The walking dead Fanfic: The Estate

Trial Two (The Pit) - Daryl

Aston steps forward and yells down getting everyone's attention as he eyes Daryl fighting off the walkers below.

"this is when hunger sets in, thirst drives you mad and your limits are tested! You came as a group and have proved you can survive and ration your resources. now you're tested on how well you endure."

Daryl rams a walker in the skull and yells up at Aston.

"you're just gonna make an enemy you don't want!"

Ash looks down at Daryl and shakes his head.

"your mistake I am giving you all a chance to prove yourself. we don't just group together with anyone. prove your worth Daryl"

Ash whistles and a few of his boys kick down two walkers and Daryl looks around him as he is surrounded and yells up.

"this is crazy!"

Aston whistles and another boy hands him his hunting bow as he comments.

"My father loved to hunt but hated guns..."

Ash lines up the arrow and brings up his bow putting a walker in his sight and releasing his arrow. it flies and jams into a walkers skull as he nods his head to Daryl.

"now you handle the rest."

Daryl eyes the knife dropped down into the pool and grabs it backing his body against the side of the pool and eyes the three walkers as Cherry walks up next to ash and shakes her head disapproving. 

"this is sick."

Ash turns to cherry and comments.

"not even close to your people cherry the murder and rape."

Cherry stares down ash as she comments.

"your boys ain't much better Ash..."

Ash stares cherry down as he comments.

"I didn't put you through the trials, did I?"

Cherry grips her knife and runs forward jumping down into the pit and rams her knife into a walkers skull as the boys around her cheer loudly and ash looks on angry as he hears cherry yell up to him. 

"are you satisfied yet!"

a walker lunges for her but Daryl grabs it and rams his knife into its skull and pushes it back into the third walker as him and cherry stare on watching the walker get to its feet. Cherry runs forward placing her foot on its chest and eyes the walker over noticing the person and feeling her handshake as Daryl leans forward and jams his knife hard into its skull. Daryl looks over cherry and asks unsure.

"you alright?"

She drops her knife and shakes her head

"no, I knew him..."

Cherry looks up to ash and he shrugs his shoulders as he motions to his boys.

"get them out of there we can all take a meal and relax before the third trial then we can make the hike out"

Ash goes to walk away as cherry makes her way up the ladder and goes to walk towards him a few of the boys step in front of her. she stares down ash and comments.

"ash..."

He turns back and stares her over as he nods his head.

"you made your choice."

Ash nods his head and cherry looks him over as she comments.

"what does that mean?"

A boy comments looking her over.

"you went against tradition and disrespected our ways."

cherry goes to step forward and yells to ash.

"well, your ways are bullshit!"

Ash stops walking and stares down cherry as she nods and speaks firm.

"you called us savages, but you're just as horrible. you killed everyone at that camp, you butchered them."

Ash smiles and walks up to cherry having his men between them as he comments staring her over and motions to his men.

"bring her to the front and bring Daryl and Carol. I'll let you all see it."

His men push the three of them forward and they follow behind ash walking to the front of the estate eyeing the horde of walkers standing around. they stop and he points up to the balcony towards the hanging bodies as he comments.

"that is butchers, our kids, our family."

Cherry stares up at the hanging kids and Ash motions to them.

"your people are the butchers cherry we just defended ourselves as any society would. the estate doesn't go to war unless it's necessary. Alpha made it necessary and we took the fight to her home, we butchered her people."

Ash steps closer to cherry and grins wide as he comments.

"and I would gladly do it again."

Cherry looks up at the hanging bodies and Ash motions to them as he comments.

"you want to defend the men who had you tied, gagged and without food or water. cherry I can guess what they did to you."

Ash stands still as the walkers in front of them turn to stare at Ash. cherry looks back over the horde and Ash comments as he points out.

"these men are here out of loyalty, they realize alpha was wrong and they now stand by the estate."

Ash points out as he Cherry looks over the large horde of former whisperers and he speaks firmly.

"one day we will make our move on alpha. you are either with us or against us."

Carol eyes the large horde of people and walkers and stares back to Aston as she remains quiet and Daryl looks on as well staying quiet. Aston looks out at the horde and Cherry stares him over as she questions.

"what's your plan?"

Aston points up to the bodies and comments.

"I'm gonna hang her right there, right next to the kids her men killed and the whisperers who stand in our way, they die. it's that simple."

Cherry watches Ash and the rest of the group walk away but she stops him and motions to the side. Ash motions to his men who walk away with Carol and Daryl and she stares him over as she speaks.

"what your planning a lot of people are going to die, your people."

Ash leans over the railing eyeing the walkers mixed in with whisperers and he smiles to himself.

"I trust in the estate and I am just a general. I move these pieces in the right direction."

Cherry stares down Ash and he nods his head as he smiles.

"and you cherry are a very important piece to this war or should I say, Lydia"