Primal, a walking dead fanfic

A Little Disclosure:

I'd like to start off by saying that this chapter is designed to set the scene and introduce my original characters. That being said, it will probably be the simplest and most boring chapter in this story – everything from here on out is plot designed to move the story further along as it progresses. So I can promise you that it will only get more interesting and exciting with future chapters. This chapter in particular focuses on introducing the original characters I have created and is centered around them and Sophia. In fact, even Daryl's part in this chapter is brief. But we will see much more of Daryl and the other characters from the show in future chapters.

Also, while I will be following a little of the plot from the show, I usually tend to do my own thing in terms of plotlines. I know that a few sequences from the show will be incorporated into later chapters – something that I usually tend to avoid for creativity's sake – but it will help me move the plot of my own story along. This story starts in season two of The Walking Dead – if you're looking for a timeline go to by here – after Rick's group finds Hershel's farm. I will be taking some liberties with this story though. So there are bound to be some instances that occurred in the show that will not be shown in this story and there will also be several instances in the story that didn't occur in the movie (which is the whole purpose of fanfiction).

And, of course, The Walking Dead and all of its cast belong to the creators. I don't not own them, nor do I attempt to claim them as mine. I will however claim that Shae and her brother, Varek, are original characters of my own creation and most of the plot that you will find in this story, both in this chapter as well as all future chapters, is also mine. There will be a few moments here and there that touch on events from the show but most of the plotline will be original – quite frankly, I like to do my own thing, rather than try to write the show with one additional character to speak a few lines or do a few actions here and there.

I couldn't find a song that fit with the theme and/or events of this individual chapter but I did, however, find a couple songs that I think would be the perfect theme songs for the story as a whole. I think the lyrics from both of the songs suit the two original characters quite well in any stage of their character development or their introduction to society (in future chapters). I think that we can all agree that they suit Daryl as well. These songs are pretty crucial to understanding 3 of the 4 main characters from this story, so the lyrics for the songs are included at the beginning and the end of the chapter – you can find the name of the songs and the bands below at the end of the chapter in that order (for those of you that are interested).

So, without further ado, read on, my dears.

Everywhere I go
And everyone who knows me
Knows that I will stand alone
It's all part of the game
The game, the game, the game

When I said I could move on and go
You said I'm weak and it shows
I couldn't go on without you
Now you're sitting in your house alone
Wondering why I left home
And I'm hoping that you know

I had to fake it till I made it
And you tried to break it
Now you try to take it back
But you know that
I've been doing my thing
I've been running my game
And you know I won't look back

You know that

Everywhere I go
And everyone who knows me
Knows that I will stand alone
It's all part of the game
The game, the game, the game

I'm standing on my toes
To the sky I go
And you know you're the one to thank
It's all part of the game
The game, the game, the game
We all play it the same

As I left, you saw me walking out
You tried to knock me down
I would go on without you
Now you're sitting in the mess you made
Now you're feeling my pain
And I'm hoping that you know that

I'm stronger cause you made me
You will never faze me
You can never take me down
Cause you know that
I've been doing my thing
I've been running my game
And you know I won't look back
You know that

Everywhere I go
And everyone who knows me
Knows that I will stand alone
It's all part of the game
The game, the game, the game

I'm standing on my toes
To the sky I go
And you know you're the one to thank
It's all part of the game
The game, the game, the game
We all play it the same

Everywhere I go
And everyone who knows me
Knows that I will stand alone
It's all part of the game
The game, the game, the game

I'm standing on my toes
To the sky I go
And you know you're the one to thank
It's all part of the game
The game, the game, the game
We all play it the same

We all play it the same

It's all part of the game

Primal

Chapter 1: The Whelp

~*Shae*~

Shae stalked through the forest, her bare feet padding against the dirt of the forest floor. She made no sound, slipping quickly and quietly through the woods as she stalked her prey. She was just closing in on the deer she'd been tracking for the better part of the day when she heard it, a quiet, choked sound.

Her ears twitched and her brows furrowed.

What was that?

Her curiosity got the better of her and, deciding to abandon her hunt, she changed the course of her destination, crouching slightly as she drew nearer to the sound. Now that she was closer, she could detect a distinct sniffling that accompanied the muffled sound that had originally caught her attention.

She reached the clearing and paused, peeking around a tree. It was there that she found it, the source of the pitiful sound.

There, perched on a large rock, was a creature just like her, a young female.

A whelp… She's just a whelp.

The whelp had her head hung low, her tawny colored hair hanging down in front of her face and covering it from Shae's view she continued to whimper, cradling her face in her tiny hands.

Shae felt her chest tighten and her brows furrowed. She'd never felt that before.

She let her fierce, gray eyes rake over the whelp. She was too old to be dependent on her mother for food but too young to be out here on her own. Surely the mother was somewhere close by. Surely she hadn't left the whelp defenseless. But Shae herself had been living in the forest since she was much younger than this whelp. Her lips pulled back from her teeth in a sneer at the thought of this whelp's mother abandoning her, leaving her alone and defenseless in the heart of the wilderness.

She will not survive without help.

Shae crept closer, leaving the cover of the trees to make her way over to the whimpering whelp. When she was close enough, she stopped, just a few inches from the whelp's feet, which were covered in something Shae no longer remembered the name of. She leaned down to sniff at the whelp's feet, taking in hesitant whiffs as she slowly made her way up towards the whelp's legs.

~*Sophia*~

Sophia heard a strange sniffing sound, causing her to peek between her fingers. Her hazel eyes grew wide as they landed on the source of the sound and she jerked her head up out of her hands, her small hands finding the rock beneath her as she tried to shuffle backwards in an attempt to put some distance between her and the strange creature that was crouching before her.

