Luckily, the wind did not hold for long into her journey. It settles to an almost non-existent breeze as her footsteps crunch in the snow. By the time the sun begins to peek out of the clouds, she pauses to rest her legs, which have begun to ache. She plops down with a sigh, letting her bag slide off to the ground. Argon wasn't this far, or so she had thought, at least. Already, this mission was harder than she originally thought…
The breeze brushes against her face, and out of habit, she pushes back her hair and looks up. She pauses, for up ahead, buildings seems to rise from the frozen land and dot the horizon.
The sight is now a breath of resolve and she slings her bag back over her shoulder. Snow is kicked up as she all but sprints from her resting place. Almost there!
She slows as the city nears, and she can see the outposts. She can hear yelling and watches the movement across the railing. Finally, a figure stops, and she can see the shape of the rifle pointing down at her.
"STOP!"
She obeys, keeping her eyes on the gunman as she calls: "Don't shoot!"
"What are you doing here?" The gun stays trained on her, finger on the trigger, but considering she isn't crumpled on the ground, she figures they're willing to listen. "Who are you?"
She hears clattering of the iron ladder and slowly raises her hands. "I'm a volunteer! I want to join the army; I can help!"
The figure says nothing as two guards reach her. One keeps a weapon aimed on her, while the other nears.
"Bag."
She glances to the held-out hand, before slipping her arm out of the strap. She grabs it, and barely sets it on the ground before the guard kneels and unzips the pouch. He digs through clothes and food, a frown etching on his face as he searches. He gives it one more look-through, before zipping it up. When he stands, he holds it out to her, and after a beat of hesitance, she takes it back. He turns to the figure in the post. "Nothing."
They pause for a moment, before replying: "You said you want to volunteer?"
"Yes."
They glance over her once more, before relaxing and lowering the gun. "Alright. Those two will escort you in for the next training classification. Don't wander off, understand me?"
Crap, that wasn't apart of the plan! Her gaze lowers to the two guards watching her, before returning to the figure with a nod.
"You may pass."
The guards nod and join on either side of her, guns at ease, but nearby. "Let's go."
She doesn't argue, doesn't fight at all. This'll have to work; they'll know something's up if I protest.
Instead, she starts, keeping pace with the guards, past the gazes that follow her from above, and into the city.
It's...not what she expected, to say the least. When Dyson had explained that the city had rebelled, she thought it meant that had turned into a strange military state...but the first people they had passed were a family, swinging a young girl along. The father glances up to the guard, but simply nods as the two groups pass each other. She turns to watch the family a while longer, and hears the young girl laugh wildly at something the mother said.
Her gaze returns forward, and her nose catches the scent wafting from the nearby bakery. As they pass it, she can peer through the window to see the two figures at the counter, not even minding the patrol outside as the person behind the counter sets a cake in front of them. A group of kids run out in front of them, but pass in moments, and the teens sitting at the stairs stop their conversation to watch them pass.
That's when Paige averts her gaze to firmly face forward. I'm not a prisoner. I'm fine…everything will be fine.
Finally, they seem to reach their destination: a large brick-faced building with few windows. One of the guards reaches forwards, and pulls it open. She glances to them both, before entering the large room. The walls are plain, floors a simple tile, with a ceiling that seems to reach into eternity. All over the room, people, most seemingly close to her own age, lounge or stand in different scattered places, talking and laughing. However, when the door closes behind the escort with a loud BANG, the conversations die in moments as heads turn to the source of the sound. Paige wishes to hide inside her coat at all the stares burning into her, many laced with suspicion at the sight of a stranger.
Of course this wouldn't be easy after all.
I know I'm usually faster than this with updates on challenges like this, but I've been very busy. Tomorrow I have a competition, but I got a chapter up tonight so I wouldn't fall farther behind schedule!