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The sound of an argument echoed in the chamber. The place was only dimly lit, but that didn't prevent Zora from seeing her two… friends? Could she even call them her friends? Maybe companions would be a better term, she wasn't sure. She couldn't tell what they were talking about, even with some of the words resonating off the walls.
She stepped closer, trying to ignore the pain shooting through her body. Her wounds weren't healing fast enough and being on the move ever since she woke up wasn't helping either. She might have opened one of them back up as she climbed down the ropes to get to the hidden chamber. She could feel the blood pooling beneath the bandage on her upper arm, slowly seeping through what used to be white fabric. However, that was a problem she could deal with later.
Instead, she focused on the two men standing just a couple of feet in front of her. They were arguing, based on Jawhn's body language. She couldn't see Woogie from this angle, the other's body positioned opposite to him, covering her view entirely. She took a couple of steps to the side, her eyes widening when they landed on the second man's figure.
,,What's happening? Hello?" she asked, her voice higher then usual as she stared at the gun in Woogie's hand. She jumped over the railing, getting off of the maintenance bridge, and landed on the floor. The gun moved as Woogie noticed her getting closer, aiming at her for a couple of second before returning back to Jawhn.
,,Woogie, you don't have to do this," Jawhn spoke after a short silence, his voice strained with worry.
,,I can't let it end right now, Jawhn," Woogie spoke shakily, holding the gun higher in hopes of stopping the tremor of his hands, ,,I can't."
Zora watched him carefully, calculating how hard would it be to get him down in her current condition. It would be so easy if she wasn't injured, if that stupid Flux guy just didn't shoot her. Woogie wasn't wearing any protection, any armor. It would take one, maybe two swings of her axe and he would be on the ground, unable to do anything.
,,Don't make me have to- don't make me do this," Jawhn said, his voice strained with despair. Zora weighted her axe, scrunching her face when pain shot through her right arm. Even despite how hard it felt to even lift her weapon, she made her decision. She wouldn't- she couldn't let Woogie hurt Jawhn.
She heard Jawhn speak as she stepped forward, lifting both of her arms, her fingers tightly holding the handle as she raised the axe over her shoulder, swinging it towards Woogie. For a moment, she thought she might have it in her even despite her injuries, but just at the last second, Woogie moved to the side, barely dodging her attack.
The axe clattered as it hit the ground. Before she could try anything else, Woogie jumped over the pipes on the ground, stepping out of reach from her and her weapon. She tried to move closer to him, to give her failed attempt one more go, but a gentle, yet firm hold on her shoulder stopped her.
,,Zora, wait." Jawhn sounded surprised, stepping right in front of her to stand in her way. ,,I- I think we can convince him, Zora, please."
Zora moved back, staring up at Jawhn. She could hear the urgency in his voice, she could feel it in the hold on her shoulder but she wasn't convinced. He was pointing a gun at him. All it took was one second, one wrong word, one wrong move and he could just pull the trigger and the bullet would pierce Jawhn's chest, a wound Zora wasn't sure she could treat. She wasn't just going to stand there and watch.
,,Just give me one second, please," the pleading look in his eyes made Zora slowly lower her axe next to her body, a deep sigh leaving her lungs. Sagging her shoulders with a quiet 'okay', she nodded at Jawhn, who gave her thankful smile and walked towards Woogie, his hands up in a gesture of surrender.
Zora stood there, axe hanging in her hand, refusing to put it away just in case. She wanted to believe Jawhn that it would be alright, that with enough talking Woogie wouldn't hurt him. But out of all people, she knew the best that desperate people resort to desperate measures. Woogie was unpredictable, there was no way of telling when that switch in his head would snap and he would get tired of talking.
Would she even be able to help Jawhn? She tried already and how well did that go. Her wounds ached much more than before, sending pain through her whole body. Her muscles were weak, even if she wanted, she wouldn't be able to give enough power into the swing to cause any substantial damage. If she would be even able to get close enough to Woogie without getting shot. She knew he expected it because of her first failed attempt.
She watched the two talk, standing a couple of steps behind Jawhn, keeping a careful eye on the gun that was still in Woogie's hands, still aimed at Jawhn. Why was Woogie doing this? Why was he trying to kill, of all the people, Jawhn? Why now? She was so confused.