One of her hands slipped on the slick surface of the rock, thanks to the recent rain, and she tumbled backwards onto the rock, voicing a surprised yelp. The creature clambered up onto the rock, straddling her as it peered down at her, cocking its head to first one side and then the other.

Sophia's eyes grew wider, her small body trembling, as she stared up at the creature that was poised over her, gazing down at her as its eyes wandered over her small, lanky frame. The creature leaned down, sniffing over her stomach and chest and clear up to her shoulders before it came face to face with her. It was only then that Sophia realized what the creature was… a human.

The wild woman looked back at her with fierce, gray eyes, rimmed with a thick layer of something black, making her look like a raccoon. Her long, golden hair was so matted that it resembled dreadlocks. It fell down her back and over her shoulders, swaying with her movements as she cocked her head to first one side and then the other as she studied Sophia.

She leaned in closer to sniff at Sophia's face and the girl squeezed her eyes shut tight, not even daring to breathe. But, when her eyes finally fluttered open, she found that the woman had retreated, crouching in front of her on the ground.

Sophia took the time to look the woman over, her brows furrowing. She'd never seen anything like this wild woman, not even in the movies. Her skin was covered in a thick layer of dirt and grime and she was wearing something that resembled a halter top that showed off part of her stomach and hips, her shorts hanging low on her hips and only reaching mid-thigh. The clothes were tan in color and the material almost resembled leather. Sophia wasn't sure what the clothes were made of and, to be honest, she didn't want to know. All she knew was that she was alone in the forest with no knowledge of where the rest of her group was and no means of defense if a walker found her. And now, she'd been discovered by some wild woman that was staring her down with those keen, gray eyes.

~*Shae*~

Shae studied the whelp for a moment, taking in her small frame. She had big, brown eyes, so wide, so innocent, like that of a deer. She was skinny, too skinny. Her arms and legs were long and gangly, her frame awkward and lanky. But she was alone, scared, probably hungry.

She knew that she had to get the whelp somewhere safe – and soon. The big, bright ball in the sky would be falling soon and she doubted that the whelp knew how to navigate her way around the forest at night like she did. Then there was the fact that the more dangerous predators stalked through the forest at night. And, while Shae knew how to defend herself against such predators, she highly doubted that the whelp did.

And then there were the dead that walked through the forest on occasion, gorging on whatever poor soul they could find.

This led her to prompt the whelp into action, leaning in to nudge at the whelp's outer thigh with her forehead before turning her back to her. When the whelp didn't move, staring at her from her sprawled position on the large rock, Shae gave a jerk of her head in the direction she wanted the whelp to move, the whelp's brows furrowed. Shae gave another jerk of her head to indicate their desired destination, her long, matted hair swaying with the motion, and the whelp simply blinked.

Shae gave a huff but took a couple steps away from the whelp, hoping to get her point across. And she did, resulting in the whelp clambering down from the rock and calling out to Shae as she took another couple steps away from the whelp.

Shae stopped, glancing back at the whelp over her shoulder before indicating the direction that she intended to move with a jerk of her head. The whelp gave a nod and followed closely after that, clutching something tightly to her chest. Shae's brows furrowed but she didn't stop to investigate the object. There were more pressing matters at hand, like getting the whelp back to her den before the big, bright ball in the sky fell and the chill set in.

The trip took longer than Shae had anticipated. The whelp walked at a slow pace, her dark eyes darting here and there as they made their way across the forest floor. She clutched that object close to her chest as she shuffled along behind Shae. She was so loud, so clumsy, but that only prompted Shae to pick up her pace, eager to get the whelp out of harm's way before it was too late.

When they finally reached the den, Shae prompted the girl towards the entrance, nudging at the whelp's back with her forehead. The whelp balked for a moment but Shae only pressed harder at her back, hoping to prompt her into action. Finally, the whelp got down onto her paws and crawled through the entrance with Shae close behind.

~*Sophia*~

Sophia couldn't believe it. They were in a den. A den! The wild woman lived in a den that had probably been dug out by a pack of coyotes. It was cool and dark, slightly damp after the recent rain. The dirt walls were firmly packed though, the structure secure enough to have lasted for the past few years.

As Sophia looked around, she was surprised by how large the den was. It seemed to stretch on and on even as it spanned outward. It was a mostly oval-shaped structure but there was another tunnel on the opposite side of the den that probably led to a different entrance. The floor of the cave was littered with various items – a couple blankets that looked like they were made of animal furs, a few articles of primitive-looking clothing in one corner, a few weapons that had been crafted out of what looked like… bone. Sophia stopped looking after that little discovery, swallowing hard and letting her eyes find the wild woman once more.

The woman nudged at her shoulder with her forehead, coaxing her over towards one corner of the den. She put one hand on Sophia's shoulder and pressed downward. Sophia took the hint, lowering herself into a seated position with her long legs crossed in front of her. The wild woman went to fetch one of the blankets and brought it to her, handing it over. Sophia's eyes roamed over the blanket as she accepted it.

The blanket was made from animal fur, having been pieced together. It was surprisingly thick and warm, the fur having a very soft texture. It had a grizzled pattern, comprised of multiple colors, and it took Sophia a moment to realize that it had been made of coyote furs that had been stitched together. The patchwork wasn't the best but it was enough to get the job done and ensure that the blanket would stay together. And, while she wasn't particularly fond of the idea of wrapping up with a blanket that was made from dead animals, she knew that it would provide her with warmth for the night.

