I bent down retrieving an arrow from the walkers skull Daryl joining me at my side handing me another of my arrows "Thanks" I said taking the arrow and placing it with the others, Daryl bent down re loading his crossbow "Not much further" I said answering Daryl's unasked question. "So you were with a group before?" I looked over in time to see the muscles tense in Daryl's upper arm. I look up searching the man's face, I could understand how the group would be a sensitive subject but there I was sticking my nose in being all insensitive to my relief he simply took a deep breath letting it out he began to speak.
"I joined the group back in Atlanta at the start of it all. Been with em ever since. But we got separated."
"That long?" I asked hardly believing a group could survive that long "How many of you?"
"Numbers varied, lost a lot of people but also gained some good ones"
I let out a short huffed breath receiving a questioning look from Daryl "Are there any, good people left?" I asked turning to face him as we continued to walk.
"Depends on your definition of good people" Daryl stated looking ahead.
"I'm sorry you lost them" Daryl nodded "You said you were separated that means they could still be out there alive somewhere"
"I followed a lot of dead ends" Daryl said starting to get twitchy I thought it would be best to drop things.
"The world is wrong" Daryl looks over to me "Preach it" Daryl said in attempt to slightly lighten the mood I smiled softly.
"How long you been out here?" Daryl asked picking up the conversation.
"Couple months not so sure" I went to bite my lip again hissing in pain as I had forgotten the cut there the taste of blood filling my mouth "I did run into a couple of guys a few nights ago" I laughed bitterly wiping the blood from my lip.
"They do that to you?" Daryl asked frowning raising a finger to point at your lip.
I only hummed in response remembering the night. Before he couple press on with any more questions I pointed ahead to a small barn on the out skirts of the woods stopping to look at Daryl I smiled "Home sweet home".
"Let's get a fire going" I said picking up some fire wood I had collected earlier and digging around in my bag for some matches I was down to my last couple of them I only really used them at night to light fires using other methods using the sunlight in the day. "Chuck up that rabbit" Daryl asked hand out stretched I passed it over as I tended to the fire Daryl sat on a log by the fire I had began building and began to skinned and gutted the rabbit. The rabbit was cooked quickly and as I sat opposite Daryl the camp fire between us we sat in silence enjoying the meal, finally eating something enjoying every bite I could see it was the same for Daryl.
Daryl pushed open the barn door holing it open for me "Lady's first". I slipped in past him waiting for him to enter and close it behind us, I picked up the ladder I had left on the ground earlier and began climbing it to the bans upper level it was small space filled with hay. I took my seat on the small pile of hay I had been sleeping on Daryl sat to my right dropping his bag and for the first time I saw him relaxing letting his guard down he leant back on the barn wall "Pretty comfy" Daryl commented patting the hay with one of his hands. I sat back on my pile of hay crossing my legs I looked across at Daryl who had picked up one of his arrows and sat examining it running his fingertips over the feathers, I sat there taking in the man's feathers his strong jaw line his noticeable cheekbones and the way his lips were drawn in a thin line, his face highlighted by the moonlight that streamed in through the barns open window. His eye looked up through the overgrown strands of hair that almost covered his eyes completely and met with mine, I looked away feeling uncomfortable I began picking at the bale of hay I sat on I could feel his eyes on me and my cheeks began to burn as I got a taste of my own median.
"You never did really answer my question"
My head shot up surprised by the sudden question. I stared dumfounded unsure to what he was referring to.
"Those guys you ran into, they do that to your face?" Daryl asked brushing a strand of hair out of his face revealing one of his eyes.
I knew that he knew the answer already but I answered anyway "yes" my voice barely a whisper as I answered I coughed clearing my throat "Bastards shuck up on me while I was taking down a walker" I looked away feeling embarrassed that the men had gotten to me so easily.
"An them bruises" He pointed from my face to me arms, to be honest I didn't really know what kinda state my face was in I just knew it hurt, I had however seen the scratches and bruises that covered my arms around my wrists and upper arms "Why?" Daryl asked he must have noticed my discomfort as he placed his arrow to one side and sat forward leaning in closer. 'Why' the question I had been dreading.
