Forager || Rick Grimes

f i f t e en

The group had dug Dale a grave. He laid now next to Sophia.

The entire group were standing by, looking down at them.

Natalie's mind and heart were racing. She felt so many emotions at this moment that her heart was spinning.

Sadness. Because of losing Dale, someone that was good inside and out.

Anger. Because the group had failed. The last he knew was that they were going to kill Randal.

Disappointment. Because she had failed Emilia, who begged her mother that she didn't want anyone else to die.

Natalie kept her eyes on the grave, with her hand on Emilia's shoulder, rubbing it slowly, trying to soothe her. Isabel stood next to Natalie hugging her arm as she too let out silent tears.

Rick came forth, he sighed and looked at everyone. When he looked at Natalie, she saw the pain smeared in his eyes, he was struggling to speak it seamed.

He would open his mouth then close it trying to find the right words that would honour Dale perfectly.

"Dale could get under your skin," he finally started, "he sure got under mine, cause he wasn't afraid to say exactly what he thought. How he felt. That kind of honesty is rare... and brave. He saw people exactly how they were - he knew things about us... the truth, who we really were. In the end, he was talking about losing our humanity, he said this group was broken. The best way to honour him is to set aside our differences - come together. Stop feeling sorry for ourselves, take control of our lives. Our safety. Our future. We're not broken. We're gonna prove him wrong." He said looking straight at us, "from now on, we're gonna do it his way. That's how we honour him."

Natalie agreed. She nodded at him and he nodded back in gratitude. She rubbed her daughter's arms and lead them back to the house and away from the graves.

As the day went on, Natalie had noticed the drop in temperature. She went over to her father who was sitting at the table.

"Hey, dad," she spoke sitting beside him. He smiled as he acknowledged her. "It's getting colder now, winter is definitely on its way."

"Yes, we need to start bringing the cattle in, so they don't freeze out there." He replied.

"What about Rick and his people, maybe we should bring them in. We don't want them to freeze out there."

"I've been thinking the same thing," Herschel said, surprising Natalie.

"Really?"

"Really." He said smiling and placing his hand on her's.

"We should start today. So everything is organised." She said getting up. He followed her out. "Beth can come bunk with Maggie, and me, Emmy and Izzy can come with you, I'll take the couch and they can have the bed."

"What about Jimmy and Patricia? They'll have to stay somewhere."

"We can ask them where they'll feel comfortable sleeping." She said as they walked to the other group's campsite. "But Lori needs to rest on a proper bed, with her baby coming along. We haven't got all the privileges so we'll have to try and make the best out of what we have."

"Rick," Herschel called.

Rick looked up and saw Natalie and Herschel walking over, he met them halfway, "Everything alright?"

"Winter is coming," she began, "it's going to get colder."

"You should move into the house, it'll be warmer with everyone being together, we'll have heating which will benefit Lori and your baby," Herschel informed.