LOYAL [TWD] (third book to TROUBLE)

richard and nabila

"Come with me," Nanami tugs Sakiko aside.

"Thank you!" she huffs, "I thought big dude was bringing me to Ezekiel but he just brought me to meet some chick named Nabila so she could teach me to paint so I could 'overcome' my 'trauma'.. Like, the fuck?"

"Dude," Nanami grabs her shoulders, "Shut up. I have to go somewhere."

"Where are you going?"

"Kingdom's doing a drop off of supplies to the Saviors. Benjamin asked me to go and said not to tell you or dad."

"The Saviors know you, though.."

"Yeah, that's what I said. But, he promised that they're always different. I talked to Diane and she's got some extra gear I can wear. A face mask."

"Who's Diane?"

"Another person close to Ezekiel, look that's beside the point! I have to go now. Tell dad I'll be back that I was doing something else and-"

"I'm going with you," Sakiko denies at once.

"Kiko, the Saviors definitely know you. It's too risky."

"Fine," she sighs, "But, if you're not back in two hours, I'm tracking your ass down."

"Deal."

--

Sakiko followed the truck.

Obviously.

She kept hidden down behind a chain link fence that had a tarp over it. She just watched. She didn't recognize the Saviors that got out of the truck. That made her feel a little bit better about Nanami being out there in the open.

Richard smarted off to them first and everyone drew weapons. Ezekiel commanded that Richard hand the gun over and he did. Then, the Savior made a move to hit him and Morgan intervened. The Savior then took Morgan's staff and went after him only for Benjamin to intercept with his own staff.

The Saviors left with little harm and Sakiko was back at the Kingdom before the others were.

--

"Like cobbler?" Jerry asks.

"I.. What's in it?" Sakiko peers over his shoulder.

"Peach cobbler, honey," Nabila answers.

"It's seriously.." Jerry stuffs his mouth full, still talking through the dessert, "Heaven in a pan."

"Maybe some other time," Sakiko sits down at the table.

"We never finished our painting session. Would you like to continue after lunch?" Nabila asks, putting cobbler on a plate for herself.

Sakiko pokes at the table, hating not having something to fidget with. She picks up a fork, if only to occupy her hands.

"Why do it?" she asks, looking to the older woman.

"Paint? I thought Jerry told you why.." Nabila trails off, looking at Jerry, "Did you not tell this girl why we paint?"

"I did," Jerry mumbles, crumbs falling from his lips.

"I mean.. He said why. But, I don't get why. Trauma and depression are just.. normal now. Why waste resources like that?"

Nabila scoots her chair closer to Sakiko.

"My father and mother were painters. They came to this country from Pakistan and brought their art with them. When things were hard, they painted. They didn't speak the language in full, they were looked at as monsters just because they were from somewhere else.. Their art expressed that."