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Two hours into my watch I spotted a deer, I waved over to Daryl pointing the deer out, Daryl nodded as if to give me the ok to take the deer down. I lined up my shot and hit the dear in the left eye, it dropped instantly. Daryl ran towards the animal, I stayed where I was ready to protect Daryl from any visitors, Daryl picked the deer up and got back inside the fences.
I heard the fence rattling under me, I look down to see Noel climbing the fence. He sat beside me, I wrapped an arm around his shoulder, "did you eat your veg?" I question him, he shook his head no, "I gave mine to Lori for the baby." Noel excused his actions, "you going to eat something?" Noel questioned, I shook my head no, "not today, I'm not due it for another day." I smiled down at my little brother. "How can you only eat every three days and not sleep and still be so aware of everything?" Noel questioned, "because I need to be alert to keep you and Naomi alive and I need to ration what I eat."
"You don't make me ration as much as you." I shook my head no, "you need to stay strong. I need you to be strong so if I die you can keep Naomi alive without me." Noel sighed, "You're the best big sister ever." I chuckled and gave him a kiss on the forehead, "and you the best brother a girl could ask for." Noel puffed out his chest pridefully. I look at my watch, I take off my jacket and give it to Noel, "time for bed, bud. Climb down there and go to the fire, you'll be safe with the others." Noel nodded, "when will you be down?" I looked at my watch, "I'll come down in an half an hour." Noel sadly nodded and made his way down the fence once again. I sent him a small smile and wave as I watched him return to the group. I could feel eyes on me after Noel returned to the others, the cold air kept me awake and alert as I came to the end of my watch.
I felt the fence move under me, I looked down to see Daryl gesturing me to come down. I reattached the barbed wire, and climbed down the fence. Daryl took in my appearance, "you not cold?" I shook my head no, the goosebumps on my arms would give me away as a liar. "Will you help with the deer?" Daryl questioned, I nodded and made my way over to the dead deer.
I searched the deer, "shit." I cursed. "what?" Daryl questioned, I squatted down and exposed the bite mark on the inside of the deers leg. "Fuck." Daryl kicked the dirt angrily. I tied up the deer, strapped it to my back, "I'll dump it on the tracks." I made my way over to the fence, "woah, little missy, you can't go out there alone in the dark." Daryl blocked me, I rolled my eyes and made my way around him. "I've been doing it for years. I can handle myself." I pushed past him again after he reblocked me and I left. I knew I could leave Noel and Naomi with that group, they knew how to survive and Noel knew how to handle himself.
When I made it to the tracks, I dumped the deer and made my way through the woods towards the prison. I killed a couple of squirrels and rabbits on my way back, as well as five walkers. "You let her leave!" Rick's voice boomed when I got close to the prison, "what did you expect me to do? Tie her up to stop her leaving." Daryl argued, "even if he tried he wouldn't get the drop on me." I laughed as I came into their view, "what do you have?" Glenn questioned, "squirrels and rabbits. No bites or scratches so they're safe to eat." I informed them as Rick rushed to let me in. Noel pulled me into a hug, "I tried to tell him you wouldn't abandon me and Naomi." Noel whispered to me. "Never, I need my sidekick." I ruffle his hair as we walk towards the fire.
"Right, now you really need to sleep." I warned Noel, "I'm not having you cranky when we go to check our traps." Noel nodded, I held Naomi and Noel cuddle into my side for some extra heat. I played with his hair, humming a lullaby helping him to fall sleep quickly. "Bethie, sing Paddy Reilly for me. I haven't heard that I think since your mother was alive." Hershel spoke up, Maggie asked her father not to ask for that one, Hershel then changed his request to Parting Glass. "No one wants to hear." Beth spoke back, "why not?" Glenn questioned. I smile and nod at Beth, "of all the money, that e'er I had. I have spent it in good company. And all the harm, e'er I've ever done. Alas, it was to none but me..." I decided to join in with Beth's singing, "And all I've done, for want of wit. To memory now I can't recall. So fill to me, the parting glass. Good night and joy be with you all." Beth smiles and we both look at Maggie to join in, the three of us sang, "Oh all the comrades, that e'er I had. Were sorry for my going away. And all the sweethearts that e'er I had, would wish me one more day to stay. But since it falls, onto my lot. That I should rise and you should not. I'll gently rise and softly call. Good night and joy be with you all. Good night and joy be with you all." I smile looking down at the two kids soundly sleep against me. "Beautiful." Hershel smiles, he looks up at me as if to ask me a question but decides not to bother.
"Better all turn in. I'll take watch over there. We got a big day tomorrow." Rick voiced, we all looked over at him as Glenn asks him what does he mean. "Look, I know we're all exhausted. This was a great win, but we gotta push just a little bit more." I look around the field, sitting up more as I spoke, "most of the walkers are dressed as guards and prisoners. Looks like this place fell pretty early, could mean the supplies may be intact." Rick nodded in agreement.
