ᖭི༏ᖫྀ 🌿🏹

    ━ CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT ...
' the path, part. 3 '

    THE COLD HAD A STRANGE WAY OF MAKING EVERYTHING FEEL QUIETER. (Y/N) STOOD STILL AT THE HIDDEN EAST GATE, THE SNOW BENEATH HER boots untouched, the sky above cloaked in a blanket of stars and clouds that threatened more flurries.

Her breath fogged in the air as she paced slowly, thumb running over the cracked glass of Joel's old watch on her wrist. The strap was worn, snug against her skin, and the silence around her only made the tick of her thoughts louder.

     Her bag was packed. Her coat layered thick. Her knife was tucked at her thigh, her bow strapped against her back. She had everything she needed... almost.

    Her ears perked at the faint sound of hooves crunching through the frozen path.

     She turned quickly, stepping out of the shadow of the gate's arch. The bush to her left rustled quietly before a familiar figure appeared—Ellie, wrapped in her coat, her bandages barely visible beneath her clothes. In her grip was Bambi's lead rope.

The horse let out a low grunt the moment he spotted (Y/N), and her tense shoulders relaxed just a touch.

     "Hey, big guy," She murmured as Bambi nudged her shoulder. Her fingers immediately went to his mane, rubbing it with a practiced affection, "You miss me?"

     Another soft snort, and then Dina emerged behind Ellie, pulling Shimmer along, their packs already strapped down across the horses' flanks. (Y/N) gave Dina a quick glance of appreciation, until her eyes caught movement to the side—someone else stepping out from behind the shrubs.

Her whole body stiffened. Seth.

     The same man who'd made a crude comment about her and Ellie at the New Year's dance. The same man she nearly decked in front of the entire town. The man that Joel did hit in front of everyone.

    "What the hell is he doing here?" (Y/N) asked Dina with narrowed eyes, her voice sharp.

    Dina raised her brows and held her hands up, staying seated behind Ellie with Shimmer's rope in her grasp still, "Let him speak first."

    (Y/N) crossed her arms, staring hard as Seth stepped forward, holding something wrapped in a cloth. He didn't look smug—if anything, he looked nervous. She caught Ellie cringing behind her sister, clearly bracing for the inevitable explosion.

Seth stopped a few feet from her, then carefully unwrapped what he held. A rifle. But not just any rifle—a top-tier sniper. One with reinforced plating, a polished scope, and a modified grip, "Trade," He said, extending it.

     Her eyes dropped to the weapon, then to her own—an older, worn sniper she'd worked on countless nights with Joel in their garage. Every bolt and notch reminded her of him. Of watching his hands guide hers. Of his laughter when she stripped a screw or got the oil wrong.

     Her hand tightened on her rifle reflexively, and she scowled, "This was ours," She tells him flatly.

     Seth nodded softly, for once not making any rude comments about the relationship she had with Joel, "I know. But this one'll serve you better out there. Longer range. Better accuracy. Yours is good, but this one's better."

     She hesitated. Her stomach twisted as she looked down at the old sniper again, her fingers brushing the familiar grooves along the side—grooves Joel had carved for better grip. Letting it go felt wrong, like betrayal.

    He noticed the hesitation and gently said, "I'll keep it safe. Swear on it. Put it back where it belongs. It'll be waiting when you get home."

     (Y/N)'s brows lifted slightly. She hadn't expected that. She swallowed hard, biting back the lump in her throat. Her eyes flicked to Dina and Ellie. Ellie was still holding her breath, while Dina gave a small nod of encouragement.

      Finally, she exhaled and nodded, slowly, "Fine."

     They exchanged rifles, her fingers trailing over the cool metal of the new one as he cradled her old weapon like it actually meant something. She gave him a lingering look—half warning, half gratitude. He met her eyes seriously, then gently slung her rifle across his back.

     She tested the weight of the new one. It clicked as she loaded a round and flicked the safety off. "Not bad," She muttered, nodding in approval as she slung it over her shoulder.

Her hand moved to Bambi's nose again, rubbing the soft patch between his eyes as she spoke without looking, "How'd you get the horses out?"

     "Jeanine's on night watch," Seth answered instead of the other two, who glanced to the male instead, "She's sympathetic to our cause."

     (Y/N)'s jaw clenched in surprise. Jeanine was a by-the-book kind of person. But even she was showing quiet support. It stirred something in her chest—a warmth she wasn't expecting.

