Fandom Tale of Two Survivors { The Last of Us 1x1 with icedthemoon }

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Alex sighed low, he didn't have an answer for that. He had been intently listening to Nate talk about this woman. He found himself smiling at her actions, and he found himself imagining being here, listening to this woman talking, sitting at the table and enjoying a nice meal. "I've had lamb before. Sheep are easy livestock to keep." He mentioned when he heard Nate ask. He looked at Nate who finally looked at him. "No, they aren't people. The way the infection works, it removes the person. They become a shell, a host for the fungus to what it wants which is spreading the infection." He said. He wasn't sure how true that was, but he'd rather think that then the alternative.

"You wouldn't last long in my group if you think that way about beliefs or controlling people" Alex said, his eyes flicking over towards Nate before he kept looking for anything that they could check out or that they should avoid.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; North Dakota

They aren’t people. That was what he was always taught. Once you got infected, it was too late for you. At some point, that fungus took control. You were gone. He never personally watched anyone lose their minds to it, but his mama did. That was how his daddy went. “Okay.” That was how Max and Ben would have gone. “Okay.” That was how anyone would go if they were unfortunate enough to get bitten. It spread like wildfire until there was nothing left but the ashes of someone.

He needed that to be the answer.

He let out a little laugh, willing the humor back into his mind. “Yeah, well good thing I don’t want to be part of people who hurt my monkey man,” he responded, willing away any more thoughts on the infected-people matter. He could bring it back to someone easier to talk about. “We’re off to find a dream group of people who accept a wide range of people, remember? The kinds of people who want to save the world not keep it under their thumbs. Those kinds of people are not for me. I have also learned that.” He shrugged, trying to lighten the mood. He was the one to have brought it down, so it was only fair that he remedy that.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Alex paused his steps for a moment, hearing Nate when he said that he wouldn't join his group, because they hurt his monkey man? Why did that make him feel like his heart was going to pound out of his chest. "Yes, that is our plan. We will join them and work to find peace together." Alex said with a smile. He was content with how things were going, and even if he decided to change their direction to perhaps travel longer than a month. One day he would tell Nate all about his group, every thing he'd experienced, but right now he didn't want to bring down the mood, not after hearing Nate try and pick it back up again.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Despite trying to fix it himself, somehow Alex did that for them. He didn’t do anything specific to fix the mood. He did not crack a joke or do something silly like Nate might have. All he did was agree with what Nate said. Even though those words were essentially a reiteration of Nate’s own summation, he could not help but like that grin overtake his entire face as he heard it. “I am so glad that you are willing to go along with what I am sure is a fool’s errand. I don’t know how I got lucky enough to find someone to keep me in line.” He shook his head as he chuckled a little. Mr. Chuckles. That was going to be his new name for himself. “Max would have liked you a lot too,” he added. “I mean, I think they all would have, but Max would have appreciated that someone could do that since he can’t.”
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Alex looked over at Nate with a smile himself. "I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be" Alex said, sincerity in his voice. He really didn't have anywhere else that he could or wanted to be. His gaze moved back to Nate and shook his head a small laugh. "Me keep you in line? Is that even possible?" He asked, teasing Nate playfully as they moved. "I would've loved to have met them, especially Max" Alex said softly. It was true, even though he wasn't sure if they'd have even met had those two been alive still.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; North Dakota

His heart felt like it was going to beat right up and out of his body if Alex was going to keep saying things like that. Nowhere else he’d rather be than wandering around the world with some uncontrollable, peace-loving idiot? Because that sounded like a dream come true if Nate ever heard one. That was again entirely unfair of Alex to keep doing this to his poor little body. It made his optimistic side go a bit beyond his own control. Like how without even really thinking about it, Nate reached out and grabbed Alex’s hand swinging it around like kids might. He may have only been 21, but in a post-apocalyptic world like this, 21 was a whole lot older than it could have been in the old world.

