(June 2nd, 2011)
Once we got to the bottom of the field safely, meaning without Hershel falling, I told him that I was going to bring Naomi for a stroll around the field. "That's probably for the best." I nodded, as we took off, Naomi was looking at the walkers curiously before looking up at me, "Nyx, are they monsters?" I sighed stopping in my tracks and kneeling down to her height, "they are, and if they ever get in you run to someone and they'll keep you safe, Me, Noel, Glenn, Maggie, Hershel, Carol, Rick, Carl, Beth, Axel, D-" I stop myself from saying Daryl since he's not here anymore, and saddened by the fact that he wasn't with our group anymore. "And when you're bigger, I'll teach you how to protect yourself." I add and Naomi nods at me, she looks around as if she's locating everyone I said. "And if they get in, whoever you run to, you need to listen to them, no matter what ok? Even if the monsters get me or Noel. You do what you're told." Naomi nods again, she looked back at the walkers, "I pomisss to s-stay a-i-ve." I chuckle smiling at her, "that's right, stay alive."
I heard a gunshot, I look up to the yard seeing Axel drop to the ground, "Naomi, get down now!" I order her, I look over to see that Hershel's hiding in the grass as well, he wasn't far away from us, about 3 yards away from us, and once the bullets stopped I turned to Naomi, "crawl with me to Hershel." I whisper to Naomi, she nods and we both slowly crawl over to Hershel, "I've got her." Hershel told me once we reached him, "thank you." I got up and ran to the gate, shooting arrows at the men at the gates, "Nyx!" Maggie called throwing a gun over the gate near me, I run to it catching it, I see the samurai at the bus stuck, I rush down to help her. Bullet's started again and were missing me by centimetres, as I slide behind the prison bus. I rounded the corner, shooting at the Governor for a couple seconds before using the bus to shield me from their bullets. I look over to Hershel and Naomi, who was crying looking back at me, Hershel must've told her to be quiet because she went quiet but I could still see her lip trembling. I rounded the corner again, I shot one of the Governor's friends in the leg, he screamed in pain and the Governor killed him because he was attracting walkers.
The bullets stopped as the sound of a vehicle grew louder, it was like everyone was waiting to see which side it was from, I looked over the edge of the bus to see a vehicle I didn't recognise as one of ours, "shit." I mumbled, looking over at Naomi, Hershel sent me a thumbs up informing me that she's ok. The van broke through our gate, turned around slowly, there was a big crashing sound as the back lowered into a ramp, and the next thing I see are walkers making their way over to me. Someone in protective gear started shoot at me and the samurai, I fell to the ground to dodge the bullets. I hear Rick yell to Hershel to get the hell out of where he is, I see most of the walkers heading to them. I curse, Hershel shoots some of the walkers.
I stand back up and run screaming my head off and the walkers turn away from Hershel and Naomi and make their way towards me but so do the bullets. I dive in front of the enemy's van, and starting killing walkers with my bow, banging the bonnet of the van to make more noise to attract the walkers to me. I heard the Governor's jeep drive away, I climbed onto the top of the van, jumping making more noise as I continue taking out the walkers in the field. Maggie, Carl, Beth and Carol open up the gate and start shooting the walkers down as well, I see the samurai making her way over to Hershel and Naomi.
"COME ON!" I yell at the walkers to keep them moving away from Hershel and Naomi. Glenn and Noel drive in and head for Hershel, Naomi and the samurai first. I watch Glenn and the samurai guide a limping Hershel into the pickup truck, Noel jumps out and scoops up Naomi before getting into back of the truck. They stop next to me and I jump from the roof of the van onto the roof of the truck, sliding into the back of the pickup, as they took off. I continued to shoot walkers as they drove through the gate into the yard, Carl closes the gate behind us.
