Chapter 35: Movin' Right Along
When Connie woke up, she was pleased to see Daryl asleep in the bed next to her. She often fell asleep in his arms but rarely woke up in them. By the time she awoke on most days, Daryl had already been awake for an hour or two, tending to chores or out for an early morning bite from the fish.
Connie smiled as she looked at his closed eyes and felt the warmth of his hand on her hip.
James and Ella slept between their parents. It was a tight fit in the queen-sized bed but the closeness felt safe.
Connie sat up and looked over at Ruby, who had planted herself in front of the bedroom door. She quietly climbed out of bed and walked over to her pet.
Goodmorning Ruby, she signed. She walked over to the window and pulled a dish from the windowsill outside. She was happy to see nearly two inches of water had collected inside the bowl from the rain that had fallen through the night. She put the dish to her lips and took a sip then put the bowl on the floor for the dog. Ruby came to her immediately and quickly lapped up the precious water. She brought the other dishes inside and filled their canteens. Not all the water would fit in the canteens so she took another big gulp. Fortunately James was a strong and vigorous nurser but that meant Connie needed the most water to drink.
Connie looked back over at Daryl still asleep in bed with their babies. She smiled again. They were lying in a warm bed together peaceful and comfortable. It almost seemed as if things were normal as opposed to a family of refugees running for their lives.
They had been at the Hilltop for four days and had collected enough water and food to make the journey to Alexandria. The plan was to leave the next morning. Connie felt mostly recovered from her concussion and the bleeding from the delivery had slowed considerably. Things were looking up.
Daryl had been taking such good care of her. The first few days they were there, he barely stood still. On top of hunting and collecting water, he cooked and took care of James. Every time Connie would try to get out of bed, Daryl scolded her and told her to stay put. It's 45 miles to Alexandria and I need you strong, he said. Connie obliged and rested as much as she could. When he would leave to hunt, he gave Ella explicit instructions to make sure she stayed in bed too.
And tomorrow they would leave. They felt much more confident about the situation than they had when they first arrived at Barrington House.
Connie sat on the floor petting Ruby when she felt footsteps shake the floor. She looked up and saw Daryl approaching. He bent down to kiss her on the forehead then sat on the floor next to her and Ruby.
You sleep good? he asked her.
Slept okay. James woke up three times.
That's one less time than the night before right? Connie nodded. I can do a lot around here but I still can't feed him. That's all you.
Well I have to make myself useful somehow. Connie smiled as she said the words but Daryl knew how much she hated being waited on – being in a position where she was a liability and not an asset. Although she wast petite and even looked dainty, she was a hearty woman through and through. Even during her last pregnancy, the 44 year old didn't slow down until halfway into her seventh month, and that was only because Daryl begged her to.
It's our last day here and I want you to get as much rest as you can before we hit the road again.
I know and I will – promise, Connie reassured her husband. Ella's been real helpful. She held James in the sling for over an hour yesterday.
That girl's always known how to pull her weight since she could walk, Daryl replied with pride.
Connie nodded in agreement. So you think we're all ready for the big trip?
Hopefully the rain filled them bottles I found yesterday. We got enough meat for at least three days if we ration. I'm going to go out hunting one last time later today. I think we'll be good to go. Are you ready?
Tired, but I feel a lot better than I did when we got here. Connie pulled Daryl's hand to her mouth and kissed his fingers. Don't worry. I'm ready...we're ready.
…..
Daryl walked through the woods with Ruby at his side. It was 5 PM and the sun was still hot on his shoulders. Daryl looked out into the distance and saw clouds creeping in from the east. The August weather continued to be predictable. Warm mornings with sporadic rain, followed by hot, muggy afternoons, capped off with heavy rainstorms. Daryl inhaled deeply and could smell the precipitation in the air. The rain would be falling on him within the next hour.
He had been out hunting for over three hours and only had one squirrel to show for it. He set a few snares the day before hoping to catch a rabbit but the snares were empty when he checked them.
One more kill, he thought to himself. Don't care what it is. Deer, rabbit, possum, squirrel – anything. Hell, I'll even take a crow back home. Just one more kill.
Daryl knew the journey to Alexandria was going to be a long and harrowing one. He wanted to have as much meat ahead of time so he didn't have to worry about hunting on the way there. He wanted to concentrate every ounce of his energy on keeping his wife and children safe.
After walking another quarter mile, he spotted a rabbit hopping out from behind a rock. He narrowed his eyes and bit his bottom lip as he raised his crossbow up in front of him. He placed the rabbit in his sights, ignoring the beads of sweat dripping from his brow and running down his cheek.
Daryl was just about to take his shot when Ruby started barking beside him. As soon as she barked, the rabbit darted back behind the rock it had seconds ago emerged from.
Daryl lowered his crossbow and looked over at Ruby indignantly. "What the hell?" he huffed. "You know better than that."