“No,” he answered jovially. “It absolutely is not possible, and that’s what Ben would have told you. He would have looked you straight in the eye and said something like, ‘There’s no taming someone crazy like Natty!’” He ended with a huge bellow of a laugh which turned into his own. “But Max…” Max would have told Nate to keep what he found. Everyone needed someone like that in their lives. Someone who made your heart do acrobatics. Someone who brought a flush to the ever unashamed face. Max would have told him that the way they moved felt a whole lot more like a true pair than mutual travelers. “He would have liked you. So now you have my Mama’s blessing, via memory of course, and Max’s. We’ll see how long it takes for you to do something amazing that makes me think Ben would have kept you too.”
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Alex didn't think much about how his words would've effected Nate, but he did know that he'd do what he could to help Nate and keep him with him. He blushed lightly when Nate grabbed his hand and swung it. His mother had always told him that he should never grow up, and for the 19 year old, he tried not to, but in his group, the more mature you were the better warrior you were considered. If Alex had stayed, he would've been a top warrior in a few years. His father called him an old soul, someone who was wise beyond their years. He didn't know who to believe, so he tried to keep a mixture of both. Playful yet serious.

"I'm starting to understand Ben and Max better after having traveled with you. I'm sure I will earn Ben's blessing, but I'm glad to have gotten your mom's and Max's already" He said. All Alex knew was that he was falling for Nate and he planned on taking them down the southern end of Montana down to Idaho and perhaps to Oregon before they make it to Washington.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Nate was one of those people who loved to more. He loved to do. He loved to experience life how life wanted to be experienced not only by hiding out and until the next moment to go somewhere to hide out all over again. But what he loved most was having someone to do that with. When they took in young Max and Ben, two boys orphaned in the same attack, Nate gained two people who were a lot more willing to do things his way. Ben and his loud mouth was willing to try anything if he thought he could win at it, and Max was willing to try with caution and then outshine everyone else. They were both exactly what someone like Nate, a kid who wanted the kind of adventure that involved a lot more fun and a lot less death, would need. And then, when they were older, and the other two become more soldier-type individuals, that worked out well, because Nate could temper them and the other way around. Sometimes they also needed someone to tell them that the world is not such a bad place.

That was kind of like how he felt about him and Alex. Alex was this magical archer who climbed trees as well as Nate walked, and he was running from a place that tainted the whole world. Maybe that was exactly what he needed this time. Alex was a little bit broken, and Nate’s specialty was fixing broken people. Nate wondered if maybe, just maybe, Alex was doing the same for Nate. Maybe he was fixing him too.

“Oh, because it was questionable before?” He teased, swinging their clasped hands as they walked. “How exactly did this crazy guy have not one but two other guys with him for so long? It’s because I’m charming. They were ensorcelled by my charm.”
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Alex always tried to be upbeat even with where he came from. He still remembered the day they put the scars on his face, how it hurt and he'd actually cried that night, Yara and Lev beside him. They'd all had it done at the same time. It was then that Alex had started questioning everything. He didn't understand why they were scarred, there was something in his thought process that had refused to listen to their teachings. He never thought he'd find someone so realistic, so positive.

"Is that what you did? You charmed them and they decided they couldn't stand being away from you? Then why am I still here, have you charmed me and I just don't know it yet?" Alex asked, his arm moving as Nate swung their clasped hands.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; North Dakota

If Nate weren’t carrying a heavy pack or injured in a way that limited his own movements, he might have done something like skipping. Not quite skipping, because that was hard in the forest. He probably would not have done that in a town either, but he did feel like having cheerful movements. Instead, he settled with a silly little rock from side to side as they moved. He timed it with the arm swings. Next would likely be his legs.

