Hello again. It has been a while since I published my last chapter. I actually wrote this chapter a few weeks ago, but then I decided it wasn't right and completely scrapped it and started over. I just felt like the first draft moved things far too fast and had too much drama. I think that is because I want things to move along, but at the same time I just don't feel like that is how it would truly happen between Daryl and Beth. So I hope this second version, which it took me longer to write, stays more with their characters. Thanks for continuing to read my fanfiction
Maggie's POV
Maggie woke up to Rick gently shaking her awake. She was immediately alert and her hand flew to the gun she kept strapped at her hip. However, Rick just raised a finger to his lips and indicated that she not make too much noise. The elder Greene shook her husband awake and they both slipped away without waking up Beth. She followed Rick, who already had Daryl following him like a shadow. They finally stopped at the edge of camp, where Michonne and Carol were standing.
"I know it will be risky, but we need to go on a run," Rick told the small group, "I want to do it early this morning, so that we can get back before anything happens."
Maggie had known this was coming, they had only been able to grab a limited amount of food at Terminus and they had a fairly large group. Despite Daryl's efforts to hunt for the group, he just couldn't provide for that many people. Even if he could, the group needed more medical supplies and some extra weapons wouldn't hurt. However, the brunette hated the thought of leaving Beth when the group was under the constant threat of attack. She had just gotten her sister back, she didn't want to lose her again.
"We can't leave them unprotected," Maggie said, pointing out the obvious.
"I know, I know," agreed Rick, "but I don't see any other option. We won't make it if we don't get more supplies."
"How about we bring the group with us on the run," Daryl suggested, "have everyone come like we do when we are traveling and when we get close to a town, we leave them about half a mile away or so. Close enough that we can run back and protect them but far enough away that if something goes wrong in town, we don't have to worry about them."
Maggie nodded, she liked Daryl's idea of keeping the group close. Rick apparently did too because he clapped Daryl on the back and smiled at him.
"Don't know what I would do without you Daryl," the leader praised, causing the gruff hunter to shyly mumble about how it was nothing.
"That's my pookie," teased Carol, nudging her friend and getting the most out of his embarrassment.
"Alright," continued Rick, "I want us split up fairly evenly into three groups. Two of the groups can enter the town together and then split up to search it. The other group will watch the young, the old, and the injured nearby. I want all the groups to consist of some strong fighters in case of attack."
Immediately, everyone began throwing names around to decide who should be in which group. It was easily decided that the three groups should be led by Rick, Daryl, and Michonne. However, the makeup of those groups was a bit more difficult to figure out. Maggie began arguing for both Glenn and Beth to go with her in Rick's group. However, Daryl insisted that since he was training Beth to fight, she should go with him. That particular bit of information surprised Maggie. The redneck had always been one to give a harsh tip here and there about how to set up a trap or how to shoot better, but he had always flat-out refused to help train people when Rick asked him. Maggie was sure Daryl had almost punched Zach in the face for even asking to hold his crossbow, so she didn't know how Beth had persuaded him to teach her how to use it. The brunette didn't have long to ponder this because Rick was talking to them again.
"I understand why both of y'all want Beth to come with y'all, but I want her to stay with the third group. I am bringing Carl with me and someone needs to stay and watch Judith. With things as dangerous as they are right now, I trust few other people to watch her and Beth knows that girl better than almost anyone. Maggie, I know you don't want to let Beth out of your sight, but once this is over y'all will have more time to spend with each other. Daryl, it is great that you are training Beth, every member of our group should know how to fight, but on this particular mission, I think it would be better that she stay back. I am going to need to see how much she has learned before I can decide to send her on a run."
Defeated, both Daryl and Maggie nodded. They respected Rick enough not to argue with his decision.
"Don't worry," Michonne promised, "I will keep an eye on her, although I doubt she will need it."
The samuri's offer made Maggie feel better. There were few people as skilled and dangerous as Michonne and the woman would be able to protect Beth just as well as Maggie could have. She offered her friend a smile of gratitude, but Daryl just grumbled to himself and walked off.
Once the meeting was finished, they went to wake up the group so that they could inform them of the plan.
Beth's POV
Beth carried a chuckling Judith on her hip as the group trudged through the woods. Daryl had gone ahead of everyone to scout out the area. The blonde kissed the young girl on the forehead and began humming the tune to a song whose words she had long forgotten. The child stirred in her grasp and reached for her blonde hair, fascinated by the braid in it.
