I saw blood spilling out of her head before her body hit the ground. Its colour was unlike any human blood. Deep red could be mistaken for black. My gaze wandered to where the shot came from. To my right stood Rory with a gun in hand. Behind her, the sun was pointing his nose. Each time I thought she was done surprising me, she went and shocked the living daylight out of me. Ashley's body was now laying motionless at our feet. She was in a better place, hopefully. Her glassy and lifeless eyes broke my heart. I could not help but gawk at her corpse. It was a morbid display. At least I know she had a less painful death than decapitation.

None of us made a single movement. It was Rory and the overgrown canines that buried her while we stood discombobulated. They dug the hole - Loki and Thor - while Buttercup carved a memento on the tree they chose to dig aside too. Rory kneeled in front of the finished grave. I did not know what was the hardest to believe Ash's death or that my love bug just killed someone.

                                                                                                       ︶꒦꒷♡꒷꒦︶

The death of Ashley hit the small gathering hard. I waited until it was brighter to lead us away from the metropolis. While they mourned her death, I made a quick round check of my luggage. The wolves' backpacks had two big pouches - resting on each side of their flank - with more pockets. That added up to four storage sacks. One was dedicated to food and water containers. Two were for camping supplies and accommodated the brain jars. Another was for weapons and such. And the last boasted medical supplies. I prided myself on being well-equipped for all instances.

Thirty minutes passed since the sun had fully risen, and we had to start our trip. If we wanted to make the most of the day. They were all distressed. I tried talking to them, sadly my words went in one ear and out of the other. I had to usher Akira and a trembling Caspian onto the backs of the pups. Thus, we travelled in silence. Don and me leading the troops. Don did not speak to me, and I didn't initiate any conversation. He was mourning a friend, and I wanted to respect his grieving process. The itinerary to the camping grounds was etched into my memory. For good measure, I also memorized the alternative routes on the map if we ever needed to take a detour. Every two hours, I rotated the ones riding Thor and Loki, leaving one hour of rest for them in between.

I was not used to the quietness. Everyone back home was talkative, and we all loved to chat - about everything and anything. There were no dull moments. Be it the creative blabber of the kids or the late-night talks over a glass of wine. Also, I often communicated with the wolves, we understood each other in quite a peculiar fashion. It was fascinating. No words needed to be spoken, only emotions and intentions. Some would describe it as empathy, and I would concur with that. Our faculty to convey between us was a great advantage when hunting or during our expeditions. It could also be very annoying. Loki was not happy to be treated like a mule and made Thor, and I know just how much he hated it. We let him sulk while we kept an eye out for food on legs - well, in my case, it was ears out.

The sun soon came to its zenith, and a much-needed break was like an offering from the gods. Like puppets, my companions made themselves comfortable on the sidewalk and ate on autopilot. The area was extremely calm. Birds were chirping in the naked trees framing the streets. Paths leading to the houses were plagued with dead weeds and wildflowers. The houses themselves weren't in a better state; they were in such disrepair. Some had plants growing on their roof and gutters. Others had been impaled with tree branches or telephone poles.

I couldn't help being curious. Maybe we could find something useful there. But a quick look at the pleading wolves, who had not eaten so far today, and I knew we had more than enough with us to survive. There was no need to collect more things along the way. I let out a small sigh. This tendency of wanting to always be prepared was, most of the time, a gift - but sometimes I had a hard time stopping myself from being engrossed in it. Prioritizing the wellbeing of my entourage was my utmost aim. The two hungry carnivores got on their merry way to find their lunch while we stayed here. Come back right after you finish eating! Was what I asked of them if we put it into words. I watched them disappear before looking at the lethargic humans sitting on the pavement.

They barely touched what was left of their rations. I thought about sharing Ashley's portion between us, but decided against it. It would be emergency food instead. Her peers had an already hard time stomaching their food. Another sigh left my lips. This is going to be a loooooong journey!