,,Stay back, Zora, please." Woogie was eerily calm as he pointed the gun at her. She didn't even realize she was slowly closing the distance between her and the other two. Taking a small step back, she continued watching, analyzing the situation for any possible signs of the bullet being shot.
Woogie's voice only got more and more desperate as the conversation progressed, his raw emotions coming through the built up mask. The longer he talked, the more Zora understood. There were still gaps that needed to be filled in, questions that were waiting for answers but it started to make sense. It wasn't some senseless decision, it was one last ditch effort to save himself. It was just one more selfish act that could allow him to continue his journey to find his daughter.
She wanted to be angry at him for being so willing to take his own friend's life just to be able to continue a search for someone without even knowing if they were alive or not, but… in a world like this, being selfish was he only way to exist. It was the only way of life that wasn't destined to end in tragedy.
Zora remembered the times she was selfless. She would go out of her way to bring anyone she would come across back to her camp, to help them, feed them, give them shelter, give them new home. It worked, for a little bit. Eventually, the human cruelty won. It always did. As long as people had their own minds, there would always be someone, whose interests didn't lay in the community but in themselves. Zora learned that the hard way.
She wasn't the person she once used to be. The one who would sacrifice herself if it meant her people would survive. That girl was dead. She died in that locked room, unable to do anything the one time she was needed the most. She was buried alongside the rest of Salvation. The Savior was gone. She was just Zora now, a girl stuck in a never-ending cycle of murder and violence, fueled by the need for revenge that would never be fulfilled. She was just as bad as everyone else, just as selfish.
,,Zora." Woogie's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
,,Yeah?" she murmured as he approached her. The gun in his hand wasn't aimed at neither her or Jawhn anymore as he let his arms fall next to his body. He stopped just a few steps in front of her, looking in her eyes with a pleading look full of desperation.
,,Do you promise me, and I mean promise, that you'll continue to keep Jawhn safe?" he asked with a shaky voice, ,,the time I wasn't there we lost too many friends."
The question hit her with a force of a train. This wasn't something she expected, nor had any idea how to answer to. She couldn't make a promise on such a scale, not in the state she was in and definitely not after everything she's been through.
,,He always seems to put himself in trouble," Woogie continued, a sad chuckle escaping his lips, ,,I-I know you've got the strength. I've seen it. So please, give me your word."
,,Uh," she sighed, ,,I already told you guys I'm not the protector I once was, but…"
,,You can be, though," Jawhn interrupted her, ,,we've all made mistakes in our past, Zora. I've made mistakes, we all make mistakes, right? Like, this is…"
Zora watched Jawhn as he came closer to them. His movements looked hurried as he gestured wildly with his hands. She knew he was right, but… they didn't know her. They didn't know what she's done, that she was part of the reason the city was so empty. She couldn't- she couldn't just stop now. She was way too deep.
,,I don't deserve to be here right now, I don't deserve to go in that left chamber. How can I call myself a friend when the second things go bad, I point a gun at the one person who was truly there for me."
As if she deserved it either.
She understood what he meant, but she wasn't a protector. She couldn't keep Jawhn safe. She alone was a walking trouble. If he stayed with her, she's just gonna end up hurting him the same way she did with everyone who got close. And she couldn't let that happen, not to Jawhn of all people.
,,Yeah, but-"
,,If I can't even protect him in my most dire moment of need, how can I protect him when it's in his." Zora hated how right Woogie's words were, she hated it so much.
,,That's fair," she sighed, looking between the two, ,,I don't- ugh. But I don't want you to die either. I don't think anyone should have to die. But I mean, what other choice do we have?"
Trying to figure out how all three of them can make it out was a losing battle, they all knew it and it was crushing them. Just acknowledging that by the end of this, only two will be leaving this chamber alive, felt like a loss in itself.
,,We're running out of time," Jawhn said and started pacing back and forth, ,,we're running out of time. As soon as the clock hits zero… he's turning."
,,One of us isn't making it out of this chamber, we all know that."
Hearing it said was like a final nail in the coffin, a coffin for one of them. It made it feel real. Zora hated it. She promised she wouldn't get attached exactly for this reason. The heartbreak of losing someone dear wasn't something she wanted to go through again, yet here she was standing with the two people she cared about, knowing that someone had to die.
