The leader in charge asked Mick to give Diane and me a tour since it was our first time here. I simply followed Diane as he showed us around the small encampment. There were only about forty houses and one barn behind the protective walls.

We rejoined the Traders as they sat on benches in the sun, mingling with the townsfolk while waiting for supper. Mick was eyeing up the recurve bow on Diane backpack as it sat at her feet, "That bow looks like it would take some strength to pull."

Diane nodded, "It does, but it can take down a deer if I ever need to."

Diane had let me play around with her bow in the past. I could barely even budge the string. Mick looked curious, "May I try it?"

Diane shrugged, "Go for it."

Mick eagerly picked it up and tried to pull the string back. A funny look crossed his face as he was unable to move the string more than halfway to a full draw. He relaxed his pull and gave Diane an odd look, "You use this regularly?"

Diane didn't seem surprised that he was unable to use her bow and nodded, "I usually practice a few times a week if I haven't been out hunting."

Another man from the village had been watching, "What is the draw weight on that thing?"

"Around 80 pounds if I remember correctly."

He shook his head, "Not likely that high if you can draw it. Pass it here Mick."

We watched as Mick passed it over and the man had his turn to grunt and huff without a successful full draw. He handed the bow to Diane, "Prove you can actually draw this thing."

Diane raised her eyebrow in amusement as she took her bow back. She promptly lined the bow up with a distant tree and pulled the string back behind her ear as if aiming a nonexistent arrow. It hadn't taken her any effort at all to do it either.

She put it back in its holder on her backpack. The two men were wearing astonished looks, while more looked on with interest. Mick's eyes strayed to Diane's other weapons. Her sword and dagger were attached to her belt. "I suppose that you also know how to use your other weapons too."

Diane nodded, "Yes, no sense carrying the extra weight if I can't use it."

I remembered some of Diane's practice sessions. Oh yes, she knew how to use both quite well. She was also good at hand to hand fighting. Mick slowly nodded, accepting her word and not questioning it. She may have let him try her bow, but I knew that she would not hand over her sword.

Supper was bread, rabbit and potato stew, fish, and some greens. I sat between Diane and one of the Trader ladies called Sandy. Mick was sitting on the other side of Diane and talked to her most of the meal. I was surprised that they were so scared of zombies.

It reminded me of some of the people in the Fort who never ventured outside of the fence unless there was a funeral. I looked around at some sad faces and realized that everyone here had lost most of their family and friends to the zombies. They had reason to be scared and zombies were dangerous.

The meal ended and the guy in charge addressed the Traders, "You know we have the guest houses available. Please feel free to use them."

Dave nodded, "Thank you for your offer."

The man looked at him, "I assume you will leave a few with the trailers?"

He must be familiar with Dave's group to know that he would leave a couple of people to guard the trailers. Dave nodded and glanced at us, "Diane, Sandy, would you two please mind the trailers?"

Both of them readily nodded. Sandy didn't like being indoors. She had told me that she had a hard time sleeping inside since she had almost been caught by a few zombies inside of houses when the zombies first appeared.

Mick and a few others looked shocked. Mick looked at Diane, "Why stay outside when you could be in a guesthouse? There is a guest house by my place, honest, no one will bother you during the night. Where would Laura stay?"

I gave him a funny look, why was he trying to drag me into this? I preferred to sleep on top of the trailer as opposed to inside this strange place filled with strangers.

Diane looked at him in curiosity, "Somewhat like Sandy I also have problems with being cooped up. Laura will follow me, of course. Zombies cannot get on top of the trailer, I doubt they could even get past that fence we put up."

Mick looked at her with pleading eyes, "What if a zombie does get past the fence and gets up on the trailer? What if a Swift appears?"

I saw it now. He was terrified of the outside world and trying to keep us where he thought it was safe. I had slight suspicion that he had a crush on Diane, that would explain why he had been talking with her so much today.

Diane wasn't giving in though and replied in a reasonable voice, "We have dealt with zombies for a long time, and most are quite predictable. Even if one did get past the fence the ladders on those trailers are proof against even a Swift."

He must have just caught a direct head on glimpse of Diane's eyes since he seemed distracted, "What if one catches you or Laura on the ground?"

Diane grinned without much humor, "If it gets that close to Laura, then it will go the same way as another one did when it got too close to a group mate of mine."

He blinked in confusion, "An arrow will not kill a zombie."

Diane raised an eyebrow at his denseness, "My sword is not decorative. It has sliced through a zombie neck in the past."

He blinked at her reply and did not respond. He was scared of simply going outside of the fence and wasn't sure what to make of Diane now that he knew that she had killed at least one zombie. People started to leave the room as they finished eating and I followed Diane as she left.

I noticed a guy approach Mick and pat him on the back. They whispered something, but I couldn't hear it. Although judging by her faint grin, Diane obviously did. Sandy joined us as we went outside of the palisade gate.

The sky was clear, so we didn't bother setting up the tent. It was nice to look at the stars. Occasionally one would shoot across the sky. We laid in our sleeping bags and watched the stars as we drifted off towards sleep. Sandy pointed, "Oh, there is another shooting star. Better make a wish."

I blinked slowly as I thought. I already had everything I wanted. What more could I wish for? I glanced over at Diane as she was looking up contemplatively, I couldn't see her eyes as she hid their inner light. That was one thing I missed, seeing her eyes glow. Yet she was happier on the road than she had ever been in the Fort.

I gazed back up at the sky. That was a wish I could make. To remain with Diane and for her to no longer need to hide her abilities. I guess that was two wishes, but I had seen at least a dozen shooting stars. With that wish, I fell asleep and dreamed of Diane laughing with me as her eyes shone brightly in her happiness.

I woke to the sound of a tormented moaning noise and rolled over. Sandy sounded like she was having a nightmare. I heard Diane faintly sigh before she got up and went over to Sandy and gently shook her shoulder, "Sandy."

With a jolt Sandy woke up and looked around frantically as if her nightmare might follow her into the waking world. She finally realized it had been a dream and took a deep breath. She rolled a bit to look at Diane, her voice was foggy with sleep, "What's up?"

"You were having a nightmare, sorry to wake you."

She shook her head as if to try and clear it, "Yeah. Thanks. Uh, Diane?"

Diane tilted her head, "Yes?"

"Are you aware that your eyes are glowing?" Diane's body froze and I held my breath. Diane's back was to me as she woke Sandy, so I hadn't noticed her eyes. To the best of my knowledge, no one in the entire Fort had seen her eyes glow other than Ace and me.

Diane sighed, "Yeah, they have for a very long time. It is more noticeable at night or in the dark."

I couldn't really see Sandy in the dark, but her voice was curious, "Wow. They are sure a bright blue."

Diane chuckled, "Tell me about it. At night everything has a blue tinge to it, but I can see fairly well."

I tucked that interesting tidbit away. If Diane spoke so freely with Sandy, I was pretty sure that she would answer my questions if we were alone. There were so many things I wanted to ask Diane, but hadn't really dared in case she left.

Sandy yawned, "Well, as neat as it is, if it isn't anything new then I am not going to worry about it. Good night."

I relaxed in my sleeping bag. I was very glad that Sandy didn't seem bothered by Diane's eyes. I also hoped that she would keep them a secret. Diane headed back to her sleeping bag, "Good night."

I cuddled up against Diane's back. I had felt her leave earlier in the middle of the night for her run since she had skipped her evening run. Her even breathing swiftly lulled me back to sleep.