Daryl was still running to find the river when he finally came across it, he froze and looked around but saw no one. He slipped off to follow the river up hoping he was going the right direction. He was shaking, he felt horrible for killing Jadis despite the fact she clearly deserved it.

He knew the games would leave him mentally scarred for the rest of his life if he managed to survive through them. He wondered if Negan or Paul would mind or if they'd drop him when they had to wake to his screams.

As he followed the river upward he noticed someone hiding in a bush. He slowly slipped towards them pulling a knife from his pocket as he inched towards them. He noticed the blonde hair and lowered the knife. "Andrea." He whispered softly. Andrea looked up in surprise to see Daryl coming towards her, she shot up and raced to him before throwing her arms around him. "Shh, I've got you. It's okay."

"Four.. I counted four cannons."

"Jadis, Amy, Eugene, and Oliva." Daryl replied softly kissing her leaf tattered hair. "We need to keep moving." He grunted as she let go.

She nodded and began to follow after him, she was soon handed the extra knives he had collected. "Where are we headed?"

"Just come on, we need to keep moving." He hushed her. She nodded and followed him closely, Daryl knew it would have been smarter to do this by himself. Keeping her so close to him was possibly the worst mistake possible. She wasn't a silent walker that was for certain and she also didn't seem to know how to shut up.

"Andrea." Daryl finally snapped after walking about fifteen minutes of her just chattering. "We need to be quiet so no one kills us, alright?"

Andrea nodded quickly, silencing herself, Daryl nodded his thanks. He took her hand in his own and pulled her along, noticing movement coming towards them. She raised two knives as he nocked his bow again as Cyndie and Morgan appeared from the lines. Andrea went to throw her knives when Daryl dropped his bow and raced forward pulling Cyndie into his arms. Cyndie clung to him tightly. She began to sob in his hold, Morgan looked him up and down and nodded with a smile seeing he was going to take care of Cyndie even if he was killed. "It's okay little one, it's okay. I got you a gift." He said as he pulled from her grasp and pulled the trident free from his belt before he lowered himself to his knees and raised it up for her to see.

The trident was something most of district four understood and knew how to use to their advantage. Cyndie wiped the tears from her face and happily took the trident from Daryl's grasp. "For me?"

"It's for you, I have my bow, I don't need this and the fine weapon is much more deserving of someone who can properly use it."

Cyndie smiled and then showed her new weapon off to Morgan. "You'll use it well." He smiled as he patted her head.

The districts were talking, there was a big talk about how cute it was to see Daryl with a child like Cyndie and how kind he was to get her such a weapon. Negan and Paul were floored, not only had Daryl already killed one person but also had allies.

"There were four canons." Morgan remarked as they continued to follow the river. "Do you know who made the kills?"

"I killed one." Daryl retorted as they sat back to recuperate and allow Daryl to pass out some food and water to everyone. "Jadis.. She was trying to kill the little girl from seven…"

Andrea looked up at him with big eyes. "You mean you were one of the cannons?"

"Yes." He replied lowering his head. "I wasn't going to just let her die."

"There are twenty left," Morgan replied sitting back, "but only one of us is going to make it out of here alive."

There was a silence that blanketed the group, the sound of birds could be heard but Daryl honestly didn't know if those birds were real or just a simulation. The crackling of the river kept them at ease. "We need to rest…" Daryl finally stated knowing he was going to be the leader of this group. "If we don't sleep and don't rest we will die of exhaustion. We need to take turns staying awake, but Cyndie is the youngest. She needs the most sleep so I think we should rotate between the three of us."

Morgan nodded. "Who first?"

"I can." Daryl replied, "everyone else needs to get some rest, okay?"

The others nodded, Cyndie curled up hugging Daryl's side while he sat and kept watch. He ran his fingers through Cyndie's hair while she slept. As the night continued the tribute to those who died appeared above them. Cyndie jumped in surprise, he tried to ease her as he picked up a few wild flowers and pulled her hair back weaving the flowers into her braid.

While many people were asleep now it certainly would be a highlight for Caesar to talk about tomorrow during the review of Day One.

Nevertheless Daryl was and continued to make an impression on the capital and even within the districts. While everyone else was trying to slaughter and maim Daryl was taking the time to build relationships and work on his image even if he was just being himself.

As the sun came up that morning Ceaser was quick to express his excitement for how the first day went over. Each kill was shown in full, praised, and then overly explained. Truth or lie each small action was described and retold regardless of the sheer amount of times they showed it. Finally Caesar brought up the two scenes of Daryl with Cyndie, everyone was overjoyed to see the soft moments between the two. Seeing how they were together warmed their hearts.

"Now, not only did he go out of his way to find her but he also went back to the cornucopia to possibly face death to get her a trident which he gave to her ever so movingly."

Daryl was the first up. Morgan and Cyndie wanted to see if there was a bigger body of water while Daryl knew better. Andrea didn't really care where they went; she just wanted to survive as long as she possibly could. "Let's just keep walking okay?" Daryl suggested as he handed a pack to Andrea and picked up his quiver once more.