,,And… If you really think you can find her, you really think you can find my Sophia?" Woogie's voice cracked as he said the name. He looked up at Jawhn with hopeful eyes, silently begging him to just agree, to say yes and mean it.
,,I will find her, I promise." Jawhn nodded, putting a hand on Woogie's shoulder and squeezing it in a reassuring manner. He meant the promise and he was gonna keep it, no matter what.
Zora's thoughts were a mess. Seeing Woogie change his mind in real time moved something in her. She felt so conflicted on what to do. Just minutes ago, Woogie was holding Jawhn at gunpoint. He was so desperate to live that he aimed a gun at the only person that has been there for him this whole time. Yet, now he stood here, offering to sacrifice himself for her.
Maybe, if Woogie was able to change his ways and try to do good again, she could too. Maybe the savior in her wasn't dead yet, just asleep, waiting for her awakening. Maybe all she needed was to be shown that it's still possible to change, that there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe what she needed all along was a person similar to her to wake her up.
,,I promise too," Zora agreed, a strange confidence washing over her ,,I'll help. I'll do what I can."
,,We'll find her together."
Woogie stared at them for a long moment before taking his gun out of the holster and pressing it into Jawhn's hands with a quiet 'take this'. His hands were trembling as he stepped back, looking down. Jawhn stared at the weapon in his hands. The final decision has been made.
,,One last for the ride?" he smiled sadly and handed Woogie a piece of rotten flesh he must have accidentally picked up when they were fighting the infected. The other man let out a dry laugh before taking a bite and grimacing.
,,Oh, it tastes horrible." Both of them laughed, the atmosphere feeling a little lighter. Zora stared at them in disbelief, but even she had a smile on her face.
,,It's impressive how lively you can guys be in such a… dire situation," she couldn't stop herself from remarking.
,,What can you do, right?" Jawhn said, still chuckling, ,,when your best friend's… about to sacrifice himself."
As quickly as the mood lightened, the reality hit back twice as hard. This was it.
,,I don't know what's gonna happen… when I go in that chamber. I don't know if it's gonna just outright kill me. I don't know if it's gonna turn me into a zombie but all I say is the second- the second it works, you guys need to get out of here."
Woogie was right. Neither of them knew how the machine worked. No one knew what is it going to do to him but all of them were willing to take that risk, because that's what friends do for each other.
,,Woogie," Jawhn spoke, cutting off the silence, ,,look at me. You might not have always made the right choices. None of us have. But… you're about to save someone. And I will save your daughter. I promise."
Woogie stared at him with tears in his eyes that had yet to spill. He couldn't have wished to meet a better friend than Jawhn. While he might've not been lucky in other departments, he definitely was in this one.
,,Give me a hug, man." Jawhn spread out his arms, inviting Woogie for one last embrace before they decide to go ahead with the plan. Woogie's body felt inhumanly warm in his hold, which he assumed was one of the states that late stage of infection left him in.
,,Thank you, Jawhn," Woogie mumbled in Jawhn's shoulder before stepping away, ,,thank you."
,,I'm sorry Woogie," Zora said quietly, looking down, ,,I didn't- I didn't want things to end up like this."
,,Zora… you getting infected was the best thing that happened to me, because it went from me sacrificing somebody to you showing me that I can pass on this torch of keeping Jawhn safe. I don't have to get uninfected to keep him safe because I have you."
,,Thank you," Zora whispered, ,,it means a lot."
The heaviness of the moment felt unbearable. The responsibility passed down on her lay heavy on her shoulders, a boulder she wasn't sure she could carry. Despite the weight of it, she knew she would do her hardest to keep the promise and keep Jawhn safe. If that was what Woogie wished in an exchange for his life, she would do it hundred times over to repay the debt to him. He was offering her a second chance and she wouldn't waste it no matter what.
,,Zora, you okay if i put you in the left one?" Jawhn said her name with a softness so strange to her. She hesitated, turning to look at the giant machine that towered over them, looking as intimidating as ever. Taking a deep breath, she slowly stepped towards the left chamber, letting Jawhn gently guide her towards the iron door.
,,I'm sorry, Woogie," Zora spoke quietly before she walked in and listened as Jawhn shut the heavy door behind her. She exhaled slowly, trying to not let the anxious feeling overtake her. Trying to focus on something else that her thoughts, she looked around.