Suddenly, Daryl was at her side, his face softer than Beth had seen it in a long time.
"How's little ass-kicker doing," he asked as he patted the child's silky brown hair.
"Oh, she is great," Beth exclaimed, "she hasn't cried at all today. However, I'm starting to worry since she hasn't talked yet. I don't really know when babies start talking or how old Judith is, but I just get the feeling like it should be coming soon."
The hunter nodded while letting the little girl grab onto his pinky finger, forcing him to walk right beside her. The little girl giggled, which didn't surprise Beth. Judith adored Daryl, and Beth could certainly see why.
"Do you need me to look for anything while I am on the run," Daryl offered.
Beth was touched that he had bothered to ask her, but then again he was always looking out for everyone.
"I don't think we have much for Judith right now. She is old enough to eat some of the mushy baby food, if you can find any cans of that," Beth told Daryl, thinking practically.
"I will keep an eye out," Daryl replied.
Beth noticed that he was eying her funny.
"What," she asked, curious as ever about what was going on in his mind.
"Your knife," he said, jerking his head toward her hip, where her knife was attached to her belt. Before the blonde had even registered what was going on, he had pulled the blade out.
"Can't kill shit with this," Daryl commented.
"Oh, well let me just stop at the nearest outdoor store and buy another one," Beth told Daryl, who snorted at her sarcasm.
"Here," he offered, taking his knife out, "you can use this until we find something better for you."
"Daryl," Beth breathed, surprised by the offer, "that is so sweet of you, thank you."
As expected, the hunter immediately lowered his head, causing his hair to shield him from her gratitude.
"Mmm, ain't nothin," he mumbled.
"It isn't nothing to me," Beth argued, wishing that he would just accept her thanks.
"Just stay safe," Daryl told her, before Rick signaled that it was time for the groups to split up. The archer fixed Beth with an intense glare that forbade her from dying while he was gone. Then, he carefully extracted his finger from Judith's grasp and went to help Rick led the run.
Daryl's POV
They had gotten lucky, they were closer to the town than Abraham had estimated. It didn't take long for them to reach their destination and there had been almost no walkers along the way. Daryl scanned the town from the safety of the forest. Once he determined that it wasn't dangerous in any obvious way, he motioned for his group to follow.
The redneck was ready for this run to be over with. He wanted to get what they needed and get out. Part of the reason was that he didn't like to be away from Beth for too long. The other was that he didn't trust some of the new comers yet. He would never trust them like he trusted Rick's group, but he didn't even know any of them or how good of fighters they were. To top it off, Rick put that one annoying kid, Logan, in his group. The leader seemed to think that Daryl would be able to teach him a thing or two, but Daryl wasn't in the teaching mood. He let Carol and Tyreese talk to Logan and the other three new members, whose names were Aidan, Lena, and Jackson. They explained the general procedure that the group followed for runs and what they were looking for.
It became obvious upon entering the town that all the stores had already been raided.
"We are going to have to pair up and go through houses," Daryl decided, "Carol go with Lena, Tyreese go with Aidan, Tara go with Jackson, and Logan you are with me."
Daryl didn't really want to take Logan, but he was the youngest and most inexperienced member, so he felt obliged to keep an eye on him. At the first house Daryl chose to search, he had to physically stop Logan from walking straight in.
"Knock on the door first," he had snarled at the idiot, "see if any walkers come before you just barge in there. How the hell have you stayed alive so long if you pull stupid stunts like that?" The redneck knew his reaction was a bit intense, but he couldn't help remembering Zack's death. Despite his dislike of Logan, he didn't want the kid to end up the way Zack had.
"Hey, don't call me stupid," Logan responded, "I know what I am doing!"
"Apparently not," Daryl pointed out as he rapped on the door and several walkers began to pound against the wood. "Do you know how to fight, what do you have for a weapon?"
"Yes I know how to fight," the kid said through gritted teeth as he pulled out a gun.
"Nope, that's not going to work. Far too loud, will just attract more of them," Daryl explained in an exasperated tone as he picked up a fallen post that had once held a mailbox, "here use this instead, but only if you have too. For the most part just stay behind me."
"Fine," Logan muttered as he put his gun away.
