The Scavenger camp wasn't too far off, but we still suffered through an uncomfortable twenty-minute walk. I stumbled twice over loose vines, my now swollen feet and too-tight shoes a burden in the rough terrain. Tallis' lips lifted in a millimeter of amusement each time I lost my footing. Where I struggled to keep on the thin trail, he navigated the forest with confidence and ease. The loud slap of my uncomfortable shoes drowned out his sure and quiet footsteps.

As he walked, Tallis' crystal blue eyes swept the forest floor with an intense stare. With his head tilted to the left, he strained to hear the quiet movement of the trees as if preparing for an ambush. Living in the Deadlands did that to a man, I suppose.

"Aren't you a bit young to be Chief?" I finally asked as orange tents came into view between the thick branches of the towering trees.

"I passed the trials almost a year ago. I’m the youngest Chief this side of the Empire." Tallis shrugged. Although impressive, Tallis didn't sound boastful or even proud. His tone was sad, regretful almost. He pushed through the thick and thorny bushes. I caught him looking at me from the corner of his eyes as if gauging my reaction.

Curiosity filled me. As a well-known socialite, it was my civic duty to find and share scandalous stories. Information about the process for becoming a Scavenger Chief would definitely get a lot of attention at the next event.

"What are the Chief trials anyways?” I asked. “Do you just mob and pillage the nearest Providence? The one to bring back the most gold wins.” I snorted at my joke. Tallis paused outside the camp as if debating whether he wanted to answer or not. There was a calculating sadness in his eyes.

"It's a series of events that test your ability to become a leader," he explained in a low tone. His shoulders hunched in as he spoke. I wanted to ask what was so tragic about the trials, but Tallis walked away before I could coax the information out of him.

I stood still for a moment, debating on whether I should try to find my way back to the Walker dorms. This impromptu mission was the most interesting thing to happen in days but associating with Scavengers was downright inappropriate. Maverick wanted me to talk to this Scavenger kid, but I brought him the leg. Wasn't that enough? Completing the minimum requirement of a task was what everyone expected of me. And yet, there was still a small part of me that wanted to exceed expectations, if at least this once.

With a deep breath, I rolled my shoulders back and strolled into camp. My feet ached with each confident step, making me wince. Once in camp, I observed my surroundings with trepidation. Everything looked so unorganized and primitive. Women carrying tin buckets of water on their jutted-out hips sauntered by me with coy smiles. Their white hair blew in the breeze as each took turns looking me up and down with scrutinizing gazes. Daggers with carved handles stuck out of the pockets in their cut off denim. I cringed at the crude fashion choice that showed off their long, pale, legs.

"Are you coming, Agapimenos?" Tallis asked over his shoulder with a smirk. My eyebrows rose as his deep voice floated over a nickname that sounded oddly personal. A nearby Walker woman with braided hair and green eyes giggled at us.

"It's Jules," I corrected. I wiped the sweat from my brow and walked after him. “…and I’m coming. No need to call me names.” I glided after him with unhurried steps. I struggled to navigate the scattered fire-pits, people, and children that ran around. Nothing in their camp was set up for functionality or even convenience. Unlike me, Tallis danced around the chaos with an easy grin before stopping in front of a medium sized tent.

This tent stood out from the others. Bright pink and yellow flowers covered the canvas exterior, giving it a modest, yet homey, feel.

"Nikketa!" Tallis yelled in a bright tone, causing me to flinch. After a few moments, the tent door opened, and a short plump woman with braided hair down to her knees shimmied outside.

"Tallis, sweets! I never get visits from you anymore,” she said in a whiskey voice. Her skin was like aged leather, and the laugh lines around her lips were deep set. She pinched Tallis’ cheeks, and I stifled a laugh as he squirmed under her hold. The stoic Chief gave Nikketa a half smile while pulling out of her grip. He shook off his embarrassment before introducing me.

