virago|c.g.|

xvi

Clary ended up walking towards the fenced in area that had been housing her horse. As she came up closer, the sun warming her face, the ease on her face grew as she saw Montu. She climbed over the fence of the stable, leaning against it as her pale horse approached. With soft neighs, he hit her hand with his head and she stroked his forehead before going down his neck. As weird as it was to admit, Clary had seen her horse as a friend, her partner that had always been there. He had seen many of the horrors she had seen, and was untrusting as she had been. He had been the hardest one to tame at Solaris, where Lieutenants gained horses as a show of rank but also for the use of travel as only the higher-ups traveled greater distances that had need for horses. Her first week she spent taming him, gaining his trust and naming him after the Egyptian god of war as she had been reading a book on Egyptian myths that she had found the night prior. Clary felt at peace with the horse, a surprise as he was not the most peaceful of horses. He was etched in scars, the red or pink of them contrasting against his pale hair, and with eyes so dark, he looked like the pale steed of Death, but to her he was her loyal friend.

Her peace and thoughts became disturbed as she heard footsteps approaching. "He's beautiful." Clary turned, surprised to see Enid approaching from the other side of the stable fencing. The girl nodded. "Yeah, strong too." Enid smiled softly, her eyes wavering before looking at the girl. "I think he has to be, considering he's yours." As the two's eyes met, Clary nodded softly at Enid's words, looking between her and the horse before calling the horse closer. As he did, Enid made a move forward, but worry shadowed her face. "You can touch him, if you want." Clary spoke, Enid looking to the other girl for assurance, to which Clary nodded, leading her to move closer. Enid held her hand out, the pale horse sniffing at it before pushing his head against her hand. Enid smiled before stroking along his face, Clary even allowing a smile to peek through. "He likes you." Enid notes the slight disbelief in Clary's tone, turning towards her. "You make it seem like I'm in of the lucky few." Clary nodded. "Because you are, he's a good judge of character. Back in Solaris, he only let a few others get close to him, let alone touch him." Enid continued to let the horse, her smile widening as he made a noise.

As Montu pulled away, Enid turned her attention towards Clary. "I wanted to thank you, for standing up to Ron. For defending me against him. God knows he's an asshole but I—I can never get through to him." Clary only shrugged. "It was the least I could do, you tried to get him to back off." As Clary looked to Enid, her face softened. "You deserve a lot better than him, you know?"Enid shrugged, leaning against the fencing before looking as Montu trotted off. Clary watched him as well before Enid continued speaking. "Ron he— he's a great guy. Well, usually. I just think he gets afraid and even intimidated when new people show up. He was like that when I came around." Clary's brow furrowed. "You didn't start here?" Enid shook her head, pursing her lips before she continued. "No, it was me and my parents out there for most of up, up until about six or seven months ago. They, well, they went through what happens to a lot of people these days." With Clary's softening gaze, Enid shrugged off the look. "It was just me for a while until I found this place, and now this is as close to home as I can get." Clary thought for a few moments, surprised at the revelation. She had assumed everyone, besides Rick's group, had been here since the beginning and had yet to endure the trials of the world outside the walls.

But as Clary looked to the girl, she saw the scars of her past all in her gaze. "I'm sorry about your parents." Enid waved off her words, not wanting to dwell on the past. "What happened to your m— your parents?" Enid questioned, clenching her jaw slightly at the hiccup. Paying no mind to it, Clary shrugged slightly. "My dad was gone way before the undead walked the earth, makes me think he was a lucky one. And as for my mom..." Enid noticed the girl trail off, her eyes glazing over momentarily before she came back to reality. She straightened up her back, her face stiffening and being king void of emotion.  "My mom died around the first day when everything happened, a car crash of all things. I guess the apocalypse makes pretty bad drivers." At the slight joke, the two smiled softly before Enid nodded. "Well, if it's any consolation, I'm glad you're here with us, CJ." As Enid made the move to turn around, Clary's head snapped up towards the girl in confusion but then realization. That sense of familiarity, the memories of two girls with braids in their hair and missing teeth, laughter and then loss. "What did you just call me?" Enid's eyes widened as she looked to the girl, taking a step back from the girl. "Shit, I—"