Episode Three, Part 1:

Are You With Me?

I wanna bleed the way you bleed, 
but you only get half of me.

Sol walked into the medic tent, struggling to uphold her invincible demeanor after what she had passed outside. On any other day, it would be a good thing to see - but she couldn't hide her devastation at the sight of most of the beds being empty. It didn't mean that her people were getting better, it meant that they were gone.

"River." Aeryn called out for her, nodding to gesture her over.

"Fill me in." Sol spoke as she approached Aeryn's desk, waiting to hear the final numbers of casualties.

Aeryn sighed, bracing herself for what she was about to declare. "328 minus 126. Just over a third of Basilisk."

Sol's head dropped and her hand pushed firmly against her temple, the migraine in head not seeming to fade for days.

"We're screwed." She muttered.

"We can still fight." Aeryn told her. "We have to. There's nothing we can do except fight."

"Out of those 126, how many of them were guards, or shooters, or farmers, or people necessary to us staying alive?" Sol tried to argue her point across, wanting Aeryn to understand what she was worried about.

"I don't know, but I know none of them were you. Or Dreea, or Kodiak. A clan are only as strong as their leader, remember? River, Basilisk will survive. Maybe not all of us, not without defeats, but we will because of you."

"And you." Sol replied, reluctantly letting the tug of her lips raise up into a smile. "Thank you for what you've done for us. For helping with Atlantis, and-" Sol looked around ready to gesture over to Wynn, but she couldn't see him. Bas was back in the corner with his brother, and MaReya was helping Fenn to treat the last of the sick, but no one else from the Bunker were there.

"Where's-"

"He's back in his tent, along with Quill and Ares." Aeryn smiled knowingly. "They were trying to figure out where Elara was. I thought I'd leave that for you to answer."

///

Sol approached Wynn's tent, grateful to know that this time they would be safe inside, and she wouldn't be stumbling in to find him on the verge of his deathbed.

When she entered, Ares and Quill were there, somewhat disappointed that it was her appearing and not Elara. But Wynn, on the other hand, still seemed relieved to see Sol.

The two boys left, leaving Sol to have a moment alone with Wynn before she had to get on with whatever preparations she had left before the march.

"Feeling better?" Sol asked as she wandered around, taking notice of all of the things Wynn and Quill had placed around their tent. Their mother's jacket was hanging above Quill's sleeping bag, a photograph that had been folded and refolded multiple times had it's corners resting between two small holes in the lining of their tent - keeping it upright, and a stone that sat at the feet of where Wynnlow would sleep, with a collection of different initials marked onto it. There was no doubt whose they were.

"Yeah." Wynnlow breathed out. "It was hell, but I'm glad it didn't last long. Do you know where Elara is? Ares can't find her anywhere."

"Yeah." Sol admitted. "She's with Kodiak."

Wynn didn't think much of it at first, but became suspicious by how Sol suddenly seemed distant after his question.

"How many people are gone?"

"Over a hundred."

Wynnlow looked up at her, his eyes full of fear as realization sunk in. "What's gonna happen, Sol?"

The Sovereign sighed, collapsing down onto Quill's sleeper. "I wish I knew how to answer that. 2 days to try and get everyone to learn how to shoot, defend, and watch the gates."

"Why don't we march first?"

Sol looked over to Wynn, unable to figure out what he was leading to.

"Catch them off guard? Do something about it, you know, not just waiting for them to come and kill us."

"They'd still be ready. If the initiated the war, they're prepared-"

"Then we go! All of us. We don't let them find us-" Wynn was getting desperate at this point. Running out of options, not wanting to lose the life he had gained.

"Where are we going to hide 200 people, Wynn? In the Bunker? In the woods? I forgot how much you know about the Ground, so please tell me what I should do because clearly I haven't been paying much attention!"

Wynn was ready to argue back - defend his position against his friend, but they were interrupted by Quill bursting into the tent, followed shortly after by Ares.

"Where is she!?" Quill demanded, raising his voice as he stepped forward to Sol.

"She's safe!" Sol exclaimed, growing frustrated with the lack of trust they had for her.

"What are you talking about?" Wynn stood up, a narrowing look on his face as he began to piece everything together.

"Elara's not here." Quill answered.

"Not here?"

"Not at Basilisk." His tone was accusing, emphasizing every word at the Sovereign.

"Sol, you told me she was with Kodiak?"

"She is. They're... In the Bunker."

"Why are they in the Bunker, Riverly? You know our dad's looking for her. Blood Riders are coming. Do I need to mention any thing else that could potentially put in her danger?"

"Quill, shut up." Sol barked. "It was her idea."

"She's 15." Wynn reminded her. "Maybe you forgot how little she knows about the Ground, but it's not enough to stay safe on her own." He threw her own words back at her, hoping she was understand how angry he was with her for letting Elara leave.

"If you just let me finish talking, you would know why." Sol rolled her eyes, waiting for them to be quiet and listen. "Kodiak couldn't be here with the virus around while he was healing. Elara suggested the Bunker and it was the only place for him. She was determined to leave, and I'm sure you know that once your sister is determined to do something, she's not backing down..."

Quill rolled his eyes, folding his arms, annoyed that Sol was right.

"Targo know where we are and they wouldn't except Elara to be anywhere else other than with us. If they come to Basilisk, that gives us an option of moving her without them knowing. Also remember that Kodiak is a Sovereign. She's safe with him."

"Sol-"

"Wynn, you need to trust me." She had calmed down now, but was firm in what she asked for. "It's not your people and my people. Okay? We're all Basilisk. No one will get left behind. That includes your sister." 

Three // Part One

None of them were you.