iF sOmEoNe SaYs ThEy DoN't WaNt To PlAy CaPtUrE tHe FlAg LiKe ThE dAuNtLeSs, ThEy'Re LyInG! (;
"Tell us what we have to do." Tash says simply and from next to her Jack nods in agreement. Alex looks to each person and they nod. Ash rolls her eyes, she still nods. Tobias and I stand a metre away from the group and Alex looks to us as well.
"Well?" I say, "hurry up!"
Alex smiles as Tobias and I step forward to join in on the group.
"Hide the flag somewhere they're unlikely to find it. Like, uh, where could that be?" Alex laughs awkwardly at the end as he tries to think of somewhere.
After a moment of silence Tash answers, "we could tie it to the top of one of these trees?"
We all look up. The trees are tall and covered with foliage. I'm impressed by the idea. Looking back to the smiles on people's faces it's clear that so are the others.
"Go on Alex?" Sasha says. Alex smiles to her before continuing.
"Ok, so hide the flag at the top of the trees and then split into two groups. One group head towards the other team's flag and one group head that way." Alex points to a place 90° east of where the other team would be. I see nothing but trees.
"Why that way?" Laura asks, puzzled.
Alex shrugs, "Well, not necessarily that way but somewhere away from our flag. We can create some sort of giant diversion. You know, to lure their team away from both our flag and their flag!"
Emma smiles before speaking for the first time, "and that way, the group heading to their flag knows where they came from!"
"Great work Amity!" Jack laughs and slaps Alex on the back.
Tash pushes Jack, "don't be such a pansycake Jack!"
Everyone in our group is smiling yet again, laughing at Tash and Jack but also at the imaginative plan.
"What will be this diversion?" One of the initiates asks, I'm not quite sure who. I think at first it was Victor but he is playing with something on his jacket, not consumed in the conversation at all.
Instead, I tap Tobias' chest. I look into his eyes as I speak to the group, "Four and I have got the diversion covered."
"Uh ok then," Alex nods but I don't offer him anymore about my idea. Tobias knows what I'm thinking of, I can tell by the smile he is trying to hide.
Victor snaps back to the conversation, "how are we going to divide the teams?"
Tobias shifts slightly, "have two attack teams: Alex, you lead up the first team and Ash you take the second." Alex and Ash both nod. "Six and I will take Jack and Tash with us."
"Ok," Ash says, "who are you taking, Alex?"
"I'll take Sasha and Victor. Laura and Emma will be on your team. Is that alright?"
"Yep," Ash nods. "My team will head down the tracks, go with your group more into the forest."
The two attack teams jog off. Ash's group run along the tracks in silence and Alex's group run into the forest towards the presumable direction of Christina and Uriah's team's flag. Within seconds, both teams jog out of sight leaving Jack, Tash, Tobias and I.
"Let's hide this flag, shall we?" Jack grins. Tobias takes the flag from his pocket and hands it to him.
"I should be doing this, not you!" Tash laughs and snatches the flag from him. Jack tries to fight her for the flag but Tash just laughs more and says, "I'm smaller, Jack, I can get higher!"
Tash walks over to the nearest tree, it's also one of the tallest. The nearest branch is way too high for her to grab hold off.
Jack walks over to her, "Four, give me a hand here, would ya?" Tobias walks over to Tash as well. "Alright Tashy, put your hand on my shoulder and wedge your foot on my hands," Jack instructs, crouching down, and clasps his hands together. Tash lifts her foot up and into his hands and balances her hand on Jack's shoulder. Jack lifts his hands up so that he is standing and Tash is standing with her left foot in his hands - her only source of balance is the tree and Jack. Tobias takes Tash's other hand and she lifts her right foot up onto Tobias' shoulder - pulling herself up. She is high enough now so she reaches for the branch in front of her - it's in line with her chest. She flings one leg over and sits on the branch so that she's facing the tree trunk.
"Thanks guys!" She says as she gets to her feet on the branch. If we were in any other faction this kind of behavior would seem reckless. It's doesn't seem reckless in Dauntless.
The three of us watch as Tash weaves her way up the tree pulling herself up with her arms and pushing with her legs. She move with pace and stops at one of the higher branches to shout down to us "is this high enough?"
"Yeah that's great," I shout back. Tash reaches up and ties the flag to the branch just above her head.
"Alright! I'm coming down now guys." She shouts back down. Tash crouches on the branch and slides her foot down to the branch below her. It takes slightly longer for her to get down.
When she reaches the lowest branch, she grasps it with her hands and let's her feet slide. Jack is already waiting for her.
As she hangs from the branch, holding her weight with merely her arms, Jack bends her knees and places one arm around them.
"Whenever you're ready Tash," he says to her and braces his free arm for her drop. She releases the branch and her weight is caught by Jack. As she fell, her back landed on his free arm and she was caught bridal style. With a slight crouch to ease the abrupt fall, Jack caught her weight easily.
"How long did that take, Four?" She laughs as Jack puts her on the ground. "Thanks Jack!"
"Just under five minutes, good climbing," Tobias answers her. I look up and watch the flag wave and flicker in the wind. The bright glow of orange lighting up the leaves around it and illuminating the night sky.
"We better head off, the attack teams will be ready for the diversion soon." I say to the others when Tash has finished dusting herself off.
We jog perpendicular to the tracks. I allow the pressure of the cool wind to overtake me and sink into the rhythm of my footsteps. After a minute I notice Tash by my side.
"Where are we headed to?" Her footsteps sync with mine.
I let her words linger in the air for a moment before answering, "Navy Pier."