Episode Three, Part 6:

A r e   Y o u   W i t h   m e ? 

Sol had been walking for miles, constantly aware of her surroundings - worried if Targo or Riders were somewhere nearby, watching her. 

Eventually, she had reached the borders of Blood Woods, drifting in and out the trees, catching sight of Blood Riders every other moment. She knew she needed to speak to Noah before even another day could pass, but getting to him would be the problem: she couldn't walk up to the gates without being seen, let alone without being shot... 

Sol brought her hand up to her mouth, biting down on her nails, desperately trying to come up with an idea. Everything was resting on this conversation. She had to see Noah. 

As she paced around, trying to find her answer, her hand made it's way to the gun latched onto her waist-band. Sol held it in front of her, trying to predict her own thoughts. 

It was too far away to get a good enough shot in past the gates, and neither was it it the type of gun to use for long distances. Even if it was, initiating an attack would do Basilisk no favors. So what was she doing? 

Sol looked over at one of the trees on the edge of where the forest ended. She glanced it up and down, searching for bumps and branches that stuck out. Peering over at the others, it was evident she wasn't spoiled for choice. 

Sighing, she walked over and hoisted herself up the tree, cutting herself several times on the rough twigs sticking out. Once she was secure enough, and out of sight from anyone that could potentially be walking beneath her, Sol pulled her gun out once again, aiming it towards Blood Riders. 

She had to be precise: they had twice as many guardsmen as Basilisk - and that was before the virus took out half of her people, and one wrong move could be fatal for those who survived... 

A sharp intake of breath, she closed one eye, and fired. 

The bullet hit the wooden barriers beside the gates, wedging deep inside the fence, not enough strength to pierce through. Just as she had wanted. 

Though her view was partially obstructed, Sol could make out the commotion beginning to arise as more and more people moved from their stations to inspect Sol's target. Within minutes, the gates to Blood Riders were opened, and a young scapegoat was sent out to inspect the shooter. 

Sol watched from her position as the young boy wandered around below her. She couldn't make out his face, but there was something familiar about him. 

"Jonas?" Sol breathed out, squinting in disbelief as she tried to get a closer look. 

The boy froze in his tracks, looking around to see who was there, his heavy breathing loud enough for Sol to hear in the trees. 

"It's just me. It's Riverly." She told him, raising her voice a little so he could hear. "I'm up here." 

Jonas turned around, glancing around until he noticed movement coming from the branches. "Riverly?" He asked, his voice shaking as if he was worried he was being lied to. 

"Yeah. It's okay, I won't hurt you. Look," She spoke, dropping her gun down the the ground before she jumped, so Jonas could see that she was disarmed. 

Once she landed, she tucked the weapon back into her strap, searching around before moving closer to Jonas. 

"What are you doing out here? It isn't safe. Does Noah know where you are?" 

Jonas bit down on his lip as he shook his head, constantly glancing around for fear of what else might be out there with him. 

"Don't worry. I'm the one that fired the bullet. There's no one else here." 

"You shot at us!?" Jonas exclaimed. 

"I didn't kill anyone, did I?" Sol teased, laughing which encouraged him to do the same. 

Once the moment had passed, the fear came alive in Jonas once again, and the smile faded from his face, replace with a look of worry. 

"My people sent me out here to see who had attacked. I'll get in trouble if I go back and don't say anything."

Sol quickly snapped back into focus, realizing that she was compromising his safety just by talking to him. "You will tell them something... You can say..." 

"Say what?" 

"Say that it was someone from Basilisk. You didn't know who they were. They came...to see if you were looking ready for war." Sol nodded along as she spoke, convincing herself that it was a steady plan. 

"What if they don' believe me?" 

"They will." 

"But what if they don't? My dad will-" 

As the boy was speaking, Sol thought back to when she was in the Bunker with Noah, and he had the same worries about his people believing him. The only difference was that Noah knew the extent of the consequences they would have to face, and Jonas was too young to even imagine them. 

Without any doubt, Sol reached into her pack pocket and pulled out her knife, searching her body for the best place to cut. She settled on the side of her arm, holding the knife between her teeth as she began to rip off part of her sleeve, knowing she would need that for later to stop her bleeding. 

Jonas watched in confusion, the terror only hitting him when Sol brought the blade to her skin. 

"Stop!" He yelled. "Don't do that! It'll hurt." 

"Jonas, it's okay." Sol breathed out, smiling warmly at his compassion. "I'm a big girl. I can take it." 

Jonas gulped, giving her the nod to continue, as he tried not to watch what was happening. Before he could turn to look at her again, he felt her thumb rub against his forehead along his hairline. 

Jonas flinched, afraid of what she was doing to him. 

"I trick I learnt from your brother." Sol smiled, pulling him back towards her, knowing what he would have asked. She continued to wipe her blood across his skin, giving the illusion that he really had ran into someone out here. 

"Why did you shoot?" Jonas asked. 

"Because I needed to get a message to Noah." She told him. "I was hoping someone else would come, and I could-" She cut herself off, not wanting to scare him. "And I could let them know how important it was that my message got to him in time." 

"What is it? I'll tell him for you." Jonas offered. 