“This is Miss Black,” he said, gesturing to me. “She’s here to see Gordon. Do you know where he is?" Tallis' eyes peered through the dark opening of the tent as if already knowing the answer to his question. Instead of replying, the woman looked at me and crinkled her nose in disgust.

"She looks like an Empire skyla," she scoffed, gesturing to my dress. I looked down at my outfit and frowned before looking up and raising an indignant eyebrow at her.

“I’m going to assume that is a compliment, Scavenger,” I said in a snarky tone.

Tallis sucked in air and began frantically whispering to her while eyeing me. His crystal blue eyes were wide as she whispered in return. Nikketa rolled her eyes so hard I was sure they’d end up stuck. They whispered a little more before she sighed and pulled away.

Nikketa took her time and made sure to scrutinize my appearance. "Gordon’s inside. You know he doesn't leave the tent most days," she explained while stepping aside. "I'll be at the river. Let me know if you need someone to whoop his kolo."

Nikketa started to walk away but paused and looked back at me. Her eyes squinted with so much judgment that her iris' were no longer visible. "I have a pot of stew boiling. Be sure to eat some before you leave. If it weren't for that ridiculous jewelry weighing you down, a good stiff wind could blow you away."

I looked down at my thick gold necklace covered in gemstones and shrugged. Nikketa was feisty, and had I liked Scavengers, I might have found her spunk endearing.

"Are all Scavengers as nice as her?" I asked Tallis, loud enough for her to hear. I watched as her head full of white hair shook in frustration before slipping out of sight.

"Nikketa's all talk but be careful. I’ve been on the receiving end of her kolo whooping and it's not a pleasant experience,” Tallis explained, rubbing his butt.

We walked into her home, and I had to crouch down so my head didn’t hit the ceiling. The entirety of the tent was about half the size of my tiny dorm room, with a slight partition in the middle. A ginger woven rug on the floor covered the entire space, and tapestries covered each wall. Goodness, how did people live like this? I crinkled my nose as Tallis lifted a calloused hand and pulled aside a white curtain blocking the other half of the tent. I inhaled and coughed at the strong smell of spice and mildew. Once my eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room, I noticed him.

There, on a cot with thick green blankets, sat a young boy who was writing with a chewed pencil on tan parchment paper. Using a thick, tattered book as a makeshift desk, he scratched illegible words while ignoring us. Even in the dark, I noticed his grey-white hair and deep black eyes. My gaze involuntarily drifted to his missing leg before sliding back up just in time to greet his angry stare.

"What do you want?" Gordon barked out in a harsh yet high pitched tone.

Tallis opened the bag and pulled out the prosthetic that Maverick created. It was hard to deny the care and love that Mav put into it. Gordon frowned at us, his brooding expression illuminated by the glow of his lantern. It irritated me. Didn't he know how much effort went into bringing him this?

"We brought something to help you walk," Tallis said while walking towards Gordon. His deep and confident voice was full of scintillating authority. Gordon shifted towards the edge of his cot while letting out a painful gasp. Once again, my eyes zeroed in on his missing leg.

"Hasn't anyone told you it's rude to stare?" Gordon picked up his thigh and readjusted it, ignoring Tallis. This kid was bitter and angry—two emotions I knew well.

"Hasn't anyone told you to get used to it?" I asked, crossing my thin arms over my chest. I wanted to feel sympathy, but the stares were something he would need to come to terms with. "I mean, you're missing a leg. People are going to stare. You plan on being an ass to everyone that glances your way?"

Gordon blinked while raising his brow. "Who are you?" he stuttered, looking towards Tallis who stood there eyeing our exchange. Gordon met his match, and I was not backing down.

"I'm the girl that walked that heavy-as-hell leg here to your ungrateful self," I huffed out. It wasn't like I had anything better to do, but Gordon didn’t need to know that. "I even got lost on my way here! And look at my shoes, look at them!" I cried out. "They're ruined." Gordon's eyes widened as if he was watching a rabid animal come undone in his living room.

