The pain was not instant; Alya had taken out at least four more White Legs before she felt the sharp burning in her stomach. She tried to push her legs to pull her further but they refused and she collapsed to the ground, an arm tightly wrapped around her abdomen as she fell to her knees. Her eyes closed tightly trying to push away the pain that had blurred her vision. She looked up towards the sound of a voice; she tried to pull her pistol only to have it fall to the ground her strength escaping her. Her breathing escalated and she fell to her side and the beautiful land around her began to spin as if she had drank herself into a stupor. The figure bent down next to her and tugged at her armor, Alya tried to push the figures hands away but it was useless, all she could do was grab the person's wrist weakly. A silent scream escaped her lips as the figure pulled her from the warm dirt and into its arms. Her nails dug into the figures arm as her pain increased with each step it took, shaking and moving her body causing more blood to escape through her fingers of the hand that clutched at her wound. It was talking to her but her ears could not make out the words it was as if they were being screamed at her through water. Everything was muffled and blurred but it did not stop the person from trying to help her to keep her eyes open. She gasped and clung to her mysterious rescuer when her body hit the cold water, her vision was escaping her and she could feel herself slipping into sleep no matter how much the person tried to communicate with her.

"No, open! Open eyes!" Follows-Chalk shook the girl trying to get her to come to, but her body stayed limp and her eyes closed. He wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and pulled her face out of the water that was quickly turning red around them. He had to get to the camp, the healers could help her. He adjusted the girl in his arms to keep her face out of the water as he tried his best to maneuver through the river that would lead them to the Dead Horse camp. The water helped carry the girl, Follows-Chalk had only to keep her head at his shoulder and guide her motionless body along. He kept his eyes on her chest, watching as it slowly rose with each small breath she took, he could feel her breath on his exposed skin. He pulled her back into his arms as they neared the bank, he pushed her forehead with his chin when it began to fall forward, he ignored the others as they stared in curiosity at the newcomer in his arms focusing on the girls breath on his skin and the cave before him. He barked for a tribe member to fetch the healers as he hurried through the caves narrow pathway that would lead him to, Graham. Joshua didn't look up when Follows-Chalk entered the room he continued to clean and prepare the weapons that the next set of tribe members would be using in their patrol of the area outside the camp. "She is wounded." Follows-Chalk breathed with relief as he hurried towards the table with the girl.

Joshua stood up and motioned towards an empty worn table. "Is she from, Happy Trails?"

Follows nodded as he slowly placed the girl down. "White Legs." He breathed. "I only found her, it was too late."

Joshua pulled at the straps on the girl's armor; he needed to see the damage. They had little supplies and he was not about to waste them on a woman who clearly could not handle herself in a fight. The wrappings on his hands quickly drank up the girl's blood turning them a deep red.

"Healers are coming."

"It's a gun shot." Joshua glared up at the boy as he pulled the armor off of the girl. "Herbs will not fix the damage." He ran his hand across the girl's abdomen until he felt the small wound; he pulled the large knife from its place on his hip and carefully dug it into the wound. "There are stims in the lockbox." He groaned when Follows groaned and looked away from the bloody mess. "Why don't you bring me some?" He continued to search the small hole until the bullet came to surface, giving him enough room to snatch it with his fingers. He left the rest of the work to the healers who quickly hurried into the cave opening. Follows held out the fresh cotton wrappings to, Joshua. He stared at the Pip Boy on the girls arm as he began to pull the wrapping from around his hands and forearm. "She was with the caravan?"

Follows nodded. "There were others but White Legs hit first."

He ignored the pain of the air hitting his bare skin. "Did you kill them?"

"She did."

"She killed a band of White Legs?"

Follows nodded. "I brought her because she is a fighter."

Alya wrapped her hand around her throat; it felt as if she had hung out a window of the 38 with her mouth open. It was drier then the Mojave. She coughed only to quickly regret it as pain shot through her body. She groaned and slowly sat up, rubbing her face with her hands trying to clear her head and eyes of the fog that hovered in her head. She looked around the room once her eyes were clear; she carefully stood to her feet. She must be in New Canaan or the person she vaguely remembered coming to her rescue had taken her captive. "That can't be right." She thought when she noticed the weapons that littered the table. She carefully picked one up and held it in her hand.

"I see you have decided to finally open your eyes."

