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THEKNIFE IN HERhand felt light, and she looked around at the others as Rick told them all to take a weapon. The search for Sophia was, as Rick had promised, an organized group effort. The sun was up again, beating down upon them as they made their plans.
"These aren't the kind of weapons we need," Andrea complained, looking between Rick and Shane. "What about the guns?"
"Haven't we been over that?" Shane replied, looking at her with a tired expression. Explaining things more than once didn't seem to be a favorite thing of his. "Only Rick and I are carrying. We can't have people popping off rounds every time a tree rustles."
"It's not the trees I'm worried about."
Arden shifted the knife, trying to imagine herself killing a walker again. And then found herself not wanting to think about it at all. But she knew she'd have to do it again eventually.
"Say somebody fires at the wrong moment, herd happens to be passin' by. See, then it's game over for all of us," Shane warned seriously, Andrea pursing her lips at the response. "So you need to get over it."
Daryl quickly moved on from the small squabble in order to relay their plan. "The idea is to take the creek up about five miles, turn around and come back down the other side," he explained quickly. "Chances are she'll be by the creek. It's her only landmark."
"Stay quiet. Stay sharp. Keep space between you but always stay within sight of each other," Rick ordered, the ordeal weighing on him visibly.
Arden busied herself with filling up her bag with a manageable amount of supplies and soon enough, after a small spat between Dale and Andrea, they were off.
Single file was how they began the journey, Arden finding herself behind Carol and in front of Glenn. There was little chit chat, though that was to keep the walkers as far away as possible.
Daryl was heading up the front of the group and he began to crouch defensively, signaling to everyone behind him to look up ahead. Arden could definitely tell that he was in his element here.
A small camp was ahead, nothing moving around near the area. "She could be in there," Shane suggested, the place appearing safe for a lost child.
"Could be a bunch of things in there," Daryl responded, slowly approaching with his crossbow at the ready. Arden tightened her grip on the knife in her hand, only imagining what horrible things could be waiting for them.
Risk gestured for them to stay back while him and Shane moved forward with Daryl. After a few moments of Daryl checking out the tent, Rick beckoned for Carol to join them. Arden and the others followed cautiously nonetheless.
