hiraeth | c.g. |

xviii

"We were clearing the roads. Spotted tracks leading here."

The caravan on their way to Hilltop followed the Highwaymen as they led them to a turned over wagon and skewed supplies. Clary's hand rested on her sword at her hip as she watched Magna bend down to pick something up.

"It's from Hilltop," the woman declared, handing over the object to Clary as she approached. The young leader's jaw clenched upon seeing the wooden Hilltop coin, an easily remembered memento as one sat upon her desk at Solaris.

"I thought all members of Hilltop that were going to the fair went together?" Clary asked, looking to Magna who shrugged. "There was talk of a group going later. This must've been them." Clary sighed softly, bending down to place the coin upon the ground, like a marker of a grave.

"Dead didn't do this— people did."

The lead man of the Highwaymen said, Ozzy he had declared himself in passing. Carol and Ezekiel had hired them to protect the roads, a job they probably didn't think would entail dealing with those that dressed like the dead.

"The skins? You know about them?" Michonne questioned, to which the man nodded. "We got the download. Strange times, strange ways to cope."

The man stood up from where he was analyzing the wagon, nodding his head. "Anyway, yeah. That'd be my guess. If anyone else was out here, my patrols would've seen 'em."

Clary's eyes looked to the tracks, her gaze falling upon drag marks. With a short whistle, Daryl was right besides her. The two looked at the markings, seeing the way they followed was like they had been tugged away.

"Something else," Ozzy continued. "They put up a fight."

Daryl watched as Clary knelt down to look at the tracks closer, his eyes seeing just as she did. "Hey. Drug 'em out this way," Daryl declared, Clary looking to him with a nod. "Can't tell how many there were, but the ones they took all were taken the same way," Clary spoke.

"Let's go," one of the soldiers of Hilltop said, Clary standing immediately to stop him. "It's not smart for all of us to rush in," Clary began. "All of us go, that's just a bigger target on our backs." Dianne shook her head. "They could still be alive, Commander. We can't leave them."

Before Clary could say anything, Marco spoke up. "But if those skin freaks followed them from Hilltop, the whole community is in danger right now."

Clary nodded with his words, looking to the tracks before speaking once more. "Then we split up. The smaller the group that goes to find them, the smaller the target."

Carol nodded in agreement with the Commander before looking to the group. "Michonne and I can go with Daryl and Clary. We'll track 'em. The rest of you, go on to Hilltop."

With Clary's nod, the members of Hilltop and Solaris stepped away, the members of the other communities doing the same. "We'll keep up our patrols around the Kingdom. Just in case," Ozzy declared before looking to Carol. "'Course, this means you owe us a couple of movies when this is done." Carol smiled. "I'm sure I can work that out."

As Clary made her way to where Daryl, Michonne and Carol stood, their eyes fell on Carl. Immediately, Clary shook her head. "Carl—" the young man cut her off. "It shouldn't just be you four. If there's wounded, you'll need the help. Same if there's skins out there, I should be there."

Clary looked past Carl for a moment as she saw the group had stopped, looking to where Carl and Clary spoke. "I know, but I also know that those people need someone to lead them," Clary began, looking to Carl with soft eyes. "I need someone I can trust to guide them and someone who knows Solaris' defense plans— and that's you."