She quickly turned around and raised the pistol towards the man. She raised an eyebrow at his appearance; his body was covered in wrapping his eyes and fingers the only thing visible. Surely it was not just to hide his identity from her since she could see through the rip in the knee of his jeans that his legs were also wrapped. "That jacket won't stop me from putting a bullet in your head!" She growled nodding to the SLC PD bullet proof vest. She pulled the trigger as the man charged towards her only to find the clip empty. She flipped the gun around using the butt of the gun to hit the man hard in the face causing him to stagger back with surprise. She hurried over the table, knocking many of the pistols to the floor, towards the metal case that likely held the ammo for the many weapons. She didn't get far when she was knocked to the ground causing the pistol to slip from her grip and fly across the hard floor. She brought her head back hoping that it would make contact with mans but instead he grabbed the back of her skull and forced her face into the ground.

Joshua laughed as the girl continued to fight him, he pushed her head back down she fought to bring it back up, he dug his knees into her palms trapping her hands at her sides and kept his boots in her calf stopping her from being able to kick. "I am the last person you need to be fighting." He growled as the girl still continued to try to free herself. "Be still!"

"Fuck you, you… freak!" She gasped when her head was slammed back into the floor. She could feel the small rocks digging their way into her skin.

"If I did not think you valuable I would kill you here myself!"

"I'd like to see you try!" She winced at the pain in her stomach.

He carefully stood up and flipped the girl onto her back; he looked over the bandage that wrapped around her abdomen before he held a hand out to her. "I have killed far better then you."

She stared up at him before taking his hand and letting him help her to her feet. She slowly walked over to a large cracked mirror that was leaning against a large bookshelf.

Joshua looked up from where he had begun picking up the pistols that littered the area around the fallen table, he watched the girl as she ran her fingers through her shoulder length chocolate hair.

She pulled the hair tie from her wrist, through clenched teeth she carefully pulled it into a ponytail. She wiped the small pebbles and dirt from her face before she turned around. "Are you going to tell me who you are?"

He flipped the table back onto its legs before looking at the girl. He smirked to himself. "I am sure you know of me. I am more concerned with who you are."

Alya crossed her arms and stared at the man. "I am a courier. My name is, Alya."

"A courier?" He quickly stood up and looked at the girl.

She nodded slowly while giving him a confused look. "I was helping a caravan in making their way to New Canaan. Have you heard of it?"

"New Canaan is gone."

"Gone? What do you mean gone?"

"Is there another meaning for gone?" He growled and glared at the girl. "There is nothing there, no people, no buildings, no life."

Her brow furrowed. "Are you responsible for it?"

"Do not mock me! Who sent you, courier?"

"Sent me? No one sent me. I heard a broadcast figured it was easy money and came." She stepped closer to the table where, Joshua had sat. "Were you expecting someone or something?"

He leaned forward. "I don't want to play games, courier."

"It's, Alya, not "Courier"." She walked over to the table and carefully sat upon it. "Were you expecting someone?"

"A courier… of the Legion."

Alya laughed. "The Legion hates me so you defiantly were not expecting me." She watched as he began cleaning the pistols. "Do you have a name?"

"Joshua Graham."

Her brow furrowed. "Have we met?"

He looked up at her. "No."

"Your name sounds so familiar."

"If you know the Legion it shouldn't."

She stared down at his fingers as he continued his task, watching the tips of his fingers that were free of the wrapping. She followed his arms till she came to his shoulders and then eyes. She began laughing which earned an annoyed look from, Joshua. "You're kidding?"

"I'm not."

"You're really going to tell me with a straight face that you survived being lit on fire and thrown into a canyon?"

He glared up at the girl.

"Really?"

"Yes."

She raised her eyebrow. "Well that would explain why you were expecting the Legion."

He grabbed her wrist when she tried to pick up a pistol. "If you were looking to help the New Canaanites I may have a way that you can." He slowly let go of the girl hands. "It's your only way out of Zion."

"And if I say no?"

"You will be pulled into it whether you want to be or not." He stood up and pulled her bag from its place under his bed and tossed it to the girl. "There is a man named, Daniel. We are going to go speak with him. He has tasks that he could use our assistance with."

She dropped the bag and knelt down in front of it, pulling the zipper open and began looking over her things.

"Follows-Chalk, the boy who saved your life and carried you here as gone ahead of us. I was not sure when you would wake and time is something we do not have." He picked up one of the pistols and held it out to, Alya.

"Did you go through my things?" She slowly took the pistol from his hand, glaring at him.

"We had to see who you were."

"And yet you found nothing. Did you search my Pip Boy also?" She growled when Joshua held it out to her.

"Yes. It was useless."

"Obviously."

Joshua tossed her the few medical supplies he kept for personal use when he changed his wrappings. "Put them in your bag." He waited till Alya had packed her bag before he bent down and picked it up.

"How far are we traveling?"

"Not too far, you will be fine. You are very willing to help us."

"You're not the first person who has asked for my assistance. I'm just glad it doesn't involve an explosive collar this time." She smiled and followed behind him as he led the way out of the cave.