Chapter Four
The bolt shot straight through the pig's side, causing a high pitched cry that last for only a moment before the animal killed over. Blood seeping onto the leaves as Daryl rushed over to pull the arrow out. Taking a moment to check over the animal for bite marks or any other wounds aside the opening from his own. Could never be too cautious these days. When nothing stood out, he pulled back and looked at the man standing behind him.
"Should feed us for a couple a days," he muttered, looking at Rick.
Rick nodded, his eyes traveling over the pig as a slight smile spread across his face as he walked over to give Daryl a hand in caring the thing back to the grocery store. "Yeah, women will be happy that we brought home the bacon."
Daryl snorted, shaking his head as they came to a comfortable pace back. The sweat on his neck cooling his already cold skin as they picked their way through the forest. The damn pig brought them out further than they originally planned and Daryl wasn't looking forward to the long trip back home. He was looking forward to the meal that was bound to come from this. He knew it was Maggie's turn to cook the meal tonight, and that thought almost made him cringe from her last attempt at doing anything other than heating up a few cans of beans. That was until Beth stepped in and said she would help. Explaining that she always helped their mama prep the meals.
That made him feel a little better, especially knowing that Beth been listening to Carol and Lorie whenever the woman would cook. Learning to cook the squirrel, and rabbit meat that they usually brought back on their hunts. Pork would be a nice change of pace, and Daryl's stomach rumbled at the thought.
Thinking maybe he would strip a few extra pieces off on the side and attempt to make some jerky. He and Merle would do that sometimes when they were out camping for long periods of time. Pull some of the meat to dry it out so they could make it last longer. Something they could quickly grab at night when the day's hunt didn't go so well. It wasn't a bad idea, and the more he thought about it, the more he started thinking about what supplies they had at the grocery store. What he could do to pull this off when Rick nudged his arm, pulling him from his thoughts to point to something just between the trees.
The sound of running water was a background noise in Daryl's mind, something that he has been hearing for some time now, but thought nothing of it as it wasn't anything near where they were located. Though at Rick's gesture, he noticed something else. A rather large wooden wheel resting in the water and next to a brown bricked wall.
"Think there's somethin in there?" he asked, rubbing at his jaw as he looked to Rick. Waiting for the man to make up his mind. They were comfortable in the grocery store. He knew this. Couldn't deny that the place provided them something akin to normalcy, but he also knew that the walker he had Beth kill the night before wasn't the first one they'd come across this week. Aside the two that Beth ran into, there was another one by the creek that Carol took out while retrieving some water, and another T-Dog took out on watch two nights before. The never ending struggle to run from the dead heads was coming at them again unless they found something else.
"Thinkin it wouldn't hurt to at least check it out." Rick looked to him, an eyebrow raised in question. Like he was waiting for Daryl's approval on the idea. Something else that Daryl wasn't used to. Being looked to for advice. Being listened to and not just scoffed at when he had an idea of his own. Rick was looking to him more and more now whenever he had to make a decision. Sure, he consulted Herhsel, Glenn and the others, and listened when one of the others had something to say about something, but he would look to Daryl. Wait patiently as he thought over the words before shrugging his response or giving him a second opinion, and whatever Daryl said Rick would listen to it. Really consider it in with his own idea before passing down a final word. Made Daryl feel important. Like he was actually a part of something and not just following mindlessly along. Like maybe he wasn't just being included in the group because he could do the dirty work.
Daryl gave him one of those shrugs now. Not caring either way if they went up there or went back to the group. Despite his growling stomach, he knew how to ignore those hunger pains. Grew up with them most of the time, and an extra thirty minutes now wasn't going to make much of a difference in this life.
Giving his own shrug, Rick lifted the pig between them a little higher before starting up the hill. Forcing Daryl to follow along. Leaving him to wonder when he became such a team player. When he started to feel that small hint of respect for the man next to him. That sense of pride he got whenever Rick did look to him for answers. It wasn't something he was used to. There were a lot of things he wasn't used to that he found himself being proud of.
Like the night before when the little blonde took down that walker. Despite her stumbling through it, and knowing full well that she only moved off of instinct, it still sent a swell of pride in him knowing that he was the reason she did it. That the small bit of advice was listened to and carried out, even by a small slip of a girl. One that had a fire raging inside of her that few people ever got to see. But he did. That first time he demanded she give him those blades, the way her blue eyes flared as she attempted to fight him. He knew then that he wanted to keep her fighting. Even if the only way to do that was to rile her up, and down right piss her off, he would keep her fighting. If it meant that she hated him, then good. At least she was feeling something, cause feeling something meant you had a reason to live. That there was a reason to remain on this earth. And damn did he want to keep that fire in that girl's eyes burning on this earth.