Daryl growled some quick tips before opening the door and allowing the walkers to come out. Daryl took a couple out with his crossbow and watched as Logan sloppily dispatched the last one. Then, they did a quick run through the house to make sure there were no more walkers hiding anywhere. When the house appeared to be clear, he and Logan split up to search for anything valuable. The hunter found a couple of cans of preserved food in the pantry and added them to his bag. Then, he went up the stairs and tried the first room.
It had once been a baby's room, but now it was all dusty and dark. Daryl dug around and found a can of dry baby formula and three cans of mashed potatoes with a chubby baby's smiling face on the label. After grabbing a camo-print baby blanket, Daryl headed to the next room.
The second room was covered in pictures of some boy band and had flowers everywhere. The hunter was about to leave when it occurred to him that he might be able to find something for Beth. Most of the stuff in the room was just junk. Girly magazines and perfume littered the floor, none of which Daryl even considered taking back. He searched through the closet, but the owner must have been younger than Beth, because he doubted that any of the clothes would fit the blonde. Just as he was about to leave, a wooden box on the dresser caught his eye. It was a jewelry box and made Daryl think back to Beth's loss of her bracelets.
He carefully opened the wooden container, as if the contents might bite him and peered inside. There were earrings and watches, but not what he was looking for. Annoyed, he shut the lid. It had been a stupid thought anyway, he was supposed to be searching for the necessities. However, as he shut the lid, Daryl noticed that there was a green thread poking out from behind the box. He pulled out it and came up with a braided yarn bracelet. He pushed the box aside and found several others behind it. Roughly, he grabbed them and shoved them into his pocket, a bit embarrassed by his actions.
"What's that," asked a voice that nearly caused him to jump out of his skin. He turned around and pointed his crossbow into the face of the intruder. It was just Logan, but Daryl was still tempted to pull the trigger. The boy's eyes were wide with fear and he had his hands up in surrender.
"Don't sneak up on me," Daryl snarled, mostly mad at himself for not noticing the kid's approach. He slowly lowered his weapon, causing the boy to breathe a sigh of relief.
As soon as the immediate fear of being shot through with a bolt was gone, the kid's cockiness returned.
"Maybe you should pay attention better, how have you managed to stay alive so long if some idiot is able to sneak up on you," Logan prodded, throwing Daryl's own words back in his face.
"You aren't going to last much longer if you keep that attitude up with me kid," Daryl threatened.
"I'm not a kid, I'm already twenty," Logan protested, getting an eye roll from the redneck.
"Hmph," the hunter snorted, "twenty and you think you're a big man or something."
"At least I don't act like a jerk for twenty-three hours out of each day," Logan argued.
"Well," threatened Daryl, "If that is what you think of me now, wait until you get on my bad side. Now get moving, we got more to do than bicker like old women."
The young man glared at Daryl for a second, but finally complied. They went through three more houses before finally meeting back up with everyone. Each person was weighed down with as much as they could carry and Daryl gave the order to head back.
Logan's POV
Logan trudged along behind the group, weighed down by bags full of food and clothes. He was happy that they had found supplies, but his tired body protested at carrying all of it back. The youth kept close to Lena and Aidan, who were just a few years older than him. Lena was a Vietnamese woman with a bubbly personality that caused her to giggle at the slightest joke. Aidan was a Hispanic man who told stories with elaborate hand gestures and facial expressions. The pair of them together was hilarious and kept Logan's mind off of the weight on his back.
The young man was relieved to be with his two new friends rather than the angry redneck he had to follow around all day. At each house, the archer would watch him and grunt out tips that sounded very similar to insults. It had taken every bit of his patience to not punch the gruff man in the face. Patience, and the fact that Daryl could probably beat the living daylights out of him. That knowledge didn't keep Logan from getting annoyed by the constant corrections and verbal abuses.
For some unknown reason, most of the people seemed content to follow Daryl's orders and the leader, Rick, trusted the redneck enough to put him in charge of a group. Sure, Daryl was capable, but all of his skills weren't worth the energy it took to put up with him in Logan's opinion. The redneck would barely even talk to people other than to grunt like some barbaric heathen. It all riled Logan up to no end.
From the moment Rick had asked Logan to go with Daryl, he just knew it was going to be torture. He already couldn't stand how the hick had yelled at Beth the other day. No one had the right to yell at sweet, kind Beth like hunter had done. The thought of Beth caused Logan's cheeks to redden. He had never imagined that he would find his high school crush in the middle of the hell that was Terminus. Logan had had a soft spot for the blonde ever since he had first met her in history class. He had liked her huge smile and bright optimism that seemed to light up whatever room she was in. However, she had never seemed to see him as more than a friend, an acquaintance really. Logan wouldn't have thought that Beth would have made it through the apocalypse, but somehow she had managed it. It was often hard for his brain to compute the various activities he saw Beth doing. He knew Beth as the sweet, intelligent farm girl in his history class, not as the walker-killing, squirrel-roasting, woman she had apparently become. The change hadn't done anything to lessen Logan's attraction to the blonde though.
