Sure why not, Sera answered jimmy.
Jimmy turned around and started walking.
Flock Thirty-Five followed behind him.
Merlin kept his eyes on the trees as they moved deeper into the forest.
The further they went, the less he could see of the wall.
Eventually, it disappeared completely behind the trees.
Merlin looked back.
The wall was gone.
For some reason, that made him uneasy.
"How far is your camp?" Tony asked.
"It's not too far from here."
Jimmy continued walking.
They followed a narrow path through the trees. It was barely visible, covered by fallen leaves.
How had they been able to find their way around? Merlin asked himself.
The forest was too dense, Merlin thought, and that's coming from a guy who came to the Len division through the forest at the age of ten.
After several more minutes, the trees suddenly opened.
Merlin stopped.
A settlement stood in the middle of the clearing.
Several buildings surrounded the small clearing, each constructed from a mixture of polished wood, metal panels, and salvaged materials. They looked carefully designed rather than thrown together, with sturdy foundations and sloped roofs that blended surprisingly well with the forest.
Much more organized than his self made homes in the forest.
The largest building stood at the center. It had wide windows, reinforced metal doors, and a covered porch stretching along its front.
A few smaller buildings surrounded it, including a storage room, a workshop, and a separate structure for equipment.
Wooden paths connected the buildings, keeping the ground clear of mud and roots. Lamps stood along the paths, while wires ran between several of the buildings.
At the edge of the clearing stood a sturdy perimeter fence made from metal and thick wooden beams. It wasn't particularly tall, but it was reinforced at several points, with a small watchtower overlooking the surrounding forest.
There were even signs of cultivation near one side of the settlement—rows of plants growing inside a fenced patch of soil.
Merlin stared.
It was nothing like the temporary shelters he'd built in the forest.
He led them to a field at the edge of the clearing, I'll go get the captain, he said as he turned to leave.
The crew stood in silence, to Merlin it felt strange being welcomed by a man who was about to snipe him a while ago, he looked at the others, they all stood in silence, as for Edith she just looked impatient. He looked at Sera. She'd been acting strange lately, Merlin thought. Her expression hadn't changed, but Merlin found himself studying her from a little farther away.
A few minutes later, a man walked out from the largest building.
He yawned as he walked toward them, one hand buried in his pocket.
His clothes were simple and slightly worn, and his hair looked like he hadn't bothered fixing it that morning.
He stopped in front of them and looked at the group.
"You're flock Thirty-Five right?"
"Yes," Sera answered.
He nodded.
"okay."
I suppose you guys are heading east.
That's correct, Sera answered.
He looked toward Jimmy, they both went quiet. There is only one spot in the east that isn't covered by a flock, he started, and that's because everyone else had been avoiding it.
"Then that's where we're headed," Sera answered.
He looked at her.
"You said you were Flock Thirty-Five. That means you were formed recently, right?"
"You are correct."
He sighed.
"You'll have to pass through three other flock territories to get there, but you'll make it."
He glanced toward the forest.
Just don't get lost, he said, already walking back.
Jimmy still stood there. There's a path you can take if you don't want to encounter any flocks, he said.
Great, show me, Sera said.
Jimmy nodded and turned toward the edge of the settlement.
"Come on."
The others followed him.
He led them past the buildings and toward a section of the fence where several wooden beams had been pushed aside.
Beyond it was another narrow path.
"This one goes around the other flocks," Jimmy said. "It'll take longer, but you won't have to worry about crossing their territory."
Sera looked down the path.
"How much longer?"
About a day longer, he answered.
Sera nodded.
"That works."
Jimmy stepped aside and pointed toward the path.
"Just keep following it until you reach the eastern wall."
Merlin looked into the forest ahead.
There was barely anything to distinguish the path from the surrounding trees.
How do we know when we get there, Tony asked.
We'll know, Sera interrupted.
Jimmy turned back toward the settlement.
"Good luck."
Sera nodded.
"Thanks."
Flock Thirty-Five entered the forest again.
They followed the narrow path, the trees closing around them once more.
For a while, there was only the sound of their footsteps.
"Are there flocks all around the walls?" Edith suddenly asked.
Sera looked at her.
"Not all around. There are more of them in the east."
Edith looked ahead.
"So there are people watching the forest everywhere?"
"Not everywhere," Sera answered. "But most of the areas around the walls are accounted for, especially the eastern part."
Because in the west there's a sea that doesn't need much monitoring.
Merlin kept walking.
Monitored.
The word stayed in his mind.
He remembered the forest from when he was ten, and the sea on the western side. He'd approached from around the north east of the Len division.
Back then, the closet thing to people he saw were the Len outside the walls.
But if there were people stationed outside the walls even then...
Someone could have seen him.
Merlin's eyes narrowed.
He remembered Fred.
The man had found him in the forest.
At the time, Merlin had never questioned it. He had been ten years old, exhausted, hungry, and more concerned with finding somewhere safe than wondering why a stranger had appeared.
But Fred had known where he was.
He had known how to get through the forest.
And he had offered to take him directly to the Len Division.
Merlin's expression slowly changed.
How did Fred know where to find him?
He had always assumed he'd simply been lucky.
But if the forest had been monitored...
Then maybe Fred hadn't found him by chance.
Merlin looked ahead.
And if so... then why? Was there something he wanted from him? Or was it what someone else wanted?
Either way, the question was, what did they want with him?
Merlin's face went dark. He was in the Len Division because someone wanted him there.
So where I am right now, Merlin watched his steps as he slowed down. Why am I here? Was it by choice, chance, or someone else's choice?
"Are you okay, Merlin?"
Merlin raised his head. It was Nathan. He forgot he had the power to see any angle.
Merlin tried to brighten his face. "Yeah, I'm fine."