“When you gave your lineage, Violet logged the names in our book of clans. My mother read the information yesterday, and she remembered the name Lancer. You said Fuller and Tilly, but you never mentioned Lancer to anyone but Violet.
“That baby girl would be about your age now. She was from a family that already had two children. The topsiders were going to let the baby die. My aunt couldn't let that stand. The family's name was Lancer.”
“Your aunt Carly was the lady that was going to save me?” I could barely say the words. The situation was a source of shame for my family. We rarely spoke of the illegal plot to save my life.
“Yeah, we think so. My mother wanted to thank you. You gave her sister a reason for hope when she couldn't find one on her own. She wants you to have this necklace. Carly was her favorite person. It means something that she parted with this.”
“I can't take this jewelry from you, Noah. Your mother should keep it.” I pushed the beautiful item back to Noah. “She heard me say I wanted to kill you.”
“Nah, get in line. My mother says you coming here is proof of God and the plan he has for us all. She made me promise to give it to you.” Noah looked longingly back in the direction of the settlement. “I don't think there is a plan for me. Maybe if you had come to Carly, we could have grown up together, meant something good to each other.”
“Noah, it's impossible to say what could have happened if ten random things went left instead of right. I don't think our lives are stuck on a track. If there isn't a plan you like, make a new one. But I ended up here anyway, didn't I. Maybe your mother is right.”
“Take her gift. I don't' want to carry it around with me for the next few months. Besides, it's not even my color.” Noah laughed and looked up at the stars like he was reading a clock. We don't have much time left. Can I put the necklace around your neck?”
“Please do, I don't want it to get lost out here.” I turned my back to Noah and pulled my hair out of the way.
“I have a request. I'll trade you a stack of chocolate cookies for those honey-bacon bars in your pack, and a lock of your hair to remember you by.”
The request for my hair was strange to me, but I saw a lock of braided hair attached to a picture in the Prowe tent.
“I will gladly give you the bars. I can't imagine I'll need half the stuff Chip packed for me.” I pulled off my gloves and quickly braided the front section of my hair.
“You never know what you might need, but I don't think your path stops out here alone.” Noah draped my braid over his knife and pulled the blade across the hair, cutting it easily. He tied the end with the lace he cut from my shirt and carefully wrapped the souvenir in the cloth that held the necklace.
“Can you take Zeke back his family ring?” I asked my voice cracking a bit more than I liked.
“No way, the Prowe family gave you that ring. You are one of their clan now. Nobody can take that back.” Noah stepped away from me like I had pointed something sharp at him. “Keep it, never know. You may change your mind. I promise to always make room for you in my household Karine. I think you were meant to be with my clan all along.”
“Thank you for this,” I said while twirling the necklace chain in my fingers. “And for helping me get this far.”
Noah slowly shook his head back and forth. “Remember, no thanking me.”
The short rest showed me how tired I was becoming. I took a bite of a chocolate cookie and a drink from my canteen and felt my empty insides devour it all at once.
“Set your timer, daybreak is one hour and fifteen minutes from now. You need to find shadows to hide from the sun. If you are not found by the seventh hour of daylight, hide, sleep, eat, and head back out once the air is cool. Might take four hours to cool down but wait anyway. Walk until it gets too dark and then start over. I have faith your people will be looking for you. The Prowe and the Eaton families have a special arrangement. They won't let you wander alone for too long.”
Eaton, like my grandmother's friend, the name was familiar but never combined with the Reds. Noah gathered his gear and headed towards a narrow rock ledge that wound around the cliff face at a steep angle.
“You will probably see me once you reach the top, but I will be too far away to see you. Don't waste your energy, keep moving, don't walk where you can't see, and watch your timers. Take this with you too.” Noah handed me a folded piece of paper.
“It's the locations of the water source the settlement used. We don't need your water sources. We know where thousands of fresh and saltwater caves are hiding.” Noah stood still and looked at me. There was an uncomfortable silence I had to break.
“I hope you find the ship you're looking for. I'll get this location to the right people.”
“Thanks, now get moving up that rock.” Noah started across the ledge with long, deliberate strides. Once he made it around the first bend, he was gone from my sight completely.
The ascent to the top of the wall was long and silent. I began to question if I would make it over the ridge