The wild woman disappeared once more, shuffling through items somewhere out of Sophia's line of sight, but it was only a moment or two before she returned to Sophia's side, holding a stuffed animal. She held it out towards Sophia, her gray eyes cast down at the stuffed animal before they met Sophia's questioning gaze.

Sophia reached out slowly, accepting the toy. It was surprisingly soft, considering how old it probably was. Upon closer inspection, Sophia discovered that it was a little mouse, having once been a light blue color with a white stomach and face. It had a pink, button nose and big, fluffy ears. It even had a tail and four little paws. But there was stitch work trailing up its stomach and even on its back, holding it together. Its nose was held into the hole where it was positioned by some sort of thread. Its once blue and white form was now dingy, having been packed around over the years and not having seen a washer in who knew how long.

The wild woman pointed to first Sophia's doll, then Sophia before she gestured to the little mouse and then tapped her own chest. Sophia's brows furrowed for a moment before realization sank in. She was trying to tell Sophia that that was her childhood toy, just like Sophia's doll. It was hard telling how long the wild woman had had that mouse or how many memories it held. But Sophia knew that she now understood the importance that Sophia's doll held for her.

The moment was interrupted by the sound of dirt shifting and both Sophia and the wild woman jerked their heads around to find an intruder at the entrance of the den. Sophia gasped upon seeing the figure crawling through the mouth of the den, tugging the blanket up to her chin even as her hazel eyes grew wider. But her strange companion abandoned her place beside Sophia to make her way over to the intruder.

Sophia watched as the figure drew closer, her brows furrowing as she watched the wild woman's lips curl up into a smile. The two met once the figure had finished crawling into the den, pressing their foreheads together and closing their eyes as they both brought one hand up to clasp the other at the back of their neck, holding them close. When they separated, two sets of steely colored eyes peering back at each other, Sophia realized that the intruder must've been a man. She wondered briefly if maybe they weren't… together.

She studied the wild man closely, taking in every detail of his appearance. His hair only reached just past his shoulders and it was just as matted and tangled s the wild woman's but, unlike the wild woman's, his dreadlocks were pulled back away from his face, held by two dreads that he'd tied tightly together. His features were sharper, more masculine, compared to the wild woman's. He was wearing a pair of pants that were made out of some kind of tan material, matching the color and texture of the wild woman's halter top and her shorts. His top half was bare, revealing a firm, muscular frame. He was built with rippling with muscles, his skin covered in a thick layer of dirt and grime, just like his female counterpart's. His features were similar to that of the wild woman's though, both of them having full lips and those keen, gray eyes. Even the slender, angular shape of their cheeks was similar, making Sophia wonder if maybe they weren't siblings instead of boyfriend and girlfriend.

The wild man's eyes locked on Sophia then and his whole body went rigid, his muscles growing taut. He voiced a sound low in his throat that resembled a snarl as he cast his eyes in the direction of the wild woman once more.

Sophia watched the exchange as the wild man narrowed those fierce, gray eyes, glaring at what Sophia assumed was his sister. He jerked his head in Sophia's direction, grunting. The wild woman's brows furrowed before she grunted in return. Sophia's brows rose higher and higher, her eyes growing wider, as the two continued to argue in a series of grunts, growl, and snarls. When things started to grow more heated and the man jabbed a finger in Sophia's direction, snarling as his lips pulled back from his teeth, she started to scoot back across the dirt floor of the den until her back was pressed firmly against the wall of the den.

The wild man pointed right at Sophia and then gestured to the entrance of the den, and Sophia realized then what they were arguing about. He'd made it perfectly clear that he didn't want her in his… home. In fact, he even started advancing in Sophia's direction, probably intending to remove her. But, to Sophia's surprise, the wild woman stepped to the side, placing herself between Sophia and the wild man's line of sight.

Sophia saw the wild man's lips curl back once more before he gave short, sharp shout, leaning closer to the wild woman's face. While Sophia nearly jumped right out of her skin, clutching the blanket even closer to herself as those steely eyes bore into the wild woman's face, the wild woman didn't back down. Instead, she stepped closer to Sophia, crouching over the foot of the blanket in front of Sophia's feet and lowering her head slightly, narrowing her own gray eyes at her brother.

The two stared each other down, eyes narrowed and nostrils flaring. She saw the wild man's jaw clenching, his hands balling into fists before relaxing, only to clench once more. She thought that the wild man might advance on his sister. But he didn't, giving a loud huff instead before he pushed past her, crawling around her and making his way for the other side of the den. He stopped halfway across the den however, his eyes narrowing as he stole one last glance in Sophia's direction.

His brows furrowed, his lips curling up into a sneer, and he went to yank the stuffed mouse from her grasp, snarling as he leaned in closer. Sophia's eyes grew real wide, seeing him so close that she could literally feel his breath on her face. He gave a low growl and carried the little mouse over to his sister, dropping it into her lap. Then he made his way his way over to the opposite side of the den, grabbing the other blanket and curling up in the corner. He shot one last glare in Sophia's direction, a low snarl escaping him, then he turned his back to face her and tugged the blanket up over his tall, muscular frame.

The wild woman moved then, slowly making her way over to her brother's still form. She leaned down, nuzzling at his cheek with the tip of her nose and pressing her forehead to his temple as she voiced a quiet purr. Then she tugged a knife that had been crafted from the bone of some poor animal from the makeshift belt at her waist. Sophia's eyes grew wider and wider as the wild woman made her way back over to Sophia's side of the den then, coming over to curl up at Sophia's feet over top of the blanket. She was facing the entrance of the den, one hand wrapped around the knife and her other arm holding the mouse tucked in close to her chest.

