hiraeth | c.g. |

ii

"Reese! It's been too long!"

Clary couldn't help but allow a smile to paint her face as she entered the gates of Hilltop, sitting proudly atop her pale steed as she entered the familiar community. As she approached, she was happily greeted by Jesus and Tara, who she met halfway as she moved from her saddle on Montu. With a hug to Jesus and a fist bump to Tara, a member of Hilltop took her horse with a welcoming smile.

Clary smiled at the two of them, who looked at her with kind eyes. "It has," Clary began. "I'm sorry I haven't been around, Solaris has been keeping me busy." Jesus only shook his head. "We'll take what we can get. Enid would be here but we've had a bad bug going around so our people are keeping her busy." Clary smiled softly at the thought of her sister before shrugging. "It's alright, I came for my Mom anyways. She said she needed to see me." Seeing the smiles fall from their faces, Clary's brows furrowed. "What's wrong?"

Before Jesus or Tara could respond, she heard familiar laughter as she looked past the two to see a young boy standing on the porch of the Barrington House with a smile. "CJ!" Clary's worry faded as she smiled, making her way to the young boy before she scooped him up in his arms. "Look at you, Hersh! You're getting bigger by the minute!" Hershel Rhee could only giggle as he wound his arms around his sister. "Where's Mom?" Clary asked as she put him down, allowing the young boy to grab her hand and lead her into the home.

It took a few minutes for the two to go up the stairs, with Clary ending up picking up her little brother and resting him on her hip before they made their way into Maggie's office. As the door opened, Clary smiled softly as she saw Maggie seated at the desk, pulled away from her work as she saw the young woman.

"How was the welcoming committee?" The woman asked with a smile as she stood up, making her way over to Clary before kissing the top of her head. "Perfect as always," she began, putting the boy down before watching as he made his way over to the markers and paper strewn on the floor. "He's getting big. Pretty soon he'll be knocking me over." They watched him for a moment before Clary looked back to Maggie. "Is everything okay? Tris said your message sounded urgent."

Maggie had yet to look away from Hershel, her gaze somber before she nodded. "Follow me." Clary did so, trailing her mother as she opened the door to the office, Bertie going in with a quick greeting to the young Commander before she made her way to watch over Hershel. The two moved towards the balcony of the home, the fresh wind hitting their faces as Maggie leaned against the white railing, Clary following suit.

It was silent for a while, causing Clary's worry to grow. Too many things had happened in the span of the almost two years since Rick Grimes had been killed and the bridge had been lost, and the young woman worried that once again something would happen. "Mom? What's going on?" Maggie said nothing for a few more moments, looking over the view of Hilltop she got from the balcony.

After the moments of silence, she let out a soft sigh. "Georgie stopped by. She had the usual: blueprints, supplies, food... an offer." Clary's brows furrowed. "Offer? Of what?" Clary noted the harsh grip Maggie held on the white railing, causing her to grow worried. "Mom?" Clary questioned as Maggie looked sadly to her. "She wants me to help her establish communities, close to us for now but hopefully farther in the future," she began, placing her hand on Clary's. "And I want you to come with me."

Clary shot up from where she had fallen asleep, noting the soreness of her neck from falling asleep atop the wooden desk. With the coming light of dawn, her dark eyes fell upon the window as gold bled into the room, cascading over the papers she had strewn on her desk.

There had been few nights where Clarissa Rhee fell asleep in bed, her desk practically becoming her new resting place. With the balancing of life and being responsible for a community, the weight of the world on her shoulders, there were few moments that allowed her to rest. And that morning was not one of them.