Author's Note: You rock. Thanks for the reads/reviews. I gots me a Tumblr. Its under SepticLovebite. It probably won't just be Walking Dead related though.

TWDTWDTWD

The second day of using the bow was harder than the first. Sure, Carol's aim was better, she was getting close to the target straight of the bat, but the her arms pulled with every arrow shot and her fingers burned even though she had changed the bandaids that morning. She was grateful for the coat today though. Although the mornings were cooler, it wasn't really necessary to wear the leather jacket, but it protected her still tender forearm and that was reason enough to keep it on.

They worked later this time and Daryl was surprised at Carol's steely determination. He could see the pain her fingers were giving her, gritting her teeth with the release of every arrow, but she remained silent throughout, until she hit her first bullseye. She gasped and turned to him, letting out a small whoop of joy. He let himself give her a small smile. He remembered when he hit his first target. She hit three more in succession and he decided to change the height of the target.

"Come on, let's go further in." He waited for her to pull the last of the arrows from the tree before leading them into the forest, where the trees were far closer together, making it feel so much darker. "There." He pointed upwards, to a tree with plenty of branches, but he gestured to one fifteen or so feet upwards, the only one with leaves still on it.

She looked at him questioningly. "If you're hunting food, you're more likely to find squirrel or birds. And they ain't gonna be in your eyeline." He told her, pointing upwards and stepping back to let her aim. She heard him take his crossbow from his back, scanning the area for Walkers. She turned back and aimed. The arrow hit the branch, but she hadn't used enough force for it and when it hit the bark, it dropped to the floor. "Pull back further on the string." He told her, hardly looking at her, focusing instead on the ground around him, spotting tracks that she couldn't see.

Her next arrow soared over the branch, she'd aimed too high. She didn't even look to him, just loaded up the next one and went at it again. Eventually she hit the branch and the last half a dozen followed in succession. When she turned to look at him, having used all the the arrows in her quiver, he wasn't where she thought. She spun around again, her heart racing until she spotted him twenty feet away, stringing a squirrel onto his belt.

"You need t'listen to what's goin' on around you, as well as focusin' on the target. You go get those arrows." He waved up to the trees, whilst he walked over to collect the ones that hadn't it hit the target. She looked at him incredulously. She hadn't thought about how she was going to get the arrows down whilst she was shooting them.

When he realised she hadn't moved from her position, he looked her over, recognising the hesitancy on her face. "Don't tell me Carol Peletier ain't never climbed a tree?" She shook her head and went to set her bow down against the base of the tree. "Take it with you. What if whilst you're up there you get trapped by a Walker, your only defence layin' at it's feet?"

Carol huffed and took a deep breath, throwing the bow over her back and attempted to get her footing on the first branch.

"Don't look down." He told her as he walked away.

"Yes, that's real helpful Daryl, thanks." She muttered under her breath as she got a few foot off the ground. She heard him snigger up ahead and knew that he had heard her.

Getting to the branch she wanted wasn't as tricky as she thought. There was an awkward moment when two branches were further apart than she thought she could reach, but she managed it, using all the strength she had in her upper arms. When she got to the arrow-riddled branch, she shimmied across it, legs either side of it, her chest low to the branch. She had to look down to reach the arrows and silently prayed that she wouldn't fall simply at the sight of the far below ground. As she stuffed the arrows back in her quiver, back up the branch to make her way back down, she heard a rustling to her left.

It was a squirrel, grey and fat, scratching at something she couldn't see on branch just above her left side. She looked down to see if she could spot Daryl, but the branches on the next tree were too thick and she didn't want to risk frightening it off by calling out. She reached back for her bow and an arrow. Eye on the prize. If she couldn't see Daryl, she figured he couldn't see her and if she missed and he caught her picking up the arrow from the forest floor, she'd just claim she dropped it.

It was unnerving to load the bow, using only her legs to grip her to the branch. The squirrel moved suddenly, just a foot higher, even though it hadn't spotted her and she re-arranged herself. As she shot the arrow, it moved again and it landed straight through the creatures tail, pinning it to the branch. It let out a squeak and she reloaded her bow quickly, it landed straight through it's head the second time, putting the creature out of it's misery.

She resisted squealing with joy as she climbed higher to retrieve her kill, her fear of falling forgotten in the midst of her excitement. Once she retrieved her arrows, she realised she had nothing to string the squirrel on to and slowly began her descent with one hand.

"You gone and built yourself a nest up there or somethin'?" She heard him call from below her and as she clambered down and he came into view she could see he'd got half a dozen squirrels in the time she had been up the tree.