Sophia shuddered as she realized then what the woman was doing. She was placing herself between Sophia and the entrance of the den, her knife poised and ready, should she need it. She wasn't going to harm Sophia. She was going to protect her. As strange as her companions were, Sophia knew that this served as a firm reminder that there were several creatures out there in the woods that were capable of hurting or even killing her. They were in the heart of the Georgia wilderness. There weren't just walkers to worry about here. They were in the middle of nature. And, sometimes, nature wanted to eat you.

Sophia slowly lowered herself to the dirt floor of the den, pulling the blanket up to her chin and clutching her doll close as she stared up at the dark ceiling of the den. She flinched harshly when she heard the distinct sound of howling in the distance, the melodious but mournful song of a coyote. The owls hooted in the trees, the crickets chirping in the grass. Every once in a while she could hear a branch snap somewhere outside of the den, jerking her harshly from the threshold of sleep. Every time she started to drift off, the sounds of the forest woke her with a start.

But, to her surprise, the wild woman shifted further up the blanket, moving to curl up beside her. She rested the side of her head over Sophia's chest and pressed herself into Sophia's side, giving a low, thrumming purr to soothe her, almost as if she could sense Sophia's anxiety. And maybe she could. But slowly, gradually, Sophia drifted off to sleep.

–=Varek=–

Varek woke halfway through the night, the sound of a twig snapping from somewhere outside the den rousing him from his sleep. He was up in matter of seconds, one hand curling around the hilt of his knife as he stalked for the entrance of the den. He moved with a stealth and grace that was unknown to most of his kind, silently creeping from the entrance of the cave and tilting his head to listen as scoured his surroundings for any sign of the creature that had made the sound that had disturbed his slumber.

It didn't take him long to discover that it was one of the striped, furry creatures that liked to scavenge and forage late at night. It chattered at him, sassing him as it watched him warily for a moment before it eyed the entrance of the den his sister and the whelp were currently sleeping in.

Varek felt a low, rumbling growl forming deep within his chest. That was his home. And this creature wouldn't be disturbing it tonight.

He lifted his arms, stretching them wide on either side as he lowered his head, trying to make himself seem more intimidating. He glared at the creature, narrowing his eyes and baring his teeth as he snarled. The creature gave one last chitter and turned to waddle off in the opposite direction. He watched until its long, ringed tail had disappeared into the shadows. Then he crept back into the den and made his way over to check on Shae.

His eyes softened as they landed on his younger sister. She was sleeping soundly, her frame curled around that of the whelp and her head resting over the whelp's chest.

He crawled over to her, leaning down to nuzzle at her cheek, and she stirred, those gray eyes fluttering open. He pressed his forehead to her temple in the familiar display of affection they shared before he eased back. She tried to push herself up into a seated position but he reached out to press one hand to her shoulder, shaking his head and pressing her back down onto the floor of the den. He pressed his forehead to hers for a brief moment before making his way over to the foot of the blanket the whelp was sleeping under, the one his sister was curled up on top of, and lied down, facing the entrance of the cave.

Varek wasn't exactly happy with his sister for having made the decision to take the whelp into their den without even bothering to ask his opinion on the matter. He knew that she had to have other humans that she belonged to somewhere if she had survived this long with the dead shuffling around out there. She had to be a part of a group or a family out there somewhere and he didn't like the idea of Shae keeping her. He hadn't hesitated to express his displeasure either.

If the whelp had people out there somewhere, they would come looking for her at some point. And Varek, for one, didn't want to have to deal with the consequences of those people discovering him and his sister with the whelp. He didn't even want to think about what could possibly happen if the whelp's people got the wrong impression. And, to be honest, Varek and Shae didn't like dealing with others.

While Varek wasn't necessarily frightened by other humans, Shae, on the other hand, was quite leery and even skittish while in the presence of others. She avoided them at all costs, keeping to the cover of the trees or hiding behind something when others of their kind were near. She never approached them, never interacted with them. So coming back to the den to discover that she had decided to accept a whelp that she had found that day was quite a surprise for Varek.

To Varek, the decision to take the whelp in made no sense. It was hard enough for them to survive on their own when they were younger. Granted, over the years, they had honed their skills, learning how to hunt, trap, track, and fish. They'd come to learn which trees and bushes they could forage from, which ones were better avoided. They'd learned to find secure shelters and make clothes for the various seasons. They'd learned how to craft weapons out of the bones of the animals they killed and how to make blankets from their pelts. For years, they had survived out in the wilderness. But now that the dead were walking, it even was more dangerous than ever.

Yet Varek couldn't help but wonder if maybe part of the reason Shae had chosen to take the whelp in wasn't due to their own haunted past.

He stole one last glance over his shoulder at his sister and the whelp before he settled in again for the night.

–=Daryl=–

Daryl woke as the first rays of light were streaming in through the mesh of his tent. He grabbed his pack and his crossbow and headed for the stable, navigating his way down the main aisle to the tack room. He grabbed a saddle pad and headed for the closest stall, sliding the stall door open. He threw the saddle pad over the chestnut mare's back and headed back for the saddle. Once it was in place and he'd cinched the girth up tight, he went to fetch a bridle. The mare, who had shown no opposition to either the saddle pad or the saddle, balked at that, causing Daryl to sigh and roll his eyes. He tried a second time, and a third, both attempts yielding no success. Finally, he decided to try an old trick his mother had told him used to work on her pony when she was growing up. He went to check the tack room, searching through cabinets and closets until he found what he was looking for.

