۫ ּ ִ ۫ ˑ ֗ 𓏲˖ 𑁍 ࣪ ִ ۫ ּ ִ ۫ ˑ ֗
࣪𓏲ּ ֶָ  ✩◿𝓘𝓓𝓐◸ 🂱 ࣪𓏲ּ ֶָ
CHAPTER SIXTY SIX—
a boy and his painter horses

Austin perked his head up when he heard a branch snap, looking in the direction as he sighed in relief to see it had been Cyndie. "I'd say you're right on time but I don't have a watch."

"Well, 'get here as soon as possible' seems too big to put in a clock anyways." she shook her head, following him as he started to walk. "Fill me in on the plan one more time, I missed half of what you said because of the static."

"Negans daughter has been staying with me, she's not safe with him. He threatened to kill me, so she went back with him as a deal to keep me alive." Austin explained as Cyndie walked by his side and looked around the dark woods for walkers. "I want to get her back. He's also got Daryl, you remember me telling you about Daryl. And Eugene, he's a great guy. I'm not sure if we can get all three at once, but i'm gonna try."

"And how exactly?" she questioned.

"I'm gonna hop the fence and coat up in walker blood. I'll blend in with the ones in the fence long enough to make it to the side of the building. There isn't anyone watching on that side, it's a small space but I can make it up to the first window to crawl in." the oldest Grimes explained to her as their boots snapped the leaves and twigs under them. "From there, i'm gonna sneak in and find Natalie. I'm gonna send her down to you and that's when you'll bring her back. In the mean time, i'm gonna look for Daryl and Eugene and we'll take the same path through the woods."

"And how exactly are we gonna get there?" Cyndie glanced over, seeing his guilty face. She paused and grabbed his arm harshly. "How exactly are are we gonna get there?"

"Okay, you're not gonna like this." he exhaled with a guilty look, Cyndie gave a look of disbelief. "I found us a ride."

"You found us a ride." she repeated. "But you said the saviors took all the cars."

"Mhm." he winced with a forceful smile. "Keep an open mind?"

"What did you do?" Cyndie crossed her arms.

"I called in a favor, that's all. A favor I don't really know that well." Austin admitted as she smacked him in the arm. "Ow."

"How could you call in a ride that you don't even know that well?" she stared at him in complete disbelief. "Have you learned nothing from strangers? I was trying to steal your clothes."

"But, we weren't strangers." he pointed out. "I already threatened him and plan on keeping a gun out so he'll know. He's the only option we have to get there before sunrise."

"Who ever is it?" she was still talking in disbelief, but at least she'd started to walk with him again.

"The saviors found his home too. He's from..." he stopped, Cyndie gave him the same look. "A Kingdom."

"A Kingdom?" she nodded with a look of disbelief. "A Kingdom?"

"I know how it sounds." he promised.

"It sounds like you got us a ride with a psychopath. That's how it sounds." Cyndie shook her head as he gave her a guilty smile. "Who ever- oh my god."

Austin followed her gaze and froze. "Oh my god."

Archie looked from the horse and carriage he'd been on, seeing the pair. "Austin Grimes?"

"Archie?" Austin approached slowly. "Cyndie, this is Archie from the Radiostation."

"Hi, Cyndie." Archie offered her a awkward smile, no stranger to the look she'd been giving her. "Did you tell her to keep an open mind?"

"I did." Austin exhaled as he pulled himself into the carriage. "Nice...ride."

"That's Van Gough and Da Vinci." Archie pointed at the pair of horses that were going to be pulling the carriage. "They're shy."

Cyndie got into the carriage next. "There's gonna be a gun go the back of your head. Do not try a thing."

"Yes, ma'am." Archie nodded. It was easy to look at him and think he'd been completely innocent. His soft caramel curls that laid across his head, dark blue eyes, moles scattered across his face, a sweet and innocent smile toward people he was just happy to talk to. But, both of them knew better then to trust him right now. No matter how he looked. "So, we're storming the Saviors."

"We're just....barley storming." Austin explained as the horses began to take them down the road. "You've had a run in with them?"

"Killed my Dad." his tone changed slightly but it was clear he was fighting it. "I don't like to give in to what the world is becoming....but i'd say to slice his head clean off."

"I'll second that." it made Austin happy to hear Cyndie not threaten Archie, despite not fully trusting the unknown boy himself. For his family, he had no choice though.

"Thanks for coming through for us." Austin nodded to the boy, he looked barley younger then the two of them. "What's with the get up?"

"Oh, my gear." Archie looked down at the metal clasped around his chest. "It's our uniform."

"A uniform?" Cyndie questioned. "A guards uniform?"

"Yeah, exactly." he smiled, not realizing she'd been sarcastic. Austin gave Cyndie a look as he held back a smile at his oblivion. "It's bulletproof so...that's a plus."

"Why'd you come alone? I mean, you don't know either of us." Cyndie spoke from behind Archie. "You don't see the danger is meeting two strange people on the middle of the woods?"

"I do, but it sounded pretty urgent. I understand how you were feeling, knowing someone you love is in a lot of danger." Archie glanced over at Austin when he said it. "I figured I should take my chances in helping you save your family."

Austin gave him a single nod to show his gratitude. Archie shrugged slightly. "And, I wasn't exactly planning on coming alone but I couldn't get her to come with me."

"Who's her?" Cyndie asked.

"I don't know, she hasn't told us her name yet." he explained. His voice was deeper then Austin's was, despite being younger, and he'd been taller. When Austin took in his height, it made him think of how Abraham would would insult Austin's average height each time he'd get an attitude. He wasn't sure if it hurt him or made him happy thinking of the memory. Then, thinking about Abraham caused him to think about Glenn. And he hadn't been to the point where he was able to think about Glenn in a happy way yet. "I found her walking the roads a few weeks ago. Something bad had happened to her, I could tell. But, she was all alone."

"She's not talking at all?" Austin asked as he shook his head. "Have you had her checked out? You guys have a doctor, don't you?"

"Yeah, she had a few cuts and bruises and is deaf in one ear but aside from that, she's okay. I think she's resulting to silence to cope, i'm not sure exactly what happened to her but it seemed bad." Archie admitted, Austin saw something in his eye. Whoever this girl was, Archie had grown to care about her and was looking for a way to help her. It said something about him, being in an apocalyptic taught you how to see things in people. Archie liked to try and fix others. "I wanted her to come with me tonight, and she seemed like she almost did but then shoved me into a wall and locked the door."

"Sounds like she likes you." Cyndie said sarcastically. "You don't even know her name?"

"No, i've been calling her Maverick." he shrugged, realizing they'd been waiting to know why. "Because she's independent and has been avoiding conformity. Figured it fit her."

Cyndie shrugged. "That's fair."

"Cyndie went a whole semester calling me Dallas, so that's an upgrade." Austin mocked from the front.

Cyndie's jaw fell as he looked back at her with raised eyebrows. "I was hoping you didn't remember that."

"Oh, I remember." he hummed and tapped the side of his head. "It's all up here."

"I mean, it was better then Mr.Sanders calling all of us by numbers." she pointed out. "I skipped number nine for years when counting."

"And when Miss Jenkins kept calling you Syndey instead of Cyndie." Austin nodded his head. "Despite correcting her everytime."

"Ugh, you did not need to unlock that memory for me." Cyndie cringed, Austin smiled back at her slightly before he looked back to the dark road again where she had no choice but to feel like she some what belonged for the first time sense her familys death.

•

kylie speaks

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