Silent warrior: A Daryl Dixon Fan fiction

Chapter 13: An Old Threat

"He was my best friend before all of this happened" I gesture towards the obvious state of the world, "I was only able to survive for so long at first because of him. Our first camp was in the city, in a neighborhood. However, as things got worse, we didn't feel safe so we left. We were on our own for some time hooking up with other randoms along the way. A couple of months ago, maybe over a year now, I'm not really sure, but we were in a really bad way. We came across this camp and they took us in. After about 2 weeks things started to feel weird. Joey and I.." I pause from saying his name, bile churning in my stomach. I hold it down and continue, "we talked about leaving, we didn't have to stay, it was always our choice. Or so I thought. As it turned out, it was actually his choice. He choose to stay, and in order to do so he sold me to the main camp."

"Sold you?" His voice is low. I nod with a blank stare, "what happened?"

"I was going to be married off, but when I got to a camp they had a woman give me an exam and she knew I was a virgin. So I was going to the leader, the head hancho, the king" I roll my eyes at all the names they had for him as I wipe the tears that are falling from my eyes.

"They raped you?" Daryl's chest puffs up and his face is now red with rage.

"Never got that far, luckily for me I guess" I explain feeling exposed. I cover myself up with my arms, trying to fade away feeling grotesque and ashamed. "They had to move me to his compound first. On the way we got in an accident. The driver was distracted with what his pal was doing to me and we hit a parked trailer. The truck flipped a few times into a ditch. I escaped the truck before the biters surrounded it."

He nods "that's the accident you were talking about the day you talked with Rick and I" he says out loud explaining it to himself mostly. I nod to confirm, "You didn't kill them Shannon"

"I could have saved them, there was time" I look away.

"You did what you had to do survive, they wouldn't have let you go" his voice rises while he defends me.

"Doesn't matter. As it seems to be they are alive and well" I interrupt him from continuing.

"For now" he adds standing and lifting his bow to his arm. I stand up quickly to stop him and grab a hold of his arm.

I pull at his arm a bit more to stop him "Please don't. You don't know them, they are ruthless!" I beg

"They won't have the chance to be" he snarls.

"Daryl, they aren't here seeking refugee, if you kill them only more will come!" I plead more.

"How do you know?" He asks lowering his bow just a little.

"They had at least 5 compounds, even if one of them went down they have other places to go. And running into the biters they make after that run.. It's just not a coincidence" I describe.

"They are the ones who removed the eyes?" He asks. "But why?"

"I don't really know, something to do with giving them a stronger sense of hearing. I think they may follow the beard to other camps. I never really wanted to know." I explain.

His bow now lowers below his waist "Okay, well we'll go back and tell Rick and Deanna and they will help us figure something out"

"No, please. I don't want everyone to know what happened to me" I assert to him. He looks at me with something in his eyes. I turn away "please don't do that. That's why I don't tell anyone. Don't pity me"

"I don't pity you Shannon. I like you" he spills

"What?" I ask turning back to him

His eyes lift up to the roof before coming back to mine "I like yew" he says again, my guard falls a little bit curious as to what he means "you're a good person" he adds on. I smile, but mostly at my own stupidity. Of course he likes me as a friend, everyone does. Everyone loves a bimbo my mother would say.

I wait for him to say more but he doesn't, so I do instead "then please don't tell anyone what I told you" I whisper out. He bites his lower lip and I can tell he's frustrated "find another way?" I plead further.

He sighs. I hear the word fine emit from his mouth "on one condition" he adds. I let him finish before protesting the idea "I have to tell Rick."

"Why?" I basically whine.

"I won't lie to him, things don't go well for us when people hide things. Rick can help, he's got us where we are" he defends the man. I nod in agreement with hesitation. If he can trust me, then I should try and trust him.

We both go back to the blanket, only this time he sits next to me. We sit silently for a while, and I watch the way the sunlight changes through the cracks as the day passes. "When we go back, I'll talk to Rick and we will come up with a plan" he speaks.

"I'd like to go with you" I say in return.

He look at me from the side "yew don't have to do that. I know how hard it was for ya to tell just me"

"I know, but I should be the one to tell him this. It's better he hears it from me." I finish. Daryl nods and we spend another hour or so in silence. We head back to town before sunset.

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Thanks for reading. So, what do you think of these new guys?

Q: What are your thoughts on Rick's evolution?

A: I'm worried. I really enjoyed the Rick who had some faith in humanity left. I know with the survivors, they have to be scared but he's losing it all!