"Hey, Logan," called Aidan, "are you listening? I am just getting to the really good part."
"Oh, sorry," apologized Logan, "just lost in my thoughts."
"That can get you killed," spat a far too familiar voice and suddenly Logan was pushed to the side as Daryl walked past him.
"Jerk," muttered Logan, low enough that Daryl couldn't hear, or so he thought until he got a middle finger thrown at him by the redneck.
"I wouldn't mess with Daryl if I were you," cautioned Lena.
"Why does everyone follow him anyway," questioned Logan, "he is just some sort of hick bully who happens to have a few useful skills."
"I would say he has more than a few useful skills," Aidan argued, "He is a good hunter, tracker, fighter, just about everything that you need to be to make it in this world."
"Mmmh," muttered Logan, unwilling to admit that Daryl had any redeeming qualities.
Luckily for him, just then they arrived at camp, which put an end to the conversation and his day with Daryl. Logan went to unload his supplies in the middle of camp. Rick's group wasn't back just yet, so they would wait to divide up resources until Rick returned. Logan began looking around for Beth, hoping a talk with the pretty girl would make him feel better after the awful day. He saw the samurai on watch, but Beth was nowhere near her. The woman was so intense she made Logan a bit uncomfortable, however, he would rather her silence to Daryl's insults any day.
Finally, Logan caught sight of a blonde head. Beth was by one of the makeshift tents, bouncing a baby on her hip. The young man knew the baby was Rick's, but he didn't know who the mother was or why Beth often seemed to be the one babysitting. As Logan moved closer, he realized that the young woman was talking to someone. When he saw who it was, he had to restrain a groan. Daryl just seemed to be everywhere. Instead of walking away, Logan watched, concerned that the redneck would be rude to Beth like he had been the other day. However, Beth didn't look uncomfortable around the gruff man at all. In fact, she was smiling at the hunter and chatting away.
Logan knew Beth was nice, but he didn't see how she managed to put up with the crass man. Daryl had all but threatened Beth the other day and now here he was just talking to her like nothing was wrong. It made Logan mad to see what the sweet girl had to put up with. She was too nice and forgiving for her own good.
What happened next blew Logan's mind. Daryl, who had been nothing but gruff and impatient all day, was smiling back at Beth. It wasn't much, just an upturn of the edges of his lips, but it was more than Logan thought the redneck capable of doing. Fascinated, the young man watched as the archer deposited baby food and blankets on the ground before taking the baby into his arms. The hunter's smile grew as the child in his arms giggled and slobbered on his vest.
Logan realized he must have been standing there staring like an idiot when Beth waved for him to come over. As soon as he started moving towards them, Daryl's smile disappeared and changed back into the almost constant glare.
"This is Judith," Beth introduced, "She is Rick's only daughter. Isn't she cute?"
"Yes," exclaimed Logan, fascinated by the baby, "I can't believe he has a daughter, most kids don't make it these days."
"Of course she made it," grumbled Daryl, "she is a little ass-kicker."
Logan almost choked hearing the crude nickname for the precious baby girl. However, Beth just giggled.
"Yup, our group's little ass-kicker," she replied, patting the baby endearingly.
Before Logan could comprehend exactly what was going on, Rick entered the campsite. Daryl handed Judith over to Beth and he and Logan went to help Rick's group unload.
Beth's POV
Beth hummed to herself as she spooned mashed potatoes into Judith's greedy little mouth. Some fell down the child's chin, but she scooped it up, making sure none went to waste.
"Hey there," came a voice from above her. The blonde looked up to find Tyreese looming over her. At first, she had been a bit intimidated by the large man, but now she saw him as a giant teddy bear.
"Hello Tyreese," Beth replied.
"Want me to look after Judith for a bit," Tyreese offered.
"That would be great," Beth said, putting the spoon into the man's giant hand.
"Hey Judith, you want some potatoes," asked Tyreese as he took Beth's place. The image of him feeding little Judith was priceless. The large man had certainly taking a liking to the girl while he and Carol had been on the run with her.
