Panic set in like a noose around his neck, every second that passed it coiled tighter. Making it harder to breath, harder to think. He'd lost sight of her, he had no clue where she'd gone and with everything going on between The Hilltop and Alexandria he felt uneasy immediately. What if someone tried to hurt her again? He dashed out of the open gate, the road looked clear peaceful even. He strained his eye in the open clear vastness, no sign of anyone, no Walkers and no Whisperers. He turned right and ran along the perimeter of The Hilltop's primary defense. He came around the corner of The Hilltop wall fast and came to a jolting stop.
Lydia was on the ground her knife in her hand raised defensively. Between her and himself stood an unfamiliar figure with a sword on its hip, not any sword like the one Jesus used but a katana like Michonne used. The slight figure had its back to him, its attention on Lydia. It's hand resting on the hilt of its sword attached to its right hip.
He quickly drew his gun and aimed it at the figure, but before he could even make a demand. The figure had grabbed his wrist twisting it as it ducked around him on his right side and struck him in the back of the knee, knocking him down and stripping the gun from him in one fluid motion.
"That things loud," The figure hissed in a feminine voice as it took the gun apart and dropped it on the ground. He turned his body to be able to see this infuriating stranger. Her hand still lingering on her sword hilt. Her large dark eyes drifted lazily, almost bored from him to the blonde girl. "This the boy you were talking about?"
"I'm not a kid!" He snapped angrily.
"Her words not mine," She responded gingerly not taking her eyes off the blonde girl as she picked herself up cautiously.
"If you try anything, you're going to be dead-" He warned in a growl. Her eyes shot back at him and she gave an exhausted sigh.
"What is it with you people?" She asked annoyed her short bangs falling over her brown eyes. "Do you usually attack ally scouts without provocation?"
"Ally scouts?" The boy asked suspiciously getting back on his feet, he scanned the ground the pieces were scattered there was no way he could reach them all and reassemble them before she dispatched him with her sword. He'd seen what a sword could do many times. She shifted her hips showing him the tiger engraved in the hilt of her sword.
"I'm from the Kingdom. A Scout belonging to the Late King Ezekiel." She explained. "I'm here as an envoy to the new ruler. This one attacked me as I examined The Hilltop's walls."
She yawned suddenly and stretched her arms wide, as she tilted her head side to side popping her neck.
"I believe you know my Master." She murmured as she turned to directly face him. "She warned you weren't keeping civil company..."
He glared sharply at her, there couldn't possibly be any connection between him and this girl. Her face unmoved stared at him until her eyes shifted up.
"Carl, Mercy," The familiar voice called. "What's going on?"
He looked at the very familiar dark skinned woman with the katana slung behind her back. Then he looked back at the dark haired girl as she knelt before her.
"This was Mercy?" He thought, as she stood back up.
"Nothing ma'am, just a misunderstanding." She reported briskly.
Michonne looked at the girl quizzically, as her eyes shifted over each of them. The blonde girl, Mercy, and then over at Carl.
The girl rose back to her feet her eyes on Michonne as she spoke.
"I'm heading inside Maggie and Andrea are waiting for me. See that you get yourselves inside, they're about to close gates for the day." She spoke to all of them, she locked eyes with Mercy and a message was exchanged though no words were spoken. The girl nodded and Michonne turned leaving them as she'd found them.
The girl spun back around leisurely to face the two, she looked at him and then locked eyes with the girl. They stared silently at each other, both of their faces unchanged as she turned back around one last time.
"Get your shit together." She replied in a tone that made it seem like she was fed up with him. He was more than a little shocked, more than that irritated.
With no other exchange she followed in her Master's steps back toward the safety of The Hilltop interior.
"What happened? What were you doing out here?" He demanded as he picked up the pieces of his gun, trying to put it back together.
"I wasn't doing anything, I needed to get out from inside. It was too much. I've never had walls keeping me in Carl!" She explained as she watched him struggle, finally he pocketed an internal piece of the gun and slid a couple piece back into place. "I feel like a prisoner; I know your people feel safe in there but it feels just like that pit you found me in."
Carl nodded, sympathetically as he reached back for her hand as a way to make amends.
"The gate is open Lydia, nobody's a prisoner." He explained as they started back towards the gate. "Just don't run off, things aren't good if anyone finds out that you belonged with the Whisperers you could get hurt."
She nodded resting her head against his shoulder as they continued on. Carl sighed heavily, the tension finally easing in him. Still his fingers lingered on his pistol- his currently useless pistol.
His mind wandered to what he'd come upon earlier.
"Hey what happened with that girl?" He asked finally, she lifted her head to look up at him, as he looked down at her.
"She came out of nowhere and pushed me." Lydia began. "I got the knife you gave me but she knocked me down with her sword and that's when you came up."
"Hmm..." He replied thoughtfully, the scene he'd interrupted, didn't resemble her story. Of course Mercy's vague answer to Michonne wasn't any more helpful. He smiled down at her and she did the same as she once again rested her head on his shoulder.