valiant|| the walking dead

eighteen.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN,
paul rovia.

"There's about one hundred thirty, one forty of 'em." Daryl said as he returned to the others who crouched behind a fallen tree limb.

"You ever seen them do this before?" Jesus asked.

"Nah," Nathaniel replied, his brow furrowed.

"No. Never." Aaron responded.

Aiden simply stared at the walkers that milled around. It was like they were circling a pray or something.

"Rosita's trail goes right through 'em. We should get the horses, circle around, then we'll pick it up on foot." Daryl said to them.

"What about them?" Aaron asked him.

"What about 'em?" Daryl asked.

"They're just millin' around. It's not normal," Aiden said to her husband.

"No. No, it ain't." Daryl said, "we should go. There's a storm coming. Dog!" The man walked off and the four followed.

"What the fuck?" Aiden whispered to Jesus. "That's not normal, at all." Aiden said.

"Yeah, it's not." Jesus replied, "the kids. They seem happy."

"They were very excited to visit the Hilltop." Aiden laughed slightly, "they wanted to see Uncle Nathaniel and Uncle Jesus."

Jesus smiled, "Uncle Jesus."

"What?" Aiden looked up at him.

"I love it." Jesus said with a wide grin. "I'm glad you're happy." Jesus said suddenly.

"You're happy, too. You and Nathaniel make my cold, little heart smile."

Jesus rolled his eyes, "shut up. You're not cold hearted, dumbass."

She laughed when he shoved her slightly. She elbowed his side and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Uncle Jesus," he sighed magically.

"Uncle Jesus," Aiden repeated with a grin.

»

The wind picked up and the group of five could hear the walker growls. Daryl turned back to them and said, "the herd- it's comin' for us. The wind is carryin' the sound." Daryl said. He pulled out an alarm clock and set it.

He grunted as he threw it, "c'mon. Let's put some ground between us and them."

"Yeah. Let's go." Aiden said, glancing back. This herd— it was freaking her out. It wasn't normal.

The five walked through the woods until they came to a stop. Jesus looked at the herd through the binoculars. "You put that herd around one hundred forty, right?" Jesus asked Daryl.

"Yeah." He replied.

"Looks like more than double that," Jesus said to him.