When they reached the top of the hill, Rick moved over to the wheel. Noting that it was one of those waterwheels. One of those things that conducted energy in the building and Daryl's small smile barely mimicked the sheriff's but it was there was he moved closer. Checking to find the wheel was still together, and the wood looked to be in rather good condition. Even if it wasn't they could have attempted to fix it. Figured something out.
Rick started around the building, stopping at the corner of the house to look at something. Daryl came up behind him, taking in the privacy fence that looked to wrap around the front of the building. As they walked around, the fence itself looked to be somewhat warn. Bit's and pieces sagging here and there, but nothing unfixable. When they came across the gate, they smiled to find it locked. Meant very few -if anybody- made their way into this place. Rick looked up, taking in the distance from the ground to the top and looked to him.
"Think we could make it over," he asked, that grin growing on his face. Daryl didn't know if he should be worried or happy to see that grin. Wondered who the real crook here was when he asked, "don't think this might be private property, with someone inside."
"Only one way to find out," Rick said, putting his back to the fence and bending down enough so Daryl could step on his fingers linked together and get a boost over. Looking at the top of the fence and back down to the creek with the water wheel sitting inside of it.
"Whatever," he muttered, dropping his bag and stepping forward. Didn't take much to boost him to the top and Daryl found himself clambering over the fence. Cursing when his pants snagged on a a fence posted, tearing just on the inside of his thigh. 'Great, another thing for Carol to gripe about,' he thought, jumping to the ground. Freezing for a moment, he looked around him. Pulling his crossbow around just in case as he looked up at the two story cabin with its wrap around porch standing before him. From the way the bricks laid out in the back and wood on the front, Daryl could guess that the house was built on to the wheel house.
Daryl let out a long whistle, turning to let Rick in before heading up to the house. He could hear Rick's slow footsteps following along. The cock of his gun as they drew closer to the home. There were no lights on inside, though the large windows allowed them to see more than enough from the daylight streaming inside. The two men looked at each other before heading up the stairs. Daryl took point at the door, with his cross bow raised ready for anything to attack.
Rick kicked the door open, rushing inside with Daryl right behind him. Taking in the rather large entrance with some antlers hanging on the wall, just below an upstairs walkway and the rather large bear rug lying in the middle before turning left. Breaking off from Rick as he moved to the opposite end of the house. Daryl looked around the room. Seeing more deer heads, and a couple of stuffed raccoons sitting on the side tables. The whole place screamed rich folk, and his thoughts were confirmed when he moved to the back of the house to find an entertainment room of sorts. Complete with surround sound, an extra large TV and a pool table sitting in the middle of it all.
Another door on the other end of the room led to a small hallway with a bathroom off to the side before it circled back around to the front entrance. Daryl took another look around the space, his eyes going up to the chandelier on the ceiling to the bear rug on the floor. A tag stuck out at the foot of it and Daryl reached down to read 'made in Germany.'
"Fucking riches," he muttered, sneering at the rug and décor now.
"Yeah," Rick said, joining him in the main entrance area. "But they're stocked. A whole pantry filled with canned goods, rice and flour. Not to mention the cellar that could lead back to the wheelhouse and what looked to be a locked door at the bottom."
Daryl chewed on the corner of his thumb as he looked up the walkway and around again. "But no one's here."
Rick followed his gaze. "Let's check up stairs, and then worry about if there's anyone in the basement."
Daryl nodded, checking his crossbow one more time before following Rick upstairs. The man stopped at the top, nodding toward the doors on the left and Daryl nodded along with him as he moved forward. Kicking the first door open to find an overstuffed bed, dressed next to the closet. As he turned to investigate the last door in the room, the sound of something thumping inside of it made him freeze. His breathing slow just a knot as his finger rested on the trigger of his crossbow. Slowing his steps, he crouched a little as he made his way toward the door. Ready to run if he needed to as he swung it open. A cat hissed as he opened the door, jumping up at him and swiping his paw across Daryl's cheek. Even as he ducked to avoid it, he could still it's nails claw across his skin and the another thump as the cat landed, taking off out the door. Daryl landed with a thud of his own, barely catching himself with one hand as the other grasped on to his bow.
Rick came rushing in at that point, taking in Daryl's ass almost on the ground and the long set of three scratches on across his cheek. "Trouble?" he asked.
Daryl looked up to see the man doing his best not to laugh. "Fuckin cat," Daryl cursed, pushing himself back up and heading into the bathroom. Prepared to shoot any other felines ready to leap out at him. He heard Rick chuckling in the other room as he crossed the bathroom, opening the adjacent door to find another bedroom and then back out the hallway. He noticed a door open on the other side that looked to be a library and he looked to Rick who was coming out of the room he just cleared.
