A few days after the downfall of the Whisperers things slowly moved back to normal, slowly. Despite the previous horrors the group, including Lilia, had faced, they got back on track slowly. Even though they faced a lot of loss, everyone definitely became stronger after the horrific experiences due to the Whisperers.
Maggie helped with others getting their wagons together to go back home, clearing out the woods of walkers and also catching up with people who she's missed. It has been a long time since everyone has seen her, it felt quite strange to see her back and smiling.
My dad and I were walking through the woods after Gabriel and Rosita left with their group of people. I said goodbye to them before trekking through the woods in silence. My normal sword and bow on my back. We eventually bumped in Carol who was happy to see us. I was finally glad that we all made up with her, including my dad who was comfortable around her now.
"Hey stranger." I smirked as we came to a stop.
"Hey there." She replied with her signature smile, then nodding at my dad.
"Gabriel and Rosita just let with their group a bit ago." My dad told her. "Did Oceanside answer yet?"
"Yeah, and they'll take some." Carol answered.
"Luke is gathering up about a dozen of them. We can take the rest."
"You taggin' along?" I asked Carol, then looking behind her to see Maggie. I smiled as she walked over to us, giving her a small nod. "Hey Mags."
She grinned at us before a voice called out her name from behind, "Maggie." A male voice called. A few people appeared through the trees and started to trail over to us. At first I assumed it would be someone from Hilltop who previously knew her however the look on my dad and Carol's faces said they were new. My eyes squinted to get a good look at the unknown people coming our way.
"Who are they?" I asked, looking at the three unknown figures to me.
One was tall and dark-haired, suiting a beard and a man bun. Another had a white coat covering them with a mask to hide their identity, mysterious but weird. And the person next to them had a mask only over their mouth, brown eyes glazing over us all. His hair was short but a few curls drooped in front of his eyes, you could just about see a small scar trailing down from his cheek.
"Carol, Daryl and Lilia..." Maggie walked back over it us and gestured to each of us as she said our names. "Elijah," She pointed and the fully masked man. "Cole." She pointed at the guy with the man bun. "And Leigh." She finally stopped at the half masked guy.
"Hersehel and I were living with some of their people until recently." Maggie shortly explained. "We lost the village."
"Now we need to live with you." Cole quickly said. My eyes widened at his boldness.
"I thought I'd take them to Hilltop." Maggie then spoke. Oh.
My dad, Carol and I gave each other nervous looks. Maggie obviously didn't know what had happened...
"What is it?" She asked curiously.
I let out a small sigh and nodded her over, "It's better to show you."
We guided them over to Hilltop as it wasn't a short journey. In the meantime we informed the new people about the other nearby communities too. Just thinking about Hilltop brings me back to that day, the worries we all went through and how much we had lost despite how much we had fought back.
When we made it to the treeline of Hilltop Maggie quickly saw what had gone off. Hilltop was completely destroyed. The walls were burnt and partially broken down, buildings collapsed and broken fences everywhere. She gasped as she looked at the surrounding area.
"What happened here?" Leigh asked after letting out a sharp breath. I saw him looking over to me as he was next to me, his masks covering most of his face apart from his eyes, making him a bit more intimidating.
"We were attacked by people who we called Whisperers. Burnt down the whole place..." I shook my head at the thought and worries I went through that night. "We even had kids- but they still didn't care."
"Maggie, Negan was with the Whisperers. That night." Carol admitted. "I wanted you to hear it from me because-"
"It was you? You let him out?" Maggie guessed, disbelief written over her face and laced her tone.
"Alpha needed to die and Negan was our best chance. We were gonna lose everything. Negan's the reason we didn't." Carol answered calmly.
"You weren't there Mags, it was horrible." I deeply sighed and looked away from the damage in front.
"So, what now?" Cole spoke up. "What, everyone's supposed to go to...what is it?"
"Alexandria." I helped him.
"So, we all go to Alexandria and live next door to the guy who torched this place. Same guy who killed her husband." Cole thought out. My heart slightly stung at the mention of Glenn. "Is that right?
"It's either that or nothin'." I shrugged simply. "Negan helped us win despite how much of a bastard he is."
"He sounds like one too." Leigh mumbled through his mask but I heard it, looking up at him and giving him a smirk.
"Thanks for telling me." Maggie appreciated with a nod. "I need to get to Hershel and the others." She started to walk away with Cole, Elijah and Leigh walking behind her.
"I'll go with her, you two comin'?" I asked my dad and Carol. My dad nodded at me but Carol lightly shook her head. I hummed before jogging away to try and catch up to Maggie. "Party for one more?"
"The more the merrier." Cole perked up and gestured to walk with them.
We travelled through the woods for a while, walking into nothingness. I had no idea where the rest of Maggie's people were but by the looks of things...they must've been far. By her desperate pace to get a move on it showed we needed to hurry before it reached nightfall, however the sun was starting to set.
As we walked over a long field and then back onto a path we found ourselves drawing closer to multiple containers. But they were exactly abandoned. Walkers were roaming around as we got closer to the chain link fence.
We came to a halt as Maggie finally gave into stopping.
"Okay." Maggie said, looking at the containers.
"Okay? Okay what?" Kelly asked, who seemed to of tagged along a while back ago. "You mean stay here?"
"We should go up in the woods, find higher ground." Dad suggested and I let out a silent groan.
"It wouldn't hurt to clean this out would it?" I gestured to the walkers staggering around inside.
