The hunt had gone well. The dog had proved more than useful. It wasn't long before its keen nose led Daryl to the fresh trail of a deer. While following the trail he also managed to catch a dozen squirrels or so and a couple rabbits.

They were close now, tracking the deer down into a slight valley. Judging by the irregular tracks it had an injury to its hind leg, a limp. Daryl hoped silently that it wasn't walker-bit. I'm not loosing another goddamn deer to one of those undead bastards.

Suddenly the dog was alert.

It had turned to face the east and let out a throaty whine then a single bark. Before Daryl could tell it to shut up it bounded off towards something. Prob'ly found another boar to chase down. He scoffed to himself turning back towards the trail. But something didn't sit right with him.

It was then he heard the screaming.

He didn't have to think; he just threw the squirrels off his shoulder and loaded his bow. He ran towards the screaming...and after the dog.

oooo

Lori, Beth and Andrea sat at the stream ringing the men's grimy shirts. Carl sat just out of earshot skipping rocks. Lori's eyes were trained on him like a hawk. She was not letting him out of sight.

So when the first walker ambled out of the woods and straight towards Carl, her scream pierced the air.

Its bony hands reached hunger-blind towards the boy and Carl let out a scream of his own, leaping into the stream and splashing towards the women. The walker kept coming and Lori looked frantically to Andrea.

The gun in the blonde's hands went off throwing the now dead, undead backwards and onto the rocks his brain matter splattering across the stone. Not two seconds after the bullet left the barrel—and the sound echoed against the water and through the trees—inviting any walker in the vicinity—did they realise their mistake.

Four more came, their gaping mouths and rotting hands straining them forward. Lori pushed Carl behind her. The stream was thirty minutes walk, through the woods, even if Rick and the others starting running at the first scream they would be ten minutes at least. Andrea shakily lifted her gun once more.

Beth's eyes were filled with terror as she backed herself against a tree. A breathless groan came behind her and she screamed. They were surrounded. Beth ran in tight to the three others and Andrea pulled the trigger twice more only for her gun to blank.

Suddenly a black streak of fur burst through the brush, teeth bearing and hackles up. It was the dog. Lori felt another jolt of fear, irrationally concluding the dog was after them too, when suddenly it dashed past them lunging and tearing at the walkers limbs.

It was giving them an escape. The realisation hit Lori hard and fast and she didn't question it just grabbed her boy and made a run for it. They got thirty yards when another emerged suddenly from behind an oak.

Its teeth hung on sinewy jaws and its eyes bulged as it leapt forward, throwing Lori off balance and onto the ground. Before it could plunge its teeth into her neck however, the black dog was on it.

The force of the dog's body threw the walker off of her and the rotting-excuse-of-a-man landed heavily on the ground. The dog quickly turned with desperation in its eyes. Get out of here.

It was then that Lori swung to her feet grabbing Carl's hand. And just as they got up the path Daryl came into the open bolts flying. The three trailing the women were dropped and he drew his knife.

It slid like butter through rotted orifices and brains. He could hear the shouts of Rick and Shane as he finished off another geek. Who the fuck thought it was a damn good idea to fire a gun. Three fucking times!

A loud yelp caught his attention and he watched as a walker sunk its teeth into the leg of the Pit. Instinctively he let loose a bolt and the walker fell motionless.

Another walker was on him and he crushed its face in with the blunt end of his bow. The sickening crunch was followed by a thud and looking up he could see the men running towards him. They formed a phalanx armed with shovels, baseball bats and a pickaxe.

When the last Walker was brought down, Daryl allowed himself to take a deep breath. Then with a muted whimper, he remembered the bit dog. He ran towards the felled walker and shoved him off. The dog lay mostly motionless as blood gushed from the wound in its leg. The walker had torn much of the flesh away. The thing was in pain...

Daryl swallowed before pulling the arrow from the walker's eye socket. He loaded the bow once more and stood over the dog.

The golden amber eyes trained on him again and as he looked into them he froze. There was fight in this dog's eyes. He dropped the bow suddenly and tore one of the sleeves from his jacket. He had to act quickly. He held the dog's neck down before tying the fabric tightly above the wound and tightening it with a stick.

Dogs can't get the fever...It was this thought that kept him going. We can save him.

He lifted the dog and sprinted towards camp, leaving Rick, Shane, T-Dog and Glenn in confusion.

As he neared the farm lane he dashed past Carol and Maggie who had heard the commotion, Pit Bull in his arms and blood covering his shirt they quickly chased after him.

"Hershel!"

** Hehe... so VERY quick update... even I couldn't leave the story there! A little more intense this chapter! Thought I would link a picture of the real life Norman the pit . He's a cutie huh! Still kind of a cliff hanger but hey! Since even I can't stand my OWN cliff hangers I might just have to update faster...