The group nodded agreeing to his plan, they packed themselves up and followed suit. He didn't know how to tell them not to enter the lake without sounding like he knew more than he should. He knew it was drinkable, and you could fish in it, but he didn't know why you weren't allowed to enter it.

Water sounded good, but if Negan said not to then he wouldn't.

He trusted Cyndie but he didn't trust Morgan and he wasn't against letting him jump in to find out why it wasn't safe. As he led the way he froze, the sound of the river was no longer the only thing he could hear. There was at least two extra steps of footsteps. He nocked his bow and quickly turned, causing Morgan and Andrea to duck as Glenn, the boy from district nine, came out from behind some trees along with Tara from five.

Tara ducked but Glenn got an arrow directly through the skull, the boy hit the floor blood pooling from the lifeless frame. Another canon went off waking any tribute who felt they could continue to sleep in. Tara raced forward with her sword raised in an attempt to fight back. Andrea threw her knives as she came at them while Morgan raised his bowstaff blocking the sword. Tara hit the ground as Cyndie brought the trident down over her.

There was then another canon.

"How did you know they were there?" Andrea asked as she turned back to look at Daryl who was pulling his arrow free from its latest victim.

"I just heard footsteps." Daryl remarked with a soft shrug. "We need to keep going alright."

The group nodded as they continued to follow Daryl's lead. Only six tributes were dead, usually by now twelve or fourteen people were usually dead. It was an honest surprise only six tributes were dead and Daryl was the cause of two of them alone. Daryl continued to lead until they did make it to the lake that Negan had warned him about. Andrea was eager to jump right in just as Cyndie and Morgan were.

"Do you think it's safe?" Daryl asked, looking into the enticing water.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Morgan questioned.

Daryl froze; he knew he had to come up with some reason or he would look wrong for saying anything. "Could have piranhas."

Morgan laughed off his suggestion, it was a small lake in the middle of the hunger games he didn't know why they would do such things if they wanted people to fight to the death there was no reason for piranhas. Nor did it make sense for them to be only in the lake and not in the river.

Daryl just shrugged but didn't trust it anyway. What he didn't know was he was correct, there were in fact genetically engineered piranhas within the lake. "I just…you know I can't swim." Daryl said, it was honest and it made up for the fact he was so weary of the water.

"I'll get in, you'll see its fine." Andrea replied. Daryl eyed her cautiously. "I can swim."

"I really think we shouldn't, you don't know what could be in there, it isn't like this is completely clear water."

Morgan rolled his eyes. "If you won't let her I will. I'm made for water."

Daryl nodded softly, he knew he should just tell them the truth but he certainly wasn't going to allow anyone to know that he had learned information before the games happened. If he just allowed it to occur it wouldn't seem incriminating. "Fine but I don't trust water, I know the dirt and I know the woods."

Morgan laughed and dove in, Paul and Negan cringed as he jumped into the water. They knew Daryl couldn't voice his true opinion but it was still hard to see what was about to happen. The water began to bubble as Morgan didn't resurface as quickly as they had anticipated. Daryl held Cyndie back as she made an attempt to jump in after him, Morgan resurfaced soon screaming as the water began to grow distributed and small tails could be seen. Blood began to raise up and surround him within the lake.

"No Morgan no!" Cyndie screamed as Daryl picked her up and tried to cover her mouth with his hand.

Andrea was mortified to watch as he sank under the surface again as a cannon went off. Daryl held Cyndie close to him as she sobbed. "Hey it's okay.. It's going to be okay. You're still here, you're still here." Daryl whispered softly as he held her close. Andrea looked to Daryl and then back to the maroon stained water.

"I will never trust a body of water again." Andrea whispered as she tried to console Cyndie with Daryl. "You were right not to trust it."

"If I can't see it, I don't trust it. Learned that a long time ago." Daryl whispered as he cradled Cyndie close. "You're okay, it's okay."

"It's not okay.. Not okay…" Cyndie cried harder. "He knows water… he knows water."

"I'm sorry.. I know.. I know.. Hey, just breathe. Breathe."

Cyndie finally calmed down and Daryl adjusted her on his back so he could carry her while Andrea followed. Daryl needed to find some sort of shelter for them, he kept her on his back while his quiver sat on his front with his bow in his hand. His right arm was wrapped under her butt behind him to keep her propped up.

As they walked they heard a cannon go off, Cyndie held him tight shaking at the cannon's boom.

"Who do you think that was?"

"I don't know, but whoever it was, they're gone now." Daryl replied as he kept walking Cyndie clung to him fearing whatever was going on within the woods. The one who was dead was Max from district three, Phillip, Shane, Rosita, and Lori had teamed up. They were going on a slaughter spree, or at least that was their intention.

They wanted to go home, Philip and Shane most of all and their intentions were to come home winners.

Philip had killed the first three of the game and he wasn't planning on losing his streak.

Philip and Shane had decided against their plan to rape Daryl knowing the games would never allow it and if they happened to win they'd be looked down upon, but they did plan to mame and make his life hell.

The group was planning to kill every single living thing that crossed their path. Animal or human, but preferably human.