The Sovereign contemplated the risks of getting him involved, but she knew she didn't really have any other option left. 

"Okay." She breathed out, accepting her choice. "Can you tell him, and make sure Noah is the only one to hear this - tell him that I need to meet him today." 

Jonas frowned. "Where should I tell him to meet you? And when do need to meet?" 

Sol laughed at his innocence, failing to realize that he didn't consider everything the way Noah did. "He'll know where." She assured him. "And just tell him I'll be waiting, so he has to get there as soon as he can. Think you can do that?" 

Jonas nodded proudly as Sol stepped back up, glancing over him to see how he looked. 

"There." She smiled, wiping the blood off her hands. "Now they'll believe you." Sol began to try and tie the fabric around her cut, one-handedly, but it was hard as the blood was already soaking through. 

Jonas breathed out, finally realizing what she had done. He moved Sol's hand out of the way, stopping her efforts to tie the bandage, and taking over for her. He didn't really know what he was doing, and he had tied it far too loose for it to support her properly, but the act of what he had done resounded within Sol more than he could possibly comprehend. 

"Because you helped me." The young boy murmured, smiling at the Sovereign, knowing she hadn't expected that. 

Sol exhaled, messing up Jonas' hair as she stepped away. "Now get back home, okay? And remember. Don't tell anyone else what I said, except for Noah." 

Jonas nodded again, glancing around the trees before he made a run back to Blood Riders, Sol only praying that Noah got the message in time. 

/// 

Jonas was perched upon the counter by a bucket of warm water, his legs dangling off the edge as Noah stood in front of him. He dipped a cloth in the water, ringing it out before he carefully dabbed it across Jonas' skin. 

It hadn't crossed his mind yet that he could tell Noah that it was just blood on him - no wounds, or anything, but he also didn't want anything to interfere with how Noah was looking after him. It felt as though so much of their time was spent trying to deem themselves worthy and emotionless to their father that he could never allow himself to be defenseless, except for now. 

"Next time anyone tries to take you out of camp, you come to me. And I mean anyone." Noah warned him, beyond enraged that the guards had chosen to send his little brother out into the woods. 

"It wasn't their fault." Jonas defend them. "Dad told them to send me out."

"Dad decided this?" Noah exclaimed. "How many times have I told him not to let you go out there?" He muttered under his breath. 

"If it's dad, I have to listen, don't I?" Jonas looked down, missing the comfort of the warm rag as Noah had momentarily stopped out of anger. 

"No." Noah shook his head, wandering back over. "I'm the King. I make the decisions for everyone." 

As Noah continued to wipe the blood off of his brother, he was unable to understand what had happened. He thought maybe Jonas had got confused when he was telling their people what he had saw outside the gates, but that wouldn't explain how his skin was unharmed. 

Noah titled his head up, moving it in the light, pushing back his hair to try and see where the blood was coming from. 

"Jonas... What really happened out there? You don't have any cuts or anything. I-I don't understand why you're bleeding." 

Jonas sat up straighter, leaning forward to see past Noah, making sure they were alone in the room. 

"It was Basilisk." He told him. 

"This is why you don't ever go anywhere without me, okay? It's not safe for you." 

"That's what Riverly said." 

"Wait... What are you talking about?" Noah froze, misunderstanding him. 

"Riverly from Basilisk. She was the who shot at the fence." 

"River did this to you?" Noah was in disbelief, staring down at the blood-soaked cloth trying to comprehend how she could bring herself to hurt a child. 

"No!" Jonas whined. "You were right before. I don't have any cuts." He explained. 

"W-what?" Noah sighed, struggling to understand. 

"She said she learnt it from you." Jonas rolled his eyes. "But it's not my blood. It's her's. She just put it on me so you guys would believe me when I said that there was someone from Basilisk out there." 

Relief washed over Noah; the reassurance again that Jonas wasn't hurt, and that it only been Sol he had encountered outside of the gates. He was lucky this time. 

"What was she doing?"

"Trying to get your attention. She said she needed to speak to you today. I asked her where, but she said you already know." 

Noah sighed, dropping the cloth into the bucket as he finished getting most of the blood off. He stood against the counter, pulling Jonas further to the edge and wrapping his arms around him, resting his chin on the top of his head. 

Jonas giggled beneath him, squirming to push him away after a couple moments when he began to get too hot. 

"I have to go see her. Will you be alright here?" Noah asked, stepping back so his brother could see him clearly. 

Jonas nodded as Noah hurried to gather all his things, already preparing to leave. 

"Don't tell anyone, okay? If anyone asks where I've gone, you don't know. And no matter what, you don't leave camp. Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise will answer to me." 

Noah made his way over to the door, twisting on the handle and pulling it open. He stepped forward, unable to bring himself to leave. He breathed out, walking back inside and over to Jonas. 

"I'm glad your safe, kid." Noah murmured, kissing the top of his curls resulting in being pushed away. He laughed warmly as he fell back, letting the last vision of his brother being of him safe and mirthful before he had to leave. 

Three // Part Six

Finally, a chapter that I like.

Jonas is so, so precious, and his bond with Noah gives me ALL the feels.