The other girl

Huntara (part 3)

Claire

"So, heh, for a place that's supposed to be uninhabitable, the Crimson Waste is habited." Adora said.

"Crimson Waste takes in all sorts. They come running from the law, from their enemies, from different kingdoms." Huntara replied.

"From the Horde?" I asked. I was zoning in and out of this conversation, but this was one of the parts I caught.

"The war will destroy all those idiots caught up in it."

"So what are you running from? Adora asked. I could tell she hit a nerve when she didn't respond immediately.

Huntara pushed Adora into the wall and took out her sword and stabbed a bug next to her. "Huntara doesn't run from anything. You got that? I want to be here."

"Wait." Adora ran forward and through a rock into the sand. It sunk down into the sand.

"Huh. Not bad, Blondie."

"What can I say? I'm a fast learner."

"Cocky. Heh. I like that. Give it some time, you'll do well here."

"No, thanks. We have to head back home after we do what we what we need to do." I said. I had a really bad feeling about her. The way she pushed Adora against the wall was... weird. She looked like she was going to say something but kept walking.

...

It was now night time and we were still walking. I was getting tired but tried not to show it.

"Your travel companions are loud."

"Ha. Well, it's been a long trip from Bright Moon." Adora said.

"Bright Moon?" Huntara said but it came out more like a question.

Bow pulled Adora and I over, "Listen, I know my tracker pad isn't working, but I'm sure we're going the wrong way, a different way than we'd been going."

"I'm with Bow on this one Adora. She seems... off." I said.

"We wouldn't be going anywhere without Huntara. This is probably just a shortcut."

"We're here." Huntara told us.

We ran forward but there seemed to be nothing here.

"We're where?" Glimmer asked.

"This can't be the center of the Crimson Waste. There's nothing here. There has to be something here. I was so sure. The message said——" Adora than got shot with some kind of Arrow. She pulled it out of her leg, "What?" She then fell to the floor.

"Adora!" We all yelled.

Glimmer was then shot. Bow raised his bow and I tried to find some plants I could use because cactuses were hard to work with.

I got shot and fell to the floor. I heard Bow fall behind me. I felt sick and everything started spinning. Everything then went black.

...

"Okay, ninth time's the charm. One two." Glimmer said. Glimmer and I were trying to teleport us out of here, but it wasn't working so well. We all went in the air and then landed on Bow.

"Bow, are you okay?" Adora asked.

"Luckily, everyone landing on my ribs distracts from the other bruises."

"We'll get it this time. Hold on." Glimmer said. I used the rest of my strength to get us out of there. We finally landed in the ground outside the pit. "I'm sick of this. We've been tricked, robbed, temporarily paralyzed. Now we're stuck here in the middle of——" Bow cut Glimmer off.

"Glimmer." We all looked over at Adora. She looked like she was on the verge of crying.

"I mean, I'm so glad we finally got out of there."

"Adora?" Bow said but it came out like a question.

She got up and walked over to a rock. "Having this mission made me feel in control. After the last few days, I really needed it. I needed answers. I thought if I found out more about Mara, i'd find out more about myself, where I came from and why."

"Adora, we are a team. We got your back. But I don't think Mara is going to tell you more about where you came from. I mean you were probably some orphan who got picked up by the Horde like Catra was. But that doesn't make you any less than you are now. The Horde doesn't define who you are. It made you this incredible, nice, and caring person. Who cares where you came from. We like who you are now and that's all that matters." I said. They gave each other weird looks. "What? I said.

"Nothing." Adora responded.

"Ya, like Claire said we got your back." Bow said.

"Besides," Glimmer began. "It's not like you stole our weapons and left us stranded."

"It's Huntara." Adora said.

"Exactly. It's Huntara's fault.

"No. It's Huntara." She pointed to footprints on the ground leading us to where she is. And we were going to kick her butt.