He seemed irritated, if not a little amused. “I’d rather not have to find you again next time you’re ambushed. Wastes my valuable time, you understand.”
He didn’t smile, but something might have brightened in his eyes. He raised an eyebrow before turning on his heel and returning to the forest.
"Keep moving," Emerson said sharply to Lucy as they moved through the field. "You're too exposed." Their party hurried in the dead of the night. Lucy looked up and glared at Emerson, a rare bit of defiance in her. "The kids are scared, Emerson. They can't go much faster." "Then leave them," he snapped, moving towards the front of the group. Lucy stared at him, balancing one of the children on her hip and holding the hand of another. A spark of fury entered her head, but she shook her head and kept moving.
The clan held in their main room, taking hot stew from the pot, pouring it into the bowls as they all went to their respective places on the many seats and even floors to eat.
They broke into the city, with Aisling leading the way, holding a torch in her hands. "Come on," she whispered fiercely. "Hurry. Hurry." Ellis picked up one of the children, holding it gently, his long strides replacing the toddler's tiny stumbling ones. "What building are we heading to?" he asked in his low voice. "I'm not sure, yet," Aisling said. "We just gotta find some sort of entrance."
Aisling held up a hand, directing the light of the torch forward and sliding a bullet into her gun's chamber. "Who's there?"
She blinked, lowering the torch in surprise. "Dion. Hi." Ellis looked over at her in surprise. "You know him?" Aisling waved him away impatiently, watching Dion carefully. "We were ambushed," she said heavily, glancing over her shoulders. "Our home was burned down. We're all that's left."
He looked along the crowd with a frown, noting the children. He sighed after a moment before gesturing with his head. "Come with me."
She blinked uncertainly, her brow furrowed as she studied him. "Follow you...? Where-" She was interrupted by Emerson pulling her arm back, speaking sharply and quietly in the local clan language. She frowned and replied sharply and aggressively. Emerson shot something back and she paused, turning to look at Dion. "Where are you going?"
His brows were furrowed. "Our camp.. It's safe there. There's food and shelter and nobody will hurt you."