    The male continued, a finger pointing at each thing he listed on the back of the horses, "Saddlebags are full. I squirreled away what I could. Got two weeks' hardtack, bandages, meds, some alcohol. Batteries too."

     He paused, voice quieter, "Would've come with you, but..." He lifted the cane he carried in his hand, and motioned to the way his leg was positioned, "Caught some friendly fire on New Year's."

     Ellie huffed behind (Y/N), muttering, "You sure it was friendly?" And it gained a warning elbow to the side from Dina next to her.

    Seth gave a dry chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck, "I earned it. I know." Then he looked at all three of them, "You've got ten minutes before a patrol comes by. I'll keep the gate open, but you need to be gone by then."

     (Y/N) turned to Ellie, giving her shoulder a squeeze before moving toward Bambi. She grabbed the saddle's edge and hoisted herself up with a practiced grunt, her boots sliding into the stirrups. The weight of the sniper across her back and Joel's watch on her wrist felt grounding.

    Ellie and Dina climbed onto Shimmer together, the smaller girl in front with reins in hand.

    The horses snorted as the trio trotted toward the massive wooden gate. Seth moved quickly, pushing it open, the heavy hinges groaning quietly under the strain.

    Once the path ahead was revealed, he returned to her side. A hush fell between them as the wind passed over the snow-covered hills beyond.

     He extended his hand. (Y/N) stared at it.

    Seconds passed. Then she reached out and grasped it in a firm shake. No words exchanged. None needed, and the grasp was dropped soon after.

     And then she turned her horse toward the darkness ahead, snow flurrying gently in the distance as Bambi began to walk, followed closely by Shimmer. The cold nipped at her cheeks, but her jaw was set, her spine straight.

   The gate shut behind them. Their journey had begun. And she didn't look back.

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   THE SNOW FELL SOFTLY IN SCATTERED FLECKS ACROSS THE TREES AND DIRT TRAILS, COATING THE WINDING ROAD IN A THIN FILM OF WHITE THAT CRUNCHED beneath the horses' hooves, until it eventually stopped. The world outside Jackson was eerily quiet, except for the gentle sounds of the cold wind brushing through the pines, the rustle of saddle leather, and the low, steady clops of Bambi, Shimmer, and the faint jingle of Dina's gear as they pushed forward into the night.

    The lantern fixed to Ellie's saddle swayed with the motion, once casting long shadows that stretched across the path ahead of them.

    (Y/N) kept her shoulders hunched against the bite of the wind, one gloved hand loosely holding Bambi's reins, the other absently resting against the butt of Joel's handgun at her hip. She hadn't spoken in a while—not since they left Seth and the gate behind.

    Dina and Ellie trailed just behind her, murmuring quietly to one another every now and again, but even they had gone mostly silent. The air was thick with the weight of their mission... and of what they were all leaving behind.

    Her eyes softened as they scanned the snowy treeline, a gust of wind tousling strands of hair across her face. Her gaze, shadowed and tired, stared ahead, but her mind was somewhere else entirely.

   And then—like the breeze itself carried her away—she was no longer in the woods. No longer on the road.

     She was back home. Back with him. The flashback hit her like a stone dropped in still water.

    It was Joel's voice first—gruff and low, the one he used when he was trying not to sound like he cared too much, even though he always did. He was leaning over her shoulder as she worked on her bowstring, calloused hands steadying her trembling ones when she couldn't quite get the knot tight enough.

   "You're twistin' it wrong, sweetheart. Here—lemme help ya."

     His hands had been warm. Large. Familiar.

    She remembered glancing at him, his brows furrowed in that serious little way he always had, concentration set deep in his eyes. She could see the threads of gray in his beard, the scar above his eyebrow from a fall years ago.

    She remembered the way his eyes would soften when he looked at her. She remembered the crooked grin he'd flash her when she made a sarcastic jab or got her shot right on target. Or when he would press a soft kiss against her nose or forehead to reassure her.

    And she remembered the last thing he said to her before everything fell apart—after their night together. After the walls came down between them.

    "I ain't ever gonna stop lookin' out for you, y'hear me?"

    Her heart clenched violently.

      The memory faded, but the echo of it stayed with her like smoke in her chest. She reached up, almost unconsciously, and brushed her fingertips over the cracked glass of his watch on her wrist.