Tallis laughed, the sound deep and melodic. "I thought you knew where you were the whole time Agapimenos?" Of course he would pipe in with that little discrepancy in my story. This Scavenger Chief was quickly becoming a major pain in my ass.

"Choke on thorns, Scavenger," I growled back.

“I-I don’t want it!” Gordon stuttered, bringing us back to the conversation at hand. His kept his fists clenched as he looked around the room, avoiding eye contact with me. “I don’t need it.” He added in a soft voice marred with defeat. His eyes held a thin layer of uncertainty, and I watched as he massaged his thigh.

With an exhale, I dropped my hands to my sides and stepped closer to him. “Look, the pride act is cute and all, but at the end of the day, it’ll get you nowhere.”

Gordon pulled his blankets over him in a last-ditch attempt at self-preservation. He frowned as he readjusted the various books and papers on his bed. My eyes took in the crinkled pages of juvenile writing, while trying not to critique what poor spelling I saw. Tallis excused himself without saying goodbye, leaving us alone in the smelly, cramped tent. Typical man. Leaving once emotions got involved.

“I…I can’t do anything I used to,” Gordon whispered.

“Well, isn’t that what this leg is for?” I gestured to the prosthetic on the floor. This seemed like such an easy solution. Why was he being so difficult? This was going to help him.

“It’s not the same,” he immediately replied with anger laced throughout his words. “It’s a tease. A small look at who I was before this happened, but not the real thing.”

I waited for a moment while looking around the sad tent. Of course the boy felt like he couldn’t do anything anymore. Staying in here all day was reason enough to drive anyone crazy.

“You don’t get it,” he added while slinking back on the cot. “My Grandfather was the Chief. I’ve always dreamed of one day following in his footsteps. Now…I literally can’t.”

I watched him fight the tears that threatened to spill over. A kind person would have averted her gaze and gifted him with privacy, but I wasn’t kind.

“You’re right—you can’t. Don’t be who you were or who you even thought you were supposed to be. Be something better, kid,” I offered with a shrug while wondering why I was helping this Scavenger boy. He wasn't worth the effort.

“What’s better than running, better than fighting?” he asked with such desperation, and I couldn't help it—I laughed, the sound bursting out of me without a care. The loud sounds of my giggles made him lean back in frustrated awe. Didn’t he know? There was so much more to the world than this pathetic Scavenger camp.

“Your brain! Don’t you have a school or something?” Certainly, even Scavengers had the means necessary for obtaining an education.

“Our teacher died last year. She got X on a raid,” Gordon replied without remorse. Even here, death was a common occurrence that didn’t warrant a reaction.

An idea came to me then. They might have banished me to the gardens, but maybe I could get on Cyler and Maverick’s good side if I volunteered at the Scavenger camp. It was a fleeting thought, but it took hold of me. In a flash, I saw a future where I could do as I pleased. If Maverick and Cy thought that I learned my lesson, then I could escape the confines of my punishment. Take my life back; maybe even get a job teaching. Find a decent man of good standing. Move to Galla. Run the world.

Ok, Jules, reign it in.

“It’s your lucky day, Scavenger. I’ll tutor you.”

The words spilled out of me before I could stop them.

I wanted to laugh it off. Say I was joking and leave this tiny tent, but the flicker of hope that flashed over his face made me pause. It was a look I recognized. It was the same joy I felt when my own mother used to teach. Like me, Gordon craved knowledge. But of course, it couldn’t be that easy. He had to pretend to be disinterested. Young boys were so painfully predictable.

“I guess that would be ok,” he said while clearing his throat. “Are you even qualified?”

I looked at him. My pride urged me to talk about my tutoring and travels. But it felt too cruel, even for me, to brag now. Especially when all he’s seen of the word is the Deadlands and this sad little tent.

“I guess you’ll find out. I’ll be here tomorrow. Try to work on that winning personality of yours in the meantime. Maybe practice smiling in the mirror so you don’t scare the locals,” I said while walking towards the exit of the tent. As I walked outside I heard him ask,

“What’s a mirror?”

Oh, God. What did I get myself into?