alive...but Zoran didn't know if he wanted to even think about that.

He should have just been focusing on the person he knew was there, the person who the other set of footsteps belonged to. "Hello?" he called out. "Is someone there?" He walked closer to where he could hear the steps, his heart pounding in his chest. Zoran knew very little about the woods, his home had always been the desert, and he knew even less about the people who lived in them. When he was able to see a figure, he stopped, taking the person in from what felt like a safe distance. It was a girl, or a woman as his mum might have corrected him to say. The woman had light hair, like Zoran's mum, and clothes that looked different to what Zoran was used to.

Tag: @shiloh

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Shiloh shouldn’t be out here alone. Not with the state things were in. The Sky People were less popular than ever, and that was saying something. She should’ve brought Harper for backup. Dr. Griffin in particular would have a thing or two to say about one of the infirmary’s apprentices being out here by herself. There was a definite lecture coming Shiloh’s way if the doctor found out. But Shiloh had been in desperate need of some space to think. Her mother was gone. Things in Arkadia were a mess. She just needed a break, a few minutes where she could pretend none of it was happening.

Not that this little venture was totally useless. She had her satchel over her shoulder, one the delinquents had constructed back at the dropship from material scraps and a seatbelt. Shiloh knew Arker territory pretty well by now as far as where plants grew. Today she had drifted toward a certain kind of moss not far from one of the rivers. The woods were quiet, and it made for a welcome change from the clashing opinions in Arkadia. Or at least, they had been. Shiloh had just cut a strip of moss away from a large rock and was moving towards another when she heard a sound in the trees. She froze, hand drifting to her small knife in its crude holster. Arkadia didn’t have any groups in this sector. And if the Grounder coming her way didn’t take kindly to Sky People…

The voice that called out took her by surprise. It sounded young and a bit unsure. And then a boy was coming slowly out of the trees. His face was mostly covered, but his eyes looked as worried as Shiloh felt. Not a threat. Just the opposite it seemed. Shiloh let her hands fall away from her knife, fingers outstretched to show she wasn’t holding a weapon. The boy didn’t appear armed. And his clothing seemed different somehow. Not that Shiloh was any sort of expert on Grounder fashion, but he didn’t look like the Trikru warriors she had seen. Maybe he was lost? Regardless, Shiloh had never been the sort who could turn away from people in trouble. Especially not kids.

“Hi.” She spoke slowly, careful not to make any sudden moves. Even Grounder children could be deadly if they felt threatened. And Shiloh was most definitely not a warrior. “I won’t hurt you. I’m a healer.” She used one hand to open up her bag, revealing the moss she was collecting. Did the Grounders have rules about not harming doctors like there had been in the days before the bombs? Shiloh had absolutely no idea. But it seemed like the safest play. “I’m Shiloh.” Names were a connection. A reason to trust. Although she made a judgment call not to mention Skaikru yet. Assuming he hadn’t already figured it out from her clothing, the revelation might not go over well. Her eyes swept the trees, searching for any other sign of life. It appeared the boy was alone. Somehow that was worrying, even though Shiloh knew full well a Grounder child was probably far better equipped for survival than she was. A touch of concern entered her voice as she asked, “What are you doing out here?”

@zoran

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The woman spoke and Zoran automatically took a step back, the wariness of strangers that had been drilled into him by his parents kicking in in that moment. But he only took one step back, not willing to lose this chance. It might be his only chance and Zoran was so much more thirsty than he could ever remember being. He needed water. This woman might be able to help him get some water. The woman spoke again, stating that she wouldn't hurt him, that she was a healer. Zoran knew what healers were, even though he had never really met one. They treated wounds and sickness, they were nice people and helpful people. The word itself had always been a positive one, even when his parents used it. They often weren't very positive about other people and Zoran knew that was because they didn't want him thinking strangers would treat him well when they hardly ever did.

"Hi," Zoran said, forcing himself to take a step forward. A slow step, he didn't want to scare the woman. He had no idea if healers could fight but she was bigger than him. "I'm Zoran." She was Shiloh. It wasn't a weird name, not one he had heard before but it sounded as normal as any name he had heard before. Names were all different, as unique as the person. Zoran knew that a name was also something that was given in trust and he found himself feeling more confident with the fact that she had been so willing to give hers. A bad person wouldn't give their name. All the bad people that Zoran knew about were just called "bad people."

Even though Zoran was still thirsty and lost, he allowed himself to smile. Despite his bad experiences with strangers, Zoran did like meeting new people. They weren't always bad, like Theo for example, he had been so nice to Zoran. "I'm lost," Zoran simply answered. He didn't think it would be a good thing to tell a stranger that he had lost his parents and that he had been travelling for two days in search of people, as well as water and food. That wasn't a good thing to say, he could work out that much. The woman might do something bad to him. Ask him why he didn't have a village to stay with. And if she came to see his face at all, Zoran knew she would try to kill him. Everyone did. Well, apart from Theo. But he had been from Skaikru, he was different. "Do you know where water is?" he asked, his voice rising with hope.

Tag: @shiloh

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The boy took a step back, further solidifying Shiloh’s certainty that he wasn’t a threat to her. And making her more certain he needed help. She tried to stay perfectly still while the boy decided what he was going to do. But he didn’t run. Instead, he slowly took a step forward. And then he spoke. Shiloh smiled encouragingly. Now they both knew each other’s names. Hopefully that was a good sign.

He was definitely lost. Shiloh couldn’t stop a small frown from creasing her forehead. Grounder kids might be better at this whole survival thing, but no kid should be in these woods alone. (Herself included, but that was different. Or so she told herself.) “Where are you trying to get to? Maybe I can help.” The Arkers were supposed to stay out of Grounder territory for obvious reasons. But maybe Shiloh could take him to the border and point him in the direction of the closest village. They would probably be able to help. Hopefully. Because the alternative was Arkadia, and that might not go over so well right now.

Water. Now there was something Shiloh knew how to find. The crease in her forehead smoothed out as she nodded and pointed her thumb over her shoulder. “There’s a river not far.” They were just barely out of earshot now. It would only take a few minutes to reach it. “I can show you if you want.” The rising of his voice made it sound like he really needed some, so maybe he would trust her that far. And Shiloh would definitely feel better knowing he wasn’t alone. Not that she would be any use in a fight. But still. Why was he out here alone? And why would he be traveling without a source of water? Unless he hadn't planned on traveling, which was worrying. Come to think of it, he didn't look at all prepared for any sort of journey. With that in mind, Shiloh reached into her bag, trying not to move too quickly. "Are you hungry?" She had managed to snag a little deer jerky and some type of dried fruit to have for lunch, but this kid might need it more. Shiloh pulled back the cloth on the small bundle to show what it was before holding it out to Zoran. Granted, he would have to come close enough to take it. But if he really was hungry, hopefully that would win out.

@zoran