Griffin frowned, but nodded towards Cas. Play along.
"Sure. How should we do this?" Griffin wished he could force the answers out of Ari, knowing that something was amiss, but that would lead to more fighting, especially because Dierra seemed ignorant to the whole situation at hand.
"Pairs?" Ari suggested, turning back to look at them, "Pairs or on your own, just shout if you see him."
Dierra was indeed oblivious to the looks between Griffin and Cassian, focusing on either Cossett's injury or looking at the ground. Her mind was still spinning from Felix's death and she didn't even think Ari betraying them at this point was even an option.
"Cas, can you hold your own? Someone has to look over Ari and Cossett. Dierra can be with Cos, and I'll make sure Ari isn't up to anything." Griffin whispered. He wasn't sure what to do exactly, because pairs weren't the best option if Ari was a traitor.
He gave a half nod in response, "That I can do, don't get yourself killed." He then looked up to Ari and nodded, "Alright, pairs work." Turning to Dierra, he pointed to Cossett, "Dierra, you're with Cossett, keep her safe while you look."
She snapped to reality when her name was said and she nodded, looking around their surroundings as he spoke to try to figure out where he would most likely be.
(Griffin: Pairs himself with Ari to watch over her and to see if he was right
Me: Wants Griffin to be paired with Ari so that nobody dies (and also I've become attached to the group. I don't want any more death! Knows that that's impossible…))
"Ari, do you mind if I partner with you? Cas is a bit…controlling?" Griffin said it in a way that made him sound like he was scared that he'd said it in front of him, which he kind of was. "After all, he can hold his own, and I wouldn't feel comfortable if a group tried to jump you."
(ooooooooohhh this is going to be funnnnn :):):):) I already know what's going to happennn :) )
Cassian pretended to be slightly offended and rolled his eyes, looking around their surroundings to try to decide where he should search.
"Sure, you'll be able to help me if he's too badly hurt," Ari said, motioning for him to come with as she headed off into the woods, "Tell me if any of you find him."
Griffin hastily followed, looking around only for a second before eyeing Ari, only to repeat the cycle again. His main concern was Adrian, but Ari posed as a threat.
"Where'd you last leave him?" Where did you kill him? he thought, but daren't ask, wanting to act as if everything was normal, at least for now.
Ari looked around and frowned, "By a big rock around here, there was a small clearing and he was resting against one of the rocks." She rubbed the back of her neck and shook her head, continuing on, "As long as the other team didn't kill him that is."
Once Griffin left, Cassian wandered off, not before glancing between Cossett and Dierra with a slightly worried look. "You two be safe," He said before heading away.
Dierra sighed and glanced at Cossett, nodding for them to start looking. She nodded silently in return and they set off as well, their eyes darting around for any sign of Adrian.
"M'kay. Would it be best that we look around for said clearing? Like, climb a tree and look around, maybe?" Griffin knew he was letting his guard down, but he was still concerned for Adrian as he was suspicious of Ari.
She nodded, "That would work." Ari looked up at the tree closest to her and shook out her arms, getting ready to climb up a tree as well.
Griffin nodded, a smile on his face. Maybe I can trust her…no, don't jump to conclusions. You have no idea what happened to Adrian, and she might have to do with it. His thoughts battled with each other in his head.
He started to climb a different tree, using his arms to lift himself up onto the branches that were farther apart with a grunt.
"See anything?" He called to Ari.
Ari scrambled up the tree with ease, seeming to have done it her whole life. She took up perch near the top and looked around, nodding quickly when she saw the small clearing, "I see it, it's that way." She pointed to the left of her and smiled hopefully, "Let's just hope he's still there."
"Alright, we should be there soon." We're coming, Adrian. He was letting his guard down unknowingly.
"So what all happened? How hurt was he when you left?"
“He was pretty hurt. We were heading through the woods to try to find you guys and we had taken a short break by the rock since we had been running the whole time, we were there maybe a minute or two when he saw people from the other team coming through the woods. He yelled at me to keep going to find you guys but I refused..it was my fault he got hit with a dagger to the shoulder, he was arguing with me.” She started, already scrambling back down the tree, “When he got hit, he didn’t let me argue any more and told me to go find you guys, so I stupidly did as he said.”
