As Sophia and Luna pushed deeper into the forest, the truth began to surface—they were alone. The road was empty, devoid of Sophia's group. A sense of dread simmered beneath their skin, fuelling their determination to survive.

Luna didn't realise that she was holding out hope of finding Sophia's group, and feeling slightly empty of the prospect that Sophia was now like herself. Alone and Lost. The in-between stage of not knowing if your group is alive. While Sophia wondered how they could leave her all alone, a feeling of abandonment strong in her chest.

The 2 girls ventured further into the dense forest, the towering trees casting eerie shadows all around them. Luna took the lead, her small frame moving gracefully amidst the underbrush. Meanwhile, Sophia struggled to keep up, her sneakers tripping over fallen branches.

Luna turned to Sophia with a mischievous gleam in her ocean blue eyes. Her ears twitching and tail flicking realising that a deer trial laid ahead. She had shown Sophia a few different tracks while they were hunting food and she wanted to see if Sophia would recognise them.

"Alright, Sophia, time for a lesson in tracking," Luna said, her voice carrying a playful tone.

"You see those footprints ahead? Can you tell me anything about them?" Sophia squinted at the ground; her brows furrowed in concentration. "Um…they look like…deer tracks? They're in a straight line, like it's walking." Branches had been broken and snapped in its tracks, from looking herself, Luna had gathered that the tracks were fresh.

Recognising the area as they travelled closer to the stream, following the deer's trial, Luna after a while couldn't help but notice faint footsteps following where they had travelled previously. Faint to her eyes, and probably not noticeable to humans. She slowed her pace, studying the prints carefully. Who could it be? Someone part of Sophias group? The crossbow man? Or someone more sinister like the men she had encountered earlier. She could tell whoever made these footprints was still alive, the walkers prints were generally noticeable and dragged the earth with it. A deep panic set in her stomach, Luna decided to keep this information to herself, not wanting to alarm Sophia.

"Hey, Luna," Sophia called out, pointing ahead. Luna's head picked up, her eyes following Sophias grubby finger. "I think the deer went back towards the stream!"

Luna smiled and patted Sophias hand that still clutched the raggedy doll. She was proud of her friend and how fast Sophia was learning. "Nice, you go."

Sophia took the lead, her head held high, and her pace brisk. Pushing past the undergrowth, Luna couldn't help but grin. Her friend had become more confident with each passing moment, and that was the only thing Luna wanted for her.

Luna could hear the stream trickling in the distance and the heartbeat of the doe as it grazed in the water. Luna grabbed onto Sophia's wrist, stopping her in their tacks. She knew, in order to catch the deer, she would have to be in her Shifter form. The deer would be too large and quick for her to take out in her human form.

She had yet to shift in front of Sophia, and she was unaware of how she would react. In all fairness she had yet to shift in front of a human. It was a top rule that must be abide by in her pack.

Luna turned around to look at Sophia, her expression serious and her tone soft.

"Sophia, I need you to trust me, Ok?" Sophia nodded her head, her expression curious for her young friend. "The deer will be too fast for us to catch, so I need to shift." Luna continues, keeping a close eye on her friend's face. She wanted to warn Sophia, she didn't want her to run away from her. Her mother had always told her that humans fear the unknown and will want to hurt something that is not normal. Luna hoped Sophia did not feel that way.

Luna stepped away from her, Sophia watched, unsure of what was to come. Luna stripped down removing her clothes. A few scars littered Lunas torso, from an earlier encounter with some not so nice men. Cut marks from what Sophia had garnered. Sophias eyes softened recognising them as similar to her own that used to litter her body from her own father.

Luna passes her clothes to Sophia, who holds them to her chest with her Doll. She felt the wolf stir beneath her skin, begging to be released. Luna shut her eyes, a warm but ferocious tingling sensation running through her and down her spine.

As Luna opened her eyes, the blue seemed to almost glow, her nails elongated and her hands changed into paws, the muscles and bones within her body stretching and rearranging themselves to fit her new form. Brown fur sprouting all over her body. A few seconds later a wolf cub stood in Lunas place, its ocean blue eyes gazing at Sophia, its head down in submission. Sophia's face held a mask of fascination and awe as she started at the wolf.

Sophias free hand reached out, her fingertips lightly brushing the fur on Luna's head, and reaching towards her ears. One flung to the left side while the other stood in an upright position. Luna leant into the touch, letting a small whimper.

