Me, Clementine, AJ, Violet and Willy walked through the forest towards where Abel had told us where the boat was. Clementine was walking beside me, looking at the map quickly before putting it back in her back pocket.
Clementine: Once we find the boat, we’ll look for a way to sneak on board.
Y/n: It’s best if the entrance is a bit more hidden, or find a plan for us to improvise.
Willy: Sure, as long as Tenn doesn’t fuck it up this time.
AJ: It wasn’t Tenn’s fault.
Willy: Yes, it was! Mitch died because he--
The other boy stopped, standing in front of him.
AJ: Say one more thing about Tenn. I dare you.
Willy didn’t have enough time to answer, though, because Violet caught all of our attention.
Violet: Guys, look.
We all snuck forward, hiding behind some bushes and we saw a huge boat in the distance. AJ leaned forward further, holding the binoculars to his eyes.
Y/n: You see anything?
AJ: The beach, um, a boat, and, uh… a wood street in the water.
Clementine: That’s called a pier.
AJ: Pier.
Y/n: Right, let’s all go to different vantage points and focus on those areas. Keep down low and make sure not to be seen.
Everyone nodded and headed to different spots, I quickly joined Clementine, both of us crouching down.
Y/n: You think this is going to work?
Clementine: It should. Everyone’s ready, they all know how serious this is. As long as we get some intel then we should be prepared.
Y/n: Right. Okay.
I took a deep breath and Clem looked at me, concerned.
Clementine: Hey, what’s wrong?
Y/n: I just… I can’t lose anyone else. None of them. Nobody on that damn boat. And definitely not you. I just can’t. I don’t know what I’ll do if… if that happens.
She held her hand to my cheek, pushing my hair behind my ear, giving me a warm smile.
Clementine: I won’t let that happen, okay? I’ll make sure everyone’s safe, that everyone survives.
I leaned forward and kissed her. She smiled and stroked the side of my face. Looking back into her eyes, it felt like I was so far away from all the mess.
Y/n: I could get used to this.
Clementine: You better. We’re in this together for the long haul.
Y/n: Well, we better go check on everyone.
Clementine: Yeah, come on.
I took her hand and we first went over to Violet.
Clementine: You ever seen this boat before?
Violet: No. Marlon and Y/n/n kept us confined to the safe zone.
I scratched the back of my neck, guilty.
Y/n: Sorry. I tried to change his mind.
Violet: I know, it’s fine. I didn’t mean it how I said it.
She then pointed over to the front of the boat.
Violet: Pier leading up to the boat? It’s our only way in and out.
Clementine: Well, let’s see what else is down there.
She looks through the binoculars, finding something before handing them to me. I went to where she had been looking and saw a couple of raiders.
Clementine: Seems there are a few raiders.
Y/n: Some on deck, some on the pier. Possibly more inside.
Violet: Looks like they’re well-armed, too.
I passed the binoculars back and Clementine looked into them, again.
Clementine: Wait! I see Louis!
Y/n: Oh, my God.
Violet: Abel wasn’t lying. This is it.
Clementine then changed the direction of her gaze.
Clementine: I can see an entrance…
Violet: I saw that, too. It looks like there’s a door at the other end.
Y/n: Seems like there’s a small opening at the top of those closed doorways.
Clementine: AJ and I know how to deal with those.
A few more seconds of silence and then Clementine looked to the pilot house.
Clementine: I don’t see any obvious place to keep prisoners.
Violet: They’re probably below deck.
Y/n: Probably should’ve asked Abel while he was still alive.
Clementine: When he said ‘on a boat’, I didn’t think it’d be this big.
Then we all looked down at the pier.
Clementine: The pier has plenty of cover on it. We could probably sneak in undetected.
Y/n: If we’re careful, that is.
Violet: We will be.
The binoculars dropped down to the path and we all followed it.
Clementine: There’s no good cover leading up to the boat. We’re gonna need one hell of a distraction.
From the distance, we heard a raider shout.
???: Walkers!
The Delta shot at the walker swarm as it approached the ship and they all went down immediately.
Violet: Maybe if we could get walkers on the beach somehow…
Clementine: Maybe not as hard as you’d think.
Y/n: Your bestie James?
Clementine: Nice to see we’re on the same wavelength.
We crouched away from Violet and stood in the middle of the clearing.
Y/n: Hey, I’m gonna do my own spying. You carry on.
She nodded and for the next few minutes I watched the boat, seeing people go in and out, check different port holes and doorways. I was trying to get an understanding of their lookout system. Then Clementine called us together and we started to walk back to the school.
Violet: What’s the plan?
Clementine: Well, they’ve got guards posted on their pier and the boat.
Y/n: They switch lookouts every four to five minutes depending on where they’re located.
Clementine: Yeah, there’s no way we can take them all at once. They’d be too prepared. Our only hope is to distract them while we sneak on board.
AJ: We should burn their stuff.
Clementine: That’d work. We could burn the supplies, or the hay they keep for the horses.
Willy: Whatever we don’t burn, we should take. Ruby’d love to have the horses. But I’d rather steal those supplies. I could build traps, weapons.
Y/n: We should burn the supplies. We have enough at the school. The horses could be a nice addition, and we’ll bring the hay, too.
Willy: Ruby’d help with that. She’s like a horse whisperer.