The chamber was small round room with a grated floor. Zora wasn't sure if she wanted to know how deep the pit beneath her feet was. The ceiling was dome shaped with a wide tube that lead who knew where above the chamber. Overall, there wasn't much to see, which made sense. Who cared about how it looked when it could save lives.
It could but it wasn't one hundred percent. She knew that and still decided to step in with a desperate hope of saving herself from the fate of having to beg Jawhn to kill her so she wouldn't turn. If the possibility of saving her was right here, she was willing to take the risk. She was willing to die trying to do something instead of just waiting for her inevitable doom.
She thought about the promise they made to Woogie. Finding his daughter seemed… almost impossible. They had nothing. The last thing they knew was that she was allegedly in Paradise city, where, based on Woogie's stance, her trail went cold. They had no clue where to even start. The more she thought about it, the more that promise felt hollow. But seeing the determination in Jawhn eyes, she wasn't going to be the one to say it, not for now, at least. He needed hope, both of them did. They could hold onto it for a little bit.
Zora sat down, leaning her back against the wall opposite to the door. The tiredness draped over her and the ache of her wounds wasn't helping. She wondered if her injuries would cause issues during the process. Maybe this wasn't their greatest idea but what else was there to do. If it killed her, so be it.
The door to the right chamber clicked shut. The room fell into an uneasy silence, all three of them waiting. This was it. This was the moment they would learn how the machine worked, if it even did. That was one they haven't accounted for, the machine needing specifically one non-infected and one infected. She didn't want to think about what that would mean for them.
,,Am I supposed to push some-" Jawhn spoke after a while, confused about how the machine was supposed to start, but was cut of in the middle of sentence by deep crackling voice coming from somewhere high above. Zora could make out the words from inside the chamber, it all sounded just like a complete nonsense.
It spoke for a long time, longer then she liked. Zora took down her crown, fidgeting with it to get rid of her nerves. It was taking too long, she didn't like it. What if it meant it was going to fail. She thought she was content with dying, but now, when she was so close to it, she suddenly wasn't sure. Standing up, she crossed the short distance between her and the door, looking out. Jawhn was pacing back and forth, his eyes jumping from one chamber to another. When he saw Zora watching, he sent her a strained smile that probably should've been reassuring but was very far from it.
She wanted to say something, but before she could, the machine started making noises. Stepping back, she looked up into the pipe above her. There was light coming out of it now, lighting up the whole chamber. She had to close her eyes, blinded by the bright light after they spent so long in the dark. The machine got even louder as the process seemingly progressed to the next stage. Adjusting to the light level, she looked around but nothing seemed to change.
Zora's vision suddenly went dark. For the longest couple of seconds, she could only hear the beeping and loud hum of the machine before an unfamiliar feeling ran through her whole body, forcing her down to her knees with a force stronger than she ever felt before. It didn't hurt, which was the strangest part. It was just incredibly uncomfortable. Her ears rang, the sound drowning out any other noise from around her. Everything was spinning.
Time blurred together as she stayed there, kneeling on the ground, her ears covered by her palms as tears stained her grayish skin, hoping for the feeling to stop. For what she knew, the machine could've been off again, but all she could focus on was that unbearable tension in her body and high-pitched noise in her ears. She felt like she would fall apart any second, like her body would just turn to dust.
It took what felt like years for that feeling to finally lessen. Her senses started to come back as the tension left her body. Her wounds kicked in with the full force again, sending waves of pain through her whole body. She still wasn't fully back in the reality and the ringing in her ears hasn't disappeared fully, but she was aware enough to realize she wasn't alone anymore.
She opened her eyes and slowly let her hands fall as she looked up at Jawhn. His cheeks were stained with tears, same as hers, and he was staring at her with big glossy eyes full of worry. His hands were placed on her arms, gently holding her. His presence was grounding. She felt the rest of the tension leave, followed by the ringing, the only thing still as present as before being her splitting headache.
,,Zora," he said, his voice higher then usual, ,,Zora, come, talk to me, please."
,,Jawh-n," she muttered, her voice cracking midway. She took a deep breath, sending her into a coughing fit.
