Clem carried AJ in her arms as she followed the stranger deeper into the woods. The past experiences she had with people screamed warnings at her with every step she took.
"You have no idea who he is."
"You have no idea what he could do."
"He's wearing walker skin!"
"This is a bad idea- "
She was snapped out of her thoughts as AJ groaned, his face twisting up in pain. She eyed him with worry, concern crossing her features.
"Don't worry." The man said in a hushed voice. "We're almost there."
She nodded slightly in understanding as she shifted her hold on the young boy in her arms.
She still wasn't sure what his full intentions were, but he did save them...
She would trust him. At least for now...
For AJ.
~
After the painful process of removing the shrapnel from AJ's belly was completed, Clem carried him over to the campfire the young man had prepared. She carefully sat him down against a fallen tree before taking a seat next to him. She observed him for a moment before allowing her worried gaze to wander over the forest and her mind to wonder about their current situation.
What would their next move be after this?
Where would they go?
What could she do for AJ?
"I didn't mean to endanger you."
Her worried thoughts were suddenly halted by the mysterious young man's soft, raspy voice.
"The walkers. They were sent to help you."
"What?" She thought. "Sent? He sent them?"
"You...sent the walkers?" She voiced her thoughts.
The young man hesitated slightly before he spoke again. "Was part of a group," he explained as he directed his gaze in her direction but, not quite looking at her, "Call themselves Whisperers. They've learned to live in herds among the walkers. Move among them. Sometimes even guide them."
"What?..." Clem thought. She's never heard of that before. The most she's done with getting up close and personal with walkers was a couple years ago when Jane taught her the technique of smearing herself in walker guts to move among them. She's never had to do it for long periods of time, but just quick enough to get by them. But by the way he described it, it seems like Whisperers practically live within a group of walkers.
She shivered slightly. It sounded insane. It sounded like a nightmare...
She thought some more about what he had just told her. He said he was with a group. So, what happened to them?
"So, why are you alone out here if you were part of a group?" She asked.
His eyes gazed into the fire before speaking.
"They attacked a community. I saw the carnage. After that, I didn't want to be part of it anymore." He shook his head slightly in remorse. Sorry for what he had seen. Sorry that he had been a part of it.
He didn't notice the sympathetic look Clem gave him. She was about to speak again when AJ groaned in pain, causing her attention to immediately snap to him.
"Does it hurt?" She asked in worry.
"Hungry." the boy replied in strained voice.
Clem bit her lip. She didn't have any food on her. Her backpack was gone. She supposed maybe she could gather some berries or nuts. There had to be something growing out here that was edible...
"Here." James said suddenly. His right arm was outstretched towards them and in the middle of his palm was a pale red apple.
Clem felt herself smile, relieved. "Thank you." She took the apple and cut it into two slices, making sure AJ's slice was bigger before handing it to him. He gratefully took it and ate slowly. She pulled him closer, careful not to put any stress in his wound, and held her piece in her hand. Surprisingly, after the awfully long day they had, hunger was the last thing on her mind. There were too many other things to worry about. AJ. Lily. The school.
He shook her head slightly as she directed her gaze to the campfire.
What could they do?
She allowed her gaze to wander up to the young man, and their eyes met for a brief moment. Well, as of right now, the most she could do is try to know him a little better.
"So...do you have a name?"
He looked at her for a second before returning his eyes to the fire.
"Been awhile..."
"Since what?"
"Since I've said it." He admitted. Clem watched as he slowly reached up towards his mask, however she was not prepared for the face the his behind it.
Her eyes widened slightly as she allowed her them to explore the young man's features.
A strong jawline. Peach colored, bow-shaped lips which complemented the olive skin tone of his face which seemed to hold no blemish that couldn't be fixed with a little soap and water. Above his long nose at two slanted, earthy brown eyes with strong, straight eyebrows to match. And on top of his head sat straight, chin length dark brown hair styled in a way that some of it slightly covered his left eyebrow.
To be frank, he was handsome. Very handsome.
"Huh..." Clem thought to herself. "He's...different than I imagined." She was so lost in her thoughts she almost didn't catch his name.
"James."
She shook her head to clear her thoughts and asked the other question that was constantly niggling in the back of her head.
"Why did you help us, James?"
He looked over to her, then at the mask in his hands. He gingerly sat it aside before standing and walking around camp as he answered her question with another question.
"The people who attacked you. What do you know about them?"
Clem didn't have to think long to come up with an answer. "I know they steal kids. They took two last year." She said as her brows furrowed angrily at the thought of Tenn's sisters being ripped away from their home.
"Hm. A common practice for them. They're at war up north. Their entire community, against another. It's why they take people. To make them fight. Train them. Use them." He whispered in disgust. "If they captured you, you would join their war."
Clem shook her head, not wanting to believe what she was hearing. "That's... awful." Lily and Abel had easily overpowered them. If Violet and Louis weren't there to cause a distraction, there's a good chance her and AJ would be prisoners right now...
"Yes, that's why I helped you." James admitted.
She looked up at him as a grateful smile tugged at her lips. "Thank you."
James responded with a small smile of his own that only made Clem's wider. However, the peaceful mood was soon interrupted when a guttural moan sounded from the nearby trees. They all turned their heads to the direction of the noise and saw as a walker with faded blue pants immerged and wandered aimlessly near them, but it didn't see them. Clem grabbed her knife and got ready to attack when James suddenly grabbed her wrist.
