In the agricultural area of Blackberry Ranch, plenty of people were hard at work as well.
Large stretches of newly cleared land had been roughly divided into plots with wooden stakes and rope, waiting to be sown.
Mr. Howard was at Rock Fortress, researching new crops.
So Joey and Morgan had become the ones in charge here.
Joey, who had once been quiet and reserved, now had a booming voice. "Over here! Break up these clumps of soil a little more!
A few of you, come with me and dig that drainage ditch over there another inch deeper. Spring brings a lot of rain. Don't let the seedlings get soaked!"
Morgan was swinging a shovel with steady force in another field.
Sweat slid down his cheeks.
Here, facing the land, he seemed able to find a moment of peace, along with a grounded kind of redemption.
"Dad, what kind of seed is this?" a clear child's voice rang out.
Duane was peering curiously into a seed bag.
Morgan crouched down, picked up a bean seed, and placed it in Duane's palm.
"This is a bean, son. Plant it, take good care of it, and by summer, it'll grow lots and lots of beans so none of us go hungry."
Duane carefully held the seed in his hands, full of interest.
Around them, the other farmers and residents in charge of agriculture were working with enthusiasm.
Some used crude rakes to level the ground, some were sowing seeds, and others were covering them with a thin layer of soil.
Even the earthy smell in the air felt deeply reassuring.
Calista and Leah rode to the edge of Blackberry Ranch, pulled on the reins, and quietly watched the scene.
"This is nice," Calista said softly. Sunlight fell on her golden braid, casting a warm sheen across it. "We really can put down roots on this land, survive, and even... live better."
Leah was beside her, her gaze sweeping over the orderly fields and the busy crowd before finally settling on her sister's faintly smiling profile.
"Because you led them here," she said, not loudly, but with certainty.
The wind blew across the freshly turned soil.
Everything was coming back to life. Hope was being carefully buried in the earth, waiting for the moment it would break through the surface.
...
In Rock Fortress Command Center, Calista stood in front of the radio while Danny sat at the operator's seat, carefully adjusting the knobs.
Leah leaned against the wall beside them with her arms crossed, her eyes closed as she rested.
Shane had come this time too. He had told Calista that after she finished speaking with Rick, he wanted to say a few words to Carl.
His relationship with Rick and Lori was complicated, but Shane truly cared about Carl.
"This is Rock Fortress, calling the Prison. Rick, respond if you copy."
Danny repeated the call.
After a brief crackle of static, Rick's voice came through.
"...Copy, Rock Fortress. This is the Prison, Rick. Signal's clear, Calista."
Calista took the receiver. "Rick, it's good to hear your voice clearly again. Looks like spring really has brought a few good things with it."
"Yeah, the signal's gotten a lot better too," Rick said, his voice relaxed. "Winter's finally over. How are things on your end?"
"We made it through," Calista said evenly. "We reinforced the defenses, and our supply consumption stayed within expectations. We've taken in some new people, and we're expanding the base to increase our farming area."
"Sounds good," Rick replied. "Things are fairly stable here too. The Prison made it through winter safely, and we strengthened the defenses a little.
Hershel, Otis, and Jimmy have already started turning the soil in the yard. Our population is up to forty-two now."
Forty-two.
Calista and Leah exchanged a glance.
That number had grown quite a bit as well.
"Congratulations, Rick," Calista said. "In the apocalypse, population is the foundation of hope."
"Yeah." Rick's voice seemed to lighten a little, and he began sharing more details. It was both an exchange of information and, in a way, a release of pressure. "A lot of people in the group have found their place.
Lori, Beth, and Patricia have been handling the household work well. At least everyone has a decent place to stay and hot food to eat."
Then he shifted to the changes in their combat strength, his tone carrying clear admiration. "What surprised me even more were some of the others.
Carol... she's completely different from before. Her aim is steady now, and when it comes to clearing walkers, she's calmer than a lot of the men.
And Jacqui... she's been training hard. She's made obvious progress, and she's accurate with a gun too.
Andrea goes without saying. She's our best sniper. We can hardly do sentry duty without her.
Maggie too. She doesn't hesitate at all once she picks up a gun, and her close combat has improved fast."
Those words gave Calista a new assessment of the Prison's strength.
Compared with the original plot, the core members of Rick's group had changed.
They had lost Daryl, but gained several female fighters and a few people from the farm. With more people, their potential might be greater than expected.
Rick seemed to smile. "Even... T-Dog seems to have a thing for Jacqui. He's always looking for chances to help her with this and that. He's clumsy as hell about it.
And Axel, he, uh, has a bit of a flirtatious streak. He actually tried to hit on Carol before, and Carol shut him down so hard he couldn't speak for a good while."
Calista was surprised, though not entirely shocked. "Wow. Carol's gotten a lot tougher than before."
"Yeah."
Rick paused, then his tone sank, becoming more complicated. "And... Lori. Her belly... it's starting to show. The baby's already three months along."
The command room went quiet for a moment.
In the corner, Shane's body stiffened slightly, his eyes fixed on Calista.
"That's good news, Rick," Calista said, her voice softening. "A new life is worth everyone protecting. Please give Lori my regards."
"...Thank you." Rick fell silent for a few seconds. When he spoke again, his voice carried obvious longing and a trace of bitterness. "Sometimes... I think of Shane. If he were still here..."
He did not continue. Instead, he asked, "Calista, Shane... how is he doing over there?"
Calista covered the receiver and turned to mouth to Shane, "Do you want to say a few words?"
Shane froze.
All the things he had thought about saying were suddenly stuck in his throat after hearing Rick's voice and learning that Lori was showing.
Long time no see? Is the baby doing okay?
Shane suddenly had no idea what to say.
So he waved at Calista.
Calista's expression did not change. She turned back, her voice calm and even. "He's doing well. He's adjusted nicely. He's a member of the Defense Force now, and he's very dedicated. He... cares a lot about Carl."
She gave the simplest, safest answer.
...
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