He tucked the little white cube into his fist and made his way back to the stall, bridle in hand. He showed the sugar cube to the mare and she was quick to lean her head out towards him, her nuzzle prodding at him and her lips brushing against his hand as he curled it back into a fist. She stomped her foot impatiently, giving a snort to show her disapproval, and he chuckled, shaking his head at the mare.

"Moody, ain't ya?" he teased lightly.

He adjusted the bridle so that the bit was positioned over the sugar cube and then offered his hand to the mare once more. This time, she leaned right in, nostrils flaring and mouth open, to accept the sweet treat. Daryl was quick to slide the bit into her mouth, easing the cheek straps along her face and tucking her ears into the ear band as she chomped on the sugar cube.

"Yer definitely a fuckin' woman," he mumbled under his breath, shaking his head as he reached down for the reins, "Won't do nothin' without puttin' up a fuss first."

He led the mare out of the stall, closing it behind him, and swung up into the saddle. He nudged the mare in the sides with the heels of his boots, goading her into a walk as he guided her out of the barn and towards the woods.

He didn't bother waking anyone else up, didn't bother to ask if any of the other members of the group wanted to go with him. Because he knew what their answer would be, what it had been for the past three weeks now. No. It was either "a waste of time" or "I'm in the middle of doing this" or "I'm actually about to do this". Or, the one that really pissed him off, "We can't really afford to spare anyone else right now". No one cared.

Not a single fucking member of that group had looked for that little girl for the past week! Daryl was the only member of that group that even bothered to continue looking for her. Hell even her fucking mother had given up on her! But not Daryl. He wouldn't believe that she was dead, not until he found her body, shuffling or otherwise. No. Instead, he would keep searching, keep on scouring the woods for her. He would find her, one way or another. Because he wasn't giving up until he did.

He couldn't just count her out of the fight, not yet. Not when she could be out there somewhere, scared and alone, hungry and cold. He couldn't just abandon her, couldn't just leave her to die. So he would keep looking for something, anything, to prove that she was either alive or dead. And he wasn't giving up hope until he found it.

He knew that getting an early start would be to his advantage, that it would be better to set out before the heat had set in. He was smart enough that he'd saved a few of the items he'd found on his last supply run too, a little fact that Lori wasn't exactly aware of. If he did find Sophia, he wanted to be sure that he had something for her to munch on along the way. He could only imagine how hungry the poor girl must be. Hell she was probably hungrier than that time he'd managed to find his way back home after spending 3 days out in the woods by himself when he was just a kid!

It was with these thoughts that he broke through the trees that would lead him into the forest that bordered Hershel's farm.

~*Sophia*~

Sophia felt something prodding at her, her brows furrowing and a groan of protest slipping from her lips as she tried to roll away from the insistent nudging. But her attempt was in vain, the prodding turning into a rough shake as one large hand wrapped around her shoulder. She cracked one eye open, craning her neck, and peeked up at the person that was pestering her. When her eyes landed on the disheveled looking figure of the wild man, she gasped, flinching violently as her eyes grew wide, and flew up into a seated position, quick to scoot across the den floor in the opposite direction.

Sophia's eyes darted around the den, a quick reminder of where she was and what had transpired the previous day. Finally, her wide, frightened, hazel orbs landed on the wild woman, who was currently making her way over to Sophia's side, narrowing those fierce, gray eyes at her brother and moving to position herself between Sophia and the wild man. The wild woman reached out to shove at her brother gently, grunting at him and giving a jerk of her head in the opposite direction. But the wild man only grunted in response, narrowing his own gray eyes at her, and gesturing towards the entrance of the den with a nod in that direction.

The two siblings shared a glare before the wild woman turned her attention to Sophia, her gaze softening as she gave a little nod of her head to indicate to the entrance of the den. With that, she started in that direction, reaching down to snag her knife along the way. Sophia was quick to follow, not wanting to be left alone with the wild man since he clearly hadn't warmed up to her any further overnight, despite the fact that she had woken up at one point in the middle of the night to discover that he had abandoned his place on the opposite side of the den and was laying at the foot of the blanket she slept under, his back facing her. And yet, she was smart enough to realize that, despite the fact that these strange and seemingly feral people frightened her, there were much worse dangers lurking out there in the forest. And, to be fair, the wild woman had argued with her brother on her behalf, even managing to win said argument, which had resulted in Sophia having shelter and protection for the night.

So she followed the wild woman closely as she headed out of the den, clutching her doll close as the wild woman navigated her way through the woods. Sophia was still amazed by just how well the wild woman seemed to know her surroundings. She was also reminded, once again, of just how stealthy and quiet the wild woman and her brother were, moving silently through the forest while Sophia seemed to find every single stick or leaf on the forest floor, snapping and crunching them beneath her small feet. She swore she even saw the wild man roll his eyes at her once as he huffed and turned his gaze from her to the forest.

They made their way through the forest this way, the wild woman leading with Sophia trailing along behind her and the wild man following closely, his keen eyes peeled as he searched the forest for any signs of danger.

After what seemed like hours, but was probably only a matter of minutes, Sophia heard the trickling of fresh water and, when they drew nearer to the source of the sound, she discovered a stream. Sophia's eyes lit up, a smile stretching clear across her face, and she dropped her doll in her haste to get to the water. Her two companions weren't far behind, moving easily across the forest floor towards the steady stream of water. They crouched at the edge of the water, both hands cupped firmly together as they dipped them beneath the water's surface, lifting their hands up to take a drink. This action was repeated several more times before their thirst was satisfied. But Sophia was more interested in getting her own fill of the crisp, cool water than watching her companions.

