The River's Daughter [ the walking dead ]

Chapter two: endure

     There was no immediate response when the group caught an eye on the girl. Rather, the same deadpan stares she found to be on the dead. It was clear she wasn't the only one fighting through the drought. Looking around she counted around a dozen faces, perhaps more. They were a big group and she didn't like that.

     There was one particular man she lingered on. His eyes were piercingly cold as his expression grew darker, processing what was in front of him. He clenched his jaw, tilting his head.

     She took a step back, waiting for a signal to run. The people around her also seemed to wait on the man. Feeding off of every tiny reaction. He let out a rough sigh and walked towards her.

     Daryl quickly moved to block him and put a hand on his chest. "What are you doing?." He breathed out. "She's alone."

     The man looked away for a moment before putting a hand to his forehead, "We don't know that."

     The girl's heart was beating out of her chest. She knew this was a bad idea. She should've stayed back where she was.

     "We do." Daryl nodded, but it was like the words went into one ear and came out the other. 

     "It could be a trap." He said, "She could be apart of another group.."

     "What are they gonna do, rob us?" Maggie mumbled. 

     He turned to her, "Kill us — we can't trust anyone."

     "Rick." Daryl raised his voice. "Look at her, she's a fucking kid."

     The man looked down, "I'm not risking my children—my family for this girl."

     The group was silent, none of them brave enough to step up to the man.

     "I couldn't just leave her." Daryl began, "I know this ain't like me."

     Rick nodded before looking up to him, "You know better than anyone here, this isn't safe."

     "I couldn't leave her.." His voice was stern this time, finally getting through the man.

     Daryl knew he had to help her. He had ignored the same urging feeling of regret with Sophia, and after her, Beth. He wasn't going to let another kid die under his conscience.

     Rick could understand him, truly, even if he didn't show it, especially after the hospital. He felt his pain, after all he was his brother. He trusted him more than anyone.

     "Alright." He muttered, "But if anything happens, anyone shows up. You're gone."

     She stared back at the man. He was so intimating she almost felt like crying. She could understand why he was the leader, or at least that's what she believed him to be.

     "So what i'm hearin' is, you just brought another mouth to feed." Another voice echoed from her right.

     Daryl faced towards redheaded man, "Don't you ever shut up?"

     "I'm just makin' a point, that's all." He replied, wiping a rag onto his face. "We barely have enough to keep each other going."

     "He's right." One of the women responded.

     The man nodded, pocketing the same rag into his pocket. "Thank you."