"I think we'd all sleep better in some shelter." Maggie grinned and walked over to the fence to get it open.
"Okay. So, all we have to do is clear the whole parking lot full of sickos and haul of for the night." Kelly repeated as if it was simple.
"It'll be a piece of cake." Leigh sighed and walked up to the fence as well to help Maggie. I took my sword out and stood behind them, once they opened the gate at marched through I immediately raised it and killed a walker at the side.
Everyone else had their signature weapons that they used with ease. I looked over to my right and saw Leigh swiftly kill multiple walkers with one swipe of his two crowbars. He saw me staring, standing up and sending me a quick wink before nodding behind me.
I turned around to see a walker limping up to me with its arms raised. I swung my sword before slicing its head clean off, the blood squirming out of its neck and staining the tip of my sword. Another tried to come at me but I did the same thing, slicing it's head off in an instant.
In the distance I heard Maggie yelp in pain whilst trying to push a container door closed. I caught Leigh's eye again before we both ran over to the noise, we saw my dad and Maggie trying to push the door closer.
I gripped my sword and ran over to them, stabbing the walkers in the head that was on the other side of the heavy door. They went limp and feel backwards but more just took their place, continuing to crawl their hands out and made attempts to grab me and the others.
Then Elijah came to help, putting his fists on the foot to support them. A few more walker hands pushed through the gap but I sliced them all off with a few swings and they dropped to the floor. A walker's head ended up getting trapped as the door finally closed, its guts squeezing out and spraying everywhere.
A few splats of blood and guts stuck to my jacket but I flicked them off casually. I put my sword away in its sheeth as I turned around to be met with Leigh again.
"Piece of cake." I mocked his voice with a scoff. "If that was only a piece to you then I don't wanna know what a goddamn whole one is!"
His eyes scrunched as he let out a small chuckle with a small shake of his head, before we all walked off to find some shelter.
•
I went on first watch with Cole, he walked the perimeter as I climbed up on top of one of the containers nearby. It was difficult considering I kept my bow and sword on my back but I eventually made it. My legs hung over the side as my eyes trailed the starry sky above.
Black sleeves rolled up to my elbows, the cool air hitting my bare skin. It was near silent apart from Cole's feet crunching the leaves a few meters away or the slight tapping of my nails against the container below.
I took my sword out of its sheath and rested it on my lap, some dry blood was covering it at the tip. To pass the time I made myself busy to clean it whilst still occasionally being wary of my surroundings.
At one point I got so distracted that I didn't notice a figure creeping below, a hand tapped my leg.
I jumped a bit and immediately dropped my rag I was cleaning the sword with. I grabbed my sword by the end, lifting it up to shoot it down to the sudden hand. Luckily, I stopped myself quickly before I caused any damage to the easily recognisable person below.
A chuckle echoed from the figure, "Sorry- didn't mean to scare you." Leigh looked up at me, the mask still firmly over his mouth but his eyes seemed kind.
I let out a quick sigh of relief, moving my sword and placed it beside me. "You didn't." I blankly replied before I felt a smirk rising. "What are you doin' out here?"
"Just checking up on you. Can a guy not do that?" He shrugged, folding his arms lightly. His eyes scrunched, indicating his smile behind the mask.
"Not unless they want somethin'." I raise a brow quickly, leaning over and resting my arms on my knees. "Been there, done that."
"You got me." He stated before nodding over to the other container where the others were staying. "Guy inside seemed worried about how long you've been up here, Daryl, I think?"
"Oh really? How sweet of you to take one for the team." I responded and swung my legs with a smug grin.
"Yeah, he was talking to Maggie anyways so I thought I'd give them some space." He said and looked down briefly. "He seems protective."
I replied with an airy chuckle. "That's my dad for you."
His eyes widened and head shot back up. "He's your dad?" He pointed to the container before it set it. "Huh, explains the accents."
An amused sigh escaped. "You gonna stand there, or are you comin' up? Ain't got all night." I shuffled back and leaned on my hands behind me.
"Care to lend a hand?"
"Nope."
"Fair." He muttered and eventually climbed his way up, despite the difficulty. He came back over and sat down next to me. "So, it seems like we're gonna be stuck with each other for a bit."
"Indeed we are. I can't wait to show you the joys of Alexandria." I looked up at him with a chuckle, as his frame was slightly bigger and taller than me.
I have to admit, it was nice for someone to care and check up on me. However it being someone I had just met was a bit of a surprise. But the gesture was nice.
We both sat there and got to know each other a little bit. After a bit of awkward conversation for starters, I eventually eased into everything. Of course I didn't open up then and there, but the other details would have to wait. At least until I was certain that I could trust him.
I understood that Maggie trusted him and I trust her, although you don't really come across that sort of kindness anymore. It was like a needle in a haystack, it was there but you just had to be eager enough to try and find it.
Leigh then insisted on taking watch, letting me go to the containers and get some rest. It felt strange at first, I've barely had any proper sleep in days. Constantly walking through the night and fighting in battles tired you out. Big time.
I gave in after much hesitation, collecting my weapons together and walking to the container. Before going in I heard Leigh yell, "Night Dixon."
I turn my head over my shoulder, "Goodnight Perkins." Cracking a smile before leaving.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷
book 3 here we come!
I've changed the layout if you have noticed to the side instead of the middle, it to me for some reason. I hope it doesn't annoy anyone!!
How do you feel about our new character Leigh? Good or bad vibes on him?