Azure's POV

I walked behind everyone, keeping pace, and looking for tails. I could smell something, but then again, after being in that weird bar for so long we had all taken up the smell, and it was hard to distinguish.

"So, heh, for a place that's supposed to be uninhabitable, the Crimson Waste sure is habit-ed." Adora said, and I scoffed from the back.

"Inhabited. The Crimson Waste is inhabited." I corrected and Huntara looked at me from the front. She shrugged me off and continued.

"The Crimson Waste takes in all sorts. They come running from the law, from their enemies, form different kingdoms." Huntara said, and Adora kept pace.

"From the Horde?" I could hear the soft growl from Huntara, even as far back as I was. Wolf ears, remember?

"The war will destroy all those idiots caught up in it." Huntara sneered and sped up a little.

"So, what are you running from?" Adora asked. Huntara paused, giving Glimmer and Bow time to catch up.  Whirling on Adora, Huntara grabbed her by the shoulder and shoved her spear into some strange bug next to her.

"Huntara doesn't run from anything. You got that?" She snarled, holding the bug to her lips.  "I want to be here." She said and clamped her teeth around the Bug's head and bit it off, blood splattering on the ground.

"Wait." Adora said, picking up a rock and throwing it in front of Huntara. It sunk into the sand.

"Huh. Not bad, Blondie." Huntara said thoughtfully.

"What can I say? I am a fast learner." Adora said proudly.

"Cocky. Heh. I like that. Give it some time, you'll do well here." Huntara smirked.

"No thanks. This has been a really terrible, snake-filled day. Honestly, I don't know what we would've done without you." Huntara's smile disappeared and she turned up a small slope.

I followed, pushing Glimmer up, and grabbed the hand Huntara offered me.  "Thanks. I mumbled, my leg going a little numb.  "Hey, I need a second, you guys keep going, I can find you easily enough." I said, leaning on a rock, stretching my right leg.

"What is wrong with Blue-eyes here?" Huntara asked, and Bow walked over to me.

I leaned back on a rock wall, and bow knelt, helping me keep it up for a second.  "Nothing wrong with her, she just has a cramp." Bow said, and I felt the numbness subside.

"I'm okay now." I told Bow and he helped me straighten up.  "Sorry." I apologized, picking up my own pace.  Huntara looked from me to Adora before turning to the path ahead...

The sun was setting quickly now, and my eyes brightened a bit at the slight coolness of the shadows.

"We should say something." Bow said.

"No, we are supporting her. Now, shh." Glimmer hushed Bow as we walked. They were bent over, exhausted.

"You shush. Shh." I closed my eyes as the shushing became intense.

"Your travel companions are loud." Huntara noted from the front.

"Hah. Well, it's been a long trip from Bright Moon." Adora said, and familiarity washed off Huntara.

"Bright Moon?" She echoed and grunted. Bow grabbed Adora's shoulder and stopped.

"listen, I know my Tracker Pad isn't working, but I am sure we are going in the wrong way, definitely a different way than we'd been going." Bow said and I knew it.

"We have been weaving around a lot." I agreed.

"Hey, we wouldn't be going anywhere without Huntara. This is probably just a shortcut." Adora defended the stranger.

"We're here." We turned, seeing Huntara a little bit ahead, and we followed. Adora grinned and raced to a spot where the earth curved around in a bowl.  My senses screamed at me and I felt two heartbeats here, two new heartbeats. Adora ran to the bottom of the cater in the ground which looked like a shadow clock.

"Wait, Adora!" I called from the rim. I looked at Huntara suspiciously. She smelled wrong in a way, like Catra when she tricked us. It was the smell of lies. I bared my teeth and felt the hair prickle at the back of my neck.

"This can't be the center of the Crimson Waste. There is nothing here. There has to be something here." Adora said, and I skidded down the rock towards the, gripping the handle of my axe.

"There is something here alright." I snarled, directing my eyes to the spot where two heart beats were squatting.

"I was so sure. The message said-" Adora grunted and I turned to see a blue tufted dart, stuck in her knee.  She pulled it out and examined it.  "What?" She wondered aloud, before crumpling to the ground.

"Adora?" Glimmer called worriedly. Appearing next to her.  There was a blowing sound and a second dart stuck in Glimmer's forearm. Glimmer passed out within seconds.  Bow gasped, aiming an arrow into the dark. I snarled and leapt forward, my legs propelling me twelve feet in the air, and fourteen feet across the crater.

I cried out in anger and smashed my axe into the rock. Something grabbed my axe and pulled me forward. I leaned in, teeth sinking into a thick skinned, scaly arm. A dart hit me in the side of my neck. I let go of the arm and roared. I felt the paralyzing agent run through my body and I went numb. I could not keep my eyes open and I felt my brain give in and I passed out...

... My eyes shot open as the world fell past me. Wind rushed through my hair as I collided with the ground. I grunted in pain, maybe even crying out a little. I pushed myself up, and snarled as Huntara, the goat woman and the reptile from the bar appeared over the edge of a pit.

"Outsiders are a risk to all of us. I did tell you not to trust anyone, Blondie." No one else moved, I was ready to kill Huntara.

"When we get out of here, I'll track you down and rip your throats out!" I roared up at them, worlds slurring and stepped backwards.  They watched in amusement as I crumpled to my knees, and passed out again...