She snorted at his sarcasm and skipped the last branch down, jumping with enthusiasm. She held out the carcass proudly, looking for an acknowledgement. He just jutted his chin out her, handing her the arrows he'd retrieved.

Daryl fished in his pocket and pulled out a length of string, taking the squirrel from her, he strung it up.

"Don't aim the arrow where the target it is, aim it where the target will be. Then you won't waste two arrows on one small kill." He approached her, grasping her by the buckle of her coat belt and she gasped softly at the sudden intrusion of her personal space, but he didn't acknowledge it, simply threading the string behind the belt and tieing it into a knot. The squirrel bounced against her thigh and she found the motion strangely satisifying. She killed this. She provided.

"You saw?" She asked, backing away to get some breathing space.

"I told you, you have to see everythin'." He turned away, loading up his own bow. "Well done. Come on, let's find a couple more before lunch."

TWDTWDTWD

She guessed they'd arrived back at the house just after lunch, judging what she could from the sun. She was ravenously hungry, although it was worth it for the three squirrels that now hung from her belt. The last two she had got with one arrow each and she couldn't keep the grin off her face.

Their wandering had led them to a river and Daryl had commented that it was a good sign, meaning there would be more wildlife to be found near the river's edge.

Some of the group were on the porch, various chores in hand. Hershel was helping Lori contruct a makeshift clothes line and Carol felt guilt flood her that she wasn't there to help.

"After lunch, I'm goin' back out there to scan the area, see how far it's worth goin' out to. Stay here." He told her, as they came up through the dying orchard. She made to voice her protest but he shot her down with a look. "I can't go out that deep without knowin' where I am. You ain't no expert yet, despite the kills. I can't watch both our backs."

"Okay. I'll just get back in the kitchen." She replied, grin still on her face.

"Damn straight. Anyway, you got squirrels to clean." He smirked, nodding at the old man as they passed them on the way in.

Carl raced up to them as they entered the house, abandoning his mother and Hershel.

"Hey, did you kill those Carol?" He asked, pointing at her waist. Neither of them stopped their steady pace to the kitchen and Daryl handed her a bottle of water wordlessly.

"Sure did." She replied, twisting off the cap and sinking it in one go, before she even took the bow from her back.

"That's awesome. Hey Daryl, would you teach me how to hunt?" Carol turned to look at Daryl, who was tearing into the sandwiches that had been left on the counter for them.

He swallowed the mouthful and sized the kid up. "Yeah, when you're taller than the frickin' bow."

Carol unbuckled her coat and handed the young boy and handed him the string of squirrels. "Will you take them outside for me please Carl, I'll clean them after lunch." She gestured for Daryl to give him his own string and the Carl bounded from the room, hollering out to his mother about squirrel for dinner.

"Put something on those fingers." He told her as he finished the last of his sandwich. "I'll show you how to clean the bow later."

With that he was gone, leaving Carol with sore arms, blistered fingers but a huge sense of pride.

She washed up first, the water loosening the sticky of the bandaids on her fingers. She hissed as she peeled them off, two of the blisters had burst, blood seeping into the water. It was odd, she noticed, that she only ever really acknowledged the pain once she got back into the house. It wasn't like she didn't feel it, she felt the dull sting every time she drew an arrow, but it was at the back of her mind, waiting until she was free to deal with it.

Maggie came in as she put the fresh dressings on, a tray of empty glasses in her hand.

"You ok?" She asked, setting them on the worktop.

"I'm fine. Better now I cleaned up." Carol sat at the kitchen table and bit into her sandwich eagerly.

"Lori says Daryl's teaching you how to hunt." She said conversationally, leaning against the counter.

"Well, trying to." She chuckled. "He probably wants to chuck the thing at my head."

"Looks painful." She nodded at her bandaged arm and fingers.

"It'll get better. It was worth it. Got three squirrels." She took another mouthful. Simple food had never tasted so good. She figured they'd been out for at least seven hours.

"You did?" Maggie tried to hide her surprise. "Well done, that's great." She sounded genuinely pleased.

"I was happy. Wasn't expecting anything today. Glenn gone out to town?"

"Yeah. T-Dog too. Going to a garden centre they think. Get some seeds and stuff. Me and Beth thought we could plant things in time for spring. I never thought I would say it, but I would kill for somethin' healthy instead of outta a can."

"Well, your farm spoiled us. We got too happy with the chickens and the greens." She swallowed her last bite, bringing the plate to the sink. "I think replanting is a great idea. I'd be happy to help, if you'd like."

"Sure, if you're not too busy getting us the rest of our dinner." Maggie winked as they left the kitchen, back out to the porch, where Carl had lay out the squirrels.

Carol let out a laugh. She half hoped the younger girl's statement was true.