“Absolutely,” he answered without hesitation. “You are enthralled by my charm, and you cannot leave. You can’t even consider it, because I have trapped you.” With his free hand, he pointed to Alex. “You were wondering why you were traveling with a stranger back to the place you were leaving? Yeah, it’s the whammy I put on you.” He wiggled his fingers in Alex’s direction. “That’s why I get away with so many crazy things like talking about blasphemous ideas such as perhaps not living just to murder everyone else. You can’t help but go along.” He nodded. “Charmed.”
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Alex felt the small rock through their joined hands and smiled. How this man was always so upbeat just amazing Alex. He'd always been around such serious people, even Lev and Yara when they all got older. It was just their lifestyle. It made it hard to be any form of happy. With the threat of the WLF possibly attacking their island constantly, it was hard to find a positive or happy person, even Alex found it hard trying to be upbeat himself.

Alex raised an eyebrow over at Nate, listening to him. "Oh, I see. Well that makes sense now. But now that I'm aware, I can break your charm over me" Alex said with a teasing laugh. He pulled his hand free, albeit a little reluctantly, and stopped walking. "I'm going to stay here, breaking your hold over me and you can continue on that way for your people" He said with a grin. He glanced up to see the sun halfway through the sky, a few more hours left before they reached the border and possibly a bunch of hunters.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Nate’s gaze followed his hand as it left, a little pout threatening to protrude from his jovial demeanor. No, not threatening. It came out a little before he could shove it away and keep that smile. He should not be so sad about something like Alex pulling his hand away. Be your own person, Nate. Come on, Natty. Ben would so never let you live that down.

“Well,” he began as he continued waling without missing a beat, “I guess I’m on my own now that you’ve found me out. You uncovered my deep, dark secret, and now I must continue this journey on my own.” He looked over his shoulder, Nate grin and all. “Would be tragic if you didn’t want join me anymore.” He raised both brows and let them drop. “Think of all the things we could do if you came along.” He winked and swung his arms wide but slow in case someone might want to be charmed again.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Alex didn't notice much when he pulled away, he was focused on his little thing. Alex looked at Nate when he kept walking, looking back at Alex with that grin on his face. He crossed his arms. "It'll be even more tragic when you end up circling back around and finding me again" He said. His eyebrows raised at the last comment, the wink almost melting his entire resolve. How did someone like that make him so willing to follow. He found himself walking back towards Nate without even thinking about it. It was like he was charmed, following Nate without even thinking about what he was doing. What was wrong with him? Why did he feel this indescribable pull towards this man he met a few days ago?​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Nate moved his gaze towards the front once more, moving like he was happy and content on his own. He walked with all the confidence of someone who was not at all worried about getting lost and someone turning in circles. The best part was that he walked with the confidence of someone who knew that he was not being abandoned. There was not a question in his mind. He waited a good several steps and then, still walking, looked back over his shoulder, and sure enough, there was Alex following after him. When his arm swung back, he twisted his hand in offering. fingers making small grabbing motions. That was not exactly part of the act, and by that, he did not mean to do that at all, but it was too late to go back and tell his hands not to be so desperate and forward. “Well come on then. You’ll have to make sure I don’t circle back anywhere.” Then he threw his gaze back towards the front, showing his unmistakable trust.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; North Dakota

He followed behind Nate, his steps slow as he tried to figure out just what it was about this man that drew Alex in. The optimism, the crazy ideas and thoughts, his view on the world. Whatever it was, kept Alex intrigued and interested. His eyes watched Nate as he walked, the confidence in his steps and he smiled as Nate looked behind him to see Alex. Alex saw Nate hold his hand back in offering, his fingers making grabbing motions for Alex. Alex laughed, increasing his speed and took Nate's hand again. "I'm only here because I want to make sure you don't go in circles" Alex said, which was a lie. He could never leave Nate, and he knew that.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Nate pulled in his lips, tried not to let his smile give away the part where despite the fact that he knew Alex was not only going to join him but also would take this offering, his whole body felt like it was shocked from the touch. The touch of hands that held one another too often for this to be what it did to him. He held plenty of people’s hands before. He dragged around the boys all the time. His mama dragged him around. He helped people out of sticky situations. When he thought of how many hands this one alone had touched, it was probably a whole lot more than a lot of people. But none of ever did this to him.

So he would be making up more excuses for handholding in the future. Got it.

