Shameless

Chapter 1

- Malia -

I rode slowly through the forest searching for something I could make into a dinner. I caught a rabbit from the side of my eye, sitting quietly at the trunk of a tree. I tightened the reigns in my hand to bring the horse to a stop. Quietly pulling the bow over my shoulder, placing my arrow and aiming carefully. Just as I got my aim ready to shoot a perfect shot a scream sounded in the air distracting me and scaring away the rabbit.

The scream sounded like a young boy who needed desperate help. I quickly threw my bow back over my shoulder.

"Come on girl" I said as my horse began to follow the screams.

I quickly found where the screams were coming from. A young boy stood in the openings of the trees, fear all over his face. Four undead were around him slowly making there way towards him. I quickly grabbed the axe I had tucked into my boot and charged towards the undead, swinging down to hit them in the head from on top of the horse.

My arrival had taken the attention of the undead away from the young boy and onto me. The three undead who were still alive  started towards me. I grabbed my bow again, firing at them. When i shot my arrow in the last undeads head I brought the horse to a stop, running over to the young boy.

"Hiya sweetie, you okay? They didn't get ya did they?" I asked crouching down in front of him to meet his gaze.

"No. They didn't bite me. I was so scared." The young boy began to cry   

"Hey hey no reason to be scared now you got me here for ya. I'm Malia." I smiled gently wiping the tear from his cheek

"Carl." he slowly smiled

"Well it's lovely to meet you Carl. Are you out here alone?"

"Yeah. But my mom and the rest of the group are just over there by the quarry." Carl pointed to his left.

"Want me to take you back to them?" I asked standing up straight again

"Will I get to ride in the horse." I nodded my head and excitement quickly replaced the worry his face showed before "Yay okay come on Ill show you."

I walked back over to my horse jumping on before lifting carl up to sit behind me. We started making our way to where Carl had pointed.

"Hey what's the horses name?" Carl asked.

I had never given her one. I didn't want to get attached, the knowledge that I couldn't always keep her around worried me and stopped me from wanting to grow a relationship. But even without a name I'd still grown attached and trusted her.

"She doesn't have one. You can name her if you like." I said and the silence that filled the air indicated that Carl was giving this responsibility deep thought.

"Snowy" He finally said which made me giggle. That was the average name for a child to give an animal that was white.

"Okay perfect snowy it is."

"This is fun. I love horses." Carl laughed

"Wanna have more fun?" I looked back at Carl and he nodded quickly "Okay hold on to me tight and don't fall off."

Once Carl had done as I said. I squeezed my legs letting snow know to canter. Carl let out a laugh as Snows pace quickened into a gallop, holding on tight to my waist so he didn't fall off.

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SHANES POV

I sat down at the table taking each of the guns in front of me. I thought over and over about life before the apocalypse began. Work with Rick. My old girlfriends. Friends I'd hung round with. The happy memories I thought of quickly turned negative. Rick being shot. The massacre at the hospital. Atlanta on fire. The people we'd lost.

"Shane!" someone shouted my name. I looked up to see Lori rushing over "Have you seen Carl?"

"No I haven't seen him in a while. Why what's wrong? Lori?" I asked standing up, realising the worry radiating from her. I looked around to see others too now gathered around.

"I can't find him. He's disappeared. I can't find him anywhere." she cried

"Right. You and amy go check all the tents. Jim you go down to the quarry, see if he's there. Dale stay up on the RV look if you can see him with the binoculars." I instructed and everyone quickly ran to look for him.

I grabbed a gun from the table, tucking it into my belt. I ran over to the RV, swinging the door open shouting for Carls name but no one answered.

"Hey I can see someone coming." Dale shouted. I ran back out the RV looking to where Dale was but seeing nothing

"Talk to me dale." I said and everyone gathered around again, listening intently to what he had to say

"I just saw a horse. Coming up the road. Gone round the corner now but the should be coming up the hill now." Dale said dropping his binoculars from his eyes.

Right on que a horse came galloping over the hill towards us. As it got closer the rider became more visible. A girl rode towards us, I couldn't see her face as her dirty cowboy hat hung lowly over her it. She must of noticed everyone staring as she slowed the horse down to a walk.

"Hey y'all think I found something of yours." She said before stopping the horse. The girl turned round helping someone else off the horse.

"Mom!" Carl shouted running towards his mother. Thank god.

"Jesus Carl. Where were you? I was so worried are you okay?" Lori panicked hugging her son.

"I'm sorry. I got lost. And then walkers found me. I'm fine but mom you should of seen it. She was like a superhero. Rode round them all. Killing them. It was amazing." Carl smiled at the girl who was slowly riding over to us. She stopped the horse, jumping down and walking over.

"Your sons really brave. Braver then me ain't yah?" she smiled which made carl laugh

"Thank you so much." Lori ran up to her engulfing the random girl in a hug "Thank you. Thank you."

"So what the hero's name?" Dale smiled at her

"Malia. Malia Thorne."

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