The Wanderers [Old Version]

Chapter 27: Found

Bryn's POV

"Hey what's this?" I picked up a gold ring with a ruby that was sitting on the bathroom sink. Marc walked in and grabbed it, "It was my sisters'. She's...gone."

"Oh...I'm sorry."

He put the ring on and walked out with his head down. Rain walked by and looked at him, then to me. He beckoned me to the bedroom and shut the door, "What was he sad about?"

"I found his sisters' ring in the bathroom. He said she's gone. Guess I brought up some memories he just wanted to forget." I felt bad. I was an only child, I didn't know what it was like to lose a sibling.

Rain nodded, "He seems distant. He hasn't showed much emotion. Losing his sister probably broke his spirit."

"What about Nico? He lost his brother and he's still is ok. I didn't know him before he lost his brother, so I know he's probably not completely the same, but I can still see the emotion in his eyes. Marc is just so...dead."

"Nico drank a lot after his brother died. We were all close to him and we all dealt with his death differently." Rain looked sad. He always had a cold look to his eyes, but especially now.

I changed the subject, "So what are we going to do today?"

He shrugged, "I don't know. Nico got food this morning, and now he's out looking for more ammo. We don't really have much else to do."

"Maybe we can go out and scavenge some food. Those rabbits he caught aren't going to be good in a few hours. The meat will rot with no way to keep them cold."

"And leave Marc here on his own? Don't think so. I still don't trust him fully yet." He shook his head.

"Give him a chance. I didn't trust you when we first met and now I do, because I gave you a chance. Let him stay here and just watch over the place. Not like we have any supplies here to lose."

Rain sighed, "True. Fine, lets go out on a run. Get your stuff, I'll tell Marc."

I went into my room and grabbed the bow and strapped the quiver to my back. I stopped and looked at myself in the mirror.

My clothes were sweaty and covered in dirt. I looked like...well...shit. I was beginning to understand the way things had to be in the wasteland. I knew I would always be dirty and probably never smell like a princess again. And I was alright with that. I chose to run away from home. I chose this life.

I pushed my bangs to the side. My hair felt greasy and lost its shine.

The door creaked open behind me and Rain stepped in, "You ready? I told Marc we're gunna go out to look for some fresh water. I guess it actually couldn't hurt."

I looked at myself one last time in the mirror. Rain waited patiently behind me.

Mother wouldn't have liked me like this. I'm glad she doesn't have to see me like this. I'm sure most of Lightstone just assumes I was killed. No one would have thought that the princess would run away to live with some thieves in the middle of the wasteland.

I nodded at Rain, "I guess I'm ready. Lets go."

We pushed the a bookshelf out of the way and went outside. Marc slid it shut behind us and pointed at Rain, "Be safe."

We walked down the street at a quick pace. A dead fiend was leaning against a flipped over Old World military vehicle. Fresh blood was splashed on the hood of the vehicle and the fiend wore a fresh gunshot wound on his chest. I wasn't sure which way Nico and Petra went, it might have been this way. Hopefully they cleared all the fiends. Hopefully we wouldn't find one of them dead.