I couldn't find the courage to look him in the face instead choosing a spot on the floor to focused on "There were a few of em, big guys, one of them just grabbed me threw me to the ground, the rest of them were just stood round laughing jeering him on..." I paused to look up to see his reaction to the information I had given him so far. He looked down at me with a unreadable expression nodding for me to continue "one of them was an archer seemed hyped that I was too" I shook my head "He was the one that knocked me over hit my head pretty hard when I went down I tried to get loose but then another guy pinned my arms down. One of them hit me again in the face try to stop me struggling took turns kicking me in the gut my head was spinning and I could taste the blood from my lip in my mouth. Then I felt hands trying to..." I paused again taking a deep breath not thinking the next part really needed to be said out loud, all the time Daryl sat there silently eyes on me "Then I heard them the walkers and they just got up and ran leaving me there in the dirt." I finished I had realised how angry I sounded and how my hands had balled in to fists, I looked over to see Daryl doing the same the whole of his body tensed. "The walkers kinda saved me" I laughed bitterly the whole discomfort of the situation getting to me.
"How'd you get away from the walkers" he asked after a while his voice steady.
"Managed to get up stumbled over to a tree and climbed it, waited for the walkers to pass, didn't feel up to a fight"
Daryl slammed his fist down onto the pile of hay making me jump.
"Low life bastards!" Daryl spat out.
"Tell me about it" I agreed with him again dropping my eye to the spot on the floor I had been staring at. A few moments of silence passed before Daryl broke the silence.
"I'm sorry for what they did, for what they tried to do"
I looked up and smiled at the man's kind words "Thanks" I replied before continuing "Now get some sleep" The conversation had become personal it left me feeling almost exposed but at the same time it was nice to talk to someone just talk.
"Sounds good to me" Daryl answered before shifting position to lay down and I followed suit. I knew I would have trouble sleeping it's not that I didn't feel I could trust this man there was something in his eyes that said I could and I believed it. It was still strange however to go to sleep and have a complete stranger laying no too far from me.
"Goodnight Marceline" Daryl called out in the darkness. It had been a life time it seemed since I had hear those words. I shut my eyes a small smile played across my lips.
"Goodnight Daryl"
"What do you miss most?" I asked curiosity getting the better of me, as me and Daryl made are way to check the traps we had set up not too far from the barn. Daryl wasn't much of a conservationist but every now and again I could get a couple of words out of him
It had been 3 days since I'd met the strange man in the woods and we had seemed to come to an unspoken agreement between the two of us to work together to watch each other's back to help each other survive. There were things we shared, stories, people and things we chose to keep to ourselves I never pushed him on the things from his past he didn't what to share and in return he did the same for me.
"A lotta things" Daryl answered looking to me down at me over his right shoulder. I rolled my eye.
"I'm talking about one thing, one thing that you miss more than anything" I explained
"I dunno, I suppose a good bitta grub getting kinda sick of the rabbit squirrel diet" I nodded in agreement. "And a good drink" Daryl added huffing as he bent down to retrieve a squirrel that had been caught in the tarp. He tossed the squirrel over to me where I placed it in my satchel. We walked over to the next trap, empty. As Daryl reset the trap he looked up through his overgrown hair. "What bout you?"
"ummmmm" I looked up my attention suddenly caught by two birds they flew together settling on a branch they tweeted and chirped seemingly blissfully unaware of the world surrounding them. I looked back down at Daryl who stood looking back at me waiting for an answer.
"Music" I answered
"Music?" Daryl answered sounding surprised at my answer.
"Yes music" I smiled up at the confused expression Daryl wore.
"Why"
"What do you mean why"
"I mean of all the things to miss"
"Music used to be an important part of my life. Can make you wanna dance or blubber like a baby"
Daryl nodded "It mean that much to you ay"
"When words fail music speaks" I shook my head feeling uncomfortable not meaning to get all mushy. "You a dancer then Daryl" I joked trying to lighten the mood.
Daryl's eyes squinted as he looked down at me "Come on don't be shy now you can tell me" I continued to joke Daryl leaned over pushing me gently on the arm.
"Bet you were a right little twinkle toes" Daryl shot over to me slinging his crossbow across his shoulder.
"You bet"
Daryl raised a eyebrow.
I placed my hands on my hips "I could teach you a thing or too you know" I laughed before bending down to reset another empty trap. I could hear Daryl chuckling lightly above me.
"So you used to be a dancer then" Daryl asked as I stood and we began walking back towards the barn. This was this third attempt at guessing what I used to do for a living. He started with nurse his second guess was that I could have had a military background though even he thought that was farfetched. However this guess made me tense as I thought back.
"I suppose you could say that" I answered the joking tone disappearing from my voice.
"You're a damn mystery" Daryl sighed
"You aren't exactly an open book yourself"
Daryl nodded.