“Oh, I know,” he answered, fully aware that it was a lie. He did not know the truth, of course- he could never guess the truth even with how they both were. But he knew that only for guide purposes was less the truth now than it might have been at the beginning. “That’s what I want you to believe.” He raised both brows with a grin that snaked up his cheeks before he looked ahead of them again. You know, because he still had to look out for the dangers of their dying world and not just flirt with his new favorite person.

Um.
Flirt?
Well, yeah. That did seem to be what he was doing. And what he had been doing. And what he would likely continue to be doing.
Okay then. There was that.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Alex could live his whole life holding Nate's hand and be perfectly happy. The jolt that the touch sent down his spine made him smile. It made him happy and he would do whatever he could to keep this man from leaving his side. Was that weird and little odd? Perhaps. Alex didn't care though. He looked over at Nate when he heard him talking. "I see. Good to know. I have no other choice but to believe you" Alex said, shaking his head with a laugh. Was there much else to say? Not really, but as they drew closer, he could see that the forest was ending farther up ahead. Just past it was the border and then the large expanse of Montana. Unfortunately, Montana was a more barren state, they had forests but they were sparce compared to North Dakota. "When we get to the final tree, I'll climb up and look for hunters" Alex said, his tone serious now. The last thing he wanted was for them to walk right into a border ambush.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Nate nodded. They really could not afford getting ambushed by hunters right as they were losing all of their advantageous forest. Having never been this far West, which was a bit shocking with how much he had traveled, he was not sure what to expect. He wondered if the world would look different. How did Montana compare to North Dakota? Did it look like the places he knew? At least he was pretty good at survival. He’d done it this long.

When they reached the end of the trees, Nate pulled his hand away first, pauses far enough back to not be easily seen from the outside. “Alright, monkey man. Do your thing. And-“ he looked at Alex with more seriousness than he did normally. “Don’t you dare hurt yourself.” He let that sit a moment before grabbing his hand and squeezing it with a smile before dropping it and grabbing the straps of his pack as he watched around them.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; North Dakota

As the trees ended, Alex felt Nate drop his hand and he looked at him. He moved to head to a tree when he felt the hand grab his again. Alex turned to Nate, hearing him and smiled, both at him and the squeeze on his hand. "Come on, I'm the monkey man, I'll be fine.." He paused, sending a wink to Nate. "I'll be safe, and back down to see you soon." He finished. Alex took a deep breath, set his pack down though he kept his bow on his back, and walked to the last tree. He leaned forward, leapt and caught the branch, hauling himself up into the tree. From there, he swung and leapt, catching branches in his hands and hauling himself up. He made to about three quarters to the top, steadying himself against the trunk and looking through the leaves. He searched the border. As he searched, he saw them. A big group of hunters, easily 7-8 of them that he could see.

They still had a large portion of the border secured and they'd have to swing wide to get past them. He remembered seeing close to 15 when he was here last, if the three they found earlier was part of them, that would still leave four unaccounted for. Nate. He had to get back to Nate, now, they were being ambushed. Alex worked his way down as fast as he could, but paused hearing footsteps. He was still a few branches from the forest floor. Alex drew his bow, aiming it at a hunter that had been waiting for them. The hunter had a pistol in his hand that he was loading. Alex drew back his bow with an arrow ready and let it fly. It hit the man in the heart, dropping him to the ground. Alex dropped from the tree and raced towards Nate. He didn't expect the hand grabbing his shoulder and wrenching him around, knife at his neck.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Nate should not have been watching Alex, but he couldn’t help it. He loved to watch him move. The way he glided through the trees reminded him of creatures in the water. Weightless, defying gravity. He was a marvel really. The kind of marvel that was distracting. Distracting enough for Nate not to understand what he heard until it was too late. It wasn’t so much a crunch as just the sound of movement. Maybe leaves moving? Maybe wind whistling. It was enough to draw his head down and to the ground though, and that was what saved him. Because if he hadn’t looked down, he wouldn’t have seen the hand coming around him in time for him to just barely duck down, angry fingers grabbing onto pack instead of him. He gritted his teeth, pulled in his arms and shoulders, and slipped forward, letting the pack fall away as he tumbled forward. He had no time for pain. He pushed his good leg forward to lurch himself forward and run. He grabbed the knife at his side and pulled it out, ready to defend himself.