Clementine: The fire will lure the raiders away from the boat, and we can sneak across the pier.
Willy: If anyone sees us, they’ll shoot.
Clementine: You remember that guy I told you about? James? He sent in walkers to save us from Lilly and Abel. Maybe we could convince him to do it again. If we lead a big enough group of them onto the beach, we can blend in without being seen.
Violet: Perfect.
Willy: What about after we get everyone home? I mean, the raiders’ll just come attack us again. What then?
Clementine opened her mouth to open, but in the distance we could see someone chopping wood. They looked like a raider.
Clementine: Hide, quick!
I grabbed her hand, pulling her behind a tree as AJ hid next to us.
AJ: A raider?
Y/n: Looks like it. You all stay here. I’ll go and get some information.
Clementine: Be careful.
I nodded and stepped forward, carefully, holding out my sword. I snuck up behind them and put the sword to their neck.
Y/n: Drop it.
The raider did as I said and I noticed familiar facial features, but just thought I was getting mixed up. Just my injury getting to me.
Y/n: Those kids your people took from that school. Have you hurt them?
???: I don’t know what you’re--
As soon as I heard her voice, I dropped my weapon, turning her around.
Y/n: Minerva?
Her eyes widened at the sight of me, everyone coming out of their hiding spots.
Minerva: Y/n, is that you?
Y/n: Y-Yeah. It’s me.
I brought her into a hug and she leaned into it, still slightly surprised to see me.
Minerva: I-I… You look different. Grown up.
Y/n: Time does that to you. Especially when you’re living in the apocalypse.
We both smiled and I noticed Violet moving closer and I moved out the way.
Violet: Minnie?
Minerva: Vi…
They both hugged, smiling as if they had gotten back to their happiness. It made me smile, it was sweet. They both let go after a few seconds and Minerva started to explain.
Minerva: After the attack, I wasn’t sure… I mean, I heard they burned half your school down. Who survived? Ruby, Mitch? Brody, Tenn?
Willy: Ruby and Tenn made it. Mitch didn’t. And Brody, um, she died.
She swallowed and nodded at the last bit.
Minerva: Tenn’s boots holding up okay?
AJ: His boots?
Minerva: They’re so old, they’re more holes than rubber. I duct-taped them up last time I saw him, but that was a while ago.
Clementine: His boots are fine.
Clem’s voice made Minerva turn around, her expression dropping to a glare.
Minerva: You’re Clementine. The girl who’s helping Y/n take over after Marlon. It’s weird, I thought everyone would want to lean on just Y/n/n or their own. Not the new kid, as well.
Clementine: Do you have a problem with that?
Minerva: Yes, I have a problem with it. Your ‘leadership’ is going to get my little brother killed.
Clementine: Excuse me?
Minerva: Abel figured he could talk Marlon into handing everyone over, like he and Lilly did… like they did before. You ruined the whole plan.
Y/n: What are you on about, Minnie?
Violet: He gave you and Sophie away!
Minerva: Yeah, and we all survived it! Marlon would’ve never made them fight the way you did. He wouldn’t have gotten people killed.
I stepped forward, a hard look on my face.
Y/n: You’re wrong, Minnie. You have no idea what’s been happening at the school. Clem fucking protected us.
Minerva: Yeah? Then how come so many people are dead?
Clementine: He wouldn’t have gotten people killed? He murdered Brody!
Minerva: What…?
Violet: Where’s Sophie? Is she alive?
Minerva: She… she died protecting the Delta. A hero.
Y/n: You’ve been fucking brainwashed.
Clementine: A hero? God, you--
Lilly: Minerva!
Clementine: Shit.
I pushed Clem backwards as everyone hid, we ended up hiding behind the same tree as before.
Minerva: Rockingham!
Lilly: Finish up and head back. I want to be in before dark.
Minerva: Yes, ma’am.
Lilly gave one last nod and left with another raider, leaving Minnie to pick up her axe.
Minerva: Our boat leaves for the Delta in two days. Then it’ll be a couple of weeks before we can come back for the rest of you. When we do, don’t fight. The only way you’re gonna save your people is to let us take them. I’m serious. Don’t fight this.
Y/n: Minnie, what are you doing? Why can’t you just come back to the school with us? Back to Tenn.
She looked away at her brother’s name, swallowing, again.
Minerva: I-I just can’t. Don’t fight it.
Then she ran away, letting us all leave our hiding spots. I saw Violet and she was hanging her head with a frown.
Clementine: Are you okay?
Violet: Nothing’s changed. Our plan is to get into the boat and save our friends, so that’s what we’re gonna do.
Clementine: You all should head home. Start getting things ready, get everyone caught up on the plan.
Willy: Everyone except Tenn.
AJ: I warned you…
Y/n: Hey, enough. Both of you. We’ve got enough shit to deal with.
Clementine: Come on, AJ, we’ll go find James.
I turned to look at her, holding her hand.
Y/n: Can I come with? I wanna meet this James boy.
Clementine: You jealous?
She smirked and I chuckled.
Y/n: Oh, I am so jealous of James. The boy from the woods who wears walker skin.
She laughed and nodded.
Clementine: Sure, you can come. Just maybe don’t say that stuff in front of him.
Y/n: Don’t worry. I have enough decency not to insult people on what they believe… to their face.
So, me, Clem and AJ made our way from the group and into the forest.