RIPTIDE ▹ THE ORIGINALS

four; off to the races

-•-•-

River was barely able to catch a moment of sleep during the night. The excitement of getting a lead on where her sister might be continuously prodded at her mind; it was impossible to focus on anything else. As the sun was just beginning to come into view and the birds' melodic chirping rang throughout the camp, the girl rolled over in her restless state, landing face-down on the oakwood floor as a groan escaped her lips. She was dazed for a moment, eyebrows knitting together as she rubbed her forehead. River's gaze moved to the clock, quickly scrambling up from the floor as she realized it was morning. A smile graced her plump lips and her heart began to flutter. 

She quickly grabbed her backpack and pulled out the map that Aubrey had given her yesterday, deciding on a whim that she wanted to say goodbye before she headed off. River knocked on what she thought was the female wolf's cabin, but she soon realized otherwise when the brunette man - that gave River the last known direction of Hayley - emerged. 

He yawned as a hand ran through his sloppy quiff of hair, and River immediately darted her eyes elsewhere. "Oh, sorry, I thought this was Aubrey's cabin," she said, staring at an interestingly-colored patch of flowers.

"No worries. She's right over there," he replied, motioning to the cabin directly beside his. Before River was able to walk away, he spoke up again. "Hey, uh, if you do find Hayley . . . can you tell her I'm sorry? It's, uh, a long story," he asked, somewhat awkwardly.

"Oh . . . sure, yeah, of course. Who are you, though?" River replied, just now realizing that she didn't even know his name.

"Isaac. Isaac James," he replied and offered a small smile. River nodded and forced herself to return the smile before jogging over to Aubrey's cabin. She knocked on the door and was finally greeted with the werewolf she had been looking for.

"You heading off?" Aubrey asked, though seeming to already know the answer. 

"Yeah, I just wanted to say thanks before I left," River said, looking up into Aubrey's deep green eyes, which resembled those of Hayley's. "You've done so much for me, and I'd be pretty much screwed if it weren't for you."

"We help our own out here, River. Take care of yourself, okay? Be safe," the woman said, the sincerity evident in her soothing voice. 

River would miss Aubrey greatly. It had always been rare for the girl to come upon someone that actually showed her a moment of kindness, but this woman - that River barely even knew - had done so much for her. It only made the girl crave her big sister even more. It made her want to fight. She would do anything to find Hayley, no matter what.

"I will. Thank you, Aubrey, for everything," River replied, her deep blue eyes creasing as a jubilant smile overtook her face yet again.

The two embraced each other one last time before the brunette girl walked the trail of the camp, and eventually back into the dense brush of the Appalachian woods. By now, her ankle was almost completely healed up, which was a relief considering that most of her remaining journey included a lot of walking.

And thats exactly what she did; she walked. She walked for hours, refusing to stop even when her lungs felt as though a fire was brewing within them. The only thing keeping her going was the thought that step-by-step, she was one foot closer to finding Hayley, wherever the hell she may be. 

-•-•-

After what felt like ages of stomping through thick foliage that reached her knees, and zig-zagging between the tallest pine trees she had ever seen, River reached into her backpack and pulled out the now crinkled map. Deciding that she had walked about five miles southwest, there were at least fifteen more to go until she reached the only road that exited the Appalachians within a fifty mile radius. Unfortunately, that was the downside of living in the middle of nowhere, though it did provide a coveted sanctuary for the wolf pack.