I hop down from the back of the pickup truck using Carol's hand for support. I rushed to the side of the pickup as Noel opens the door, I pulled them into a hug once they were out of the truck. I kneel down to Naomi's height, cupping her face in her hands, "you were so brave." I whispered to her as I kissed her forehead, I spotted Hershel after his girls check on him. "Thank you." I mumble against his chest as I hug him for keeping Naomi safe, "what you did was stupid, you could've got killed." Hershel scolded me as I let him go, "better me than you two," Hershel smiles at me before Maggie and Beth gave me a hug to thank me for drawing the walkers attention away from Hershel.
We all move to the gate looking over at where Rick was worried, "there's only six walkers left in the field, he can get up here easily before the rest get in." Noel points out as we wait. "I can try using my bow but my aim will be off if I have to shoot between the gate loops," I notice Glenn beginning to raise his gun, I grabbed it by the barrel and slowly moved it down as I said, "we shouldn't make anymore noise or the ones outside the fence will come faster." Glenn nodded, "try it." Carl spoke pointing to my bow, I nod at him. I roll my shoulders, hold my bow out against the fence and took a deep breath as I shot and got one in the throat, "aim a little higher." Noel instructed, I nodded and tried again this time it went straight through it's nose and it fell back dead.
"He's talking to someone, it's Daryl... and Merle.." my breath caught in my throat as Glenn spoke looking through his binoculars, I missed the walker I was aiming for, but still killed the one behind it, "they're coming up now." Glenn spoke and I lower my bow. "They as in Daryl and Rick?" Carol questioned, Glenn shook his head no as he lowered his binoculars, "all three of them." We watched them take down the four walkers, Daryl even pulled up some of my arrows before they approached the gate, "we'll discuss this inside." Rick spoke, Merle actually looked a little nervous at the amount of people trying to kill him with a glare.
"Bad man." Naomi spoke up pointing at Merle angrily, I smirked as I looked at Merle as I spoke, "kid's got some good instincts." Carl unlocked the gate, opening it just enough for them to walk in before closing it again, Daryl walked in first, Merle behind him and everyone else followed. No one trusted Merle at all, especially not to have their back to him but Daryl. Merle wasn't let into the actual cell block, just into locker room before it, we all walked into the cell block and Rick locked Merle out.
I sit on the steps, Naomi next to me, I look up at Rick waiting for his explanation as to why Merle Dixon has lived to step a foot in this prison. "Merle's staying here to help us fight the Governor, he knows the way he thinks." Rick began but Noel stood forward, "that's because him and the Governor are two sides of a shithead coin. He's the reason that half of our people almost died." I haven't seen Noel this angry since he killed someone, I place my hand on Noel's shoulder and pulled him to sit in front of me on the steps.
"Kids got a point..." the samurai spoke up, Rick shook his head, "we're not running, and we don't have the manpower or gunpower to fight the Governor." Rick argues, I mumbled something about Tyreese's group which caused Rick to approach me and tell me to speak up, "I said, it's a pity you didn't realise that with Tyreese's group. Hell I'd take Tomas and Andrew over that dickhead any day." The group weren't surprised by my words, and some of them might've agreed with me.
Rick looked at me with an angry look on his face, but turned away from me, as I was sending Merle daggers. "You're still mouthy, Huntress. That's what almost got you killed." I raised my bow ready to shoot when Rick pulled his gun on me, "really?" I yell as I hand my bow to Noel. "This is fucking bullshit." I said taking a few steps trying to calm myself down, Naomi rushed over to me as she saw that I was getting upset by Merle's presence. She wrapped her hands around my legs as squeezed tight, "why don't you go and keep baby Judith some company." I whispered to her, Naomi nodded and made her way to the cell Judith was sleeping in.
"Are you sure Rick?" Carol questioned him, Rick looked up at Daryl before telling us that he's sure. Noel walked off and joined the babies in their cell. I groan and I handed my bow to Daryl, "get a new bow?" Merle asked from between the bars, "what does it look like prick?" And I hand Daryl over my arrows, "why are you giving these to me?" Daryl questioned, "because if I don't I'll kill him." I admit instantly, "look Daryl, I know he's your brother but in the last 48 hours he's tried to kill five people in this room, and I can't have Naomi or Noel at risk."
