Ellie encounters Clementine in winter, and they unwillingly join together to survive the harsh season. Clementine observes the effects on Ellie of being separated from Joel, who is fighting his own way back to Ellie. Clementine and Ellie's tale of the seasons is not by any means an easy one, but having a companion does make the tiring journey easier.
Chapter 1-Allegiance
Snow fell thick and fast, raining down upon the trees and grounds of the forest. Raising a hand to see more clearly, Clementine searched for any chance of food, or maybe even shelter. Once again, her supplies were running low. She now only possessed a pistol, a hunting rifle and a small handful of rations which definitely wouldn't help her to survive the harshest winter she had faced yet. The bitter cold stung her chest through the thin layers of clothing she owned. Pulling her jacket tighter around her, she moved faster.
Then she saw a flash of white out of the corner of her eye... A snowy white rabbit scampered across the ground, leaving tiny prints in the blanket of snow. The peaceful imagine transfixed her momentarily, before she pondered how to catch the animal. As she inched slowly forward, suddenly the sharp crack of an arrow rent the air. Alert, she quickly took cover behind a fallen tree. "Shit." Frowning slightly at the stranger's vulgar choice of words, she stealthily peered into the clearing. By now the rabbit was long gone.
The stranger paused and inspected the tracks, clutching their bow tightly. She was surprised to see that the intruder was just a little older than her, red hair pulled back into a ponytail. Just as the stranger went to move on, the click of a gun halted them.
"Don't move." Clementine was shocked at how confident her own words flowed... And how dangerous she sounded. The girl turned around to face her, and raised her bow. Despite the harsh expression on her face, her green eyes showed fear. "What do you want here?" Clementine tried hard to keep her gruff exterior. "I obviously came here for the fucking rabbit." She said pointedly. "You should stop talking to me like that."
"Never heard a swear before?" She asked mockingly. "I'm the one with the gun here." The girl rolled her eyes. "I know you're just putting on an act. So stop pretending to be tough and MAYBE I'll let you walk out of here without an arrow between your eyes." She proposed, clutching her bow tightly. "That sounds like a threat." Clementine replied, brow furrowed. "Let's just cut the bullshit. How about you walk that way and I walk the other?" The girl replied condescendingly.
Just as she opened her mouth to make a snarky retort, an ominous groaning sounded in the clearing. A pack of runners came stumbling out of the trees, shouts renting the air as they discovered the two. Clementine backed up, the girl mirroring her actions. "You talk big with that gun... Please tell me you actually loaded it with bullets." "Obviously." "Great. I suppose you don't have one for me?" She asked hopefully.
Clementine grudgingly handed the hunting rifle to her. "I hope you're a better shot with that than with a bow." She said, as their backs pressed together. "That was one time. Get over it." The pack moved towards them and they raised both guns. "Use it wisely, then." Clementine advised as she took fire at the first runner. The bullet pierced it's brain and it fell to the ground, dark blood staining the snow around them. The girl took out another, and reloaded quickly. Just as they fell, others closed in and replaced them. "I'm out! Let's get out of here." The girl grabbed Clementine by the hand and they ran from the surrounding pack. Their inhuman shouts and growls could still be heard long after they had escaped.
The pair stopped to catch their breath for a moment. "Wow... You actually handled yourself pretty good back there. With my help, of course." The girl grinned playfully. "Thanks... But I still don't actually know your name." Clementine replied warily. "It's Ellie." "I'm Clementine." "Well,nice to meet you Clementine." "Can I get that back now, please?" She gestured to the hunting rifle. "Sure." Ellie unstrapped the rifle from her back and handed it back to Clementine. "Well... Thanks for having my back there. I hope you stay safe." Clementine started up a pathway. Just as she started walking, footsteps joined hers, much to her annoyance.
"So... What's the plan now?" Ellie asked, walking at a brisk pace. "I don't know. I wasn't really planning on you following me." Clementine answered, exasperated. "Wow... You're a real downer, you know that?" She asked, clearly unfazed. "Don't you have someone else to find?" Clementine replied, raising an eyebrow. Ellie's features softened. "I-I do... I mean I did..." She trailed off, immersed in a memory...
"We don't need to talk about it, if you don't want to." Clementine said hurriedly. "It's just hard for me to talk about. He's probably still out there... We got separated by those bandits." Ellie answered bitterly. "I'm sorry to hear that. " She said sadly. "I'm getting the feeling you don't really want me to stick around..."Ellie began. "Cut the swearing, and maybe we'll get along better. "Clementine suggested. "I'm not making any promises..." She grinned. "Your language is disgusting." Clementine teased lightly. "Wanna know what's more disgusting? This." In one swift movement, she had pulled Clementine's hat off of her head. "Hey! Give that back!" She called out in protest. "Seriously... When was the last time you washed this?" "Believe it or not, there's actually not a lot of opportunities for washing bloodstains out of hats..." Clementine told Ellie, after retrieving her hat. "I believe you... I think I own like, two presentable shirts..." She agreed. The pair laughed lightly.
"When are we eating? I'm starving." Ellie asked, as they climbed a steep hill. "We would've had more to eat if you hadn't scared off that rabbit." Ellie rolled her eyes. "Okay I'll make a deal with you... Next animal that comes across us, we'll shoot it." She proposed. Clementine wrinkled her nose in disgust. "As long you shoot it." "I'll shoot it then." She corrected herself. "Good." "Never been hunting before?" Ellie asked curiously. "I've just never caught anything... I don't have a bow like yours." "What type of bow do you have?" She queried. "I just have a gun." Clementine admitted sheepishly. "That's hardly a bow... Tell you what. One day I'll teach you how to use this."
"What do you want in return?" Clementine asked in a business-like tone. "I don't want anything in return... Maybe just your temporary companionship?" "Temporary?" Clementine raised an eyebrow. "Well, you made it quite clear you didn't want me to stick around, right? I don't want to bother you anymore than I have to... You saved my ass back there." Ellie frowned. "We'll see how things go." Clementine decided.
The pair walked on in companionable silence. Suddenly, Ellie broke the silence by whistling quietly. Clementine hesitantly joined in, much to her surprise. "Holy shit! You know how to whistle too?" Ellie asked, disbelief prominent in her features. "Yeah... It's just something that I learned." Clementine answered, taken aback. "It took me like, ten years to get the hang of it..." Ellie replied, still awestruck. She chuckled at Ellie's disbelieving tone. "You got anywhere we can stay?" Ellie asked hopefully. It had been a while since she had any proper shelter.
"No... I mostly keep moving... I'm sure we can find something." Clementine answered, suddenly serious. "We might just be in luck..." The pair said in unison, catching sight of a sizeable wooden tool shed.