Archer's Errand

Chapter 1

What time is it?

A goddamn knock on the door interrupted Daryl's dreams just as they were about to get good. His eyes flicked open, it was still dark. At this hour, someone at the door was bad news.

There was another knock. "Shit." He whispered, rolling out of the bed he shared with Emma. He padded to the door barefoot, wearing only his boxers. He pulled on a t-shirt before cracking the door open. "What?"

Rick was there. "Trouble. Get your bow and meet me in the barracks."

"Damn." Daryl cussed drawing his hand over his face. "You need Emma too?"

Rick shook his head. "Just you."

Daryl nodded. "What time is it?"

"Too damn early." Rick looked tired. "See you in ten." His friend turned away from the door and walked off.

"Yeah." Daryl sighed, closing the door. It was way the fuck too early. He turned back to see if Emma'd woken up, she hadn't. That woman slept like the dead.

In the low light he could make out the curve of her hips under the blankets. She was lying on her side, facing away from him. His cock stirred at the sight and he wondered if he could squeeze in a quickie.

He walked back to the bed and leaned over to kiss the back of her neck. He sniffed her hair and fixed the scent of it in his mind. With a little smirk, he dragged his whiskered chin along the top of her shoulder. Emma shuddered a little at his touch. Daryl knew exactly how to get his woman goin'. All he'd hafta do now was slide his hand over her breast and flick her pink nipple. They'd be all perky for him now.

His hand slid possessively over the curve of her hip. He wondered if his fingers would come away wet if he slid them into her pussy.

"Fuck." Daryl sighed as he stood up and grabbed the pants he had hastily discarded on the floor last night. "No goddamn time." He muttered as he tugged them on before his dick changed his mind.

-{O}-

Emma awoke with the sun and rolled over to find Daryl had left the bed. With bleary eyes she searched their shared room. Daryl was gone, so was his crossbow. He didn't usually carry the Horton with him inside the fort. Emma frowned, something was up.

Emma dressed quickly knowing that if she hurried she could stop by the front gate and ask whoever was on watch if Daryl had gone out hunting that morning. Daryl didn't often venture to the woods for game. The river provided Fort Charles with plenty of fish, and they raised enough small animals keep protein on the menu. Daryl did bring in the odd deer and venison was a much appreciated change to their diet.

After tugging on her paddock boots Emma ducked out the door and headed down the narrow stone stairway to the parade square. The air was cool and damp with the dew of early summer. Aside from the sentries, it seemed everyone was still asleep. The only sound she heard aside from her foot falls on the stone ground was the trickle of water from the irrigation tubes in the vegetable gardens.

If the irrigation was on, that meant the watch would be changing up. Emma picked up her pace, jogging past the inner gatehouse and down towards the front gates. As she turned the corner she nearly crashed into Tyreese.

"Jesus!" She skidded to a halt in front of him, her heart pounding with surprise. "You scared the crap out of me."

Tyreese chuckled. "Lookin' for Daryl?"

She fell into step beside him as he walked back to the square. "Yeah, did he go hunting this morning?"

The black man's lips drew into a tight line. "He went out with Rick. They took a crew out towards town. Saw lights on the highway, near one of our depots."

That made sense, the fortress was on high ground and they had a pretty good view of the landscape from their walls. At night, they could easily see lights in the surrounding area. "How long ago was that?"

"Two, maybe three hours ago." Tyreese stifled a yawn. "Rick said they'd be back after lunch."

She nodded, it would be hard to track down a car. "Who went?"

"Carl, the frenchies and Glenn." Tyreese rubbed his eyes. He looked tired. They had reached the stairway that led up to his quarters.

Wishing him a good sleep, she headed off to the stables. The moment the horses heard her footsteps approaching they started up a chorus of nickers and whinnies.

Churchill, her liver chestnut, squealed and kicked the walls of the stall.

"Hey Church." She said as she entered the barn.

*thunk thunk* Churchill kicked his stall door and fixed her with a pointed look. *Squeal*

"Yeah, yeah, coming right up." She grabbed the bucket of feed she had set aside the previous night and headed towards his door.

He tossed his head impatiently. When she entered his stall, Churchill backed up and flattened his ears as he watched her empty the contents into his feed bin. She kept her eyes on him until she was safely on the other side of the stall door again, watching him dive greedily into his bucket.

"You're welcome." She muttered as she turned her attention to Michael's mare. Tank snorted and pawed the ground impatiently as she doled out her breakfast.

Sal's grey mare was more polite. Dolly gave a friendly whinnie and snuffled Emma's shoulder as her bucket was filled.

Always the last horse to be fed, Black waited silently for her. She stroked Black's sleek neck as he ate and let her mind drift back to her conversation with Tyreese. Since she and Gordie had been attacked last fall, Rick had insisted on upping their security. She still did circuits inside their known turf, but Rick sent larger groups to patrol the edge of their territory.

The people he had taken with him this morning were all good shots. That must mean he expected trouble.

*thunk thunk*

Emma's eyes focused on Churchill. His head was out of his feed bucket.

*thunk thunk* He wanted out.

Sighing she gave Black one last pat on his neck before slipping out of his stall to start putting the horses out to graze.

-{O}-