Spider Monkey

Chapter Ninety - Three - Death To Kingdom

((Notes : I love this chapter :3 )) 

Finally broke.

And we can't fix it.

I kept trying to hold on.

We did.

But things fall apart.

The cold set in. Fires raged. The rot spread.

It's knowing when to keep fighting and knowing when it's over.

If only for now.

We need help.

Shelter.

From the storms to come.

But we'll never forget

The magic we felt in this place.

The love.

The acts of courage.

Cowards die many times before their deaths.

The valiant never taste of death but once. They were the valiant. As we head into an uncertain future, we must be valiant, too.... All of us. Together.

***

Kingdom had fallen. The people move to Hilltop.

Communities blurring.

After the many deaths of the people, a grey cloud had washed over them. And with it came the cold. Winter was upon them. And everyone was wrapped up in coats, scarfs, gloves, hats. Lydia walked with Daryl, Hedley and Carl.

Michonne spoke with Yumiko, "No one can agree on what to do next. And the Council cannot come to any security resolutions?"

"Everyone's still reeling, between Jesus, Tara, and the others we lost." Yumiko said.

"And still nothing from Maggie?"

Yumiko shook her head, "The Council sent another letter, but... we haven't heard anything back."

Silence came over them as Walkers were seen in the distance, walking as if they didn't see them. People held onto their weapons tighter.

Alden, who was up on a horse, decided to open his mouth. "Is that them?" His words were targeted to Lydia, "People watching us now, huh? Well, we followed their rules. Haven't they done enough to us?"

"Hey!" Daryl growled out, "Why don't you lay off."

Hedley then stepped in front of Lydia, eyes narrowing at Alden, his stare deadly.

Carl tugged Hedley's hand, getting him to walk away. Hedley followed reluctantly, but kept close to Lydia just in case. She was now sandwiched between the Dixons.

"You don't have to protect me. I know how they feel about me."

"No." Daryl said, "Don't mean they get to talk to you like that."

"Just... I don't want to cause any more problems."

"It's their problem, not yours."

"You're with us now." Carl promised, "And if you couldn't tell already, we look after our own."

She smiled thinly but genuinely, "Thank you."

***

Much to everyone's dismay, it started to snow.

"Weather's already kicking in." Jerry warned. "Even if we hauled ass overnight, we'd never make it."

"We need to get off the roads, find shelter between here and the next way station." Said Aaron.

"You have a place in mind?" Ezekiel asked anyone.

It was Michonne who answered, "Yeah."

"Welcome to the Sanctuary." Michonne said as they entered.

The Sanctuary.

Where Negan and his people lived.

A fire was quickly made and people brought out blankets and whatever clothing they could reach. Everyone huddled around the fire as the storm grew thicker outside.

Hedley was leaning against the wall, his lap filled with Carl. He wrapped his boyfriend in his arms, a blanket covering them both.

Lydia was a few feet away, shivering. Carl saw her and looked at Hedley. Hedley nodded before calling her name. She looked at him then opened his arm out, telling her that he had room left in his arms for her to join. She hesitated.

"Hurry up and get in. You're letting all the heat out!" Carl said, wiggling deeper to Hedley's chest.

"Are you sure?" Lydia still asked.

"It's fine. Hedley is like a human heater. He'll warm you right up."

Lydia fell into Hedley's side and the tall boy quickly brought the blanket back around them. She curled into the heat. She giggled.

"What's so funny?" Carl asked.

"You're right. He is warm."

"Told ya."

"I'm glad you guys appreciate me for my body heat." Hedley muttered, making the two he was holding chuckle.

But the good spirit was crushed when the leaders started talking nearby so that they heard every word.

"The snow's never hit this hard this early." Said Ezekiel.

"Yeah." Michonne huffed, breaking more firewood.

"It could last for days, but we can't. Not here. We don't have enough. Maybe if I head to the way station, bring back supplies."

"Yeah, I thought of that, too. But we might get caught out there in this and leave them worse off. Let me see your map." Ezekiel gave her the map and the leaders came huddling around it as she explained, "The next way station is here, right across the river that runs alongside the old route B."

"I thought the only crossing was back along the route we were on." Said Magna.

"It is." Concluded Aaron, "There's no way we'll make it, not in these conditions. Rick's bridge would've saved us. It could've cut half a day off our travel time."

"But we don't need a bridge." Carol huffed, "The creeks and ponds are frozen over. As long as we don't all go at once, we could probably just walk across. There, through our old hunting grounds. It's a straight shot."

"A straight shot through Alpha's territory." Growled Ezekiel.

"We didn't agree to those borders. Those borders are hers, not ours." She argued.

"That's cold comfort if we trigger a war. We don't even know how to fight them yet."

"It's only a couple miles-"

"Hey, we can cross at night." Michonne butted in, "They won't know that we're there."

"What if they already know? They could've been watching us in that field back there." Yumiko added, not lightening anybody's mood.

"It's all the more reason to move now." Said Daryl.

"We can do this." Aaron said.

But Ezekiel still argued, "With the elderly? With the children? We can't take horses and wagons across the ice."

"Then we'll have to go by foot." Said Michonne, continuing even when Ezekiel shook his head in disagreement. "Yes, it's risky, but we're only carrying enough food to last us another day or two, and this storm could dump enough snow to make these roads impassable for weeks. It's either we make it to the next station or we die."

Hedley tightened his arms around the two against his chest, feeling protectiveness overwhelmed him.