"Someone came through here recently. It looks like they were running from something," Carol observed as she crouched down to get a closer look at the broken branches of the bush at the mouth of the trail.
"How can you tell?" he asked.
He made a habit of taking Carol out in the woods with him at least once a week so he could teach her how to track and to survive. If they were separated, again, he wanted her to be able to find her way back to the group, set traps for food, and find her way back to him. He would leave things for her to look for when he was out the day before and let her test her skills.
If he was being honest with himself, part of the reason he wanted to take her along was so they could spend some time together, just the two of them. There was always something to be around the farmhouse the group was now calling home after escaping Terminus not even a week ago. Even at night, Daryl was usually on watch while Carol was cleaning up after the day, taking care of the others before herself as usual.
"Well, Mr. Dixon, the branches are still wet and green where they were broken." she replied.
"That all?" Daryl raised an eyebrow at her in question.
"Also, it rained yesterday morning, and if I'm not mistaken, those prints are the same as the boots you're wearing, Mr. Dixon. The footprints are spaced farther apart, which tells me you were running," Carol answered, her chin held high.
She took great pride in the skills she was developing. It helped that she had a wonderful teacher. Daryl was patient, thorough, and never condescending. He seemed to enjoy seeing her progress, and she enjoyed the smiles he displayed for a job well done.
"Good, good, you're a quick study, but knock off the 'Mr. Dixon' bullshit," he said, the corners of his lips twitching as he tried to hide the smile.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Dixon. Whoops, am I going to get detention now?" Carol smirked as his entire face flushed red.
"Stop," he said as he rolled his eyes. "Just follow the path in front of you." he said as he pointed forward with the bolt he held in his hand.
One day, this woman was going to be the end of him. Reaching his hand in his pocket, he was relieved once again to find what he was looking for. It was almost time. Hopefully his hands would stop shaking before they gave him away.
It was dusk before they were walking back to the prison from their trip in the woods. She followed the trail he made until she came to a large willow tree that grew next to a small pond. The water was as smooth as glass, giving a perfect reflection of the landscape. It was so peaceful, Carol decided to sit down for a few minutes and enjoy something beautiful for a change.
As she strolled over to the tree, she noticed the trunk was adorned with a large, imperfect heart carved into it. In the middle of the heart were the initials D + C. She smiled, thinking about how sweet it had been for someone to take the time to declare their love for someone in this world in such a classic way.
At that moment, a bolt went flying through the air and pierced the tree right in the middle of the heart. She jumped back, caught off guard by the seemingly close call. Carol glared at the smirking man who nodded back to the tree. When she looked, she saw a sparkling strand hanging off of it with some paper balled up at the bottom of it. She reached her hand out to steady the swaying object. Her fingers unwrapped the paper, not seeing the writing on it, and it fell the moss covered ground.
Once she realized what was in her hand, she gasped. It was a thin silver rope chain with a green jasper attached to it. Never in her life had she dreamed of owning a more beautiful piece of jewelry.
She had forgotten about the paper until he kneeled down to pick it up, flattening out the paper so she would be able to read it. Daryl knew he didn't have the neatest writing style, even if he took his time. She had grown accustomed to his chicken scratch scribbles from the little notes he left when he went on a run. Each note was different, but always ended with the same two words - stay safe. This note, however, wasn't a plea for her to be careful. This one asked a question. It was five simple words, but their meaning was so great.
Will you be my wife?
Sure, she had dreamed of this, like a teenage girl with her high school sweetheart, but they weren't in high school. No one knew they were together, maybe not even themselves. A couple kisses here and there, cuddling in bed when they were off duty together, and two awkward, but wonderful nights back at the prison. Of course, she knew she loved him, she had for a long time now, but she wasn't sure if he was able to feel that way, to admit it and accept it.
He never planned on falling in love. He never needed anyone else, nor did he care if he had someone. Everything he did now, his first thoughts in the morning and his last before bed, it's all focused on her and her happiness. Now, here he was, more nervous than he could ever recall, his heart beating out of his chest in anticipation.
She looked to him with wide eyes, questioning the hunter that was watching her. His lips twitched and he nodded, waiting for her answer. She kneeled down so they were face to face, their lips meeting in a sweet, chaste kiss. Even with no one around for miles, they were still more reserved with their affections during the daylight hours. When she broke the kiss, she whispered her answer.
"Yes. Yes, I will be your wife."
Daryl's face lit up as he rose to his feet, pulling her into his arms. He tried to help her put the necklace on, but his fingers were still shaking from his nerves. She took the silver chain from him and deftly secured the clasp at the back of her neck. She looked up and watched as he pulled his knife from his pocket and started to carve something else into the tree. When he stepped back she saw the initials on the tree now read "DD + CD" as a sign of his commitment to her.
"Guess that's about as official as things get these days," he remarked as he reached out for her hand. "All that matters is that we're in this together."
Carol stepped forward, taking his hand in hers, only to be spun around so her back was against the tree. He placed his hands on her cheeks as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him with a passion that became more intense as they continued. Unsure of how much time had passed, she reluctantly pulled away, flushed, breathless, and in awe of just how far they had come.