The goodbyes were short. They had quickly gathered the few things that the travellers were going to take with them, and we're ready to leave. A few people had come up to them and worried about their loved ones safety; Brenda had specifically asked Minho to make sure Thomas stayed out of trouble and got back safely. Most of the crowd just wanted them to leave, and to come back with food ( preferably lots of it). The sooner the better.
Luckily most of the people who had volunteered were in good physical condition, and there had only been a few murmured complaints so far. They'd started walking through open forest but as they continued it turned into a jungle. Bright green vines, and emerald moss covered everything, and the sunlight was dappled through the great canopy far above their heads. The trees were massive; you could have had cars drive through some of them, and they were so tall - Minho reckoned they had to be as high as any of the dilapidated skyscrapers in the Scorch. Overall, it created a beautiful, magic effect; it was mystical and foreign to Minho. The vines were so thick most of the time that Minho would have been completely disorientated if Lyla hadn't been there.
Thomas was at the back picking up any stragglers. Lyla lead the way with Minho beside her. She walked the path like she knew it well. A couple of times Minho had almost stopped the group, saying that they were at a dead end. But somehow, Lyla always knew a way through the brambles, or around the vines. Minho looked at Lyla. She kept looking round - not nervously, but almost knowingly - and seemed (oddly) to have her ears pricked. "Looking for someone?" Minho asked. She jumped slightly, then turned and smiled at him. "Just some friends of mine."She looked around, then nodded. "We'll stop for lunch soon. That should give us enough time to reach it before dark."
"Where exactly are we going? I'm not really liking the whole ' mystery field trip' atmosphere." Minho said sarcastically, although really he was dying of curiosity.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" She smirked.
"Yes. That was why I asked." He said, but before he could get any further, a pale hand appeared on his shoulder. Nina was there walking beside him, and her hand slipped from his shoulder down to his waist, pulling their bodies closer together while they walked. He awkwardly put his hand around her waist until she giggled and moved his hand to a more comfortable position. Minho was suddenly aware at how close her body was to his, and at how astonishingly stunning she really was. She had such delicate features. Minho had to stop himself from reaching out to touch them. He shook his head and tried not to get distracted. "So where.....?" He started, then trailed off as he realised that Lyla had walked on ahead. "What was that?" Nina asked sweetly, but Minho just shrugged and muttered " It doesn't matter."
They walked for another half an hour ( with Nina still attached to Minho) before Lyla signalled for them to stop. She handed out some plants and roots she'd gathered for their lunch. After she'd handed some to Minho and Nina she walked slightly off to the side. Nina started to talk, but Minho's eyes were on Lyla. She had just slipped off into some vines. "Stay here." he told Nina, and before she had time to ask why, he pushed through the vines after Lyla.
