hiraeth | c.g. |

v

The large group walked past the large gates of Alexandria, following after Carl. The people of Alexandria were surprised at the new faces, considering they hadn't seen any for the past couple of years. Gabriel allowed his eyes to fall to Carl, a questioning glint in them. The young man only nodded slightly, reassuring the man, which was all Gabriel needed.

Looking away from Gabriel, he let out a sharp whistle when his eyes landed on Siddiq, the man rushing over to him. "What do you got?" Siddiq questioned as he approached.

Carl quickly gripped Siddiq's arm in greeting before the two made their way to the wagon. "We got one more. Female with head trauma but she's conscious." As they made their way to the back of the wagon, Carl could see the woman, Yumiko, looking to them through half-lidded eyes.

"All right," Siddiq began before turning back to Carl and Rosita, who stood next to the former. "Alex and the other nurses are on standby. I'll take her to the infirmary right now."

With a nod from Carl, he was about to step away before Magna spoke up. "I'm coming with her," she spoke, stopped by DJ before she could get to close. Immediately, her group stepped forward, ready to defend their friend.

However, there was no need as the sound of a horse galloping and whinnying broke the tension, leading everyone to look at the entrance of Alexandria. Carl let out a sharp breath as he realized it was Michonne, preparing himself for the scolding of a lifetime as she got off of her dark horse. When one of the stable hands handed Michonne her bag, the latter walked over to the group, chucking her bag to the side. 

Michonne stood toe to toe with Magna, her eyes turning into slits as she looked to DJ. "You wanna tell me what this is?"

With a quick nod, the man started to speak. "Five unknowns— all clean, one headed to the infirmary."

Carl watched as his mother surveyed the group, stopping at Magna before she frisked her. "All clean? You sure about that?"

Before DJ could answer, Eugene spoke up from beside Carl. "Indeed. They're whistle-worthy, clean as a-wise. They surrendered their weapons willingly and submitted to standard frisk procedure."

Michonne paused for a beat before questioning him. "And why are they here?" Michonne questioned, causing Carl to straighten.

"It was my call," Carl spoke, his mother's eyes landing on him. "There were walkers and it was a split-second decision—" Michonne cut him off. "That's not just your call to make."

Before Carl could say anything else, Judith stepped forward. "I decided," she spoke, forcing Michonne to look to her. "They needed help."

With a sigh, the woman moved closer. "Judith, you know the rules," she countered before looking up to Carl and the rest of the group. "You all do."

"They're here now, and one of theirs is badly hurt. Siddiq's checking her out," Carl stepped forward, getting Michonne's gaze to fall on him as he spoke. "But this isn't just my decision or yours. It won't be."

"It'll be dark soon," Gabriel spoke, giving a quick nod to Carl. "First thing tomorrow we can bring them before the council for a vote."

Michonne kept her eyes on Magna before nodding. "Okay. Put them in holding," she countered.

"You're doing it again, kid," a deep voice spoke, bringing Carl from his thoughts. The young man leaned against the concrete wall, spinning the small blade from the cuff on his wrist in his hand.