"Anything in there?"
He shook his head, and Daryl let out a heavy breath. The anxiety building as each room came up empty. Maybe the poor sots did lock themselves downstairs and wound up dying anyways. Wouldn't that be some sort of shit luck. Be prepped and ready for doomsday only to die tucked away at the beginning of it. As they neared the door on the end, this time Rick took point. Leaning forward to open the door with his gun raised as Daryl stood behind him, ready to take out anything coming behind the first.
They opened it up and a woman dressed in a white blouse, and black slacks with her hair all done up turned, snarling and snapping at them as she stepped forward. Daryl took her out with an arrow before she could even make the first step and the two men stared down at her. Shaking their heads as no sign of bite marks could be seen. Not that they were going to go searching, but Daryl looked to the night stand to see a bottle of pain pills half empty, cup of water and a small piece of paper lying underneath.
'Dear whoever finds this,
This wasn't my intention, but when the infection took my darling Ted I knew I couldn't go on without him. So I came out where we were the happiest to enjoy one more night here. Whoever finds this, I welcome you to my home. Make it your own. It was our baby. Or go to when things got tough. All with a shelter included in the package to lock ourselves in when we got tired of each other.
The code is at the bottom and there's plans in the cellar to get the wheel running again, along with a few generators until then.
Enjoy and good luck.
Daryl rolled his eyes. Handing Rick the letter with a bit of snort before he moved around the room. Checking out the private bathroom with the walk-in closet. When that came up clear he moved back to the room to see Rick skimming over the letter one more time before looking at the woman on the floor.
"Think we should take her up on that offer?" Daryl asked, moving to stand next to the man.
Rick gave the woman one more hard look before nodding his head. "Help me move her outside. We'll find a shovel and bury her somewhere."
Daryl shrugged, already shouldering his crossbow before reaching for the woman's shoulders.
xXx
The agreement to move was unanimous. The thought that of a larger space with more room to spread out, closer water source, and even some form of electricity was too much to pass up. The smiles on their faces as he and Rick described the place told him before there was even a show of hands. They arrived just before nightfall, the trip further up the mountains, taking longer with the much larger group, some of them even trailing as behind as the day wore on.
One of them being a certain small blonde that found the need to stay close to her father. The old man was in good shape, Daryl gave him that much, but he was still up there in years and sometimes the trail was a little steeper than expected. Daryl fell back with them, being sure to always keep them in his sight as the others kept up.
When they reached the fence, and the last of them made it through, Daryl quickly latched the fence back, noting that they would have to find something better than just a piece of wood to lock the gate up. Didn't want some stragglers wandering in like they did, unbeknownst to them. Sure, they could coexist with a few more people, but it was the type of people that was wondering about that made Daryl uneasy. Extreme circumstances brought out the worst in people and the end of the world was the worst possible scenario. Reminding himself to keep an eye out for something, and bring it up when he saw Rick again, he made sure the piece of wood was secure for now and headed up the stairs.
Once again entering the overly large entrance way to see Lorie, Carol and Hershel already heading up the stairs, supposedly going to settle Lorie down for the night. He turned his attention to the where he presumed the kitchen to be to find Carl already going through the cabinets, his smile growing when he came across a box of crispy cremes. When he turned to see Daryl in the doorway, he held the box up.
"Want one?"
Daryl eyed the box, his sweet tooth picking at him for only a moment before he held a hand out, and waited as the boy took a couple of them out to toss at him.
"Don't hog all of those now," Glenn said, pushing past Daryl.
Carl quirked an eyebrow at him, holding the box closer to his chest and out of view. "Hog all of what?" he asked, doing his best to sound innocent. Daryl hid the two in his hand out of view for a moment as Glen held his hand out. "Come on, give'em up. Can't hog all the snacks."
"Damn," Carl muttered, digging a couple of packages out for himself before handing the box out.
Glenn looked inside, noticing there was only a couple left and looked up to a retreating Carl. "Pig!" he shouted, snatching one of them up and holding the box out to T-Dog who just walked into the place. Daryl ducked out of the room, making his way to the other side of the house without a word to the two other men until he came across Maggie and Beth nestled up on one of the larger sofas in the entertainment room
"Here," he said, catching the blonde's attention before tossing one of the crispy cremes onto her lap. Maggie sat up, watch as Beth already opened the package and halved it with her sister.
"Where'd you get these?" Beth asked, holding a hand over her mouth as she swallowed her bite.
"Carl found them, but they're already gone between him, Glenn and T-Dog."