That was, until, she happened to glance over and notice that the wild woman was wading out into the water, waist deep, her head jerking from side to side as she seemed to watch something moving just beneath the surface of the water. Sophia's brows furrowed as she wondered what it was that the wild woman was watching. Was it a fish? Or a frog? Or possibly even a snake? God she hoped not!

A shudder ripped down her spine at the thought and she shook her head to rid herself of the image.

A moment later, the wild woman struck, spearing something on her knife and lifting it from the water. She turned to show her catch to Sophia, a wide grin stretching across her face as she proudly presented her fish. It was bigger than the palm of the wild woman's hand, not quite yellow but not quite green with darker, vertical stripes running down from its back towards its stomach. There was a dark spot, nearly black in color, just behind its gills, and its mouth gaped as it gasped for air. It wasn't exactly the prettiest fish, especially with sharp looking spines along its back. But the wild woman was awfully proud of it nonetheless, yanking the still-flopping fish off of the knife with a firm grasp on its tail and bringing it over to smack it roughly against the smooth, hard surface of a boulder.

Sophia gasped, her eyes growing wide, and watched as the fish stopped flopping, its mouth gaping as it took its last breath. Tears filled her eyes as the wild woman reached down to grasp the fish and hold it out on both hands towards Sophia in a blatant offering. The fish was for her, not the wild woman.

Sophia scrunched her face up, shaking her head hard as the first tear fell, and the wild woman's brows furrowed. She cocked her head to first one side and then the other, reaching out once more as she attempted to offer the fish to Sophia a second time.

"I… I don't want it," Sophia said, shaking her head once more and turning her face away as another tear leaked down her cheek.

–=Varek=–

Varek watched his sister as she attempted once more to offer the fish to the whelp. Shae couldn't seem to understand why the whelp wouldn't eat the fish she offered her. After a few moments' worth of trying to coax the whelp into taking the fish however, she finally must've decided that it was a hopeless cause. So she carried the fish over to the boulder once more, crawling up onto the large rock and hunching slightly as she began to feast on her catch. Varek watched the whole exchange, grunting his disapproval, but he didn't hesitate to feast on the fish he had caught himself.

He paused when he heard a choked sound, jerking his head around to find the whelp coughing and gagging, her small body hunched on all fours as her stomach tried to empty itself. But nothing came up, revealing the fact that the whelp's stomach was already empty.

Shae stopped, dropping her fish, and tilted her head as she watched the whelp. She stared for a moment before resuming her meal. Varek scrunched his own nose up but heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes before returning to his own meal. To him, it made no sense. If her stomach was empty, why would she reject food?

When the whelp was finally done heaving, her body having nothing to expel, she turned and sat on the dirt, her back facing Varek and his sister.

When they were finished, Varek and Shae dropped what remained of their catch and headed to the stream to get one last drink before they set out once more, Shae giving a jerk of her head for the whelp to follow her once more.

It became clear to Varek within the first few minutes that Shae was still searching for something to eat, her keen, pale eyes scouring their surroundings and her head snapping in the direction of any sound that she heard, her body poised and her muscles growing taut.

Varek's ears twitched and his muscles tensed as he heard the telltale crunch of leaves. He jerked his head around, his eyes fastening to the rabbit as it slowly edged its way out from the cover of a bush. Varek slowly slid his hand down, wrapping it around the hilt of the knife he kept in the sheath at his belt, and waited for the rabbit to move completely into the open before he launched his knife at it.

The rabbit bleated as the knife met its destination, bone piercing soft, tender flesh. All four of the rabbit's feet twitched as Varek stalked over to pry the knife from the dying animal. He wiped his blade on his pants before slipping it into the sheath, tossing the dead rabbit at the whelp's feet. The whelp flinched sharply, jumping back and giving a startled gasp. She stared at first the dead rabbit and then slowly raised her eyes to meet Varek's gaze. He gave a grunt, gesturing with one hand towards the rabbit, and she swallowed hard, shaking her head forcefully.

Varek's lips curled back from his teeth and he snarled, jabbing a finger at the dead rabbit once more. But she staunchly refused, shaking her head once more, this time using the toe of those strange things that covered her feet to slide it closer to Varek, pushing it further away from her.

Varek snarled at the whelp, turning his gaze to his sister to find that she was watching the whelp herself with furrowed brows. Shae tilted her head as she studied the whelp for a moment. But the whelp just stared at the ground, refusing to meet either of their gazes, and Shae went to retrieve the rabbit, working the knot of her belt open to tie the rabbit's feet together and then tie the ends of the rope into a loop once more. She tossed the rabbit to Varek and he caught it, draping the makeshift catch line over his shoulder.

Varek shot one last glare in the whelp's direction before he started off again.

To Shae's surprise, and Varek's frustration, the whelp even turned down a freshly caught squirrel. This resulted in a heated argument, Varek advancing on the whelp with a menacing glare and a snarl ripping from his throat as his lips pulled back from his teeth. But Shae was quick to intervene, stepping between him and the whelp, and Varek's snarl trailed off into a roar of anger as he held up both the dead rabbit and the recently-killed squirrel, proof that this little excursion was only a waste of time and resources since it was quickly becoming obvious that the whelp wouldn't eat anything either of them bothered to catch for her.

It wasn't like food was easy to come by anymore, not even out there in the woods, what with all of the dead walking now. They were quickly depleting the available resources out there in the woods and, at this rate, Varek and Shae would need to find new hunting grounds in just a handful of moons. And now, what little food they did come across was killed in an effort to satisfy the ungrateful little whelp, who simply turned her nose up at everything, staunchly refusing to eat it.

