Whisper In The Dark (TWD-Final Season James Fanfic)

Depart

Elianna's P.O.V.

"I'm leaving whether you join me or not, James. I'm not staying here. This group isn't what's right for me, and I can see that it's changing you as well."

"I...I have to think about it. Stay until I make a decision."

"I can't. I'm leaving now."

We were out on a routine run, and I had decided that it would be easier to slip away when we were away from camp. James stared at me in disbelief as I turned my back on him and walked away.

"Please don't go!" James called after me, his voice a hushed scream.

"I can't stay." I repeated, refusing to look at him. "Tell the others I died or something. I'll stay in the area for a few days if you want to join me. If not, I'm moving on."

I waited a few moments before I walked away. James didn't follow.

~

The next few days were harsh. The cold winds had started up, and food was incredibly scarce. I had set up traps for the small woodland creatures, and all the ones that were caught were scrawny or too young to provide enough food for me. My camp was small, and it was set up and at least half a mile away from the Whisperer's camp. I had left small marks in trees, using James's initial and arrows to tell him where I was if he did want to join me.

I was walking back from checking my traps when I noticed that there were tracks coming from the direction of the last mark I had left. I pulled the bow from my back, a weapon I had required after being made a member of the Whisperers. I readied an arrow as I walked up to my camp, and I aimed at the intruder who had their back to me.

"Who are you?" I snapped.

The intruder slowly turned around, and I realized it was James. In the short amount of time that I had been away from him, I had completely forgotten what he looked like. I lowered my bow almost immediately, and James ran his eyes over me in curiosity.

"Hello." He whispered.

"Hi." I replied, my voice automatically returning to the soft and quiet volume I had been drilled to use.

"I'm here. Where do we go now?"

"We stay here for the night, and we move on. I've got a few traps set up, so we can check them in the morning before we leave. For now, I have a few rabbits and squirrels."

He helped me set up a small fire, and I put the animals on sticks to angle them over the flames. We sat shoulder to shoulder, and I stared at the crackling flames.

"I thought you had already moved on when I came here and didn't see you." James whispered.

"I had gone to check the traps." I explained. "If I had moved on, I wouldn't have left an obvious camp."

We both went quiet, and I looked at him. He was staring at the fire much like I had been.

"Thank you for finding me." I whispered. "I know it was hard to leave."

He shrugged. "I didn't really have a reason to stay."

"Are you saying you had a reason to leave?"

I smiled at the blush that turned his cheeks pink, and he coughed to try and cover it up.

"Let's just say that my reason was good enough for me."  He croaked.

I tried my best to hold in the laugh that followed his embarrassment, and we both started laughing. The sound filled the forest air, and we most likely attracted the Walkers in the area, but we were happy to express our laughter.