"And you," she said, eying Daryl's own snack as tossed himself on the couch to eat it. He shrugged, not answering as he shoved half of the first one into his mouth. He wasn't going to deny that he was hungry, and that pig was still in the cellar needing to be cooked. Something he would need to head out and do soon.
He was just on to his second bite, ready to enjoy it when he jerked up. A sneeze ripping through him the first time, and the second one stalling. Leaving him shaking his head as his eyes darted around the room, looking for the culprit.
"Something wrong?" Beth asked, her brows furrowing at his odd behavior. Daryl looked at her, noticing the concern on her face before he shook his head, ready to forget about the damn animal when again he sneezed. This one actually hurt as he recovered from it.
"Fucking cat," he muttered, looking around the room. There wasn't any sign of the animal in sight, but with his sinus's acting up, he knew it had to be closed.
"You allergic to cats, Daryl?" Beth asked, amusement in her tone as she looked at him. He raised an eyebrow at her, daring her to keep on. When the smile spread across her face, he cocked his head at her. "Is that a problem?"
Beth shook her head, that damn smirk on her face as she at the last bite of her crispy crème. "Just find it amusing that walkers, blood and guns don't bother you, but a cat can get to you."
"Yeah, well," Daryl trailed off, standing just as another sneezing fit came over him. He looked around the room, catching sight of a pair of glowing eyes underneath the TV stand and Daryl stormed after it, following it as it whisked across the room and around the corner. Daryl moved to follow it, already planning his revenge as he said, "just let me get a hold of him, I'll be having cat stew by tonight."
"You will not!" Beth shouted, moving so that she was kneeling the couch and leaning over the back of it to face him better. Daryl whirled on her, his own brows furrowing as he took in the indignation on the girl's face.
He stepped a bit closer, attempting to meet her glower with one of his own. "Oh yeah, you wait and see." He pointed toward the hallway, already unconsiously moving toward that direction when he was brought back by the small girl.
"You will not hurt a hair on the cat, Daryl Dixon. Not a single hair. Do you hear me?" Beth was glaring at him. Her brows knitted together with her shoulder's as back as she could get them. Trying her best to look as intimidating as he did at times, and it was all he could do not to smile at her.
He did smirk, a small lifting of his lip as he narrowed his gaze on her. "We'll see," he mumbled, turning to walk out of the room. He almost walked right into Carol, who had a smile of her own plastered across her face. "What?" he barked, not liking that all knowing look in the woman's eyes.
"Nothing," she said, turning away from the room with the two sisters. He could still hear Beth in there, asking Maggie if he actually meant to hurt that cat, and Maggie's response, "of there's no tellin."
"What the hell you smirkin at then?" he demanded, following her.
Carol shrugged. "Just think it's cute how that girl has you wrapped around her finger."
Daryl took a step back, glancing to the room he just left and then back to the woman standing in front of him. "The hell you on about?"
Carol just smiled, raising an eyebrow at him as she looked him up and down with that 'you know' look. When her eyes came on his pants, she froze, turning to face him as her hands came to her hips. "Daryl, is that another tear in your pants?"
Daryl looked down, almost forgetting about the rip that he made earlier, and felt his face heating up. Rubbing at his jaw, he looked to the entertainment room and then the front door. "Got somethin I gotta be takin care of," he muttered, heading as far from Carol, and any other woman in the house at the moment.
"Uh-huh, I want those pants so I can mend them and soon, Daryl," she shouted after him, barely getting herself heard over the slamming of the outside door. Daryl waved her off, knowing full well she didn't see it as he rounded the corner to find a fire already built up and Rick steadily poking it to get the flames higher.
He stepped closer to see the pig from earlier sitting across an already bloodied blanket, skinned and gutted ready to be cooked. When Rick looked up, there must have been something on Daryl's face as he came around to sit next to him because he asked, "something wrong?"
Daryl shook his head, not going to say anything until he looked up and could see a blonde head peeking out through the curtains of the rather large window.
"Is that all women have to do is nag all the damn time?" he asked, not meaning anything serious with it.
The outright laugh that came from Rick told him that he knew as much, and he turned to see the man nodding. "Yeah, about eighty percent of the time."
Daryl shook his head, kneeling down next to the pork meat to skim a few pieces for jerky off as Rick's laughter' died off. After a moment, Daryl looked back up at the window again, catching a glimpse of a few of their group, namely Beth, Maggie, Glenn and Carol laughing at something and a smile fell on his face as well. Knowing full well he would take their nagging any day of the week, if it meant he got to see moments like that. He would take on whatever they had to nag about.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Tried to make it a bit lighter at the end, especially with all that up there.
Thanks for reading and commenting. It always means so much.