In another location, a pair of weathered boots made imprints in the ever thickening blanket of snow. Wearily, the stranger soldiered on, trying to keep track of the days flying past in the harsh winter. Frostbite would be on the cards if he didn't find shelter soon...
Sighing heavily, Joel tried to gather his bearings, unsure of where he was headed. After a while, he came to a standstill in front of a gap in the trees. Ducking an overhead branch, he entered a long abandoned village.
Rising out of the snow-covered terrain was a row of quaint little houses. Shifting his bag higher into his shoulder, he strode past the dishevelled and broken homes before stopping in front of a small wooden home- miraculously intact. Joel hesitated, hand on the door handle. By now, it was unwise to accept any help.
No, taking the solitary journey was definitely for him by this point. And really, what did he have to lose? Ellie was gone. Joel pushed the door open, trying to forget the gunshots and looks of pain on the bandits' faces. After checking the kitchen, living room and the upstairs, he deemed it safe. Taking a seat upon the sofa, he rubbed his eyes tiredly.
Travelling endlessly had definitely taken it's toll on him... Nowadays, he wondered what kept him going. Now untrustworthy of anybody, Joel could take no solace in the company of others. He had just begun to close his heavy eyelids, when raised voices sounded outside.
"I ain't staying here." A voice said shortly. "Well, you can fuck off then, Jake. What's your deal? We've been travelling for days!" A female replied angrily. "Cecilia. Jake. Please, settle down. We're not going to survive much longer if we don't get inside." An older, wiser voice reasoned.
"I don't care! Remember what happened last time we got comfortable? I'm sure John knows-" "Don't fucking talk about her!" A voice replied dangerously. "You better keep your voices down or we'll all be dead." "Sophia's right. Everybody shut the fuck up." The voice from earlier said. Joel listened intently to the traveller's discussion. "Just calm down for a second... We need to rest."The older man said wearily.
He seemed to be the mediator of the group. Jake was evidently the hot-headed troublemaker, who would get everyone in his group killed if he wasn't careful. Sophia seemed to be reasonable, and John obviously had a few skeletons in his closet. Cecilia was brash and had a mouth on her that would make a sailor blush. Just like- A pang of sadness shot through Joel.
He had two choices: reveal himself to these seemingly harmless travellers. Or he could disappear, and quietly slip out the back door. Joel took the latter, and quietly headed outside and into the freezing cold, leaving the argument behind.
(AN: I apologise for the shortness of this chapter. At least a familiar face was brought back into the madness, along with a few new ones. After thinking, I decided to include Joel, as he is one of my favourite characters. And what about an Ellie and Joel reunion? Well, you'll just have to wait and see... Thanks for reading! More Ellie and Clem next chapter.)