    The leather was weathered, the face chipped, but it still ticked faintly—like it was keeping time just for her now. She pulled her jacket higher around her mouth as the wind picked up, stinging her eyes.

     Behind her, Dina's voice cut through the silence gently, "You okay up there?"

     (Y/N) didn't answer right away. She blinked back the tears gathering in her lashes, forcing her voice not to crack. "Yeah... just thinking."

     Ellie's voice followed, quieter but certain, "We'll get 'em. I swear."

     That made her throat tighten. She gave a small nod without turning back to look at her sister or Dina,  "I know." She rasped in a whisper.

     The horses pressed on, their breaths visible in clouds beneath the chilly air around them. The trees thickened for a stretch, casting them in momentary darkness as they moved down into the valley that curled like a scar through the forest. Somewhere nearby, an owl called out into the cold.

    (Y/N) adjusted her grip on the reins, glancing to her left at the woods as if Joel might step out of them at any moment, rifle slung across his back and that same proud little smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

     She imagined what he would've said now, seeing her on this mission. Angry, probably. Protective. But proud too, deep down. She knew it.

      "I miss you," She whispered so softly it was nearly swallowed by the wind.

     The three of them rode deeper, the road stretched ahead into uncertainty. But behind them, in the snow-covered shadows of Jackson, the memory of the man she loved remained—etched into every piece of her armor, every step of her journey, and in every beat of her grief-stricken heart.

     "Let me know if you see any outcroppings or spots with cover!" Dina called out from behind her, the two lagging behind to give (Y/N) some space upon noticing how she wasn't going so well, "I think a storm is coming soon."

     Ellie didn't understand why they needed to do that, but the older Williams did and she gave a wave of her hand over her shoulder, "Will do." She announced back, gripping the reins of Bambi tighter as she glanced around the area.

    And Dina was right, because night hit and the sky above was a seething sheet of black ink, splintered by lightning and roaring with thunder so loud it made the earth seem to quiver.

    The storm had descended on them quickly—angrily—forcing the trio to make camp earlier than planned. Trees groaned against the wind, and the rain pelted the earth in a steady, relentless pour.

    (Y/N)'s tent stood a few feet away from the one Ellie and Dina shared. Their laughter, soft and muffled, had faded after she gently urged them to stay together for the night.

Ellie had hesitated—her eyes flickering with that deep-rooted protectiveness she always wore when it came to her older sister—but (Y/N) had waved her off.

    "I'll be fine," She had said, voice light but distant, "You and Dina keep warm. I need space tonight." Ellie had understood. She always did, even when it hurt.

     Now, inside the flickering orange light of her own tent, (Y/N) was alone. The lantern in the corner cast flickering shadows on the nylon walls, making them seem to breathe in and out.

     The sleeping pad beneath her was set, her gear tucked neatly beside her, and Joel's handgun sat within reach just outside the sleeping bag. Everything was in place. And still—she couldn't sit still.

    Her heart had been pounding since they stopped, not just from the storm, but from everything it stirred inside her. Rage. Sadness. Longing. And something sharp and desperate clawing to be let out. She didn't feel ready. She didn't feel strong enough. Not yet.

     Which was why she dropped to the floor on her palms, muscles already taut, "C'mon," she muttered to herself.

     Her boots had been kicked off, her tank top clung to her from sweat, and the cool air inside the tent did little to soothe the heat she was building within.

She started with regular pushups, arms pumping fast, her breath falling into a rhythm. She gritted her teeth, feeling the burn in her shoulders, her triceps, her back. But she didn't stop.

            One hundred.

     She shifted—legs widening for balance—and then raised her left arm off the ground.

      Now one-handed.

     Her muscles screamed at her in protest, but she kept going, sweat slicking down her temples and into her collarbone. Her arm trembled, every nerve on fire.

         Fifty more.

    She collapsed onto her forearms after the last one, panting hard, heart racing like a war drum in her chest. Her eyes were glassy with sweat, her arms quaking. But she welcomed the pain. Needed it. Because it was better than what she felt in her chest.

    After several moments, she reached for the towel beside her bedroll and wiped herself down. The fabric dragged across her skin slowly, wiping away the physical signs of her grief, but doing nothing for the weight in her chest. She grabbed her canteen and took a few sips, the water cold and clean down her throat.

           The storm above raged on.

