Thanks again to my wonderful beter? beta'er? Whatever... turned beta, BadWolfRisen. You're awesome!


Hoshiko ran quickly through the rubble and trees of the forest, furs fluttering wildly behind her.

She could hear the others giving chase behind her. She had just been hunting, minding her own business. She didn't understand why they wouldn't let her through the forest.

Her grip on her weapon tightened as she slid down a large fragment of concrete, slipping under more debris at the bottom. They may have chased her from the woods, but she knew the wrecked city. Her leather clad feet carried her swiftly through the darkness, following familiar paths as the noise of pursuit grew faint.

Hoshiko stopped and clenched her jaw. She needed food. All of the local stores that had survived the bomb were bare or burned.

She turned around, facing the dim tunnel she'd come from, her eyes finally adjusted. Her spear twirled before she slammed it against a steel bar sticking out of the wall to her left. Immediately, the sound of pounding feet reached her sensitive ears.

The forest kids may be good at tracking, but this territory wasn't theirs; they had no experience with the fighting that occurred over resources in the city, and Hoshiko was small, very much so for her age. She slid carefully into an alcove created by two slabs of the fallen building she was currently under, waiting with bated breath, her heart pounding as she shifted her spear.

"This way!"

"She can't have gotten far. Find her!"

Hoshiko crouched farther into her hiding place. Two kids roughly her age slipped by, running blindly in her tunnels. As the next pair of feet neared her, Hoshiko leapt out, spear flying to pierce the boy in his leg.

She yanked her pole out of the boy's thigh, turning towards the tunnel where the other two had disappeared as high pitched screams rang in her ears.

The two tree brats approached quickly but slowed when they saw her, crouched in the darkness with her spear poised.

The boy on the right charged her suddenly, swinging his wooden club – more of a branch really. Hoshiko swatted the blow to the side and slammed the back end of her spear into her opponent's face.

The other teenager was more cautious and, if his sweep at her legs was any indication, knew how to fight.

The blow knocked Hoshiko onto her back, the spear coming up to fend off the boy who pounced on her, digging the shaft of her pole into his throat as they grappled.

The other kid was still wailing on the tunnel ground behind them, blood pouring out of his leg as Hoshiko and her assailant wrestled on the floor.

The forest boy managed to rip her spear away, flinging it to the side as she quickly abandoned it to take advantage of his distraction by wrapping her hands around his throat. He growled and grabbed her wrists, crushing the bones painfully, but not hard enough to get the small Asian girl to loose her grip in her desperation.

"Stop, Will!"

The sudden shout halted both of their movements, although where the boy, Will she guessed, released her arms, Hoshiko merely relaxed her grip, refusing to lose her advantage if he suddenly attacked again.

"Please, stop fighting."

Hoshiko glanced up from her spot on the ground. A girl, maybe fifteen or sixteen, stood above them, hands on her hips.

Her arms dropped away from Will's throat, scrambling out from underneath him and diving for her spear before whirling around, facing them both off.

The tree girl, for that's what Hoshiko assumed she was to get Will to let go, gave Will a hand up, gesturing wordlessly for him to help the injured boy behind them.

Hoshiko tensed with deep green eyes on her, readying herself for more violence.

The girl held her hands up in a sign of peace before speaking again.

"My name is Blair." She held out a hand, waiting for Hoshiko to step forward. "I lead the group in the park."

Her eyes narrowed at the girl. So she was the leader of the tree brats.

She glared at Blair. "Your people attacked me needlessly. Mine need food."

The blonde's eyebrow quirked before she noticed the lurking shadows in the tunnel behind Hoshiko who smirked.

Her backup had finally arrived.

Hoshiko straightened from her fighting crouch, spear planted firmly at her side as she felt the rest of her city kids crowd behind her, metal glinting ominously in the darkness.

She stepped forward. "You don't own the forest, Blair. We need to hunt too." Several people behind her jeered at the blonde, who held her ground.

Blair's eyes hardened but she remained where she was. She appeared to be surveying the group before her, taking in the motley crowd clothed in a mix of fur and tattered cloth, all with sharpened metal arms.

The blonde stepped forward with her hand held out. "I propose a peace."

Hoshiko raised her eyebrow at the other girl's audacity. She was completely outnumbered, outgunned, and in unfamiliar territory. But, a truce would be beneficial. She had been trying to hunt, scouting alone, and yet, the forest people had found her quickly and overwhelmed her with ease. And her people were hungry.

Hoshiko lowered her spear tip to the ground, relaxed at her side. She stepped forward to meet the other leader's hand.

She gripped Blair's hand firmly. "I'm Hoshiko, leader of the city kids. I accept."

OOooOO

Clarke came upon the river in the afternoon.

It was slow flowing, the water cool where the blonde dipped her feet in, and shimmering in the bright sunlight.

Clarke laid her pack down next to her on the bank, reclining back on her arms as her legs swung back and forth in the water.

She'd remembered more of her dream as she'd walked, the peaceful sounds of the forest setting her mind at ease, allowing the blonde to think back.

With the memories came a feeling of peace, like a cloud that had been hovering overhead had dispersed, clearing her mind.

Perhaps these dreams were good for something.

A quick flash of metallic silver caused Clarke to snap her head to the side, eyes tracing her surroundings for whatever had moved. Her hand drifted to her pack as she sat up slowly, moving to grip the handle of her hunting knife.

Splashing water and a glimpse of a tail calmed her, a small grin at her own paranoia and anxiety appearing on her face.

It was just a fish.

Pulling herself to feet, Clarke began to roll up the legs of her pants; it looked like it was seafood for dinner.


Sorry to the people who reviewed to the prologue. I normally respond but I've had a pretty busy week. So shout out to demonknightalex and Maggie729! Thanks for the feedback. :D

-Ally