Ruby ignored Daryl and barked again. Daryl spun around looking for signs of walkers nearby. He didn't see any but knew they must be near to have Ruby on high alert like this. He looked at the dog and watched her stance.
Ruby stood erect with her ears perked up and her eyes fixed ahead sharply.
"Whatcha' see girl?" Daryl whispered as he followed the dog's stare. Daryl himself could see nothing but knew Ruby wouldn't be acting this way for no reason.
Daryl raised his crossbow and walked ahead slowly. Before he could stop her, Ruby bolted off in front of him. Daryl gave chase after the dog. He nearly lost sight of her but Ruby stopped and looked back at her master, making sure he was following. When Ruby spotted Daryl, she took off again.
What the hell is wrong with her? Daryl wondered as he ran. He sprinted after her and finally came to a clearing. In the middle of the clearing was Delilah. She whinnied and kicked as five walkers surrounded her.
Daryl raised his crossbow and aimed it carefully at one of the walkers. He fired an arrow and the dead body fell to the ground. Delilah was out of control and landed a hefty kick into another walker's head. Ruby charged into the middle of the chaos and leaped through the air. She sunk her teeth into the the neck of a walker and threw it to the ground where she viciously continued to tare into its rotting flesh.
Delilah ran off and disappeared into a grove of trees. Daryl took his knife from his belt and stabbed it into the last two walkers.
"C'mon Ruby," he commanded the dog as they both hurried out of the clearing to try to locate the frightened horse. "Good girl. You did real good," he said as he reached his free hand down and scratch Ruby's neck.
It wasn't long before they caught up with Delilah. They spotted her as she lapped water from a tiny creek. Daryl pulled a rope from his belt as he cautiously approached the nervous horse. "Shhh, shhh, shhh," he whispered as he moved in closer. He held his hand out to Delilah as he slowly inched forward. He finally came next to her and moved his hand gently over the bridge of her muzzle. He carefully put the rope over her neck.
Delilah nuzzled her nostrils into Daryl's neck, quickly calming down as the familiarity of her master put her at ease. Daryl let out a sigh of relief as he rested his head on her mane. Having his horse back would change everything.
…..
At seven the next morning, Daryl packed their sparsely collected supplies onto Delilah. Ella held her baby brother while Daryl lifted Connie gently onto the horse's back. As soon as she adjusted herself comfortably, Daryl took James from Ella and placed him carefully into Connie's arms. Connie adjusted the six day-old baby into the sling on her chest then secured her hands onto the saddle horn. Daryl placed his hands under Ella's arms and lifted her too.
"No Daddy," Ella whispered. "I don't wanna ride. I wanna walk with you."
How come, Daryl asked her.
I'm getting big and I don't need to ride. I want to help you protect Mamma and James. Besides, Delilah is already carrying a lot of stuff and I don't want her to get tired.
Daryl tilted his head as he looked at Connie. Connie widened her eyes and smiled as she nodded back at him. Alright then. You're going to have to walk fast to keep up with Delilah.
I will Daddy.
You got to be careful and tell me if you're getting tired.
I know that Daddy. I'm almost seven.
Daryl chuckled under his breath. Well what else do you got to do, Sunshine ?
I got to keep my eyes open and not get distracted.
One more thing, Daryl asked then awaited her reply.
Always stay in front of you where you can see me.
Okay then. I guess you know what you're doing, Little Miss Almost-seven-years-old , Daryl signed resolutely then tickled her ribs.
Daryl took one last look at Barrington House then turned back towards his family. He took Delilah's reigns in his hands and lead the horse down the road that would take them to Alexandria.
The morning and afternoon were uneventful and by 2 PM Daryl figured they had already turned over twenty miles, maybe more. Ella walked nearly half that distance before she finally let Delilah carry her the next ten miles.
They took a break to rest and eat along the Hazel River. Connie nursed and changed James while Ella carefully led Delilah to the riverbank to drink the cold water that flowed by. Ruby drank next to Delilah, lapping water quickly then looking from left to right, making sure there was no danger near.
Daryl moved his eyes in every direction with his crossbow at the ready. As soon as Connie caught his attention, he moved closer to her.
Drink, she ordered him. I know you're not drinking enough and you're trying to keep up with a horse. Daryl obeyed his wife and gulped down half the water from his canteen.
The break was expeditious and they were back on the road less than 15 minutes after they had stopped.
When are we going to be there Daddy? Ella signed. Physically Ella was sturdy and capable but she was still a little girl through and through. She was boisterous and antsy and got bored much quicker than her parents usually liked.
We still got a long ways to go.
Well how long?
Daryl put up five fingers and spoke quietly. "If each of my fingers was ten miles then we walked two fingers worth. It took us seven hours to walk about 20 miles." He put down two of his fingers and showed her the other three. "We got thirty miles to go...three fingers left."