"I'm going to go get some dinner," Beth informed Tyreese before heading off to the main campfire.
After filling up a bowl with squirrel meat and beans, Beth looked around for Daryl. She finally found him sitting on a log at the edge of the camp site.
"What are you doing all by yourself," asked Beth as she sat down beside him.
"Just thinkin," Daryl replied.
"About what," the blonde questioned.
"About Zack," Daryl admitted, "I don't want to fail Logan the same way I failed Zack. I don't want to lose more people."
"Daryl," Beth said, putting her hand on his shoulder, "If anything, Zack lived longer because of you. You can't make yourself responsible for everyone. Things will happen, that's the world we live in now. However, I know you and I trust you more than anyone else in this camp. I trust you with my life."
"Don't," Daryl said through gritted teeth before hanging his head.
"Daryl," Beth pleaded, "what's wrong. Nothing happened on the run today, right?"
"No," the hunter replied, still avoiding her gaze.
"Then what's really wrong and don't give me any more of that bullshit about failing people because it is a bunch of crap," Beth demanded.
"Beth, I….," Daryl began before trailing off. He was obviously having trouble saying whatever it was he wanted to say. The young woman watched as his fists clenched and unclenched.
"I'm not the man you think I am," Daryl finally spat out.
"No you're not," Beth agreed, "you are much better."
"Beth, I'm not joking around," Daryl growled.
"I'm not either," Beth replied, not letting him push her compliment aside, "I may not know everything about you, but I know enough to know what kind of man you are."
The archer just shook his head in frustration, his long hair slapping against the sides of his face.
"Beth, after the night you were taken, I did some things I'm not proud of," Daryl admitted, staring a hole into the ground.
"We have all done things we aren't proud of," Beth told him, trying to make him see things the way she saw them, "that doesn't make us bad people. You are actually one of the best people I know."
"Beth, don't," Daryl raised a hand to stop her praise of him, "after you were taken, I chased after you all night. I tried so hard to follow you but I couldn't."
The blonde could feel the frustration rolling off of Daryl at the mere memory. She was shocked. Beth had known Daryl would follow her, he had searched for weeks for a little girl that wasn't his own, it was just who he was. However, she didn't know that he would run all night after a car that he couldn't possible catch. Beth felt as if her heart was aching, hearing how hard Daryl had tried.
"Then," continued Daryl, "I came to a crossroads and I didn't know which way you had gone. So I just sat there for who knows how long, waiting for anything to give me a hint, I just needed a sign. After a while, a group of men came up, the Marauders, and surrounded me."
"What did you do," gasped Beth, horrified at the thought of Daryl being in danger.
"Ha, I punched the leader in the face," he admitted with a slight grin, causing Beth to grin as well.
The moment didn't last long though; Daryl's voice grew harsh as he recalled how he fell in with the Marauders.
"Because that's what I have done my whole life," explained Daryl, "followed whoever was around to lead me, whether they were ass-holes or not. I just did what I was told. The leader, Joe, had some stupid rule about claiming things, anything you wanted you had to claim. I didn't do it at first, I planned on leaving, but I didn't. I began doing what Joe asked me to do, I stood and watched as they killed one of their men in cold blood, but I still didn't leave."
With that last statement, Daryl had pulled his knife out and had begun stabbing it into the log. His brow furrowed, not with anger, but with self-hatred at the memory.
"Joe had us following some guy who had killed one of his men," Daryl continued, his voice sinking to more of a whisper, as if he didn't want Beth to hear, "when we finally found him, it turned out to be Rick, who had Michonne and Carl with him. They all attacked them and threatened that they were going to kill Rick after raping and murdering Michonne and Carl. Those were the kind of people I fell in with Beth, those are the kind of people I am like."
Daryl pulled his knife out of the log and turned his back to Beth. She could sense that he was seconds away from standing up and leaving.
"You didn't finish the story," Beth demanded.
"Hunh," the hunter grunted.
"What happened after the Marauders attacked Rick and everyone," she insisted.
"I tried to convince Joe that they were good people," Daryl said, the memory clearly bothering him, "I tried to get him to let them go, but he wouldn't. Instead he said I broke his stupid code and had me beaten. I couldn't do anything to help them escape. Rick killed their leader and chaos broke out after that. None of the Marauders made it."
"Well, if you thought that was going to change my mind about you," Beth said, "then you are wrong. It only makes me more sure that you are a good person."