,,Careful," Jawhn mumbled, holding her carefully while she coughed. He waited for her to start breathing normally again before helping her get off her knees and sit down properly, supporting her weight the whole time so she wouldn't collapse. They both moved slowly towards the closest wall, leaning their backs against it. Zora's head fell on Jawhn's shoulder, her eyes closing. For a while, they just set there, nothing outside of their bubble existing to them. Zora was trying to recover from whatever the fuck that was and Jawhn just needed to make sure his only friend was okay.
,,I feel like shit," Zora spoke, her voice hoarse.
,,We can stay here for a little bit if you need," Jawhn suggested. Zora nodded her head slightly, but didn't react further. It only now dawned on her that she was alive and probably infection-free. The whole idea of it felt surreal in the first place. When she came to Paradise city, she was content to die here. But that wasn't the reality anymore. Now she was, to some extent, healthy and not alone anymore.
Her and Jawhn could go back to Lazarus, just as both of them wanted.
***
It was late afternoon, the sun slowly creeping towards the horizon, when Jawhn heard the gate being opened with its specific creaking sound. He was standing by the small stable, just a couple of feet away from the camp entrance, talking to Rusty, going over their supplies and how long they had before needing to do another big run. There was still time, from what they gathered, at least a couple of weeks, maybe months if they were careful. With a warm thanks, he send his companion to go do whatever she needed before the dinner time comes.
Turning around, his eyes landed on the, now open, gate. The two people on the watchtowers were shooting the stray infected to ensure none of them got in through the entrance. The later it got, the more zombies tended to come out from the surrounding forest for potential pray, their current one sitting on a horse in the middle of the dirt road that lead to Lazarus.
Zora gently nudged the animal, coercing it to start moving again. They both entered the grounds of the camp, the gate immediately being closed behind them with a loud thud. The people operating the entrance walked straight towards the woman to make sure she was okay and to help her with anything she was carrying.
,,Zora!" Jawhn yelled out, taking out one carrot from the bucket near him before speed-walking over to the incomers. Upon reaching them, he petted the horse on the side of its neck and gave it the carrot. It nickered at him, happily taking the treat out of his palm. Jawhn stepped to the side, reaching out to offer Zora help getting down from the horse.
,,Jawhn," Zora smiled, pulling him into a hug when she was standing on the ground, ,,good to see you again."
,,Good to see you too," he said softly as he pulled away, ,,how was the journey?"
,,As smooth as it can in these conditions," she let out a laugh, ,,got into a couple of situations, but overall i deem it a success. There is an old town about seventy miles to the south-east of here and turns out it hasn't been ransacked yet. I grabbed what I could but there's definitely way more. Maybe that can be the place for our next big supply run."
,,What do you mean 'a couple of situations'?" Jawhn caught on immediately, worry squeezing into his eyes next to all the joy. Situations was a broad name, it could mean almost anything from running into a couple of zombies to a shootout with other, not so friendly, survivors.
,,Nothing serious, I promise. Just got surprised by a bunch of infected. Got out quickly with just a couple of small scratches," Zora shook her head at Jawhn's concern and turned around to open on of the bags that hanged over her horses back. He's been worrying about her like this ever since she started going out after healing up. She understood it, he didn't want to loose her as he almost did once, but it could be overwhelming.
,,Still," Jawhn objected, ,,someone should take a look at them."
,,Jawhn, I am fine. Stop worrying," she sighed, trying not to sound too mean. It was endearing, how much he cared about her well-being, but sometimes it got to a point where it was annoying. Yet, she couldn't imagine him not being worried about her, it felt nice to be cared for.
,,Alright, sorry," Jawhn grinned at her, finally taking a good look at her condition. Her hair was in a messy bun, yet it still looked as gorgeous as always. She was wearing something he hasn't seen on her yet, probably found in the town she mentioned. Looking closer at her arm, he noticed a couple of small wounds right under the old bullet scar.
,,How's it going here?" Zora asked, deciding to change the subject, and chuckled, ,,I see nothing burned down."
Jawhn rolled his eyes but the smile on his lips only grew. She was referencing a certain incident that happened now over six months ago. A couple of the kids in their camp were playing around with fire when she was gone and ended up burning down almost the whole stable. When Zora later came back, she was met with only remains of what once was her horses home. It's been a long time since, but she still liked to bring it up sometimes to tease him.
