backpacking

[ She doesn't have to worry long. There's a whinny, and then Joel's horse trots up beside Ellie's, nearly bumping up against her mare. ]

Hey. [ Joel's face is hard, grim against the cold, but his eyes are sharp and concerned as he looks down at her. The snow had separated them for a moment, but...

He'd lost her in the snow once before. He's not about to let that happen again. One hand tugs gently on his horse's reins, slowing it to a walk beside Ellie's. ]

Y'all right?

Hey. [ The little, relieved-sounding word comes out on a visible breath. She starts to form other thoughts, questions, but then just flicks her tongue across her lips and nods. ] M'fine. Just trying to find somewhere to wait it out.

[ And trying to avoid any others who may be nearby, though he's probably thinking the same thing. She leads her horse toward the house and leaps off into the soft white of the ground before moving to lift the garage. ]

Ugh. Gimme a hand? [ The grip on her gloves is worn and the door is heavy. Ellie heaves a little sigh, casting her gaze around the area as she waits. ]

Good idea. Think it's gonna get worse before it gets better.

[ A blizzard was not part of the plan for this run, but here they are. He turns his horse in a circle while she goes for the garage, scanning the horizon for...well, anything.

But there's no movement beyond the snow coming down, no sound but the howl of the wind. Joel nods sharply, then follows, climbing down off his horse and going to join Ellie at the garage. ]

Yep, I got it. [ He glances over at her, shifting his grip to be more secure. ] On three. One, two -

[ On three, Ellie heaves alongside Joel, and together they get the icy metal door raised. She huffs out a tired exhale once the job is done, taking the reins again to lead her mare into the semi-shelter of the garage.

The small enclosure is enough for their two horses, as well as some miscellaneous items that hadn't been swiped by looters long before. Even so, Ellie pokes through the junk, pocketing a mostly-used-up roll of a duct tape before glancing back to her companion.

There's a door in here that leads into the house, she assumes, where it's possible someone is already squatting. Ellie stares in meaningful silence at Joel, knowing he'll object if she takes the lead on proceeding inside. She does, though, move to bring the door back down to close the garage, doing so as quietly as is possible. It's fortunate for them that the wind's picked up to provide a bit of white noise, but most hunters have good ears... ]

[ The door creaks open and Joel immediately has his gun out, checking both inside and out in case there's anyone they've alerted. But everything is just as quiet as before, and he follows Ellie to lead his own horse in, doing a quick check around the garage beside her for supplies.

He meets Ellie's stare with a nod, helping her slide the garage door closed as gently as they can before he heads for the door leading inside.

Gently, he eases it open. Unlocked. Doesn't mean anything. It could be empty, it could be filled with Infected or worse. He peeks inside to see a dark hallway, and shifts into a crouch, glancing back at Ellie with a jerk of his head - follow quietly - before padding silently inside.]

[ Ellie does as he wordlessly instructs, brows ducked down in concentration. Most other survivors are careful - paranoid, even - and would pick up on the sounds of two people coming in through the garage. They would keep silent and hide until they were able to get the jump on the intruders.

Tense and alert because of this knowledge, Ellie creeps along into the house, eyes adjusting to the dim light of the hallway before they step into a kitchen, one whose natural light from a window above the sink is obscured by the heavy snow.

Nothing yet. Supplies, maybe, but no signs of others currently in the home. That doesn't mean that they aren't upstairs (or down, if there's a basement), and so she continues on with a sharp gaze, weapon drawn. ]

[ There'd been a time when Joel would have been nothing but annoyed by Ellie's presence - annoyed, and resentful, a mix of emotions he'd been unwilling to examine, with the girl lingering along behind him. He'd always been careful about who he chose to work with. Who he trusted to have his back. Not to betray him. Not to be stupid. It's how he'd survived, and a fourteen-year-old kid had never been high or even low on his list of potential partners. I'm glad I didn't get my head blown off by a goddamn kid.

There'd been a time, a few months after that, when Joel would have been terrified to have her here. Heart in his throat, overly paranoid even for him, convinced that every shadow, every quiet creak, held unspeakable horror with her name on it, the world an ugly, dangerous place he'd been desperate to try to protect her from, even knowing it was futile, a battle he's doomed someday to lose.

Now, Ellie's silent and careful at his back, eyes sharp and alert as his own, hand steady on her weapon and footsteps effortlessly soundless. He trusts her as much as he'd trusted Tess, as much as he'd ever trusted anyone - not just to not get them both killed, the bare minimum, but to be there for him. She's smart and tough and a hell of a lot more fearless than most full grown men and women he'd met, and she's saved his life more than once.

Hopefully, she won't have to do that today. He straightens up when they reach the kitchen, glancing around, then as if by second nature moving to the counters, starting to open drawers and see what, if anything, of worth had been left behind. ]

[ She begins to go through the motions of searching the kitchen, but her mind is still on the big, fat unknowns above and below. As such, Ellie opens a drawer or two without seeing their contents before glancing back, silently to Joel. When she's able to catch his eye, she furrows her brow more deeply and jerks her head toward the other room in question.

