hiraeth | c.g. |

xi

The sky around Hilltop had been painted with hues of orange and gold with the coming morning, Clary standing upon the balcony as she overlooked the community. It was silent except for the few people that were preparing for Jesus' funeral, which would be taking place as soon as the sun rose fully. She could only watch as they prepared, their solemn faces matching her own as she gripped on the railing.

"It's a pretty day," a voice spoke, causing Clary to smile softly before turning to meet the eyes of Enid. "Yeah, only the best for him." Enid nodded as she stood by her sister, their shoulders touching as a comfort to each other.

"I'm sure he'd be glad that you stayed. He'd be happy that we had you to look out for us." Clary let out a soft breath before looking back at the people. "It shouldn't have come to that. He should be here." Enid pursed her lips.

"Come on," Enid spoke with a light touch on Clary's arm, Clary following the young woman back into what had been Maggie's room. It had become Clary's over the years with her mother and brother gone and no one wanting to stay within. When Clary didn't reside within the room, it was hardly opened up until she was back.

Sitting herself on the bed, Clary watched as Enid grabbed medical supplies from a drawer within the room. With how many times Clary had shown up injured, it was no surprise that every home she had would contain some, whether it was Enid patching her up or herself.

Looking back towards Clary, Enid made her way over. "Can you take off your shirt? I wanna make sure the wound is healing alright." Clary nodded, removing the loose tank top she wore and tossing it onto the bed. The young woman then lied down, stretching her arm over her head to allow Enid access.

Clary watched as Enid peeled back the bandage and looked at the wound. "How's it lookin'?" Clary questioned as Enid cleaned around the stitches. "No infection, which is good, but it's still fresh. Don't move too much or too harshly and it should heal just fine."

With a nod, Clary looked to the window as Enid continued to work. "I heard Carl was staying," Enid began, causing Clary to groan. "E—" the girl laughed softly. "I'm just saying, he still looks at you the same way he did six years ago." Clary shook her head. "What about Alden? What's going on between you two now?"

At that, Enid shrugged. "We're together... kinda." She sighed. "I don't know, we never made it official but I like him. That sounds so stupid to say but—" Clary shook her head. "Not at all. If you like him, and he likes you, don't let him go."

Enid smiled at Clary before finishing up cleaning and bandaging the wound, allowing Clary to sit back up. While the conversation had been a welcome distraction, Clary couldn't help but feel worried as she remembered that Alden's group was outside of the walls.

"Speaking of Alden, are him, Alec and Luke back yet?" Enid's face fell, shaking her head after a moment. "No, and I know it hasn't been long but I'm worried." Clary nodded. "He'll be okay. He's a damn good survivor and so is Alec. And Luke from what I've heard."

With a quick smile and nod, Enid spoke once again. "Are you leaving back to Solaris after the funeral?" Enid questioned as Clary stood up, to which Clary shook her head. "Not until we get some answers from the girl."

Enid nodded while cleaning up her supplies, watching as Clary made her way over to the drawers to grab a fresh shirt. "Sorry, E, you're stuck with me for—"

A knock at the door caused both Clary and Enid to turn toward the entrance, surprise on their faces as they saw Carl walk in. "Shit, sorry, Daryl said you were in here—" Clary shook her head. "It's fine," she began before turning over to Enid. "I'll find you after the funeral." Enid nodded before making her way out of the door, greeting Carl quickly before walking out.