I'm not sure what's happening with the reviews at the moment, but they've decreased dramatically in the last few chapters…not sure if people are losing interest in the story or the way I'm writing it – I plan to keep it going for a while, but it's no fun writing to an uninterested audience so if my writing seems a little off, that may have something to do with it.
So if you do like the story, please review!
Chapter Fifteen
The screaming had happened shortly afterwards, Daryl and Lila had had little time to realise they were entering into something dangerous.
Lila walked towards the screaming and shouting first, expecting the worst – that Randall had managed to get free, but instead she found Lori in tears, talking to Rick.
"What happened?" Lila asked as soon as she reached the group, Daryl following soon after.
"It's Carl, he's gone," Andrea replied, but Lila was too busy taking note of the look that Carol gave Daryl as the statement was made.
"What do you mean gone?" Lila asked again.
"Missing, he was by the barn a few hours ago and now he's no where to be found," Shane added. Lila found herself too engrossed in Lori's eyes to listen to any of the others; the pain was so clear in her expression it physically hurt Lila just to watch her.
"Ain't doing anyone any good to be stood round here then, lets go," Lila stated, looks of surprise travelled around the group and she found even herself surprised at her statement – but she didn't dwell on it, instead she just walked across to her tent.
"You ain't goin' out there," Daryl's voice stated from behind Lila as she clicked her batons in place at either hip.
"What?" She scoffed, pushing the gun Daryl had given her into her jean waistband.
"If I'm out there lookin' for one kid I don't need to be babysittin' another at the same time," He replied, causing Lila to come to an abrupt halt, she stared towards Daryl in disbelief.
"Good job I'm not a kid, huh?" Lila pushed past him and jogged towards Lori, who was now sat in tears on the porch steps, being comforted my Carol and Dale.
Lila knelt down in front of her and looked directly into her eyes, she smiled, "Don't worry, don't even think about it. I'll find him, I promise."
Lori let out another sob, her hand gripping onto Lila's, "You shouldn't be out there, let the guys handle it, you've been through enough, you shouldn't be thrown back out there," Lori replied through tears.
"I owe you my life, if anyone else had me with their car, they'd have left me for dead. I'm bringing Carl home whether you like it or not," Lila smiled, standing up and turning to talk directly to Hershel.
"You got a horse that won't kill me?" Lila asked with an apathetic laugh.
"I'll show her," Maggie stepped in, taking Lila's arm and pulling her towards the stables.
As the reached the enclosure, Maggie freed one of the horses, the pair began saddling the animal in silence.
"Lori was right you know, you took a good beating the past few weeks, you might be over estimating yourself…" Maggie said, finally breaking the tension between the pair.
Lila shrugged before she answered, her hand running down the horses soft mane, "You sound like Daryl."
Maggie shook her head as she walked around to face Lila, "This is an inappropriate time to go proving some point to your boyfriend." For a second, Lila didn't quite know what to say until she finally scoffed, pulling herself up onto the horse.
"You don't know shit," Lila stated, kicking the horse to attention and riding out of the stables. She reared the horse around the others as they waded through the field, Rick, Shane, Daryl and Glenn each had the same expression on their face…but Lila was struggling to put a finger of what it was. Would she be crazy for thinking it was familiarity.
"Okay, who's going where?" Lila finally asked, breaking the silence.
"We travel in pairs, it's safer," Shane stated sternly, his voice was weak and strained.
"There's five of us genius," Lila smirked back sarcastically, "Leaves me on my lonesome, I travel faster alone anyway."
"No," Daryl said, his voice heavy with anger. Everyone slowed their walking and looked amongst themselves and Lila knew exactly why…they didn't know what they were hearing from Daryl, a protective instinct?
"I ain't gunna change your mind am I?" Daryl asked a little quieter, the question was aimed purely at Lila.
"We're trying to find Carl, not start a debate as to whether or not women and men are equals, so how about I just go my way and if I don't come back presume me either dead or busy," Lila replied, kicking the horse into an immediate gallop, she pulled one baton out from its holster and held it up, however this last only a few moments as her balance began to waver. She hadn't been on a horse was at least a year, she'd had lessons her entire childhood…but unlike what everyone says, it's not exactly like riding a bike. She fought hard to gain control over the stubborn animal but soon found herself trotting through the forest at a steady pace.
"Carl!" Lila yelled, realising that making noise wasn't the best technique, but if she had any chance of finding the boy, it had to be done.
A couple of hours into the search, Lila had to try and stop herself thinking back to the nights she spent had alone in the woods – since this whole thing had broken out, she'd roughed it one too many times.
"Carl!" She yelled again, this time she was rewarded by a reply…something that literally shocked her into silence.
"Carl?" She called once again, holding the horse back.
"Here!" The voice, so quiet and frightened replied. Instantly, Lila kicked the horse into a gallop in what she hoped was the right direction.
The horse bounded over tree roots and branches as Lila did her best to keep herself from getting scratched by the bushes.
"I'm here!" Carl called again, urgency in his tone.
"I'm coming!" Lila replied, "Don't move!" Finally, the terrain got too much for her, or more importantly, the horse. It was unexercised and lazy, she brought the animal to a halt and began running wildly through the trees in an attempt to find him. He soon came into view, his hand waving in her direction.
"Are you okay? You haven't been bitten? Or scratched?" Lila asked desperately as she landed on her knees next to Carl, quickly grabbing his arms in an attempt to find any marks.
Carl shook his head, "No, nothing, I seen some of the walkers and just ran…I twisted my ankle I think."
"How long have you been running? Didn't they follow you?" Lila frowned.
"They were but they just stopped, it was like they got distracted or something," Carl answered, his eyes wide with fear. Lila glanced around the pair, making sure the coast was clear. She quickly looked over his ankle, only to find it was slightly swollen but generally didn't look too bad.
"Come on, we have to go now or we wont make it back before dark," Lila took Carl's hand and led him towards where she had left the horse, they walked slowly – Carl having to limp along behind Lila, his clothes wet with mud and weighing him down. It was only when Lila came to a sudden stop that either one of them muttered a word.
"What is it?" Carl asked, looking around himself for any nearby walkers.
"Slowly, I want you to kneel down, as low as you can, so you're hiding in the bushes – okay?" Lila instructed Carl, her eyes locked with his. Carl merely nodded and did as he was told.
Lila crept up to the largest tree, peering around the side of it as she watched the horse being led away from where she had tied it up. Whoever was taking it away was an experienced rider, built at about 6 feet tall and heavy with muscle yet he threw himself up on that horse as if he weighed as much as a goose feather. Before Lila had a chance to think of a plan, the man was riding off through the trees, his many knives jingling like a chorus of bells against his belt. The knives she so clearly remembered. Quickly she crawled back towards Carl.
"We have to find somewhere to sleep tonight, whoever that was, there's probably more of the same group."
Lila tried to stay as calm as she could, but the tremble was so clear in her voice…and the tears threatened to spill over her cheeks the second she allowed her mind to clear.
"Come on," She took Carl's hand as they crept through the woods as quickly and quietly as they could…this was all fine, until a shattering pain filled her head and she found herself collapsing against the ground, the moist moss of the forest floor against her cheek.