"WAKE UP!" Said the voice again, and Caenen had to jump from his sleep for a second time. "Haha! Got ya didn't I?" Dallas was leaning over him smiling. His big grin and Texas accent was a funny combination when you got them together. Dallas often made people smile just by being around. "You didn't have to do that..." Caenen rubbed his head and moved his neck, finding that he had a kink from falling asleep on the rock. "You didn't hafta fall asleep on guard duty, butcha did. So I had to wake ya up." Dallas said with a big grin. Behind him Kat was laughing, but trying to be serious about it. "Dallas, someday you will yell at me to wake up and I will accidently shoot you in my sleep." Caenen pulled himself up to a standing position, "I don't think you would like that."

Dallas gave a hearty laugh at his friend and quickly got serious "What is wrong with you kid? You ain't never fallin' asleep on duty before, this just ain't like you." Caenen was distant, but allowed an answer anyway "Just more tired then I thought.." Then he turned around and looked in the cave and back at the two outside. "I take it the walkers already left?" He shifted his eyes from Dallas to Kat and back. "Yeah, they left early this morning. Wanted to thank you, but you were snoozing." Kat smiled at him in a devilish smile if there ever was one. Walkers were people who wandered from place to place with stories, selling goods, and trying to lend a helping hand. It was custom to give them some where to sleep if you afford to do it.

Caenen checked that all of his stuff was there and went back into the cave to gather some things he would need for his trip today. "I'm headed to the Village today, won't be back untill way late tonight or tommorrow." Kat glared at him again, and Dallas shook his head saying "You know that we are goin' with you kid, ain't no way I'm leaving you to fend off what ever is out there." Caenen gave a slight sigh and a shrug and with that sat down to boil himself some tea. It was really a rare thing to find real tea, but some leaves of plants made good tea if you boiled it right.

"Guess I can take my time then..." Caenen mumbled, annoyed and still half asleep. A few minutes later there was some form of mint tea (Maybe it wasen't mint, but the three could only pretend that it was) and they were enjoying it talking about the past. Somethings they loved to keep their dreams on. Dallas always wanted to meet with his brother back in Texas and build a huge farm to shelter people on, and held to the hope his brother was alive. Kat just wanted her family back, but she always said this with a reserved sigh.

Caenen on the other hand never knew what he wanted. He had always been tormented by the fact that he had a fight with his family the night before it all happened and ran off. When he got back, his house was deserted. He had not seen them since and never really expected to see them again. There were good memories of course, like torturing the people at their school with their pranks. Dallas and he had been masters of tricky pranks and pulled them on everyone. Since then though, Caenen had grown quiet, reserved, and almost cold while Dallas had only grown more bold in his humor.

About thirty minutes later, with their things gathered and the fires put out, they set out from the cave. Heading down the mountain path and into the vally they took a slow walk, talking and laughing over the past. As much as the had done this over the past year and a half or so, it was still one of their past-times. After Dallas' recreation of a joke they had played on their assistant Principal Mr. Fitzgerald, however, the group had grown quiet. They were deep in somber rememberence when Caenen spoke up. "Stop, someone is there...." Pointing at the woods in front of them he held his hand up just in case they had not heard him. All three Stopped moving.

"Ahh! So your not as blind as I though you were. I was thinkin' I could just jump you when you came by." Said a gruff, but dirty voice from in the woods. Stepping out was a man about six foot with stocky shoulders and several chains hanging from his coat. "Alright boys, Step out." With that, four other men about the same style came out of the bushes, all with dark hair and thick beards. "Now don't you be fighting, we have you kids beat by a long shot. Just hand over' and goods you might be carrying and we'll let you on your way." He gave a near toothless grin and Caenen gave a sly smile. "We aren't carrying and goods.." The man spit in disguest. "Don't be smart with me kid, I know you got somethin'. Give it up or else we will have to do this the hard way." Caenen straightened up and popped his neck. "Five to three.... I like thoes odds.."