Hiraeth (The Walking Dead)

Chapter 24

The man shrugged. "She a big girl. Can handle big kid words."

Carol laughed quietly again. "Okay, but just bring the box down whenever you're done. Like I said, I want the baby down for a nap."

Daryl brought down the makeshift baby crib soon later, folding up an old blanket from storage into it. The words 'Little Asskicker' were written on one side in shaky, thick black lettering. Carol shook her head with a small smile, thanking Daryl and telling him to thank Cailey whenever he saw her again.

"Kid went huntin'," Daryl nodded. "Can thank 'er yer'self when she gets back."

"She's out on her own again? Daryl, haven't we seen that she can get herself into too much trouble and get hurt?"

"She'll be fine," the man mumbled with a shrug. "Just trynna find somethin' to eat."

The grey-haired woman only gave a sigh and another nod before heading off with the box for the baby. Daryl trudged back up the stairs to his perch, staring out at the prison yard. He could see the little teenager with her bowstring drawn back, wandering around just outside the fence. Daryl crossed his arms as Cailey disappeared into the trees, and his eyes traveled to Rick and the remaining prisoner pulling walker bodies out the be burned.

The older hunter strapped his crossbow to his back, hanging it off his left hand as he sauntered back down the cell block, his boots padding silently down the hallways. It still smelled like blood and piss and death, but it was silent.

Daryl nodded at Rick as they passed each other in the harsh sunlight, and the hunter stepped farther down the yard. Hershel and Glenn and Maggie were all standing with hands on their hips by the gates. "Aye," he called gruffly.

"Daryl," Glenn nodded. "We're gonna need more formula soon. Was there anymore where you and Maggie found any?"

"Nah," Daryl spit on the ground. "Took it all. Pro'lly some out by the city."

"That's a day's ride," Hershel decided. "Should probably get going early. Why don't you have Cailey go with you, Glenn? She and Daryl went out by that area before."

"She out huntin'," Daryl pulled on the strap of his crossbow. "Pro'lly will for a bit. I was gonna go, too, but I can go out with 'im."

"No, I think we should be okay just Maggie and me," Glenn nodded. "It's a straight-on path down, it's just a bit far. We can just take a gun and a knife each, we'll be fine."

"I don't want any of you getting hurt now," Hershel raised his eyebrows.

"We won't," Maggie agreed with her boyfriend. "We should be able to find what we can."

"All righ'," Daryl nodded, knowing he was no longer needed. He stepped back away from the group again, pulling his crossbow down to hold in front of him as he opened the gate. He knew he wouldn't be able to catch up to Cailey and hunt with her, but it wasn't necessary to. She would probably be searching down by the river, and Daryl's strong suit was always on land.

The man's feet stepped quietly on the leaves, slowly avoiding each crunchy leaf and snapping twig. He spent nearly hours out under the sun and trees, trying to find what meat he could. He had a rat hanging from a string on his belt, and a fat dark green snake next to it. Daryl found his next prey once he was reaching closer to the highway. A little gopher crawled out of the ground. Daryl silently reached an arrow into his crossbow, aiming at the animal only twenty feet away.

Something ripped through the air by Daryl's head with a whizzing sound. An arrow knocked the gopher to the ground with a little thump. Daryl swung behind him, aiming his crossbow up at his rival.