(So wait, I'm actually questioning if Ari is a traitor…How is Ari convincing me that she's not evil? Is she? I'm freaking out over here! (Not really, lol) Ooh! Maybe she and Dierra are fighting for him? For drama purposes? And then it turns out Ari is a psycho/evil person/traitor?)
"Well, we'll find him. I'm sure of it. He probably hid to avoid being killed." Griffin reassured her with a pleasant nod.
(Muahahahahah :) you'll find out eventually)
She nodded somewhat shakily, not very reassured, "I can only hope." She shook her head, "Well, let's keep going, the sooner we get to him the better."
"Course," Griffin agreed. I guess she isn't all that bad. She must've just lost him, and might've looked suspicious only when Cas mentioned it, and even then, we're all just trying to suspect each other for something so that we can have the guts to kill each other in the end.
With that, she started off towards the clearing, biting her lip anxiously as she walked. She really wondered what had happened to Adrian after she had left, was he still alright?
Griffin hopped down, quickly followed her, his dagger only out in case he was jumped by the other group. His hopes skyrocketed as he entered the clearing with Ari.
"Adrian? You out here? It's Griffin and Ari, you can come out."
Ari's back was turned from him and she sighed when there was no answer, "I'm sorry Griffin," She said softly, "I'm so sorry."
"What? Well, maybe he's not here, so what? We'll find him, I promise." Griffin was sympathetic, but for the wrong reason, most likely.
The faint sound of twigs snapping could be heard in the woods and Ari shook her head again, "No, not for that…for bringing you along with me." She didn't turn and face him when she talked, looking at the ground instead.
"I'm-I'm sorry…?" Griffin's voice trailed off, not wanting to believe he'd be put in a trap. Nevertheless, he saw that his fingers were white from gripping his dagger out of caution.
"How many want me dead? The whole rest of the other group? The people behind this 'competition'?"
(I have to leave for the summer, starting tomorrow…)
(Aww….ok, hope you have a good summer :D )
"I don't know..they just said they were going to kill him if I didn't bring someone else," She turned to look at him as members of the other team came out of the woods, weapons in hand and matching looks of no sympathy in their eyes. Her eyes were watering and she shook her head, "I couldn't bear watching him die. I'm a traitor, I know, but I figured a teammate that I was less attached to would be less heartbreaking to lose."
"Undoubtedly wrong, but understandable. However," Griffin's eyes flicker to the other group, anything but warming. "You all should know I'm not going to die without killing you all first." His voice was harsh, as was his glare, and he clutched his dagger defensively close to his body.
"I doubt you'll be able to overtake us all," The supposed leader of the group said before looking between the others, motioning silently towards the woods. One of the members, a tall girl with vibrant red hair, nodded and strode back towards the woods, disappearing for a moment before coming back out, leading Adrian out with her.
Ari smiled weakly when she saw him, a look of relief on her face that he wasn't hurt.
"So, if you leave Ari and Adrian be, she granted permission for you guys to kill me? And she didn't think of this backfiring for her on her end?" Griffin shook his head. "Ari, you can't even be sure to trust them."
She bit her lip, "I don't trust them, but they've had many a chance to kill Adrian and they didn't." With that,the red haired girl pushed Adrian forward to Ari, keeping her eyes locked on Griffin the whole time to make sure he didn't run.
"I'd suggest you get going girl, I don't think my team is eager to keep any of you alive." The leader said, "You or you friend there." He stepped forward slightly and pointed to Griffin, "You, on the other hand, don't move a muscle, I can assure you that if you do, you will get a rock shot from a slingshot to the back of the head."
Griffin looked at Ari and nodded slightly. There was nothing he could do to save her, even though the threat of a rock to the back of the head didn't scare him.
"So how long do you think you can keep this up? Your control over your group, alliance, whatever you're gonna call it. And aren't you going to brutally murder me? Thrust a dagger through my heart? Slit my throat so that the blood gets everywhere?"