Salvation. The Walking Dead: Season Five.

Mark Your Graves - Part Five.

*

It had indeed been a long shot. With hundreds if not thousands of acres of land around them it would be a miracle to run into the group again.

Maybe Clementine should have listened to Louis. But then their hands were being forced this way by the trailing hunters behind them.

And that was only solace in her separation from Violet and AJ. The party must have discovered their members dead bodies and followed the drops of fresh blood from Clementines wound because she heard them calling threats out across the river as she pulled herself up onto the dirt on the otherside.

At least she assumed they were threats. The shouting from multiple of their number had been inaudible and their animated figures unreadable. Louis helped her to the treeline and out of any view finders they might have been in possession of.

He then ditched his completely drenched coat, throwing it to the ground. "What the fuck is with these people?" He cursed, observing their tiny figures across the water.

"Nothing good." Clementine answered, slowly bending her knee to get the feeling back in her now numbed joints. She winced as she did so.

"You sure you can carry on?" He asked, concerned for her wellbeing. She nodded as the first of the hunting party stepped off the ground and into the river in pursuit.

"I'm going to have to." She said, standing up and pointing to the advancing men.

"Mother of god, these guys don't quit. What the hell do they want?"

"I think they want to put every inch of it in me." Clementine said, echoing the sickening threat of Kitch before she made him sorry he ever uttered it.

"Oh shit." Louis shuddered.

"Don't worry, you'll go quick." Clementine replied in a rather unsavoury act of humour considering their predicament.

"That's cold." Louis replied. Following Clementine deeper into the forest. There was no way they could head in the direction she rest had gone now they had successfully steered the Hunting Party clear.

They travelled a vast distance together, weaving through even greater tree covered land, once in a while coming out onto a lonely winding road that following along could present them with the possibilty of reaching a town.

But they would deny themselves this. They couldn't stay out of the cover they were being afforded. Clementine would easily be taken down with the speed currently lacking. Her leg was ailing her so much she wondered if it would ever return to working order again.

It finally gave out from under her as they crossed into a town called Mabie. Clementine lay flat on the concrete sidewalk with pins and needles running the length of her leg.

Thankfully their trackers were nowhere to be seen for the time being and Clementine leg had stopped creating blood spots a good ten miles back. Still, the frustration didn't stop a tear forcing its way down the side of her face.

Wondering where AJ and Violet were, hoping they had remained safe. She just wished she could lay the fears they must have to rest. She was alive.

She kicked herself for not spending every waking second with the two of them while she'd had the chance. Giving it a miss in favour of immature battles of wills with Minerva. The separation had given her the resolve she needed, the wake up call to always be there.

But now it was too late. They had nothing to go on. They would always keep moving, searching. Hoping to find The Greenbrier and their family safe and sound inside it one day.