“Are we really going to have to kill these men?”
His mama looked at him square in the face like she was more disappointed than she could ever be.
“These men want you dead. Not just dead. They want to skin you alive, because they’re the worst kinds of creeps out there.” They crouched low behind a half wall in yet another abandoned building. This one used to be a hotel. It still had real nice rooms.
“Can’t we just sneak around them?”
A loud crash and his mama lurched over the wall. Nate popped up, his eight year old mind not wanting to miss his mother. She was on the back of this guy, her arm around his throat. Yanking hard. And then he fell to the floor, and she looked over at her son.
“Baby, sometimes that’s just not possible. Sometimes you have to survive first.”

Nate smashed into the bushes, aware he was making too much sound, but he could hear the man behind him. He reached out towards a thinner trunk and used it to air him in a quick turn around, falling in behind the hunter now. He threw one arm around her front and held a knife to her neck. “Who are you people? Why won’t you let people pass?”

She spat on his arm, and he grimaced. He pulled his grip tighter around her, choking a little as he kept the knife on her neck. “I don’t want to hurt you.” She took that moment to try to pull out of his grip, grabbing onto his leg where she could not have known that it hurt but it really did. His grip loosened, and she whipped around shoving a knife of her own towards his gut, but she swung too low. He held his breath and pinched his thighs around her hand to trap it, and held his knife up to her again. “Please stop. We don’t have to-“ She let go of the knife and kicked as hard as she could at his legs. He crumbled to the floor, and as she leaned down to grab him, he twisted his chest around enough to thrust the knife forward, severing the artery he knew would drop her. He held his breath as she fell beside him. He closed his eyes, let it go, and jumped back up to find Alex.

He moved quickly through the trees, trying to find where he went. If Nate had someone on him, he was sure that Alex did too. He needed to get back to the tree but they all looked the same. Was this the one He turned in a circle, panicked. Was it? Yes! This was for sure the one. Which meant that they had to be somewhere close? And then he saw them. Some guy with Alex at knife point. Nope. Not okay. In fact, that was not just not okay. It infuriated him. This was not like infected. These were people. These were people who would hurt other people. Nate’s people. He slipped back into the trees, moving quickly but quietly, giving them a wide berth until he could slip up behind the hunter. In one motion, he sliced the hunter’s throat- deep enough to cause a whole lot of damage very quickly - and grabbed the hunter’s knife so that it did not cause any issues during the hunter’s descent to the ground.
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Alex had tried to get away from the knife at his neck. He didn't know where Nate was, he didn't know what was happening or how many hunters were even around. He had gotten one, but now it seemed like he'd be gotten. His thoughts were on Nate, not his own survival, and he didn't want to leave Nate behind. Alex was stuck, he could feel the blade pressing in his skin, memories of getting his scars swirling in his mind. Alex wasn't sure he'd make it out of this one. Suddenly the knife was gone from his neck, and he heard a thud from behind him. Alex looked to the side to see Nate standing there, the knife in his hand along with his own, clearly having been used. "Nate.. you're okay" Alex breathed out, his hand going up to touch his neck, it was superficial, nothing deep. Alex looked around, "How many did you see? I saw four missing from the initial count, but I don't know if they're doing wave ambush or all at once" He said, worry ladened in his voice as he continued to look. "I'm sorry, I left our five foot radius but I didn't imagine that they'd ambush us" He got out, his eyes looking at Nate for any injuries.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; North Dakota

The thud of the hunter’s drop hurt Nate in his heart. In his soul. In whatever made up his being. This was how people really lived. This was how they looked at outsiders. They were kill counts. They were targets. Maybe they were even sport prey. These were the kinds of people that Nate’s people were fighting against. These were the kinds of people that Alex said were in Washington. These were the worst kinds of people, and it hurt Nate that there was no saving them from themselves as hard as he tried.