    She lowered herself into her sleeping bag, muscles still buzzing from the workout. Her tank top clung to her back, damp with exertion. Her hand instinctively reached toward the watch—Joel's broken watch—still buckled around her wrist.

     She unstrapped it slowly and curled it into her palm, pressing it tight against her chest like it could replace the hole carved into her soul. And then, just like earlier on the road, the thunder pulled her back into memory.

     It was another stormy night, but she'd felt nothing but warm.

    Joel's chest was a solid wall of heat beneath her, their legs tangled beneath the worn sheets of his bed in Jackson. His fingers had been trailing slow, lazy circles across her bare back, skin damp with the afterglow of their love.

     She had been tucked into his side, one leg draped over his, cheek resting against the slope of his shoulder. The room was dark except for the soft flickering from the fireplace across the room, casting golden light across their bodies.

     The storm outside had cracked once, loud and sharp. She had flinched.

   Joel had kissed the top of her head, lips brushing against her skin and whispered in his raspy voice that was coated in love for her, "Still don't like thunder?"

    She had mumbled into his chest, one of her hands holding his against her chest, and their fingers intertwined together, "Only when you're not around."

    That made him chuckle. She felt it in his ribs, "Well," He had said, lips brushing the edge of her ear, making a pleased shiver travel through her spine, "Good thing I ain't goin' anywhere."

    His hand slid from her back to her hip, and she'd lifted her face to kiss him—slow and sleepy, their lips moving against each others passionately. It hadn't needed to be more. The storm, the world outside, none of it mattered in that room.

   "I'm glad you are here." She had whispered in a thick voice, over come with emotion and burred her face in his neck, "I don't know where I'd be with you."

    "I know, darlin'," He had rasped softly, holding her just a little tighter, as his nose had nuzzled into her temple, "I'm glad you're here too."

    The present returned with the next crack of thunder, louder than the last, rattling the lantern slightly. (Y/N) lay there, frozen in her sleeping bag, eyes wide and glassy, chest tight.

    He wasn't here. No strong arms to pull her closer. No steady voice to ground her. No warmth. Just the wind howling outside and the cold emptiness beside her.

     She turned to her side and curled in, drawing her knees up and pressing Joel's watch tightly against her sternum, right where her heart thudded. Her eyes burned, but no tears came. She was past tears, past screams. All that was left was the ache that never dulled.

     The rain pattered steadily against the tent above. It should have soothed her. But it only reminded her of what she'd lost. Of what had been stolen.

     She closed her eyes finally, breathing slow, shallow breaths, her fingers tight around the timepiece that no longer ticked—but still counted for something.

    She would never get a night like that again until things were back to normal, until Joel's eyes opened again, which no one knew if that would ever happen. But she would kill every last person who took it from her, no matter what.

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      WHEN IT WAS MORNING AGAIN, AND THE RAIN HAD STOPPED, IT MADE THE TRIO PACK UP THEIR TENTS AND SUPPLIES TO TRAVEL ON THE ROAD ONCE MORE. THE RAIN HAD SLOWLY DIED DOWN, but the drops of rain clinged to the environment around them, and left many puddles of water in its wake on the path they were taking.

They were walking inside one of the trails now, where the forest surrounding them on each side they glanced to, providing cover but no ways of a fast escape in case.

     The horse's hooves make gentle sounds as they walked along the road, and kicked up some leaves that were covering some of the path, most likely from the rain and the damage the wind's did from the storm last night.

     (Y/N) was sat on Bambi holding the rope in her gloveless hands now, and kept one hand free to hold Joel's hand gun in case of anything jumping out to hurt them. She was beside Dina and Ellie on Shimmer also, making sure to walk beside them along the quiet trail.

     "How much further?" Ellie asked Dina curiously, the one breaking the silence between the trio, as she held held her sniper in hand and let the ropes loose since Shimmer was walking fine without her guiding the horse.

     "Close." The other girl answered, glancing at the map of Seattle in her hands, and flickered her eyes over where they were currently on it, "Maybe ten miles? In theory, we'll come out near Highway Five, just north of the city--"

     (Y/N) hummed in agreement, before her attention was taken away by the sight on the path in front of them. She came to a sudden stop, coaxing Bambi to pause who grunted, and it made the other two slow down also beside her, all on edge from what they were seeing.

