Late October (Fall)

Jasmine untied the snare and quietly stuffed the partially frozen hare into the satchel Daryl had lent her. It was a frosty morning, the golden sun lazily drizzling through the canopy, shafts of light through the scattered ancient oaks and beech trees. The ankle-high dry grass was coated with a layer of silver from the late autumn frost. Everything seemed to be freezing over at that very minute. Jasmine balled her fists a few times to warm up their stiff joints and keep the blood flowing as she continued on to the next trap, following the long winding trail. It was so quiet that morning, not even the birds called, a croaking raven being the only exception.

She knew that Daryl wasn't far, most likely somewhere off in the brush a few yards away. Small clouds of transparent silver drifted from her rosy lips as she crossed through the undergrowth as silent as a deer. Goosebumps rose upon the surface of her skin, and a shudder ran through her. Jasmine, oddly enough, had not run into a walker quite yet. She scanned her surroundings, every sense on point, her ears pricked for any possible warning sign that there was danger. Things were still, as still as death itself.

It didn't take her long to run into a Walker, the sound of the gurgles and snarls that escaped its lips sending a cold drop of fear down her spine. Daryl's hushed tone replayed within her mind like a record, causing her hammering heart to settle. "They ain't alive like you. You have the upperhand... see? You're smarter.. use it." Jasmine slipped the satchel off her shoulder and shot her right hand to her left hip, unsheathing her Ronin and pivoting on her left foot to embed the pick end into the zombie's temple. The creature collapsed to the ground.

With a flick of her wrist, the sloppy mess of brain matter splattered to the ground. Jasmine quickly walked away, attempting to fight the cloud of weightlessness from the heat of the moment that loomed over her brain. Her hands trembled as she gripped the tomahawk in her right hand so hard that her knuckles were white. The moment of sheer anxiety passed, leaving her feeling like she was lighter than air.

Jasmine approached the next snare, following the path as it weaved around one of the familiar landmarks that she used in order to recognize where she was - a blackberry bush. The gnarled, twisting branches of thorns looked more like barbwire now, and the leaves were beginning to die, as they did every year. Jasmine was just peering over at the destination she required, when there was a sharp, single-note that cut through the air. Danger. The young woman instantly knelt, being careful not to allow the blackberry bushes' claws to snatch her messy up-style of thick brunette hair. Once again, her heart was hammering.

Becoming as still as humanly possible, she held her breath. The undergrowth crackled and she gripped the handle of her tomahawk tightly once more. Slowly, she rose and raised her weapon, approaching the moving bushes as carefully as she could. Jasmine made sure her footfalls were light. Pushing her way through the bushes, she came to a stop and paused... only to be startled by a gentle hand on her shoulder. She turned around rather quickly, preparing for a fight. Jasmine elbowed whoever it was in the chest and within an instant turned and raised the Ronin, only to let out a trembling breath in relief.

Daryl stood there, slightly crouched, his left hand extended, the right holding his crossbow. "Jesus girl," he scoffed.

Jasmine gave him another shove. "Asshole.." she muttered.

The girl sheathed her weapon and fell into step with the archer. Jasmine and Daryl quietly chatted as they approached the next snare, finding that it had been broken and bloodied - most likely from a hungry walker. Daryl let out a scoff and a scowl marred his features. "Fuckers took our catch," he growled, his jaw set.

Jasmine rose with a heavy sigh and a frown, fiddling with the end of the rope with her fingers. "Put it down, it ain't worth it," Daryl said. Jasmine did as she was told, and then turned away. "Well, what now?" inquired Jasmine, her green eyes peering over at the archer. Daryl was studying the brush for tracks. "I thought you said that it wasn't worth the trouble.." Jasmine frowned and placed a hand on her hip. It was chilly, despite her thick red scarf and her jacket. She was lucky to have her turtleneck, her cargo pants, her thick socks and heavy boots.

"Yeah, well... maybe we could find something.." he mumbled, nonchalantly handing her his crossbow. Jasmine let out another heavy sigh and turned, eyes on the undergrowth, searching for any sign of possible danger. She held the heavy weapon, feeling like a small girl with her father's gun. Honestly, she believed it when Glenn had asked if she were in high school. She looked young for thirty-two. With pale green eyes, she looked up at the horizon as the sun began to melt away and everything dimmed. Daryl walked up beside her and Jasmine handed over his precious weapon. "We should check the ones by the dam," Daryl suggested.

It was a game of follow the leader today, she supposed. "Did you find anything in the last traps?" asked Jasmine, shooting him a glance. Daryl watched where he was stepping for a moment, and then turned his head up. Looking directly ahead, he narrowed one eye against the light.

"Nothin' but broken rope, like yours," he replied bluntly. With a flutter of her dark lashes, she fell silent. Jasmine felt guilty for asking. She knew how much he wanted to provide for the group, how much he took upon himself and bore on his shoulders.

Soon enough, they reached the dam. Jasmine eyed the churning water nervously as Daryl helped her up onto the cement. It was a sort of "bridge" they used over the water: a large protective layer of concrete set over the filtration system. Swallowing hard, her anxious gaze settled upon Daryl's vest, studying the wings imprinted on the leather, trailing along the sleeves of the taut leather jacket beneath. He always wore dark colors... Jasmine's head began to swim and she became dizzy. She could feel the pigment leave her pale skin. Water was one thing she absolutely couldn't handle - she always had inescapable nightmares of plunging into the ice-cold fathoms and sinking... sinking.. sinking... water filling her lungs..

The breath caught in her throat, and she stopped as her eyes unfortunately fell upon the muddy, crashing wall of water. "Daryl," she uttered rather sharply. Had she even spoken? Had any sound escaped out of her mouth?

The man in front of her stopped and turned, his hand casually resting upon the strap of his crossbow. "What?" he uttered, brows knit in a rather bothered expression. Damnit, the expression on his face looked so goddamn stupid. All Jasmine could do was stare at him - her mouth felt glued shut. Her green eyes begged him to understand. After a moment or two of the dull roaring of the water below their feet, Daryl gave her a once-over and then stepped forward, offering a hand. "C'mon," he urged. The tension that was building began to ease and release its grasp on her.

Jasmine took his hand and he side-stepped. Her heart nearly blew out of her chest as he moved her up in front of her, her eyes never leaving his foot as it was skimming the edge of the platform. She knew he wouldn't fall, but in the moment, going anywhere near the edge was enough to give her a heart attack. Her stomach churned.

She took a trembling breath. Jasmine could feel him just inches away from her, the sensation of his body heat next to her giving her goosebumps. Daryl never let go of her hand. "Come on.." he chided softly. His voice was actually soothing for once. It wasn't harsh or bitchy. Jasmine didn't feel as if he were trying to taunt her or scold her.. She trembled softly. "Straight ahead. Look..." There was a long pause as she felt his soft breath against the back of her head. She could feel him finally lay his large hand upon the soft curve of her left side. After a moment of silence, he spoke again. "I'm here." Internal warmth enveloped her and her spirits trembled as she heard him speak those words.. she had never felt so safe.


[Author's Note:] Just a quick note in here; this chapter was only useful in the sense that it shows that Daryl makes Jasmine brave. For a while she has had an irrational fear of water due to an incident where she was nearly drowned by walkers at the bottom of a lake. She was lucky to escape and survive. Thank you for reading, and enjoy!