,,Everything's alright, nothing really changed. It's not like you've been gone for long." Jawhn shrugged, looking around. Lazarus looked more alive then ever. He would proudly say that the camp was doing great under their co-leadership. Ever since they came back from Paradise city, they got into work to make their home a better place.
With the help of the current citizens, they expanded the walls and their crop fields, allowing them to comfortably feed more mouths without having to worry if the next batch of potatoes and carrots was going to be enough for everyone. Thanks to that, when Zora and Nom found a couple of horses on one of their supply runs, they could also afford to keep some and fully provide for them as well, which made their lives a lot easier, whether it meant gathering resources or just scouting out the area around the camp in general.
With the conditions around the camp, people have become happier and more energetic. The place was vibrating with chatter all the time. Seeing how well everything was going made every hard thing they had to overcome for it to get like this worth it.
,,I brought you something," Zora said as she finally found what she was looking for in the bag, turning around, holding a dark brown leather belt with a small holster on it, ,,I knew yours is kinda falling apart and when I saw this lying there, I couldn't just leave it."
,,Thank you." Jawhn took it, putting it around his waste over the old one, trying it out. He took out the gun from his holster and put it into the new one, sliding it in without any issues. It fit perfectly, not like the one he was wearing right now, where the gun was a little too loose in the holder, often falling out when he was moving a lot.
,,Thought it would fit well," Zora said, looking at him. Jawhn send her way a toothy grin, taking it off again and throwing it over his shoulder.
,,Come on, you should go wash up and change into something more clean, dinner will be soon." Jawhn took her around shoulders, slowly guiding her away from the entrance gate. Before they could fully leave, Zora turned once more to look at the people who were taking care of her horse.
,,Feed Hamborgini Jr. for me, please!" she yelled out to them and was met with enthusiastic nod from one of the girls. She liked to take of her horse herself, but currently, she just didn't have enough energy to worry about it.
They ran into many people on their way to the sleeping area, each greeting them with a big smile and telling her they were glad she was back in one piece. Jawhn was rambling about some improvements they made to the walls during the two weeks she was gone.
It was hard, getting used to living with so many people again. She's been on her own for so long it felt almost impossible to just adapt to living in a community. Yet, the cold nights she spent alone turned into a warm body by her side, the sound of wind turned into distant chatter and the loneliness transformed into love and care.
The Lazarus people, albeit skeptical about her joining them in their home at first, welcomed her and it turned out she fit right in. They were always helpful and open with her, as well as supportive in so many different ways. They didn't judge her for refusing to share her past at the beginning, giving her time to adjust and slowly open up over the months.
It took time, but at some point, she realized she stopped looking over her shoulder all the time. She could finally fall asleep without the need of exhaustion knocking her out. She learned to ask for help if she needed it instead of just trying to push through on her own. She finally started to feel comfortable living among others.
Her injuries slowly healed, leaving only scars as remains of what she had to go through to get here. The bite mark in her shoulder was faded, but still a reminder of how close to death she got and what it took to be healed. She hated seeing it more than anything, yet if there was a way to remove it, she wouldn't. It was the evidence of the sacrifices that needed to be made so she could now be here and healthy. The bags under her eyes faded away as she continued to heal. The pale skin her exhaustion and infection caused finally gained back its typical tan color, a sign of her finally getting better.
At some point, she wasn't really sure when, she became a leader of the group alongside Jawhn. She knew he wanted it from the beginning, yet it still surprised her when the people cheered to hearing that. It was a nice feeling, to be so appreciated once again.
,,Sophia's gonna be excited to see you again," Jawhn said as they reached her tent, ,,she was asking when you're coming back earlier."
,,Where is she, actually?" Zora asked while she climbed in and started rummaging through her belongings, picking out a simple outfit and taking out a bunch of hygienic products. She felt awful. Her body was covered in dirt, sweat and dried blood and she was really looking forward to get everything off of her.
,,Probably on the field or helping with dinner," Jawhn shrugged, looking towards the crop field that was barely visible from the sleeping area, ,,she's been really enjoying cooking lately."