"Here." He said handing her a small rock. She shot him a questioning look. "Throw it. distract him. No one has to get hurt. Not him or us." He explained.
Her eyes bounced back and forth between him and the walker. If she killed it, they'd be sure they would not run into him again. Distracting it won't stop it from coming back. She looked at James again, and this time their eyes locked. His were warm and kind, but silently pleading. He really didn't want it to die. He cared about it. Clem wasn't sure if she fully agreed with James' mindset, but she decided to respect it for now. If anything, it was the least she could do for him.
She picked up the rock and threw it as far as she could in the opposite direction. Soon, the sound of it impacting with a hard object in the distance echoed softly through the forest, and as promised, the walker slowly turned its decaying head in the direction of the sound, and limped slowly out of sight.
James allowed a small smile to grace his lips as he watched it leave.
"Thank you." He replied softly as he may his way back to the campfire. Clem glared in the direction the walker had been, silently warning it not to come back before she made her way back to where she previously sat.
"It was difficult to send the herd in to save you. I...I didn't want them to die." James admitted solemnly.
It was still hard for Clem to wrap her head around the whole sparing and caring about walkers belief James seemed to cling to, but she sympathized with him nonetheless. Afterwards, there was a couple beats of silence between them. James focused on keeping the fire lit, and Clem allowed herself to get lost in her thought. But after a while, she voiced another question.
"So, James, do you just hang out in the woods, saving random people?" James set down the stick he was using to maintain the fire and answered.
"After I left my group, I wandered around. It was my first time alone, ever. There was war everywhere. First against walkers and then against each other. Was hoping it would be different here." He said as his expression became downcast. Clem nodded slightly as she took in the information.
"Where are you from?" he asked, almost shyly as he moved his gaze from her direction. Clem thought for a bit before responding,
"Georgia originally. Feels like forever ago..." she admitted as she felt her heart ache for her original hometown. Her school, her friends, her house...her parents.
"It was." James replied seeming just as homesick as she was.
Before getting too sentimental, she decided to ask him the same question.
"What about you?"
"Washington." He responded simply.
Clem raised an eyebrow. "Like the city or the state?"
"The city. My dad owned a food truck. I helped." He said, memories of his father and his hometown making a soft smile stretch his lips. Clem felt a smile of her own start to spread as well. Seems as though his happiness was somewhat contagious, but a quiet groan from AJ soon broke the content atmosphere.
Switching immediately back into mom mode, Clem directed her gaze back at the young boy and gently placed the back go her hand against is forehead.
"You've got a fever." She spoke softly as she pulled him closer to her.
"His wound will need proper cleaning and medicine if you're lucky enough if have any."
"Well," she began, "the school has medicine but I don't think they'd be willing to share it."
James lowered his eyes as he began to put two and two together.
"That's why those people attacked you isn't it? To get to that school." He determined. "They'll destroy whatever they find. Bring more guns, more fighters. Take everyone inside." He said, his eyes and voice hardening with each statement.
With this newfound knowledge, Clem quickly came to a conclusion:
"They're not gonna be able to fight them off."
Especially if they don't know it's coming. The protection and weapons they have at the school is impressive for what it is, but when faced against a group of who knows how many raiders with guns, it quickly becomes average at best.
AJ shifted slightly, trying to find a more comfortable position to rest in and bit back a groan as he accidently put more stress on his wound. James eyes him with concern and spoke to Clem again.
"You need medicine. You have to go back, or you'll lose him."
Clem nodded in understanding, resolve setting in on her features.
"I will. And, I have to warn them about the raiders. It's the right thing to do." James' face shifted slightly as he thought over her decision. After all the destruction and wickedness, he'd seen, it was refreshing to see someone wanting to do the right thing. Even to people who had mistreated them.
"Noble of you, despite their treatment."
Clem smiled softly at the compliment but soon casted another worried look in AJ's direction.
"I'll help you get back. Past the walkers." James said. He tilted his head up slightly to get a view of the sky. The sun should be rising soon.
"A couple hours and we'll go." He resolved.
Clem nodded in agreement and smiled at AJ
"That's a couple more hours for you to sleep." She said softly to the young boy who was already struggling to keep his eyes open. Once he allowed himself to relax, Clem felt the exhausting activities of the day catch up with her as well.
"I'll stay awake. You don't have to." James offered.
She was very tempted to take his offer. It'll probably be for the best. They have a long journey in morning and it didn't seem like AJ would be in a good enough condition to walk, especially for a long distance, meaning she would have to carry him. She forced her tired eyes to wander up toward James'. They were kind, warm, and dare she admit, trusting. The warm glow of the campfire seemed to enhance that.
She felt comfortable.
She felt that she could allow herself to relax.
She felt that she could trust him.
"Okay, I will." She decided, "But what about you?"
James shook his head. "Don't need it. Not tonight. Rest well."
Seeing that AJ was already sound asleep, she allowed a sleepy smile to tug at her lips as she rested her head against his head, using his thick afro as a pillow.
"Goodnight." She whispered as she allowed herself to drift off to sleep. The last thing she saw for that day was a tender smile grace James' lips before he replied back in his hushed tone.
"Goodnight."