Alamort | Troy Otto

1.4

[1.4]

"I heard you were good with guns."

At the voice, Thena raised her head. She was seated on the small porch of the cabin Jeremiah gave her and Madison, carving random shapes on a piece of wood with her dagger. The Clark woman left after some time, leaving Thena alone in the cabin. Not wanting to go around and talk to people or meet their curious and threatening stares, she sat on the porch hoping to lose time and be undisturbed.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Her eyes met the face of one of the men she held at gunpoint when Madison had a hold on Troy back at the military base. He stood awkwardly a few feet away from her, his hands crossed, and a frown plastered upon his face.

"Where did you hear that?" she asked.

"People talk..."

Thena nodded slowly, pursing her lips.

"We would appreciate some help by the guard," he said again, pointing his finger to one of the guard towers, "If you're up to it."

The girl looked up at the tower, shielding her eyes away from the sun with the palm of her hand. She was silence for a moment, thinking of what her next moves should be before she sighed and cursed under her breath.

"Better than doing nothing," she muttered as she got to her feet and nodded to the man.

He smiled and urged her to follow him. They walked to the tower in silence. Thena ignored the stares of the people around her, looking at her feet as she walked. Her felt her blood rush to her face at the unwanted attention, and her fingers tapped on her thigh impatiently as she walked.

"Don't mind them," said the man when they stepped at the tower's entrance, "We don't have many newcomers, most were already here before the dead awoke. They don't have anything better to do than stare."  He extended his hand for her to shake, "I'm Mike."

"Thena."

Together, they climbed the stairs until they got to the highest level of the tower. From up there, they could see almost everything surrounding them that wasn't hidden by the desert dunes and eroded mountains. Mike took one of the rifles from his waist, making Thena realize he was carrying two, and extended it to her.

"In case something happens," he stated bluntly when he saw Thena hesitate. He pushed the weapon in her hands and laughed at the girl's hesitant and confused frown. "Just don't walk around with it. Troy wouldn't be happy..."

"He doesn't know you're giving me a job?" asked Thena while familiarizing herself with the heavy rifle, her eyes taking in every detail of the weapon.

"Nah," said Mike, sitting down on a chair with a sigh, "you looked miserable, and I just thought 'why not?'"

"I wasn't miserable," she mumbled with a frown, looking away from the magazine of the rifle.

"You were."

With an eye roll, Thena looked away from the man, making him laugh. They stood by the guard tower for some time. The sun moved behind them, casting a shadow of the tower on the ground. Mike was still sitting in the chair, a pair of binoculars and a radio by his side. Thena was standing, leaning on the railing, and watching the tracks carefully.

Her eyes caught a small movement and she frowned. It was too far to decipher what it was, but at first glance it seemed to be people. She took a few steps back to lean over Mike's body and took the binoculars, awaking him from his short and superficial nap. She put the instrument in front of her eyes and watched through the glass.