"Cute," mom compliments my new boots. "Are those new?"
"Jesus picked 'em up because I've been talking about combat boots for six months," I note.
"I don't think there's anything in this world that that man can't find."
"A boyfriend."
"Ellie!" mom scolds.
"I've been telling him to find someone for like a year. He just doesn't want someone else in his life because he's busy with us. I told him he need friends outside of us."
"Some people are more independent than others."
I throw my leg over the fence to straddle the top. Mom was inside the pen breaking in and training a new horse that we'd found roaming outside.
"Like you?" I question.
"What's that mean?"
"I'm just saying.. you've got plenty of chances to find someone and screw around."
"I can't 'screw around'."
I make a face. "You know he would want you to be happy."
"I am happy. I have you and Hershel. I'm happy. I don't need a relationship to make myself feel better about myself."
"I think Anna is just afraid to leave me unsupervised," I comment, making mom laugh.
"Ellie, Maggie," Michonne's voice greets.
I look to the side to find her and Jesus walking over.
Well, shit.
"I'm gonna check on Marco," I tell mom.
She nods and I hop off the fence. A pain shoots through my arm, still hurt from the fight with Rosita and Gabriel.
Apparently, Rosita and Gabriel haven't told anyone about what happened. It's been a couple of weeks since it all went down.
"Hey, you," Cyndie greets. "What's up?"
"Not much," I shrug. "Talking shit. What are you up to?"
"I came by to help Enid restock the med supplies."
I roll my shoulder and nod. "I would ask how the bridge is coming along, but.."
"But, you really don't care," she cuts me off with a grin.
"I really, super, mega don't care."
Cyndie laughs and shakes her head. "What's up with your arm?"
"Training," I lie.
"Training.. you? For what? You're like one of the best fighters."
"Gotta stay in tip-top shape, you know?"
"Yeah?" she asks and I nod. "For what?"
"Just.. stuff," I shrug, ignoring the pain.
Did I give something away?
"We found the body of a Savior in the woods," she reveals.
The sudden statement makes me jump in alarm.
Then, I realize she figured me out.
I look around before grabbing her arm, tugging her into one of the horse stalls.
"Did you tell anyone?" I ask, pointing my finger in her face.
Cyndie shakes her head. "No.. We buried it where no one would find it."
I tilt my head in confusion. "What?"
Cyndie sighs and crosses her arms. "He killed Rachel's dad when we fought them before."
Rachel.. the little girl that Tara was afraid of?
"When we found his body, Rachel was.. relieved. She's actually sleeping at night. She's not having nightmares. She's not as angry as before."
Tha Savior I killed on the road meant something to Rachel.. One of the few children that were still round.
The idea of nightmares scarring a young girl sends a pang of hurt through my chest. I used to have nightmares when I was her age. Hell, I still did every once in awhile.
And Rachel's father was killed? By that Savior I killed just because we were walking on the same road?
"Why did you do it?" Cyndie asks.
My heart aches for Rachel. Sympathy and reliability.
"There wasn't a reason," I admit. "I just saw him walking. I wanted to do it."
"He didn't say or do anything to you?"
"No," I deny. "I just wanted to kill a Savior. It could've been any of the others and I still would have done it."
Cyndie slowly nods. "There's still so many of them."
"Too many for my liking," I confess and lean on one of the stalls.
"We could fix that."
"How so?"
Cyndie looks around to make sure no one was listening again.
"Cyndie?" I call.
"Oceanside is pissed that Negan is still alive. That people like that asshole that killed Rachel's dad are still alive."
"You have every right," I assure.
"What if we took them out? One by one so they'd never know?"
"Just me and you?"
"No.. I mean.. Maybe. Your mom would understand, I'm sure. But, I don't want to threaten her leadership if it backfires and Rick goes all.. Rick."
I chuckle at the wording.
"But, Oceanside saw what Maggie did to Gregory. What you did to that Savior just because he was a Savior.. We can put an end to it indefinitely."
I was going to do that anyway.
I was already doing that.
"There's another body twenty feet away from the Park Road," I reveal. "And two more out past the storage unit place. There's a body in one of the units, too. But, I locked him in there with walkers, so there's probably not much left."
Cyndie's jaw drops a little before she smiles. "Look at you getting a head start."
"Since Daryl's been leading the Sanctuary, I listen to what he says about certain people acting. Relationships they form. Then, I lure them away and.." I shrug. "I've been doing it like this for about three months."
"So.. are we doing this?" she holds her hand out.
"I was already doing it," I put my hand in hers and shake. "Probably best to have a team, though."
"And the arm?" she asks.
"I fucked it up when they came to Hilltop. It's been giving me trouble ever since."
"You want to go talk to Enid? I'll come with you so you don't feel like.. stupid. I cut my hand so badly I needed stitches because I was cutting potatoes. I'm sure she wouldn't flinch at a war injury."
I huff a laugh and nod. We walk out of the stalls side by side.
"It wasn't a potato slicer, was it?" I ask, glancing over at her.
"No, it was not," she remarks with a grin.
𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓇 𝓇𝒶𝓂𝒷𝓁𝑒𝓈--
I love oceanside so much hi
ellie killing saviors in secret this whole time just being a little bloodthirsty badass I love my demon child