He hated killing people. He hated it more than just about anything else in the whole world. He only did it when he had to. He should not have to right now.

He bit back those thoughts, seeing that this was not the time. Alex touching his neck, worry fueling him more than blood, meant that this was not the time for struggling with necessary actions. That could be later. He peered down at the extra knife that he now possessed and realized that he was now significantly less capable of consoling his companion. Later. “I am fine.” Which was going to sound like a lie, which it was. He leaned in close. “You can do a thorough check later. I will need it. But we have to get to safety first. I, um…” murdered. You murdered. “took out one over there.” A rough head nod in the general direction. “I haven’t seen any other ones yet. I haven’t heard anyone either. They will probably send more as soon as these do not return.” He swallowed, keeping his tone low and to a minimum. “How do we get around?”
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Alex took a deep breath. Okay. Nate was okay, he was okay. "We will check later. Right now we need to move." With the barren land ahead of them, they had no way to hide. So they would have to divert course now instead of later like Alex had been thinking about. Alex looked around again, listening for footsteps. There was one more that he still didn't know about. Wait, there. Alex turned to the right, bow drawn, arrow ready and waited. He heard footsteps in that direction and breathed out. He saw the flash of silver and let his arrow fly. The second thud sounded as he dropped the fourth hunter. "I saw 7 or 8 of them at the camp, and there was 15 when I came through before. Taking out the three from earlier, that left four hunters to ambush us. Now, I need the map and we need to move" He said, holstering his bow. Alex turned so he was facing the border, turned to the left and walked. "We are going to have to divert course Nate, I'll get us to South Dakota and we can cut back west after." Alex said, looking at him as he slowly walked away.​

 

[icedthemoon]

Nathaniel Matthews
Former Firefly | 21 | Current location ;; North Dakota

The map. Oh shoot the map. He had nothing. The hunter pulled off his pack in the ambush, and he had no idea where that was, because he was also so turned around. “Um, well, if that’s the fourth one, and you are pretty sure that the rest of them are at the border, then I am going to need a second.” He smiled shyly as he wiggled his bare back. “One of them kind of absconded with part of me. But she’s dead now, so… Okay, this way.” He quickly moved through the trees, crouched down low in case anyone else decided to jump in on all the fun, and pushed his legs too fast for how sore they were. He could deal with them later. First, he had to find where that hunter dropped it. It can’t be that hard to find, right?

Right. It was not too hard. In fact, it was relatively close, which was nice since he really did not want to deal with not having all of his stuff. As he scooped the pack back up, he realized several things. The hunter apparently decided that grabbing with a knife in hand was a good idea, because the sleeping back rolled and attached on top of the pack was looking worse for wear. Great. At least the pack was still in one piece. He quickly fished out the map and handed it to Alex. “Got it. Okay. This is fine. This is great.” He smiled nervously as the adrenaline of the moment began to wane. “I would like to avoid this kind of endeavor from now on.”
​

 

[EquineGurl23]

Alexander Brennan
Former Seraphite | 19 | Current location ;; North Dakota

Alex had halted completely when he realized that Nate had lost his pack. He followed behind him, his eyes and ears listening for others that might arrive. He stopped when Nate did, watching as he grabbed his pack before fishing the map out and handing it over. Alex opened it, looking at it, then finding the border, following from where they'd started. Okay. So go left and about a days journey and they should be in South Dakota. Alex shoved the map in his pack that he'd picked up when they'd walked back towards where the whole mess started. "I'd prefer to avoid this at all costs, there was no way they should've known about us, unless one of the hunters survived the attack from before and made it back to tell them" Alex said. "But, we need to go left , straight and in a days time, we should make it across the border to South Dakota" He said, looking over where he knew the border was and turned left, so they could get some distance from the hunters.​