Silent, fast, and lethal

3/8

As you had predicted, after having been awake for the most part of the night, you were beyond sleepy when you went out hunting with Daryl, but as you walked with him through the woods and Daryl began pointing things at you, as if he were actually making an effort to try and teach you something, you felt fully awake, paying total attention to it.

It seemed today you weren't going to see him fail a shot either, and you couldn't help but watch him and admire the way in which he moved with such confidence and skill, as if he belonged in those wood, noticing everything around him, every little track, movement, and sound, how quick and skilled he was at aiming his crossbow in a second without never miss the shot.

He had several squirrels attached to his belt when you reached a clearing and Daryl stopped, looking around without saying anything to you. He took a piece of charcoal out of a pocket and draw an x on a nearby tree before rummaging into his bag, taking out something else and walking to you.

"It's a silencer for the rifle." He said as he took the rifle you had been carrying, placing the silencer on it. "I borrowed it. Thought you might want to practice or something."

"Thanks..." You were taken aback but you gave him a grateful smile as you took back the rifle, looking at it and then at the mark on the trunk, feeling rather unsure. "I don't think I can even hold it right."

"Try to aim."

"Okay..." You lifted the rifle and aimed but didn't shoot, waiting for Daryl's instructions. He approached you and reached out as if to reposition your arms but he didn't touch you, seeming unsure and hesitant. "Told you, the bruises don't hurt or nothing," you told him, wondering if it was that." He just nodded and then you barely felt his hands on you as he guided your arms ever so gently.

"That is, aim and shoot."

You did your best, but you failed the shot. "Ouch," you groaned as you felt like the rifle had kicked your shoulder quite literally.

"That's normal. You'll get used to it and you'll get better."

"Thanks." You gave Daryl another shy smile, glad he was encouraging you instead of seeming disappointed at you.

"Come on, again."

You spent quite a while there, missing most of the shots, though each time you hit the target, Daryl made you try further away. Eventually you stopped, you didn't think you could handle to keep shooting with the pain you were feeling in your shoulder.

"It kind of feels like a waste of bullets..." You murmured.

"No, you missed but you hit it sometimes too."

"Those were wasted bullets too."

"How you wanna learn then?" Daryl frowned.

"I know, just...we'll run out of ammo eventually." And it wasn't like you could make more, you didn't think so.

"Yeah, but we still have plenty of that and you gotta learn," Daryl shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal. "We'll get more ammo in some runs." Eventually, though, you knew the nearby places would run out of ammo too, but you didn't say anything else about it.

"It's difficult to find arrows?" You asked, pointing at his crossbow.

"Don't know, I make them." Daryl began walking again and you gaped at him before you began following him again.

"Whoa! That's really impressive!" He didn't stop surprising you with his knowledge and skill, but Daryl just shrugged at your words without saying anything or looking at you.