I creep through the clearing cautiously, my sword hanging from my arm and scraping the top of the grass as I walk. My whole body is alert; buzzing with the exhilaration that comes with hunting. I make no sound. I am silent, it's as if I have become part of my surroundings, I am a stray gush of wind swaying the trees gently. I continue to prowl the rolling hills until I come across a small herd of deer. Sheathing my sword, I take out a knife and creep forward through the grass, staying downwind, until I can see the gentle rise and fall of their sides.

It is over very quickly. The small buck I single out didn't even know something was wrong until it had my knife sticking out of its neck; the poor thing was far too late. The rest of the herd scatter as I walk out towards the beast, taking my knife and slitting its throat. I watch as the life drains from its eyes and can't help but feel sad that a beautiful creature had to die. Remembering the children's rumbling bellies back at camp snaps me straight out of the feeling as I know my actions are in everyone's best interest (except possibly the stags). I learnt a long time ago that survival in this world is all about making the hard choices, ones that may hurt innocent creatures. We must do anything and everything just to live.

Being alone in the woods reminds me of the years I spent fending for myself, how easy it would be to sink back into that life. But it also reminds me of how grateful I am for the company the group provides. Being alone was miserable, and lonely. I wasn't living, I was surviving and maybe I hadn't realised that being surrounded by the dead but now- eating, sleeping and travelling alongside the living, I am beginning to learn how much other people can teach you to simply be alive. That said, a voice at the back of my head reminds me how quickly those same people could turn against me. I try to push down that thought and go back to the task at hand.

Grabbing the small deer by the horns, I start to drag it away, when a faint but familiar sound drifts over the grass, coming from the nearby road. As I freeze, wondering what it could be, the smell hits me. My stomach twists, and my blood goes cold.

Ducking into the grass I watch a walker stumble across the concrete, and then another, and another. I slowly raise my head and stare down the road at the heard of maybe 30 walkers approaching. I start to shudder with revulsion and fear, wondering what the hell I was going to do now. They are not walking that quickly, but the group up ahead would need time to pack up and collect everyone. My brain hums with ways to protect them. I am sucked from my thoughts at the sound of footsteps behind me and I raise my sword, ready to fight.

"Whoa there red," Jace says, raising his arms, "I don't mean any harm" I silence him with a look and press a finger to my lips, pointing with my other hand to the herd. "shit." He exclaims. I watch Jace's face turn from friendly to ice cold and thank the gods that he doesn't look at my like that because his face is terrifying. A look of cold fury and determination crawls onto his features, like a demon trying to possess him. He looks down at me and I know he is thinking the same thing as me: we can't let them get to the others. Then it hits me. I know a way in which I can save the group that saved me.

"Are you a good runner?" I ask Jace, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes, why?" he asks and I think for the first time I am glad for his blunt honesty. I turn to look at him and stand on my tiptoes so that my mouth is next to his ear. I take the opportunity to soak in his golden glow, his heat, his smell.

"Tell the others to pack up and run. Now go." I tell him and kiss him on the check. He looks stunned and I yell: "go!" he knows now that he has no choice but to run. I watch him as he sprints off to the group. Then I begin to shout.

I scream and yell and shout until all of the zombies have started to stumble in my direction, and then I run. I really run. My legs pump underneath me and my red hair flaps behind me but I don't slow down and neither do I stop yelling. This whole time I am completely calm. I know that I am doing the right thing; I know that I am saving lives by leading the dead in the other direction from the camp. I feel a feeling of triumph as I think about the stupid things, stumbling after me; I tricked them out of a perfectly good meal. Know I just have to stop myself from being killed in the process.

Looking behind I see that I am gaining distance and we are so far from the road by now that I know my job has been done effectively. And I begin to turn back when my leg gets caught and I fall face first into the moss below me. I yank my foot and release it from is earthy trap. Turning onto my back, I see a zombie. Its eyes are dead, like that of the deer, and its mouth snaps in hunger. I scramble backwards until my head hits a tree trunk and I know that I am screwed. It is going to devour me and I am going to die. I sit there, trapped by the monster, raise my knife and stare at it as forcefully as I can. I will not be scared.

Swoosh. An arrow slices through the air and embeds itself into the head of the creature before me and it topples, defeated next to my crouching elf. Rising, I catch a glimpse of my saviour; Jace holds a crossbow and winks at me. Surrounding him are the others: Izzy, Alec and Jordan. They are all caught in combat, swinging swords, throwing knives and generally kicking zombie butt.

"Didn't think I'd leave you did ya?" Jace says, unsheathing a glass like sword from his belt. "You should know me better than that red. I can't resist a damsel in distress."

"I don't need your help," I say, standing and slicing of the head of an approaching walker. I grow angered at his words and my face turns stormy. "I was doing fine on my own."

"A simple thank you would do" Jace retorts, turning away from me and slicing through two walkers who dared get close. Then I submerge myself in the battle raging around me, slicing of head after head in a frenzy. My katana moves as if it is an extension of my arm, it glides delicately through the air cutting down anything that comes in my way. My hair circles in a red halo around my head as I slice and cut down all and everything.

Jace and the others do the same, their bodies twisting and slicing rhythmically as walkers fall dead to the ground. Eventually, the last body falls and we all stand together united in our glory, the bodies of the dead lay before us.

"We should head back to the group." Izzy says, "Valentine is not going to be happy with us."

"You did tell him and the group to get going though right? Not all of them may have followed me." I ask suddenly panicked that it was all in vain after all.

"Don't worry; they should be leaving right now." Jace says to me. I sigh with relief, everyone is safe. Then we walk in comfortable silence back to the group ahead of us.

We reach our old campsite and see the group marching on ahead of us. Running up to them, valentines voice can be heard, my heart starts to beat faster as I know he won't be happy with us. I wait for the inevitable scolding but find none, he barely even acknowledges our presence apart from to tell us to keep up and scour the land with our eyes.

I weave my way through the crowd and fall in step with Jace, who marched ahead without looking at me. As I stand beside him, his shoulders tense and a look of concentration wipes his face, it's as if he's trying really hard not to look at me.

"What's wrong?" I ask, my voice coming out weaker than I intended it to. He just looks at me and shrugs, his face dropping.

"I just… I can't believe I left you back there. When I saw the herd I just… didn't know what to do and so when you told me to run I ran so fast that I felt as if I was flying. And I didn't even question it. I left you there to deal with it on your own and I hate myself for it." He looks down at me now, his expression a mixture of pain and frustration. "I am so sorry."

"You don't need to apologize for something I told you to do. Besides, I needed to be the distraction because I wouldn't have reached the group in time and still have enough to swing back to save you. I can't run as fast and strategically it was the best way." My face softens as I look into his eyes, my steps mirroring his. "These people need you Jace. I'm expendable."

He glances down at me then his eyes sharp. "Don't say stuff like that! You're part of our family now clary."

"Thank you." I say softly, my voice barely hear able.

"What for?" he asks, and his arm brushes mine for a second that makes my heart skip a beat.

"For coming back for me; for saving me a second time. Thank you for letting me be part of all of this." I gesture around me at all the people, his friends, family. And now mine. "I was alone for so long that I forgot what it was like to be around people, thank you for reminding me."

He smiled down at me and said: "well I saved you and you saved me, now were equal."

His arm brushed mine again and smiling I replied: "I guess I just can't resist a damsel in distress."