They can loot whatever is left of this potential safe house when they're sure it's as safe as any place can be, these days. Before that, there could be a hunter lurking in a closet, or - rare and unlikely though it may be - someone innocent who is just trapped or hurt and in need of help. Sam and Henry had been a frightening surprise at first, but...after...

She doesn't proceed before getting the go-ahead, but she will lean somewhat to glance around the corner of the galley kitchen. The other room seems like a front entrance, some kind of sitting or living room, with dusty furniture left undisturbed for years. Beyond that, there's usually a staircase heading upstairs near the front door. If not (or, in addition), a door somewhere around here might lead them down into a basement.

There's lots of opportunity for potential supplies to be squirreled away in places people had last left them before the end of the world, when a pair of scissors or roll of tape hadn't been potentially life-saving. There's also lots of opportunity for a lone Infected, hovering in place and nearly silent, to linger where it had once lived... ]

[ It's fine. Probably. Look at all this loot!

There's not actually all that much loot, sadly, though, and when Ellie catches Joel's eye, he sighs inwardly and nods. She's right. Best to check the whole place, know what they're dealing with, than get distracted and snuck up on. Joel checks his gun one more time for reassurance, then leads the way, crouching low and padding silently along the floor.

The living room is as bare as the kitchen, and judging by the lack of drawers, holds even less promise of useful supplies. But as Joel approaches the stairs, he stops suddenly.

He'd heard something, for sure. Not a clicker, he's almost sure. But a runner, maybe. Or just another person, with who knows what motive and who knows how many friends, moving from one room to another upstairs.

He turns to Ellie, expression tense, and gestures to her gun. Be ready. ]

[ She nods, expression tight with the usual fear. It isn't the same kind of wildness that she'd displayed in the earlier days of their travel into the big, dangerous world, but one that is more intimately acquainted with the threats that they face. She's seen more than enough of the world, and is too smart, to not have a healthy fear.

Ellie readies her gun as they start up the steps, nearly yelping as a raccoon scurries loudly down the stairs, whipping around the corner at the top and scampering past their legs. She lowers the hand she'd clapped to her mouth, heart pounding in her ears as the moment settles back into silence.

"Fuck," she mouths wordlessly, looking with venom at the animal as it retreats. There isn't a follow-up sound immediately, but that doesn't mean no other "living" things aren't lurking upstairs, so she keeps her mouth shut again and offers another nod to proceed. ]

[ Joel snaps his gun up at the sudden movement, recognizing the animal for what it is just in time and barely stopping himself from blowing its head off. He swears quietly, heart hammering as he drops his gun. ]

Shit.

[ Even with the sudden shock, it's a whisper. He shakes his head, closing his eyes, then opens them again to glance at Ellie. You all right? he asks, silently, with an upward quirk of his eyebrows. When she nods, he nods in response, and carries on up the stairs.

The raccoon, it appears, hadn't come with friends. What they do find is the remains of its meal. Joel enters the first doorway cautiously, ears straining for any sound, but what hits him first is the smell.

The woman had been lucky. She'd died in bed, peacefully as far as he can tell, and uninfected. How long she'd been there before the raccoon had found her he couldn't say, but he wouldn't have described her as fresh. He gags, immediately holding an arm up to block Ellie's view and gesturing back to the hallway. ]

Out, get on out.

What? [ What could possibly be in there that she hasn't seen already? Ellie wrinkles her nose - both with disapproval, and at the smell - but does as she's told, hovering in the hall a moment before drifting away to explore the rest of the floor.

There isn't much else to speak of. No more animals or corpses, anyway. She finds a used roll of tape in the jammed drawer of a desk, as well as a partial bottle of hydrogen peroxide in a medicine cabinet. ]

Think we're good. [ Ellie says lightly, wandering back out of the last room as she concludes her search. ] Wanna take a longer look downstairs?

[ Of course, if there's a basement down there, too...there still could be trouble. ]

[ He doesn't answer, just shakes his head and keeps blocking the doorway until she moves away. Then he shuts the bedroom door firmly behind him and follows, not finding much more than Ellie.

Still, it's better than nothing, and he'd rather a nearly-empty house than one teeming with infected or worse. Joel sighs, stowing the rusty, broken blade he'd found in the bathroom, and nods. ]

Might as well.

Y'doing all right? Hungry?

M'fine. [ They live in a semi-constant state of "hungry," "tired," and worse, but she's not one to complain. Ellie puffs out her cheeks and wanders around the lower floor, peeking cautiously behind a door (broom closet) or two (stacked washer and dryer) before finding one down into a basement. ]

After you. [ She offers in a semi-sing-song tone, moving aside to allow Joel to pass. There aren't any sounds coming from the bottom of the stairs, so hopefully additional supplies are all they find. ]

[ Joel watches as Ellie wanders away, making a mental note to - Well, to do something. Maybe he can find some kind of treat around here, or in the next place. Maybe Tommy has some kind of secret stash.

She's too skinny, and better at saying I'm fine and not complaining than any kid should ever be.

When she calls him, he nods in acknowledgement, and steps forward to lead the way down the stairs, testing each step cautiously before putting his weight on it. ]

Careful - some o'these steps look near rotted out.

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