Sword and Bow

Chapter 6

"How you feeling after yesterday, old man? Still ready to go out today?" Lara asked Rick with a little smile over breakfast.

"Hey, I did just fine yesterday. You were the hungover one. I thought we were gonna have to peel you off the floor at one point," Rick chuckled at her.

He wasn't wrong.

The day before had been the first rainy day. Every time that it rained, the first day of the rain, was a day off for everyone with the exception of kitchen duty and guard duty, but those shifts were cut down dramatically and shared out. Unless some of the group were out of the Pound anyway. During the rainy day the group played games, did competitions, ran races. Anything to make the kids, kids again, and to get the adults in high spirits. Usually Lara loved rainy days. That had been awful though.

She had got scooters on a run and had made a course for the scooters with obstacles and divided the group into teams so it was like a relay race. She had fallen off her scooter. Three times. It had caused much hilarity. For everyone except her. Though she felt better as Daryl basically swam through the mud outside as he couldn't keep his balance in his hungover state during the mud run.

She had promised herself that she was never drinking again after that.

Today though, she was sober and clear, ready for the run to the hardware store with Rick. It should be simple enough. They had a list, a van and it was only an hour out. The walkie talkies connected that far so if there was any trouble they could radio for help.

Lara was still on the fence about Rick, though during the rainy day he had really made an effort. She had appreciated that, but more importantly his son had lit up at his dad playing along. Carl had smiled his first proper smile that she had seen since being at the Pound.

She thought an hour was ample enough time for them to discuss things and then an hour back if they still weren't on similar pages. If not she was gonna have to think long and hard.

"You wouldn't be wrong. I felt like roadkill," Lara said with a self-deprecating smile. She had probably looked and smelt like it too. "We're leaving in ten if that's enough time for you?"

"I'll be ready," he said with a nod. He looked serious, he knew this wasn't just about the run.

Lara nodded back and then walked over to shove bags and a few supplies in the van they were taking.

"I don't like this," Candyman was waiting by the van.

"You don't have to," Lara replied with a raised eyebrow.

"You trained with Darylina constantly b'fore ya went with him as ya backup. Ya haven't trained once with Ranger Rick," he continued as if she hadn't spoken. As usual. He had a problem listening.

"Daryl was coming on what I knew was a dangerous and serious run. We don't need this stuff urgently, if I come back empty handed it won't be an issue. It's only an hour out and last time I checked it out there were no shitbrains. Which is why it's on the okay list, as ya know," Lara replied, tired of arguing with him about the same thing. She knew he was just concerned about her. She appreciated that. But it bugged the hell outta her.

"Yer a fuckin' idiot. Go on yer suicide run. Ya come back with any injury at all I'm gonna tan ya hide," Candyman growled at her before stomping away.

Lara shook her head, before hopping into the van and checking she had everything again. She did think this was an easy run, but anything could go wrong, she knew that. The outside was dangerous, no matter how many precautions you took, to forget that meant death. It was why she took training everyone as seriously as she did. She wanted everyone, even the kids to be able to handle themselves if they should be outside the walls.