Dark blade, lone wolf

In the faint light of dawn, the immobilized RV gleamed grayish white.

Dale was still hammering beneath it, indistinct names of parts serving as background noise. He was racing to make repairs; they had to leave this godforsaken place as soon as possible.

Glenn and Andrea stacked the last few cases of canned food and water beside the Jeep, their faces and hands covered in dust.

What had happened last night made the atmosphere unusually heavy.

"We have to go find her!"

Carol's voice suddenly rose, shrill and somewhat unhinged.

She pulled free of Min-seon's hand, her swollen, reddened eyes fixed on the woods where Sophia had disappeared.

"It isn't fully light yet. If we go now, she might be near the edge of the woods."

"Carol..." Lori tried to reason with her, her voice weak. Carl stirred in her arms.

"Going now is suicide!"

Shane stood on the RV's roof, his voice cold and irritable, his shotgun muzzle lowered as he scanned the dark shapes moving farther down the highway.

"What's in those woods? How many walkers? It'll be light soon, and we'll be even easier targets! Risk everyone for a child who might...?"

Before he could finish, he was interrupted.

"Shut up!" Carol rounded on Shane as though he had struck a raw nerve. "She's alive. I know it."

Tears ran down through the dust on her face. Her daughter was the only thing she had left to hold on to.

"Shane's right." Dale's voice came from beneath the RV, heavy with exhaustion. "The woods are too dense, and we don't know what's in there. It's dangerous even in daylight, let alone now. We have to think of the bigger picture..."

The rest was drowned out by metallic hammering.

"The bigger picture? My daughter doesn't count as the bigger picture?!"

Carol screamed, swaying as she made to rush out.

Rick braced himself against the Jeep and straightened. "Carol, calm down. Shane... Dale didn't mean it that way. But rushing in really would..."

He looked toward the dark woods, an inexplicable fear rising in him. Without knowing the situation, it was all too easy to run into danger.

"Boss," Merle said, leaning against his motorcycle with his arms folded, a razor spinning between his fingers and a hint of interest in his eyes. "This little bitch is going crazy. But... how about sending a few people in to scout things out? I'm itching for some action."

He glanced at Lynn but did not dare act on his own. It wasn't that he was particularly kind; he simply found the noise irritating.

Daryl stood silently beside Merle, holding his crossbow, his gaze sweeping the edge of the woods and his jaw clenched.

Glenn and T-Dog exchanged uneasy looks. Andrea tightened her grip on her rifle and frowned. Davis stood just behind Lynn to one side. Everyone was waiting for orders.

Although they very much wanted to help this poor woman, they would not act rashly without Lynn's orders.

Everyone looked at Lynn. After the two incidents, he had fully earned their trust; even Shane rarely objected.

He stood beside the Jeep with his back to the argument, facing the woods. The morning breeze stirred the hem of his clothes as he considered whether this was feasible.

Carol sobbed, and Shane snorted impatiently.

Just as another argument was about to erupt-

At the edge of camp, near where the slope below the highway met the woods, a few clumps of withered yellow wormwood swayed slightly.

It wasn't the wind.

A figure emerged soundlessly from behind the wormwood.

He wore a dark gray-green urban combat uniform that almost blended into his surroundings.

His blond hair was tucked beneath a soft cap, and camouflage paint covered most of his face, leaving only his eyes exposed.

In the faint light, those eyes were cold and focused.

A quick-draw pistol holster hung at his waist, a knife sheath was strapped to his thigh, and the outline of a weapon was faintly visible behind his shoulder.

What made everyone hold their breath was the little girl whose hand he held steadily in his left-Sophia Peletier, wearing a pink jacket, her hair disheveled and her face smeared with tear tracks and mud.

Sophia was pale and trembling slightly, but she had no obvious injuries. Tears filled her eyes as she looked at the camp in bewilderment and fear.

Carol's cries caught in her throat and became a gasp, her eyes widening.

Everyone froze on the spot, delight appearing on their faces.

Lynn slowly turned around, his expression calm and unsurprised. His gaze swept over the blond man and settled on Sophia.

"Sophia!"

Carol's voice tore through the silence, trembling with wild joy.

She broke free of those holding her back and stumbled toward her.

"Mom!"

Sophia burst into tears, pulled free of the cold hand, and threw herself at her mother.

Carol hugged her daughter tightly, her body shaking violently as she cried, "Baby... my baby..."

The others were shocked once again as they looked at the mother and daughter clinging to each other and weeping, then at the motionless blond man and the suitcase on his back.

The blond man-The Jackal-did not look at the mother and daughter. His gaze passed over them and settled on Lynn. He gave an extremely slight nod, his eyes cold and unchanged.

Then, without waiting for anyone to react, even with Daryl's and Shane's weapons pointed at him, he abruptly retreated, melting into the shadows of the wormwood and woods.

He vanished without a trace in an instant, like a ghost.

"He... who was he?!"

Glenn's voice trembled as he pointed in the direction where the man had vanished. For an instant, he had thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.

"Where'd he go?!" T-Dog gripped his machete and looked around.

"Fuck..."

Merle cursed under his breath, spinning the razor again, his gaze grave.

Shane slowly lowered his muzzle, his brow deeply furrowed as he looked at Lynn, then the woods, with suspicion and uncertainty.

He had already guessed that this was the man who had fired yesterday.

Daryl lowered his crossbow, but his sharp gaze remained fixed on the shadows.

Rick and Lori exchanged a look. Lori hugged Carl tighter; at that moment, their faith in family was fully on display.

Dale crawled out from beneath the RV and looked at Carol holding Sophia, a trace of relief on his face, but far more shock.

Lynn withdrew his gaze and looked at the weeping Carol, his voice clear. "She's back now. No more arguing."

He surveyed everyone, then looked at Dale beneath the RV. "Focus on fixing the vehicle now. We have no time to waste."

Dale hurriedly answered, "Yes! Yes! I'll... I'll figure something out!"

He crawled back beneath the RV, and the hammering grew more urgent.

With Min-seon soothing her, Carol walked toward the Jeep holding Sophia. She was still sobbing, but she had calmed somewhat.

There was gratitude and respect in the way she looked at Lynn.

Glenn, Andrea, T-Dog, and the others continued sorting supplies, their spirits considerably lighter and their movements a little faster.

Standing on the RV's roof, Shane's expression shifted several times before he snorted coldly and stood guard with his gun in his arms.

The atmosphere in the temporary camp remained tense, but its heaviness and sharp edges faded.

The Jackal's appearance and Sophia's return further cemented Lynn's command.

The highway was long and dangerous, but Lynn already held the core of the group in his hands, and its cohesion was gradually improving.

The dawn sunlight illuminated the immobilized RV and the busy people around it.