Daryl nodded understanding why I'm getting so angry about Merle being here, before I sigh. "I'm glad you're back, I missed you." I whisper to him and gave him a small hug, "Naomi has been asked about you non-stop, she missed you as well maybe even more than me." Daryl nodded and went into the cell to go talk to Naomi, Noel and Judith.
Carol and Hershel started working on dinner, I got one of Daryl's arrows and went into the last cell and began making him some more. Noel joined me after about ten minutes, he didn't say anything just watched me make an arrow. "Wanna learn how to make them? It'll help with your crossbow." I bargained with him, he smiled and nodded. I went through it step by step, I wrote out a guide and gave it to him. Naomi came to find me, "Nyx, Bet said it's tieum for my dinnur." I look at my watch and my eyes widen at how late it was, "come on sweetie, we'll get you fed and to bed." Naomi nodded in agreement as I took her hand, we walk down and take a seat on the floor.
Carol hands me some food that she reheated for Naomi, I thank her. I hold Naomi's bowl of food and hand the spoon, after she sits on my lap. "You otay?" She questions me as she shovels food into her mouth, "I am, are you?" She shook her head, I look at her concerned, "wanna tell me about it?" She shook her head no again, I frown at her, "you'll be sad." My eyebrows creased at her words, and promised her that I wouldn't be sad, "where's my daddy?" everyone in the room must've heard because it fell silent, this was one of the conversations I didn't want to have with her so young. "He's gone..." is all I said, "why?" My breath caught in my throat, "he tried to hurt you." I explain, "yike the monsters?" I shook my head no, "like the bad man." She nodded, "otay."
She continued to eat her food whilst I stared at the ground, trying to process the conversation, it felt like it went well. She'll probably ask again when she's older and can understand better and I'll be more prepared for that talk. "All done." She dropped the spoon in the bowl and rubbed the food off her hands. "Time for bed then." She stood up and offered me a hand up, I chuckle and take it and she leads me into our cell. I get her changed into a pyjamas, brush her hair and hummed her a song whilst I tucked her into her bed since she too big for a cot now. "Goodnight darling, I love you." I spoke as I kissed her forehead, "I luv you too." Naomi spoke gesturing me to get closer before she kiss my forehead.
I walk out of the cell, Daryl locks it for now as Hershel calls us all down for dinner. We all sat on the floor since Merle occupied the one room with a table and bench. "You handled that well, not giving her too much detail and not lying to her either." Carol praised me, "it's only natural she'd have questions, and when she's older I'll tell her everything." I vowed as Hershel handed me some rice and squirrel, I instantly thank him and tucked in. "Feeling a little left out over here." Merle spoke up, Carol went to get up but I stopped her.
"I'll do it." I got up and made my way over to Merle with his dinner, "can you please be quiet? The kids are asleep and I'd like to keep it that way." Merle just nodded as I handed him over his food, "what happened to my other bow?" I questioned him, "snapped it in half, but your new bow is much more badass, very 'Huntress'y." I rolled my eyes at him before turning around and making my way back to my seat and food. "Merle likes the bow you made me." I whispered to Noel, he nodded not hinting at his feelings. "Are you rooming with me or Carl tonight?" "Carl." I nod turning back to my meal.
"Nyx, can I talk to you for a second?" Carl questioned, once Noel was asleep and tucked in, "yeah, of course." I follow him out of the cell and down away from everyone else, "I wanted to say sorry about my dad pulling his gun on you." I smiled and looked back at Rick, "don't be, he thinks Merle is valuable and I was going to kill him. I'm glad he stopped me, it's the last thing I would want to do in front of Naomi. But thank you for apologising." I placed my hand on Carl's shoulder, to indicate my gratitude for his effort.
"If you ever need to talk, no matter what it is, you can come to me, you know that right?" Carl nodded and thanked me, we lingered staring at each other for a second. I cleared my throat and quickly removed my hand from his shoulder, "thanks again." I smiled before spinning around and walking back to the cell, Noel and I were making arrows in. I continued making more arrows, once Daryl had three hundred and I made two hundred for Noel, I decided it was time to call it a night.