Hello, devoted Carylers! It is we, Carol's Warrior Bitches, defenders of the Caryl faith and weavers of passionate tales of Carol and her eternal love, Daryl. We've started another little story for you, one filled with danger, adoration, desire and truth. We hope you enjoy the journey...

Chapter 1

The walker had caught the scent of something; there was no doubt. It had gone from a lifeless slouch against the wall of the post office to an excited shamble in the span of only seconds. Carol watched quietly from the shade of an ancient pecan tree as the rotting creature limped as quickly as it could down the centre of the street, a desperate hiss spilling from its cracked lips as it chased down whatever it was now hunting. After waiting until the walker was well ahead of her and making sure that the coast was otherwise clear, she silently followed to see what had attracted its attention. There might be something as simple as a wounded animal but it could also be someone who might pose a potential threat to her safety. She'd figured out that the dead could be an excellent early warning system in their own right when it came to keeping an eye on what was going on around her.

She'd been a week on her own, but she'd taken every lesson she'd learned from Daryl about survival to heart and had managed to avoid problems for the most part. Stay downwind of the predators, he'd told her…never get caught out after dark, leave nothing behind that would give away her presence, avoid routine and keep moving. If only he could see her now, how circumspect she was, she liked to think he'd be proud of her.

An aching wave of loss swept through her so quickly that she was unprepared for the crushing pain in her heart. The girls were gone, Daryl was gone – all the family she had left in the world had been ripped out of her life in an instant. Rick seemed to think nothing of throwing her out like he had, giving her some bullshit assurances about how she'd find others, how she'd make it alone. Even he didn't believe it, she could tell. The worst part was that he simply no longer cared if she lived or died.

She'd misjudged how he'd react when she'd told him what she had about Karen and David, and Carol couldn't help wonder if there wasn't more behind his decision than the belief that she'd taken two lives. The reasons she'd given him were perfectly legitimate – there was every chance the contagion could have been stopped had those two been the only people infected. The secret of what had actually taken place, though, was one she would never divulge. Better that she be banished forever than anyone at the prison ever find out the truth.

Another couple of walkers lurched out from one of the abandoned shops along the main boulevard and trailed close on the heels of the first, alerted by the eager, hungry grunts it was making as it drew closer to its prey. Carol fell back a bit further, her hand resting on the hilt of her knife in the event that she was somehow noticed and had to react quickly. As the dead closed in on the abandoned vehicles at the far end of the road, a nondescript figure darted out from behind a rusty green pick-up truck and stumbled unsteadily across the street, disappearing between two buildings.

Carol sighed to herself. For the most part, she went out of her way to avoid the living, not willing to take a chance with either her life or her heart. But as much as she steeled herself against caring, she couldn't help but take pity on someone who was obviously wounded and in trouble. There was no fair fight to be had against a gathering horde, after all, and so she set out for the alley behind the stores to get whoever it was out of harm's way and to safety. Patch them up, give them a bite to eat and a secure place to recover before she left...that would be enough. It would have to be, she wasn't willing to give more than that. Not anymore.

She crouched low and trotted softly down the back alley, stopping to hide behind trees or garbage cans as she made her way closer to where she'd seen the person disappear. Drawing her knife, she crept along cautiously, peering into dark corners and open doorways for any possible danger as she went. It took a few minutes but she eventually spotted a figure huddled down by one of the many dumpsters behind what had once been a restaurant. Smart, she thought to herself. If there was any stench stronger than that of the walkers themselves or even, say, the blood from an open wound, it would be the contents of the garbage bins, left to decompose into a reeking slurry in the heat of the Georgia sun for a few years.

The tactic was sound in principle but while the original gruesome threesome had apparently been thrown off the trail, what had once been an elderly woman had not been so easily fooled. Moving slowly but relentlessly, the primly dressed corpse was slinking up behind the person, one long thin arm stretched out in anticipation of the oblivious meal at hand.

Shouting out a warning simply wasn't an option – it would be like ringing the dinner bell – and so Carol ran as swiftly and lightly as she could along the broken, cluttered stretch of pavement. When she was almost there, she saw the person suddenly sag against the dumpster, head clutched in hand, and knew whoever it was would be of no use at all in whatever fight was to come. Redoubling her efforts, Carol flew down the alley and drove the walker to the ground from behind, spearing her knife up under the back of the decayed skull and into what remained of the brain even before the two of them skidded across the pavement.

Wrinkling her nose in disgust at the putrid burst of spongy flesh, Carol pushed herself off of the body splayed beneath her and yanked her weapon out again, wiping the blade off on what was left of the old woman's calico housedress. Letting go of a breath she wasn't even aware she'd been holding, she glanced over at the dumpster. It was a man – that much was clear from up close – but he'd collapsed on his side and was largely concealed in the navy shadows cast by the bin.

She sheathed her knife and shuffled closer to him. "Hey," she whispered, shaking his shoulder, blinking as her eyes slowly adjusted from the bright sunlight. "We have to get while the getting's good! We're not safe here."

He groaned and rolled over onto his back. Blood from a gash on his forehead coated one side of his face, but recognition slammed into her so hard that she fell over backwards onto her ass.

"DARYL?! I can't...but...my God...!" she stammered, the shock of the moment making her vision go a bit fuzzy around the edges. Her heart squeezed hard in her chest as a million emotions were cut loose, and she scrambled back onto her knees so she could reach out and grab his hand.

His eyelids fluttered when her fingers wrapped around his, but he seemed unable to focus. "Car...Carol...I hear you..." he moaned softly just before his eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out cold.

Oh, you KNEW he was going to come for her! More to follow soon! Reviews and encouragement always welcome and gratefully received!