     A small broken carriage was laying on the floor, bits of wood from it chipped and a dead body wasn't far off from it also. This made (Y/N) reach for her bow that was around her shoulder, and slipped on an arrow to prepare for the worst, as the handgun was placed under her shirt.

    "Stay close you two." She ordered firmly, getting off Bambi and landed on the ground with a thump as she aimed her bow in front, "I don't like the feel of this. We check this out quickly, and then go."

    The other two nodded at her words, hopping down from Shimmer also to follow the older one's lead. (Y/N) kept an eye on her girls behind her, and also scanned the scene before them, trying not to linger on it.

    "He was running away." She informed, bending down before the body and saw the bullet wounds, plus a symbol she hasn't seen before, "Interesting. Much different to what we've seen." She murmured more to herself, fingers grazing over the green material where the drawing was.

     Her (E/C) eyes flickered to the few bullets on the ground, and nudged one with her bow, flipping the object over, "A lot of different calibers. I don't think this was FEDRA. Ellie, Dina--" She turned around expecting the two standing there, but was met with only the horses causing her stomach to drop, and eyes go wide alarmed, "Girls--?!"

     But the rustle of the bushes next to her, made the female turn to see Dina running out of them, hand over her mouth, with Ellie following behind, a look of horror on both their faces, "Ellie, Dina!" She exclaimed rushing up to them like a worried parent.

     She notices how pale her sister looked in the face, followed by Dina throwing up for some reason in the bushes. Her hand was placed over the younger one's back, and rubbed circles while she threw up, (Y/N) wondered what exactly they saw to provoke such a reaction.

    "Wha-- what did you see?" The older female questioned concerned, her eyes turning serious as she glanced from Dina gagging, and her sister who shakes her head, clutching onto her weapon more, "El, what did you see?" She repeated more firmly, while brushing the locks back from Dina's sweaty forehead.

    Ellie swallowed the lump in her throat, the body of the child she saw flashing in her mind before she shakes that away to answer her sibling, "Death-- a lot of dead bodies." She tells (Y/N), who furrowed her brows helping Dina stand up, "It wasn't a good sight, and if this was fucking them, if Abby and her crew did this to people, to kids?"

     The older Williams saw how shaken up the two were, so she quickly brought the girls into an embrace, her fingers entangling in their locks to bring them comfort, as she felt their arms around her waist. She glanced over their heads, and glared at the dead body, knowing this mission wasn't going to be easy, and death would be around every corner.

    "I won't let anything happen to you two, alright?" She eventually spoke, tone being soft and motherly like as she pulled back from the embrace, looking the two in the eyes seriously, "No matter what, nothing will get you while I'm here. Let's go, we need to keep moving."

     With a shoulder squeeze to her sibling and Dina, she moved back to where Bambi was and mounted him again, getting comfortable before they continued on the path. She walked beside them on her horse, still keeping an eye out for attackers.

    They passed an old car, that was hidden away with the trees and bushes, it being covered in it also, which signaled they were getting closer and closer to where they needed to be in Seattle. It was good progress considering where they had come from.

     (Y/N) broke out from the forest first on Bambi, Shimmer carrying the other girls coming out next, as they trotted onto the road full of cars that blocked each away for vehicles to get through. It was sad to see what the world had come to after everything that's happened.

     "Nine more miles." Dina spoke out loud, reading the green sign that was placed on the edge of the road, now looking old and rusted from what it once was. It showed Seattle at the top in white writing, and the nine beside it, meaning they didn't have long left to travel.

     Her (E/C) eyes glanced from the two once she gave them a nod, and clicked her tongue to coax Bambi forward down the road, where she caught a glimpse of the city of Seattle. One step closer to where Joel and Ellie's attackers were, one step closer to where she would kill them all.

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❪ ✏️ ❫ 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙳𝚂 : 4256
─►☆ AUTHOR'S NOTE :
omfg i finally finished this ep thank the lord and im so excited to write the upcoming eps also, especially the most recent one because i can write crash out y/n which is gonna be soooo fun. i mean im deadass just putting the rage i feel into her through my writing LMFAOA that's why im hella excited and for you all to read what i have planned whahwhaha 😼😼

the next ep with the flashbacks will actually kill me and i'm not ready to see that again but im just happy joel is back on my screen, i've missed him so damn much gang </3

anywayss you all know the drill, vote,
comment, ect as it does help me to stay motivated <33💋