,,I'm glad to hear that," Zora mumbled, stepping out of her tent with a her arms full of stuff. She was ready to take a shower, eat some warm food and crash in her bed for the rest of the night and probably even a big portion of tomorrow. She never got much sleep outside of the camp, keeping it only to a bare minimum so she could use her time more efficiently and come back sooner.
,,See you in a bit?" She smiled at Jawhn.
,,Yeah! I'll be probably in the kitchen in case you need anything." Jawhn said and when Zora nodded, he turned around and walked away, leaving her to get herself back together after the journey.
The shower was unbelievably refreshing. Taking her sweet time, she scrubbed all the dried dirt and blood off her skin, making sure to not accidentally open any of her wounds. She stepped out from behind the curtain in her fresh clothes and her hair wrapped in a towel, feeling like a new person. The tiredness from before was almost gone, washed away by the water with all the other evidence of her supply run.
Gathering all her things, she stopped by her tent to drop everything off and picked up a small box with a bunch of jewelry. She hid it in her pocket and left again, now walking straight to the kitchen. She took it the longer way, walking by the field to see if Sophia was there, but wasn't too surprised to not find her. If she really fell in love with cooking, it would make sense for her to be in the kitchen now that the dinner was made.
When she entered the kitchen, she was hit with a mixture of different smells of whatever it was that they were cooking today. She noticed a couple of people walking around, carrying wooden bowls, ingredients and dirty dishes. The dinner preparations were in full swing.
,,Zora!" Sophia yelled out excitedly when she noticed the newcomer, drying her hands off on her jeans, and sprinted towards her. Zora had barely enough time to react before she was being squeezed around her torso by two strong arms.
,,Hi Soph," she greeted her with a fond smile, returning the hug, ,,how have you been?"
,,I missed you," the girl answered immediately, still not letting go of her, ,,you're always gone so long."
,,I can take you with me next time, if you want?" Sophia pulled away hearing that and stared at Zora with disbelief and excitement in her eyes.
,,Really?" she squeaked, hugging her again with even more force, ,,that would be awesome!"
,,I'm glad you're happy to hear that but you're gonna crush my ribs if you don't stop holding me so damn tight," Zora breathed out a quick laugh and watched as the girl immediately let go and stepped backwards.
,,Sorry," she mumbled, but the grin on her face said otherwise. Zora just shook her head in fake disbelief. She wasn't angry, but Sophia needed to learn to control her strength before she accidentally hurt someone. A strength like this was as much useful as it was dangerous. Zora knew this first hand.
,,I got something for you," Zora said and handed her the small box she took out of her pocket, ,,found it in one of the houses and immediately thought of you."
,,These are beautiful, thank you!" Sophia's smile was wide and pure, in the way only a teen could be. She hid it into her jacket and before taking off to go help with the rest of the prep, she gave Zora one more quick hug.
When the food was finally ready, everyone sat down whenever they could. This was the one meal they all ate together. It was a tradition they started shortly after getting back. Zora found herself sitting on a blanket draped over one of the logs near the fire-pit with a bowl of mushroom soup and a piece of freshly baked bread. Jawhn and Sophia both sat next to her, all of them eating in comfortable silence.
Later that evening, when the sun was long below the horizon and the fire has been started, the people of Lazarus gathered around the fireplace and just talked. Some of the kids were running around a little away from the rest, kicking around the ball Zora brought them. She gave it about two to three weeks before they popped it again. They already decimated five balls like this, she wasn't keeping her hopes up of this one surviving either.
Zora sat wrapped in a cozy blanket, leaning against Jawhn's side with half of her body weight, listening to Sophia's excited rambling about how she improved in archery and cooking. She closed her eyes, letting the comfort of the situation fully embrace her. While she absolutely loved going out and about to search for supplies, the thing keeping her going was the certainty of having a place to lay her head and people who were waiting there for her. Having a home to come back to meant everything to her.
Even if it wasn't the same as it used to be back with Salvation. This was new, this was different but most importantly, this was present. She wasn't Zora the Savior here. She didn't know if she ever could be again. Truthfully, she wasn't even sure if she wanted to. Maybe Zora the Savior deserved to rest in the past with Elizabeth. She wasn't forgotten, but there was no need to bring her back. Zora was now her best self and that was all she could ever hope for.
This life wasn't perfect. It would never be. But it was hers. That's what mattered the most.