setting: episode 7 "Pretty Much Dead Already"

Salvation

Chapter 18 - Attack

"Yah done?" Daryl asked when he entered the stables and found Connor standing there with two horses. The Irishman turned around and nodded.

"Aye" he answered and handed the hunter the reins to his horse.

Daryl wanted to take them, but Connor withdrew with a smirk.

"Yer sure you should be riding a horse so soon after what happened? Maybe ye shouldn't do that, now that yer obviously too stupid t'ride a horse."

Daryl grabbed the rein with a growl and Connor snickered.

"Screw yah, if someone's t'stupid to ride a horse then it's gotta be yah freak. Being from Boston and all that."

They started walking and the two animals followed them out of the stable.

"Fuck you, I grew up on a fucking horse back, ye bet 'm way better at this than you, asshole."

Daryl snorted and got on his horse once they were outside.

"Yah wish."

They were deep inside the woods by now. Connor had wanted to be in charge and plan their route, simply because he wanted to head for a small town and find cigarettes, but Daryl wouldn't have any of that. The Irishman was still surprised about that. Back in the old days Murphy had been the one giving in and asking him for guidance. Now it was Daryl who was bossing him around. It was strangely new, but in a good way. Sometimes Connor had gotten tired of all his planning. With Daryl up front he had no idea where they were actually going, and since he had nothing else to do but look out for Sophia and walkers he soon got bored.

"Can I ask ye something Murph?" he asked after a while and urged his horse to walk next to Daryl's.

"What?" Daryl murmured but didn't look at him.

He was still eyeing their surroundings.

"Why are ye so keen on finding that girl?"

Daryl snorted and looked at Connor.

"Cos she's lost."

"Aye but why would you look fer te kid if she ain't yers?"

"Why would yah? Could ask yah the same."

"I'm doing it cos it's important to you and cos I owe te group."

He turned his head to keep an eye on the surroundings to their left.

"Besides, back in Boston me and Murph were looking after a kid fer a bit. But then we lost her. So I think I owe her as well."

Daryl didn't say anything for a while and just looked at his friend. Connor let out a sigh.

"Did ye have any kids before shit went down?"

Daryl snorted again.

"Do I look like it?"

Connor frowned and look at him.

"What's that got ta do with how ye look?"

"No I didn't. Will yah shut yer hole now? We got a little girl t'look for and there's walkers all around us.
Didn't take yah with me for no chitchat, dumbass" Daryl growled and glared at him.

"Alright bitchy."

Connor searched his trouser pocket for his smokes. Now there were only two left. He sighed and took one. Christ. They really needed to get into town soon. Right now he didn't fear dying because of some walkers, he just needed to think about the possible withdrawal symptoms and it sent a shiver down his spine. Sure as hell would be way worse than a walker biting yah he thought and shook his head.

"Did yah?" Daryl asked after a while and Connor looked up with a frown.

"Did I what?"

"Have any kids, dumbass."

Connor smirked because he was surprised Daryl kept the conversation up. Then he shook his head.

"Do I look like it?" he imitated Daryl's accent again which made the other growl and Connor laugh.

"Nah really. Didn't have any kids. No time, no money..besides, how's that sapposed ta work. The police were after us fer fuckin murder. That ain't no picnic."

"Just thought, the way yer with the Grimes kid."

Connor snickered.

"Aye. Just because I didn' have any it don't mean I didn't want ta have any."

Daryl just nodded and urged his horse to go faster. Connor followed him up a hill and sighed.
They had been out here for a couple of hours now, and Sophia was nowhere to be seen.

"Ye really think yer going ta find that girl?" the Irishman asked after a while and Daryl nodded with an angry frown.

"'Course."

Connor snickered quietly.

"Ye just gotta believe" he murmured and shook his head with a smile.

"Whatcha prattling about?"

"Nothing."

They rode on for what felt like hours until the reached the nearest town.
They had encountered maybe eight walkers on their way, and the closer they got to the settlement the more walkers were roaming through the woods.

"I think we should head back. Looks like she ain't here. 's too far north anyway" Daryl murmured and turned his horse around.

Connor could see a street and some houses just a couple of hundred feet ahead. The Irishman remained where he was and looked at the houses.

"Yah comin or what?" Daryl growled.

"I just...gotta make a run into town" Connor answered and turned around to look at Daryl.

The hunter made his horse turn so they were facing each other. He frowned.

"What are yah, stupid? Said she ain't here. There's no trails and too many walkers"

The Irishman rolled his eyes and headed for the street.

"Don't be such a fuckin pussy, it'll be a quick stroll, that's all."

"I said it ain't gonna happen!" Daryl yelled but Connor wouldn't listen to him.

"Leprechaun!"

"Fuck you" the Irishman murmured and didn't stop.

"Fine, whatever, 'm gonna go back, don't care, I hope yah get eaten!" the hunter yelled after him and headed in the other direction.

He rode on for a couple of minutes and expected Connor to follow him. That was how the Irishman worked after all, and he knew him all to well by now. There was no way he would ever leave his side. Daryl turned around after a while just to make sure. He could see that Connor had almost reached the street and wasn't following at all. "Oh come on, yah prick" he growled and made his horse stop. He waited for a bit but the Irishman just wouldn't stop. He was heading for town all on his own. Daryl wanted to leave. It was stupid to enter a walker infested town with no reason, and he hated how foolish and stupid the Irishman was. He was putting them both in danger with that, maybe even the whole group. They just needed to come across one of those herds.

