Chapter Text
Artemis lay on her back on the floor of a shack designed for hunting parties. Diablo snored softly beside her. His weight and warmth providing a comfort she needed more now than she ever realised she would. She watched his back rise and fall as he grumbled in his dreams, toes twitching. She rolled onto her side, sighing. They'd been alone for a while again. She wondered how long it would just be the two of them this time.
She always knew it would come down to her and Diablo vs the world, she knew, even if she didn't want to believe it.
The previous group had been a band of misfits and fools, but they welcomed her and allowed her to take part, safety in numbers and so on. They'd found a large house to call home for a while just outside of Atlanta, and for a while they were doing well, until on a run they had stumbled across a one handed redneck, almost bled out and clearly suffering delusions. The others wanted to leave him, and Artemis was horrified. She and Diablo had disbanded and followed the redneck for a while, until he was picked up by others, and driven off.
She didn't bother heading back to find her 'group'. She and Diablo headed back to her truck and drove away without a second thought. Diablo especially seemed pleased about the decision. Though they never left each other's side there was something happening between some of the group and her best friend she couldn't work out, but he hated most of them. She trusted his judgement over any human's, so she was constantly wary.
They were better alone.
She had no way of counting the days, knowing where in the calendar they now sat, though it had been several weeks since the weird one handed redneck, and possibly months she left her home for the last time. The days were still longer than the nights. The leaves in the trees still green, but the irises were dying off. Spring was over, then, and Summer was rolling.
She wondered if it mattered when in the calendar they were, when in time. Did time exist anymore? Certainly not like it did before, not in the 'not having enough' way, the 'life is short' way. Time now was literally the rotation of the earth, the orbit of the planets around the sun.
Knowing when winter was to be expected would be incredibly handy, She'd need winter clothes if she didn't find somewhere more permanent to stay. They moved on every few days, maybe once a week. It was not safe to hang around too long, she knew that before but now it was more pronounced. Her first herd walked through while she resided with 'the group', moving definitely had its pros.
It had it's cons, too. She'd learnt now that there were more others than she expected, and being out meant more chance of facing both the living and the dead.
Diablo made things easier. He was her protector, through and through, and would warn her of anything he heard or smelled before she did. She had no doubt he had kept her alive this long. He'd certainly helped.
She ruffled his fur and was again saddened to feel his ribs without much effort.
"Next kill is for you boy" she said, and his ears twitched at her voice "Whether its a rabbit, a squirrel, or a buck, I'll let you have the king's share" She bent and kissed the top of his head. Rather than turning to lick her cheek in return, as she expected, Diablo jumped up onto all fours and bristled, growling at the door.
Looked like it was time to move on again.
"Diablo, behind" she stage whispered, and the dog, still bristling, stood directly behind her, and they both watched the door. His growling ceased as the tension mounted, knowing now that quiet was needed in such situations. The scratching came soon after, the dead clawing at the thin wood panelled door, all that seperated them from a potential meal.
Listening hard Artemis thought it was maybe only one, but the only way to be sure was to open the door and face them. Not an option she wanted to explore. She wriggled her fingers on the grip of the Bowie, knowing she needed to keep movements fluid, relaxed, to stand the best chance. Stiffening up might not stop her killing the monsters, but she'd pay for it the next day in aches and pains.
Galloping broke her from her own thoughts, Diablo stopped bristling as the hoof steps got closer and closer, He looked at the door as confused as she did. The sound was steady, comforting. A steady rhythm in a world full of chaos, A familiar noise among the strange.
Barely daring to breath Artimis moved closer to the door and lay her ear against it. As the galloping began to recede past the hut, so the clawing at the door stopped, feet shuffled, moans and groans were moving away from the stoop. Artemis smiled and turned to her dog
"The horse is drawing them away" she smiled at him, "We don't have to move yet, We'll be fine a little longer" She always knew there was a reason she loved horses, animals in general. Life saving, smart, creatures she'd happily surround herself with them and not people.