"You're so pretty." Sophia smiled, scratching behind Luna's ear. The wolf that stood in front of Sophia could be described as looking like an overgrown puppy. Luna's head tilted to the side, her tongue flopping out, as Sophia scratched her tickle spot. Her back leg twitching to scratch, before Sophia pulled her hand away. An 'are you serious?' look graced the shifters face. Causing Sophia to giggle.

"Come on Luna, let's go hunt that deer." Sophia continued along the trial, the stream becoming closer with each step she took. Luna's wolf form following, her nose stuck to the ground. Luna's keen eyes scanned the surroundings, her ears focused on the doe in the stream, just up ahead. Sophia spotted the doe, as the trees thinned around them. The deer looked mythical in the water, its head reaching down as it greedily lapped at the stream.

But just as Luna prepared to pounce on the unsuspecting deer, a rustling sound emerged from the forest. Luna stilled, surprised her heightened senses hadn't picked up the walkers that were nearby. The smell of rot over taking her senses, making a sneeze come from Luna.

Startled, the deer bolted, disappearing into the depths of the woods as walkers clumsily headed towards the stream and the girl's location. Panic gripped Sophia, and Luna grabbed a hold of Sophias shirt with her mouth tugging her in the deer's direction. Both girls running crossing the stream, Luna leaping up the bank, grabbed a hold on the back of Sophias shirt to pull her up. Sophias doll slipping from her grasp, as she focused on pulling herself up and keeping her hand tight on Lunas clothes. Neither girl realising that Sophias doll was being carried downstream, as they both ran, a silent witness to their flight.

"Run, Luna! Run!" Sophia screamed; her voice filled with fear, as walkers remained on their trial.

After what felt like an eternity of relentless pursuit, Luna and Sophia stumbled upon an old, dilapidated cabin hidden amidst the trees. Its weathered exterior and run-down rotted windows exuded an ominous aura, but the girls had little choice but to seek shelter for the night.

Luna sniffed the air, the cabin smelled empty, but the strong smell of mildew and mould filled the cabin, as both girls entered. Inside the cabin, was a small fireplace, and an old torn up sofa. Shifting back to her human form, Luna lit a small fire, using the remains of what was left in the fireplace, it would not last long, but for now it would do. The flickering flames casting shadows upon the wooden walls. Both girls huddled together on the sofa in front of the fire as the light from the sun faded fast. There stomachs rumbling, and their throats dry from lack of water. Luna stood up from the Sofa and wondered into one of the smaller rooms, finding a kitchen. The room was still, but smelt like a dead rat, that had been left to decompose. But luck was on their side, Luna opening up the draws and cupboards, finding canned food. She picked them up bringing that to Sophia who sat in front of the fire. Opening the can of sardines, the girls wolfed down the tinned fish, using their finger to gather the juice and eat it. Their stomachs easing and their thirst somewhat quenched for now.

While Sophia rested, Luna decided to check around the cabin, she needed to make sure it was safe. She was wary of walkers entering through the doors or windows while they slept. Grabbing a broken broom from the kitchen, she moved around the cabin, using the broom to push the curtains away from the windows. Revealing old, broken glass holes within the wooden frames. Luna spied a closet; it would be squashy but enough for them both to sleep in. It contained a small window and multiple shelves. She nudges Sophia, taking some old towels and cloths from one of the shelves in the closet, she laid them on the floor. It would do for now.

Extinguishing the fire, both girls head to the closet and laid down in it. As the girls huddled together, Luna finally decided to share her discovery with Sophia.

"Sophia, I've noticed something strange," Luna confessed, her voice hushed. "There have been footsteps following us, I've noticed it since the stream. Just the one set." Sophias doe eyes widen with a mixture of fear and curiosity. Ever since Rick left her in that stream, it seemed highly probable that her group was still looking for her. A flicker of hope set in Sophias eyes.

"It could be my group." Sophia states, a twinge of excitement in her voice at the possibility of being reunited with her mother.

Luna's gaze hardened. "I'm not sure Sophia, and there was man I saw in the woods, while I was hunting. He had a Crossbow." Luna says.

"That could have been Daryl, he could be the one looking for me." Sophia replies, the hope in her stomach growing stronger.

"What if it isn't?" Sophia's brows knitted together as she contemplated Luna's words. Her mind raced with possibilities, unsure whether to trust the unknown footsteps. But deep down, she clung to hope that maybe, just maybe, it was someone who cared for her. Maybe it was Daryl.

Sophia snuggled close to Luna, both girls wrapped in each other's arms. Luna heard Sophias heart slow as she drifted off to sleep, while her ears were tuned to the outside world, a little light from the moon creating shadows from the moving leaves against the door, her arms tightened around Sophia, keeping her close to protect her.