Ten, plus ten, plus ten is thirty miles, Ella stated confidently.She continued to walk, taking each step briskly and gingerly before she signed to Daryl again. What's it going to be like there?
Daryl didn't answer right away but thought about the question carefully. It's going to be different.
How?
There will definitely be things you really like but there might be things you don't like too.
What wouldn't I like? she asked.
You're used to being with just me and Mamma. For almost seven years, it's just been the three of us. It might be hard being with other people all the time.
But I like being with people. You remember when we came to Alexandria at the beginning of the summer for Mamma's baby doctor visit?
Daryl nodded his head.
When we was there, I played hide and seek with RJ and Max and Coco and some other girl with glasses. Do you remember Daddy? I hid under a bed and RJ walked right by me and didn't find me! It was funny how I could see him but he couldn't see me!
Daryl watched his daughter's face light up as she recalled her time in Alexandria. Yeah I remember you had a lot of fun on that trip.
And also we went to church and they had a piano there and then we had a picnic after. Do you remember that too?
Daryl nodded. He remembered it all very vividly. They visited Alexandria four months ago so Siddiq could check on Connie and the baby. He could still see Ella clapping her hands at the church service and running on the grass with other kids her age. He recalled how much Connie loved the library and how excited she was when she saw the flourishing crops. They even played poker with Michonne, Aaron, Rosita and Siddiq while Judith babysat Ella.
Ella wasn't nervous or upset about leaving their old home and living in a new world, only Daryl was. His reservations about staying there applied solely to him. Alexandria was a good place. It was a strong community. Most importantly, it was safe. It was the perfect place for a family man. And that's exactly what Daryl was now - no matter how much he still pretended to be the lone wolf.
The more he thought about it, the more reassured he became of the decision to stay in Alexandria. A settled life. A life with people. A life with a future, not just for him, but for his family.
A smile crept up on Daryl's face as he pondered it all. He stared up at Connie and James as they rode alongside him. The smile on his face widened further as he pictured the four of them safe under one roof at the end of all this.
Daryl was shaken quickly from his thoughts when he heard James start to fuss. Connie shifted the newborn around carefully as she tried to comfort him. She began to nurse as they rode along and James quieted down. Suddenly Daryl felt a hard tug on his arm.
Daddy! Right there! Ella signed quickly as she pointed to the left. Daryl turned to see as half a dozen walkers emerging from the trees. As the walkers shuffled closer to his family, at least ten more followed behind them. Finally, more walkers than he could count, streamed out from the woods.
Once again, the entire Dixon family went to battle. Daryl only had 5 arrows but he shot them all off within a matter of seconds, not missing once. Connie secured James back into the sling on her chest then quickly began firing lead balls into the herd from her slingshot. Ella did the same with her slingshot. She slowly but deliberately shot one walker after another.
"Stay here!" Daryl ordered his family as he went on the offensive. With Ruby at his heels, he charged into the horde, using both hands to stab his Bowie knives into the dead flesh. Ruby viciously attacked one zombie after another, sinking her sharp teeth into them and pulling them to the ground.
"Go!" Daryl shouted as he turned towards Connie and Ella. "Run and get outta here! I'll catch up!"
Connie and Ella moved a few yards ahead but refused to abandon Daryl. They continued to fight from a distance while Daryl fought hand to hand. Just when he thought he was making headway, more of the dead streamed out of the woods.
Daryl watched in horror as a walker stooped to the ground and bit hard into Ruby's back leg. "No!" Daryl yelled as he stabbed the attacking corpse in the head. Ruby twisted her body and stood up and continued to fight.
The horde was too big. Daryl finally ran from it back to his family. He dropped his knives on the ground and wrapped his powerful hands around Ella's rib cage. He swiftly lifted her onto Delilah's back and didn't let go of her until she had her arms secured around her mother.
Go! he signed to Connie. You have to get far from here. Ride as fast as you can to Alexandria and I'll catch up with you, I promise.
"No Daddy!" Ella cried. "We can't leave you! We need you!"
"I'll be right behind you, Sunshine. I promise, okay?" he reassured his little girl as he nodded his head. "I love you."
"No, Daddy!"
Daryl reached up to touch James on his tiny head. He moved his hand down reaching for Connie's. He pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed it hard. He looked intensely into Connie's eyes and signed to her quickly.
Don't make us leave you, Connie signed as tears fell from her eyes.
It's gonna be okay. Nothing in this world is more important to me than you and our babies. Nothing has ever been more important. I love you! Daryl stepped back then slapped Delilah on her hind quarters then watched Connie, Ella and James ride off without him.
A/N: Well I hope this latest chapter has found you well and that you enjoyed reading it. Leave a comment to let me know what you think. Love and God's best to each of you!
