Chapter Two – Look Up

"Damnit." Daryl cursed. He was alone, standing in the middle of the forest. A large herd had moved through and after everything he was alone, he had been separated once again from Rick, Carl, Judith, everyone. He had no clue how long it would take him to make his way back to Alexandria this had been a two day by car run.

"It's not going to help, cussing, you know." The voice ticked his ears and he swore it was just Beth haunting him again. He hit himself hard in the head, and checked his bow. "Look up."

Maybe I am already dead, he thought, sighing. He looked up and for a moment he thought it was Beth, then he caught sight of the long flowing brown hair. She was small but not a child. "Names Riley, daddy named me after his best hunting dog." She was climbing down now. Guns on both hips, her own bow draped over her shoulder, smaller than his, a lighter weight, but full of arrows. "I'll give you some, seriously, lower your bow. No need to kill me."

He looked her up and down, slowly lowering his bow. She was small, barley five foot tall by his examination, and muscular in her own right. He couldn't believe she weighed over 130 pounds soaking wet. "Daryl, that's me." A smile cracked her lips, she was pale, and looked tired, messy.

"My brother, and my kids, and my daddy – I got lost from them near Jupiter." Daryl looked confused, he did not realize that they had made it that close, close to the world that haunted him.

"How far?" She looked at him, brushed her hair up and smiled.

"Bout half a day's walk. The herd was coming and it was only ten or twelve, so I made my way to the forest, climbed the tress to hide out, then I saw you. Thought you were running from the horde, but you were headed towards it. You could use my help." He was covered in filth, blood all over him. "We head back that way before dark, I help you, and you help me."

"Your brother, and daddy, and kids you say." Daryl was looking at her again. Through her tattered shirt he could see the hints of tattoos.

"Yes, I got three. A boy, Otis, 6, and twins Hugo and Sophi-Lynn, 3, born after the world went to shit." She smiled at him. "You look left too, family?"

"You could say that." Daryl looked towards the sun through the trees, her daughter had a name like Carol's Sophie. He had to help her now. Looking for lost people that seemed to be what he did. And he did it well.

"Right then…" Her voice trailed off as they heard the snarling. "Up?" They climbed quickly back into her hiding spot. "Share." It was more of a command than a request and she pushed his back against the tree, as he rested on the trunk. She removed her bow, and slipped down in front of him. From her nap sack she brought out rope, and quickly swung it around her waist and tree, she offered Daryl some. He watched with intent as she tied herself in.

"Riley… you got a husband or something?" Daryl didn't talk much but she was too damn pretty to be a country girl, she should not know how to do the things that she did.

"I did, two times, actually." She sighed, "You gonna talk all damn night, Daryl, or sleep." She was silent after that, he hmphed, and leaned back against the tree. One day, one day and his life had gone back to being empty and not worth a damn.

He had spent all the previous day tracking the herd, to no avail. He could not find his family, he could see their tracks once, but then the walkers screwed it all up. Distraught he had let his guard down and she had every chance to kill him. But she didn't. Instead Daryl Dixon found himself tied to a tree, her in front of him, and her on first watch.

The day light crept up on them, she gently shook his shoulder, but found a knife at her throat. He was blinking sleep from his eyes. She sighed, and waited for him to lower his blade. "Sorry, habits…" He tucked it into his belt once more, his eyes down cast. She untied her cord, and waited for him to untie and hand the cord back to her. She packed them away slowly. She lowered herself from branch to branch, him behind her.

"If we are that close to Jupiter, there should be a road a mile up or so… we can follow the sun." Daryl looked at her, and saw her cross bow was out, she grabbed her long barrel revolver from her hip and handed it to him, with a handful of arrows.

The trek through he woods was mostly in silence, they did not kill the walkers unless they absolutely needed too. In almost complete silence they reached the road, she smiled as the sun light struck her face. "My rules, if I am going to help you." Daryl grumbled.

"Fine by me." She smiled at him again. He took off at a fast pace along the road, her hot on his heels. Everything in her body was ready to give up. But he didn't need to know that. They were four miles from Jupiter, or so the sign said. Each step closer, Daryl could feel it creep on him, the anxiety of knowing it was there that every scar etched into his skin was created.

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