Varek loved his sister dearly. He would've gladly laid his life down for her. But, sometimes, he couldn't help but wonder what prompted her to make certain decisions. She was just like their mother had been, too kind, too compassionate. And it would only result in her getting pushed around by others if they ever did encounter more humans in the future. Or worse… it would get her killed.

But, while the situation only served to frustrate Varek, it only seemed to bolster Shae's determination. In fact, as she set out, she was more determined than ever to find something that the whelp would eat. Because Varek and Shae both knew that, if she wanted to survive, the whelp would have to eat.

So Shae led their small group through the forest once more, this time heading in a different direction. She brought the whelp to a group of trees that bore a small, dark fruit, plucking a branch from the tree and handing it to the whelp. The whelp studied the fruit for a moment, leaning in to sniff it and stealing a glance up at Shae, who simply gave a single, downward nod, leaning a little closer to the whelp in encouragement. The whelp plucked one of the small, circular fruits from the branch and popped it into her mouth, her face puckering slightly at its crisp taste. But she was quick to reach for another when she'd finished that one and Shae nodded eagerly to encourage her.

Upon discovering her love for fruit, Shae led the whelp to another tree further in the forest, this one bearing larger, juicier fruit. It had soft skin but it made the whelp pucker even further. To Varek's surprise, however, it didn't seem to deter the whelp.

They came to another tree and Shae was reaching out to grab a branch from a vine that circled the tree, preparing to break it off and hand it to the whelp, when Varek caught the whelp reaching out for a stem from a bush that bore small, purple berries in a long, slender clump. He was quick to swat the whelp's hand away from the plant, scowling at her and giving a slow shake of his head. The whelp's lips curled down into a pout and she glanced over at Shae, who pointed to the fruit before rubbing her stomach and pouting. Shae gestured from her stomach up to her chest and then her throat before she finally brought her finger up to her mouth and made a gagging sound to demonstrate to the whelp that eating from that plant would make her sick.

The whelp was quick to nod, moving away from the plant in question and stepping over to accept the branch that Shae had broken off for her, a large cluster of ripe, round, dark purple fruit hanging heavily from the branch. The whelp ate heartily and Varek reached for a branch himself, tearing it from the vine and plucking one of the fruits from it. He popped it into his mouth and his lips curled up into a smile. It was his favorite fruit that they had discovered yet. It was sweet and juicy, the skin fairly thick. Truth be told, Shae had introduced him to it.

He stole another glance over at the whelp and found her watching him. Upon seeing him smiling, her own lips curled up and her eyes softened, causing Varek to scowl, his lips curling down as he returned his attention to the fruit in his hand. She was too innocent, too naïve, too unaware of the way that the world was now. She would never survive without the help and protection of him and his sister. And, while that might have been the very reason that Shae had decided to take the whelp in in the first place, it was the very reason that Varek wouldn't allow himself to grow attached to her. Because either she would die or she would get them all killed.

~*Sophia*~

Sophia learned several lessons from her companions that day. She learned which plants were acceptable to eat and which ones would make her sick. She learned that her companions used the sun for their compass. She learned that they could kill walkers with a level of skill that might have even surpassed that of Daryl Dixon – might being the key word there. She was even starting to learn to translate the looks they often gave each other. But, more than anything, she learned that she needed these two wild people to survive.

This startling resolution came about when Sophia went to tug her shorts down, preparing to squat over the ground behind the bushes so that she would be out of sight from her companions but close enough to hear them if something should happen. However, she was quickly shoved away by the wild man, so suddenly and forcefully that she didn't have a chance to get her bearings and went toppling over into the dirt, her shorts caught around her knees but her underwear still thankfully intact.

Sophia voiced a yelp as she hit the ground, her eyes flying to the wild woman, who was glaring at the wild man, grunting at him with her brows furrowed and her eyes narrowed as she pointed a finger in Sophia's direction. He jabbed a finger in the direction of the area that Sophia had been squatting in and the wild woman's brows rose as she gave a slow nod.

Sophia's brows furrowed and she looked to the wild woman for a translation. The wild woman simply pointed to the plant that Sophia had been squatting over and then gestured to her crotch before scratching at her arm. Sophia's brows furrowed even further and the wild woman repeated the motions once more before it finally sank in. The plant would've made her crotch itch.

Sophia's eyes widened as the thought registered and she gave a shudder.

The wild woman made her way over to Sophia, reaching down to offer her a hand and helping her up onto her feet before she guided her to a safer place to relieve herself. The wild woman stepped away, giving Sophia her privacy, and had a little glaring contest with her brother.

Sophia was just finishing her business when she heard a very distinct hisssss. She froze, every muscle in her body growing rigid as she slowly lowered her gaze to the spot in front of her. Her breath caught when she saw the snake lying coiled just a few feet away. It was poised and ready to strike, its head lifted and its tail shaking fiercely as it gave that telltale rattle.

Her eyes grew wide and her body began to tremble as she realized that, if she screamed to get the attention of her companions, it would startle the snake. But, if she remained silent, they wouldn't know she was in danger.

Sophia was just opening her mouth to let loose a shriek when something shiny and silver swung through the air just in front of her face. She didn't have time to react as the blade pierced the skull of the snake, sending the snake writhing and spasming as its tail rattled. The knife was lifted into the air then, the snake's head speared on the tip, and its body was presented to Sophia for her to study. She gulped in a breath of air, which, until now, she hadn't realized that her lungs had been deprived of, and glanced up from the slightly flailing body of the snake to the fierce, gray eyes that stared back at her beneath that long, wild, blonde hair. He'd saved her again, twice in one day now, and she was forced to realize that, without these strange but helpful wild people, she wouldn't survive.