The hunter clicked his tongue and the horse started walking again, but after a couple of feet Daryl turned around once more. Connor had disappeared behind some of the houses. He didn't want to care, and he wasn't supposed to care. He had never wanted the Irishman with them. But what if he returned to camp without Connor? He was sure that they would give him shit. Especially Rick and Shane. Because everyone liked the Irishman, and whenever he got hurt they were always judging him. It was his fault after all, he had threatened and punched Connor more than once. Daryl growled and made his horse turn around.
"Fucking idiot" he growled and went after him.

Connor had successfully located a small shop. They still made him feel uncomfortable after everything that had happened back in Boston. He didn't really want to get mobbed in a store ever again, but right now his urge to get new cigarettes dominated everything. He searched the whole place for anything useful and was quite frustrated that his favorite brand wasn't there anymore. The whole apocalyptic flair had taught him not to be picky though, and he knew that not being able to smoke was way worse than smoking something that tasted like shit. He found a plastic bag behind the counter and started throwing various packs in it, and after doing some thinking he decided to take them all with him. Back in the old days he would have felt sorry for stealing, but the times where he'd had money to put on the counter were over. He didn't even have any money any more and he knew that not taking stuff would just get him killed. He checked the store for anything else and cheered when he found some whiskey. Connor froze when he heard slow unsteady footsteps behind him and reached for his belt where he had put his knife.

"Don't even think 'bout it, asshole" he murmured and turned around, ready to strike the walker down. He let out a surprised shriek when the undead was closer than he had thought and grabbed his wrist in midair. The Irishman growled and started kicking the walker's leg but he was so heavy and sturdy that he just pushed Connor back against the shelves. The undead tried to bite the Irishman's throat and arms, but Connor fought back with a loud growl. Somehow he managed to grab the walker by his neck to push him further away, but lost his knife during the process. Connor cursed and tried kicking and shoving, but the undead was too strong. He was pretty sure that it wouldn't take the walker long to overpower him, now that he could hardly breathe and wasn't exactly in good shape either.

Connor cursed himself for going alone just because of some stupid cigarettes. When he lost grip and the walker leaned further in the Irishman already prepared himself for the worst, but a second later he heard a loud zap. Something hit the walker's head hard and exited through his left eye. Connor turned his head away and blinked when he felt a wave of blood rain down on him. The Irishman let out a surprised gasp when the walker went limb against him and pressed him further against the shelves. When Connor looked at him again he faced the sharp tip of an arrow which stuck out of the dead walker's eye socket. He pulled a face and pushed him away.

"Jesus" Connor murmured and wiped his face.

When he looked up he saw Daryl standing there with his crossbow still pointed at him. The Irishman raised an eyebrow.

"So, whose head were yer aiming at?"

Daryl snorted and threw the crossbow over his shoulder again.

"What do yah think? Yers of course."

Connor knelt down to get his knife and plastic bag.

"Wow, shitty shooting. You only nearly killed me."

Daryl came closer and grabbed his bag to see what was in it.

He shook his head and snorted.

"Serves yah right. Putting everyone in danger cos of some stupid cigarettes."

Connor snorted and turned around to search the rest of the shop.
He lit a cigarette on his way back, simply because he needed something to calm him down after the heart attack he'd just had.
Daryl kept watch close to the door and growled.

"Move yah ass, dumbass. Ain't got all day."

Connor snorted.

"Alright, bitchy" he murmured and looked out of the window on the other side.

"Look at those motherfuckers over there" he murmured and pointed at a small herd of walkers which was making its way down the road on the other side.

"Geeks following us?" Daryl asked and came closer.

"Just look" Connor answered and waited for his friend to come closer.

They both watched the small herd stumbling closer. It looked so grotesque. They had no brain at all, no control over their bodies, and yet they seemed so...determined. Determined to get what they wanted, the only thing that mattered: their flesh.

"Looks like these fuckers are smarter than we thought. Ain't those the ones we met back at the creek?"

Daryl shrugged.

"All they got is dumb brains and teeth. We got this" Connor heard him say and turned his head to see what the hunter meant.

Daryl was patting his crossbow and the Irishman placed a hand on his knife.

"Aye."

"Come on, let's go" Daryl said and they left the shop.

When they returned to camp they were both eyed head to toe, and especially Rick seemed to be mad at them. He had told them to stay after all, but Daryl and Connor just took it with a snort. The policeman seemed overly worried because of the way the Irishman looked. His clothes and face were dirty and bloody because of the walker attack, and Rick took it as just another reminder of how fragile his group was. Daryl had been the first to really get hurt, and the way the policeman talked about it it sounded almost like he thought that it was the same with Connor now. He reminded them to respect the group's rules and went away, and the Irishman and the hunter sat down on to of the chairs close to the campfire. Connor leaned back and shook his head. "Jesus" he murmured and Daryl grabbed something to eat.

"Well he sure is right 'bout one thing."

"And what would that be?" Connor asked and frowned.

"Yah look like shit."

The Irishman snorted and leaned back again.

"Screw ye."

They just sat there for a while and watched as the group returned to camp as well.
Connor rubbed his eyes tiredly and looked at Daryl, who had started to clean his crossbow.

"Eh Murph."

His friend growled.

"What is it now, yah freak."

"Thanks."
The hunter looked up and saw Connor sitting next to him, with a whiskey bottle in his hand.
He was offering him the booze, and after staring at it for a moment Daryl took it with a snort.

"Yeah, yah better share this shit, whiny asshole."

Both men sat there in silence as Daryl cleaned his crossbow and arrows for the millionth time. Pretty soon half the group returned and joined them. Shane and Glenn would make fun of them every once in a while, because they were so quiet and calm although they were sitting right next to each other. The group had been used to them fighting all the time. Even Daryl and Connor were surprised that they were getting along this time. When Shane made fun of them once more they just murmured a pissed "Screw you."