𝐍𝐄𝐅𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 | daryl dixon

- 𝟏𝟑𝟒

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     AS THEY moved through the woods, the dog seemed to get more... frantic. rosaline knew they had found something but she didn't dare alert them because if it wasn't kelly, she didn't want to build hope for connie just to disappoint her. it was best to ride it out until she was certain that it was kelly that they'd found.

     from behind her, daryl seemed to catch onto her idea and stopped connie, "hey. did i ever tell you about my brother, merle?" he questioned, trying to act out and somewhat sign his words but the mute woman shook her head, struggling to understand. he took the notepad from her, "uh... merle. okay, this one time, he takes me fishing. right? fishing. right? fishing, right, on this big lake, right, which is uh... private property, right? in this boat, which is, uh, stolen. stolen boat, right? and he's drinking, right? so he's fishing and he's drinking. he falls in the lake like ka-psh!."

     rosaline laughed at his lack of vocabulary when trying to explain something, though her interest was peaked even though she was sure she had been told this story before during one of their midnight chats or one of their hunts, "dare there might be too many rights in there. i think she understands somewhat."

     "be quiet, i'm struggling here." he nudged her jokingly with a smile, "anyway i have to take him, uh, like this..." the marksman takes his wife and lifts her arm above his head, and drapes it around his shoulder, causing connie to smile, "swim him all the way back. i save his life. you know what he says to me?"

     she shakes her head, offering him the paper.

     "heard this one before." rosaline chuckled, now remembering when he'd told her this.

     "dummy, go get the beer." the two said in unison as he quickly wrote it on the notepad.

     connie couldn't help but let out a silenced laugh, staring at him.

     "idiot, right?" daryl looks to her for approval, and she nods, with a smile he puts the lid on the pen and passes her the little booklet back, "yeah. it's gonna be alright."

     rhaegar barking brought them back to earth. rosaline grabbed connie's hand, pulling her along to where horizon had joined in with her friend in the baying.

     "tracks." rosaline told him as he picked up some triangular party banners.

     he praised the dogs then looked around, quite astounded, "what?"

     rosaline spotted a dead boar upfront, approaching it, "she caught something but the walkers got to it. no sign of her."

     the marksman bent down, testing the freshness of the blood and who it may have belonged to by rubbing it between his fingers. however, a noise caused them to whip around, rosaline drawing her bow while daryl trained his crossbow on where the snapping twig had resounded.