I can't believe
That when I breathe
That there's something good inside of me
Just one good thing inside
So close to me
That memory
Of that one good thing inside of me
Just one good thing inside of me
Yeah

If I went out the back door, nobody would stop me
But where would I go?
'Cause I ain't ever had a real home
So what do I know?
So I could keep runnin', hide until they find me
But what would that do?
If they could only know what I knew
What would it prove?
I shoulda seen the writin' on the wall
Instead, I'm left to fall
'Cause the longer I'm away,
The more we stay the same
Lookin' back, when I thought I knew it all
Instead, I'm left to fall
Did I throw it all away?

Don't you know, little boy, they'll lay you to waste, man
Little do they know, every song is a lifespan
Yeah, they've taken one, but I'm takin' my last chance
To hold all we know and let go with both hands
Though, don't you know that plots are made from concrete
Right through the stone, can you hear my heart beat?
Beats through my bones, like no memory left me
Not for a second or a minute when I dream
I wanna go home, like a home that I'll keep
You can dig six or sixty-six feet
We can live forever, still your misery missed me
Hold this song together with a bottle of whiskey
Look into the mirror, at the lines that time drew
Seen 'em painted white in the eyes that shine through
My heart beats heavy in an open chest
And, I wanna say goodbye, but there's nobody left

I broke it all, and I put to the test
Put your hands in mine, and feel this emptiness
There's no beat in my chest
'Cause there's nothin' left
No, it ain't goodbye, it's a last caress
What's another dream?
You can hardly sleep
Can you believe bad things only happen to me?
God knows one day, you will finally see
That scars will heal, but we're meant to bleed
Do you realize I would lie for you?
Please have my last breath, I would die for you
I know I'm no good, but my heart beats true
You know I'm gonna fight, though I must be scared to lose
You took me in, and I fucked it up again
And an empty promise, no, I won't pretend
'Cause in the end, we need someone to solve 'em
Nobody can fix me if I'm part of the problem

Lyrics from the Song:

The Game by Alyssa Reid

Believe by Hollywood Undead

If you were wondering about what plants/animals were found in this chapter:

Well, I did some digging to find out what kinds of plants and animals live in the Georgia wilderness. I might be from the States but I'm not a native to Georgia. I like to research any topics that I'm writing about that I don't know much information about. It helps to give me a better feel for the subject, allowing me to learn some of the details about those topics, and then I'm not as likely to sound like I don't know what I'm talking about while I'm writing. So, for those of you that were wondering, the first tree they encountered was a Black Cherry tree. The second was an American Plum tree. The bush that Sophia was going to attempt to eat from was a plant called Pokeweed. And the vine that Shae broke a piece off of and offered to Sophia – Varek's favorite fruit – was a Muscadine Grape vine. Also, the fist that Shae caught was a Bluegill – which are native to many states here in the U.S., and the snake Varek saved her from was timber rattlesnake.

Thank Yous:

First off, I'd like to thank my closest friend, Jay, for always being there to push me along. If it wasn't for her, I never would've discovered The Walking Dead - which, in turn, led to all of the other Norman Reedus movies and TV shows that I've seen - and I never would've discovered this site either. So it's thanks to her that you're even reading this right now. She's also been there to give me the push when I needed it. If it wasn't for her, I would've stopped writing a long time ago. So thank you, dear, for being the most influential (and persistent) presence in my life.

Secondly, I'd like to thank a very near and dear friend for helping me through the brainstorming process of not only this story but also several of my other stories that didn't quite make it as far as this one has – yet anyway. So thank you, Sarah.

Next, I'd like to thank all of my friends and readers that have followed my posts on Facebook with any updates I had on this story – as well as some of my others. Talia and Jocie in particular are very dear friends of mine and I'm glad to have had their support for the past few years as I worked on this or that, whatever caught my fancy at the moment. I want to thank you both for putting up with so many of my ever-changing muses and for choosing to stick with me and follow me, regardless of what I chose to write about. I love you both. :)

Lastly, I want to thank you all for reading. I can't thank you enough for taking the time out of your busy schedules to read this chapter and I hope that you've all enjoyed it. Feel free to shoot me a message or leave a review with your thoughts. Reviews are like candy for me – quickly devoured but always greatly appreciated. Any and all feedback is welcome because it helps me gauge what your thoughts are on this part of the chapter or how you felt about that character and things like that. Feedback can go a long way when it comes to helping me figure out what you like and don't like in terms of my writing. And that can help me improve my writing for future chapters. So don't be shy. Reviews are love! :D

And information on future projects:

While I have already started brainstorming for chapter two and I have gathered some pretty good ideas – I can promise you that things will only continue to get more interesting from here (to be honest, this is probably the most boring chapter that you'll read in this story because it was simply a means of setting the story up and introducing my original characters so everything from this moment forward is all plot) – I would like to say that I will be taking a slight detour before I start on chapter two. A dear friend of mine has brought it to my attention that some of the readers might be interested in reading a steamy little one-shot about Varek, so I'm going to try my hand at that and we'll see how it goes (granted, it will be set further in the future than this current chapter).

If you would like to keep updated on my progress on this story – or any of my others – you can find me on Facebook under the name "Rose Rebellion" (both my profile and cover photo are of Daryl Dixon so you can't miss me). I post updates on whatever I'm working on there and I'd be happy to tag you so that you can have all the latest updates about whatever stories catch your fancy.