A/N

Hello! I'm so so so sorry I haven't uploaded for ages, I'm so sorry. I was on holiday and then this week I have a ton of exams so last week I was revising tons and yeah, I'm really really sorry.

Thanks soo much for all the reviews and support I'm getting, it really means the world to me! I will try upload as much as possible in the next few days, to make up for the break, hope you enjoy!

{Lee}

I walk with Wilf, getting my bearings through his noise as we walk and walk.

I have no idea how far away the sea is, and I don't know what it looks like, only Mistress Coyle does, and she doesn't have noise.

I'm constantly listening to Todd's noise to check if Viola is okay but other than that, I just walk.

We've been walking for miles and suddenly, we are standing at the bottom of a giant hill.

I hear Viola waking up as Todd stops carrying her.

I continue walking straight on as Wilf starts talking to one of the women.

Half way up the hill, Mistress Coyle speaks quietly to Wilf,

"We need to stop." She says despairingly.

"Ah know!" He says back.

I notice that Todd, Viola and Bradley have caught up as Mosyress Coyle approaches them, putting her hand on Viola's forehead.

"Viola, how to you feel?" Mistress Lawson asks as Mistress Coyle shakes her head at how high Viola's fever had got.

Viola doesn't reply. Todd yelps as she slips from his grip and collapses on the wet ground.

Todd kneels next to her, looking up at Mistress Coyle.

"We need to stop." He croaks.

She nods, pointing out that others need medical help too; a woman fell over and cut her knee badly, Todd's knuckles are bleeding and I need my bandages changing.

"Simone had left some drones behind, each with a 10k radius, if the mayor comes anywhere near us, we are moving straight away." Coyle says.

Everyone nods,

"And I'm very sorry, but we'll have to sleep rough." She adds.

{Todd}

I wrap Viola in mine and Bradley's jumpers, tucking her under a tree to shield her from the rain. Simone is taking the first watch, then Bradley so I'm able to just lie down, without worrying about much , apart from Viola.

Even with the breathy thing on, her breathing is raspy. Coyle changed the oxygen tank, so it's new and fresh but still, her breathing hitches. Her skin is burning but her entire body is trembling. There is a faint smell of sickness in the air, coming from her arm.

I lie next to her as Wilf sleeps a few feet away, his noise bumbling with peaceful dreams.

Lee is sitting not far away and I can feel him reading my noise, checking up on Viola. Again, I consider locking it away but I let him read on, understanding how worried he must be.

The ground is hard and rough beneath me, tree pines digging into my bare arms. My legs ache but my head feels freer, noise full of Viola floating round the forest. Drops of rain tickle my nose but eventually, I drift into a sound sleep.

When I wake, it's light and Coyle is panicking,

"We slept too long! The mayor will have noticed that we are gone by now! We must move, eat whilst we walk, come on!"

I notice Viola leaning against a tree, her eyes closed,

"Come on Vi," I sooth, taking her hand and walking her forwards and onwards.

As we continue walking, Wilf passes around handfuls of bread and we munch silently, the knowledge that the mayor is now pursuing us spurring us on.

I notice Viola slowing down so I put her good arm round my shoulder and kind of drag her with me as her legs disobey her.

Bradley walks with us and we exchange the occasional word on the quality of the bread and the sea but other than that, we walk silently, taking in the vastness of forest.

After a few more hours of tireless walking, Viola goes limp against me and without a word said, Bradley takes my bag and I pick her up, running for a while to catch up with the rest of the group. When the sun is high in the sky, some more bread is handed out, along with an apple each. Viola wakes up a bit when I feed her some bread, but not enough to walk.

Simone updates everyone on the situation of the mayor,

"He is just leaving New Prentisstown now, but he is heading in the wrong direction!"

The group gives a small, slightly confused whoop as the wind picks up a bit.

Another few hours of walking and it starts to go dark. Viola walks for a bit before collapsing again and Bradley starts telling me about what she was like on the ship, how she was sharp and bright, his favourite student,

"She's changed so much," he says, "In a good way, she is a lot stronger, more mature. I never thought I'd see her like this. I really hope the settler ship can help her, or she isn't gonna live much longer."

I nod, looking at Viola in my arms.

She has lost a lot of weight and although her face is very pale, her features are beautifully defined. Her cheek bones look like graceful wings and when her eyes are open, they look like stormy oceans (if the mayor showed me a real picture).

Bradley smiles as I feel him reading my noise.

Another few hours of walking and Viola is awake again, leaning against me, the pale moon lighting our way.

We hear the burble of a stream and Mistress Coyle suggests we purify some of the water as there are a lot of us that are dehydrated, me one of them. I kneel down by the water, Viola next to me. My bottle is nearly full when suddenly, there is a rustling in the bushes and some new noise joins mine, Bradley's, Lee's and Wilf's.

A head pokes out from the shrubbery,

"Todd?"

All the blood rushes to my head as that one voice suddenly fills my noise,

"Poo Todd."

A/N

Hope you enjoyed!