Catch Fire | Daryl Dixon

SMITHSONIAN

Kennedy's POV

The morning air was crisp as the sun began to rise over Hilltop, casting long shadows across the fields. I stood beside Alden, helping him prepare the horses for the journey ahead. It was a busy morning, everyone moving with a sense of purpose, but there was an underlying tension in the air, the kind that always accompanied these kinds of runs.

"Good thing we got these horses in shape," I said, securing the last of the gear on one of the horses. "This trip's gonna be a long one."

Alden nodded, his face set in concentration as he tightened the saddle on his own horse. "Yeah, can't afford to have anything go wrong out there."

I glanced over at Daryl, who was crouched beside his bike, making sure everything was in working order. Rick and Michonne had insisted that everyone ride horses to preserve fuel, but Daryl had flat-out refused. I didn't blame him. The bike was more than just transportation for him; it was a part of who he was. It made sense that he'd want to ride it, especially on a trip like this.

"You sure you don't want to take a horse?" I called over to him, a teasing note in my voice.

Daryl looked up, giving me a half-smirk as he wiped his hands on a rag. "Nah, I'm good. Ain't givin' this up for a damn horse."

I laughed softly, shaking my head. "Figured as much."

Glenn joined us, his horse already saddled and ready to go. He gave Daryl a once-over, his eyes lingering on the bike. "You know Rick's gonna give you hell about that, right?"

"Let him," Daryl muttered, standing up and tossing the rag aside. "I ain't changin' my mind."

Tara came over, leading her horse by the reins, a grin on her face as she took in the scene. "I dunno. I think I'd rather ride in style like Daryl."

"You're just lazy," I shot back, a smirk tugging at my lips.

"Guilty as charged," she replied with a wink.

We were just waiting on Cyndie and her group from Oceanside. They'd be meeting us here before we all rode to Alexandria together to link up with the other communities. It wasn't often we all worked together like this, but the Smithsonian run was important, there were supplies there that could really make a difference, especially as we kept pushing to rebuild.

As if on cue, the sound of hooves and the clatter of wheels reached us, and I turned to see Cyndie and the women from Oceanside arriving. But what really caught my eye was the modified car they were pulling behind two horses. The old car had been transformed into a makeshift wagon, and I couldn't help but grin at the sight.

"Well, would you look at that," I said, clearly impressed as they came to a stop in front of us.

Glenn let out a low whistle, walking over to get a closer look. "You guys did this yourselves?"

Cyndie climbed down from the carriage, a proud smile on her face. "Yeah, took some work, but it gets the job done. Figured it'd be more practical than trying to get the damn car running again."

Tara was already examining the contraption, nodding in approval. "This is brilliant. You think you could make more of these? We've got a few old cars that we've been struggling to get going."

Cyndie chuckled, crossing her arms as she leaned against the side of the carriage. "Maybe, but you'd have to offer us something good. It wasn't exactly easy."

I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head. "Always negotiating, aren't you?"

"Survival skills," Cyndie replied with a grin. "Can't give away all our secrets for free."