"How the hell do you see me as a good person," Daryl demanded, finally turning around to face her, "did you hit your head too hard? I fell in with a group of rapists and murderer and I fit in there, I followed their rules!"
"If you fit in there so much, why did you stand up for Rick and Michonne and Carl," Beth challenged, "why did you put yourself in danger to save them? When it was between them and us, you made a choice and you chose us. No one told you who to choose. You made that decision all on your own."
When Daryl remained quiet, Beth decided to answer her own question.
"It's because you care about us," Beth said as if it was obvious, "Every single day you put yourself in danger to protect and provide for us. I think you fell in with the Marauders because you were alone and hurt and needed a group to rely on, but you didn't belong there, you belong here, with us, with your family…with me."
The hunter was watching her with intense concentration, as if she was explaining the secrets of life rather than a simple fact. Suddenly, he reached up and cupped her face in his hand, running a thumb down the side of her cheek. Beth felt her face heat up in reaction to him. The look he was giving her was the same one he had given her long ago in the kitchen when she had asked him what had changed his mind.
"Daryl," Beth whispered. Instantly, Daryl pulled his hand away, looking embarrassed. The blonde was disappointed by the loss of physical contact.
"I got you something," the redneck said, reaching into his pocket.
"Really," Beth asked as she tried to get her heart to stop racing. She wondered if it was a new knife, if it was she would be awfully disappointed, she liked using Daryl's knife.
Daryl just nodded, he seemed to be resorting back to his normal taciturn self after telling her his story. He reached out, his rough callused hands gently pulling hers forward. Beth felt him drop something in her hands, something that was much lighter than a knife.
"I know you didn't like your scar showing, so I just thought…I don't even know what kind you like…," the archer muttered, obviously out of his element.
"Daryl," Beth said as she turned the bracelets over in her hands, "they are perfect, thank you."
"They are just bracelets," Daryl said, trying to brush off her praise.
The blonde promptly slipped the bracelets on while Daryl watched her shyly. One bracelet was forest green with a little metal horseshoe on it. The second was brown with dark green beads. The others were solid colors without any ornamentation but woven in various types of braids. Beth turned them around, enjoying how pretty they were.
"Oh, and I forgot to give you this back," Daryl said, holding something else out. Beth put her hands out and he dropped something silvery into it. It was the necklace her mother had given her. "The chain is broken, but maybe at some point you can find another one so you can wear it again."
"I never thought I would see this again," Beth cried, "how did you find it?"
"Gareth had it," Daryl growled.
Beth didn't bother to ask how that confrontation had gone. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Daryl, not caring that it was like hugging a statue. Just as she thought that maybe she should let go, Beth felt Daryl relax and his arms go around her. The blonde felt dizzy. She had often daydreamed about Daryl hugging her, but this was the real thing. He smelled like dirt and the forest and his arms felt strong and secure, like the time he had picked her up and carried her down the stairs.
All too soon, he pulled away.
"I had better go talk with Rick," he said, his eyes darting anywhere but her.
Beth smiled at him as he stood up and fidgeted around. Finally, he picked up his bow and headed back towards camp. The blonde watched his figure as he walked back. Daryl amazed her with how lithe he was. He moved more like an animal of the forest than a human who had multiple injuries that were healing. All too soon, he disappeared from sight.
Beth turned back around and picked up her dinner. She must have set it down at some point in the conversation and had forgotten to finish it. The young woman savored each bite although it was nothing special, it was more than she had had in days. As she finished the meal, a bush nearby caught her eye. It looked like berries clusters were mixed in with the leaves. Trying not to get too excited, Beth put her bowl down and walked over to bush. To her delight, it was a huckleberry bush. Looking around, the blonde saw that there were a few more berry bushes farther in the forest. A big grin spread over her face as she imagined telling everyone about her find.
Beth turned around to head back to camp when a hand clamped over her mouth. Terror rose up and the young girl tried to elbow the person behind her only to have her hands grabbed and pulled behind her back. She bit down on the hand that was over her mouth, but a cloth quickly replaced it. If she could only reach her knife, maybe she could do something. However, her capturer had a firm hold on her. The blonde looked over towards camp and could barely make out a few figures around the fire. There was no way that anyone would be able see her in the darkness of the woods. Beth strained towards camp but could feel herself slowly being pulled backwards, further into the trees, further away from the ones she loved and those who would rescue her.