"They'd have an infirmary, commissary-" "an armoury?" Daryl question interrupts Rick. I look over my shoulder at him, "that would be outside the prison itself, but not too far away. Noel and I can scout it out tomorrow." I spoke up. Rick shook his head no at me causing me to raise and eyebrow at him, "how do we know you won't just take the supplies and leave?" I was stunned by Rick's words and I wasn't the only one, "Rick, I searched for you for just under a month and you think that I'd waste that by abandoning you and leaving you for dead?" Rick shrugged, I wanted to stand up and storm away but I know that Noel and Naomi need these people. "I'll go alone. Leave Noel and Naomi here. As your guarantee that I'll come back." I spoke Rick rose his eyebrows in shock, "under the condition that it's Daryl taking care of them" I ended my terms.
"Why Daryl?" T-Dog questions, "he's good with Naomi and I trust him." I could see a hint of a smile on Carol and Daryl's face. "Plus maybe he can teach Noel a thing or two about crossbows." I gesture over to Noel's new weapon. "I'll keep them safe." Daryl proclaims squatting down next to me, "because I know what you can do if I don't, Huntress." I chuckle lightly and nodded. "No. The warden's office would have information on the location." Rick argued once again, "you're not stopping me from going." I spat, "I didn't leave home to be controlled."
Rick looked a little taken back from what I said but continued with what he was saying. "Weapons, food, medicine. This place could be a gold mine." Hershel was the one to speak up saying they're dangerously low on ammo and that they'll be out before they can make a dent. "If you look on the right hand side of my bike, I stocked up as we searched for you." I point over, Glenn got off the ground and opened the storage unit. "Holy shit." He whispers, as he begins to empty my storage unit. "Did you make that?" Maggie questions asking about the storage unit, I shook my head no, "that would be Noel's handy work. I had to fix the clutch on the bike, he made that so we could leave as soon as possible."
Noel moves in his sleep as if he knew we were talking about him. I tucked his blanket under his chin to keep him warm. "Surely your arms are tired holding onto them like that." T-Dog pointed out, I shook my head no. "It's a lot easier to do it here than up in a tree." I shrug, "you've been sleeping in trees?" Lori questioned, I shook my head no, "they've been sleeping in trees, I've just been holding onto them." Glenn drops all the ammo next to Rick apart from the bag of arrows I made for Daryl, those Glenn handed straight to Daryl.
"Thanks little lady." Daryl smiles at me, "I prefer when you call me 'Huntress', it's more badass than 'little lady'." Daryl chuckled, "what's the plan?" I question Rick, "we have to go in there, hand to hand, save bullets. After all we've been through, we can handle it, I know it." Rick looked down at Carl who playing with the blades of grass, "these assholes don't stand a chance." After he looked at everyone's face Rick stood up and walked away. Lori got up and followed him as Carol and Daryl sat down, they all pulled out the blankets I had given them and lie down. "Nyx, why don't you lie down and go to sleep." I shook my head no, "not tonight." I said with a small smile as Carol tried to tell me to sleep.
(22nd May, 2011)
"Nyx?" Noel questions sleepily, I hum in response it was 2 in the morning, "I don't want to go with you tomorrow to check the traps, I want to get to know our new family." My heart broke a little at his words, he didn't need me anymore, he was safe with these people, "that's ok, bud, I understand. I'll be gone two hours max. Daryl will take care of Naomi, and you take care of yourself." I spoke in a whisper, "you're ready." I whispered a vote of encouragement, "I love you, Nyx." Noel mumbled, "I love you too, Noel." A few minutes later, Noel rested his head on my lap, and was in a deep sleep once again.
I sighed in relief and pulled out my medical book. I used the firelight to read, and I scribbled away for three hours. Learning about treating arrow inflicted injuries, "planning on shooting someone?" Glenn voice sounded behind me causing me to jump out of fright, "no, but I like to be prepared for anything. I should probably clean out my ears though, because no one has ever gotten so close to me without me hearing them." Glenn took it as a compliment.
Glenn sat down next to me, "I was hoping you'd help us clear the yard." Glenn point towards the walkers, "was there any question that I wouldn't?" Glenn shrugged and looked over at Rick, "he seems to think that you're only here to pass your 'burdens' onto someone else." I look at Glenn confused and he gestures to Noel and Naomi. I scoffed angrily sending a glare in Rick's direction. "Noel and Naomi are part of the reason I decided to come after you lot. They need to be with good people, to know there's still good people left." I admit looking at the groups faces, "and the other part?"
"Because I can't do this alone anymore, Noel is great but sometimes I forget that I'm only 14." Glenn nodded understandingly, "Noel told us about the rationing, how you only eat every three days and when you eat it's nothing more than a mouse's portion." I shrugged at Glenn's words, "we had a month of supplies, with me rationing, it gave all of 13 of us a month of food." Glenn's eyes widened at my words, I closed my book and packed my stuff away. "You've been starving yourself so that when you found us, we wouldn't be starving."
"Everyone here has made sacrifices to get where we are today. What's a little hunger when it comes to finding a new home and family."