R A N D O M || OS

191. (TWD) Daryl Dixon - The Calm Before

https://crossbowking.tumblr.com/

Summary: (Set early season 4) Daryl and the Reader are on a hunt, tracking down food to bring back to the prison, when they find themselves caught in a raging storm.

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Scarce.

That would probably be the word you'd use to describe your food situation — scarce, dry, and lacking.

Any houses or stores you came by had already been ransacked, leaving little to nothing to be found. Animals seemed to know to stay away from the prison that you and your family called home — which was why you were now further out in the woods with Daryl. You'd been out for hours now and the only sign that your hunting trip wasn't a complete waste of time was the line of squirrels hanging off his belt.

"Psst!" you called out, catching Daryl's attention as you gestured over to a rabbit a short distance in front of you.

His eyes narrowed in on the small animal and he quickly raised his loaded crossbow. He pulled the trigger and in an instant, the rabbit was killed — quick and painless.

Daryl nodded at you before going over to collect his catch.

"Think we should call it now?" you asked, adjusting the strap of your bag over your shoulder.

"Nah," Daryl said simply. "Got more mouths to feed back home — this ain't gonna do it."

You sighed in defeat, nodding in agreement.

You were already sure that he was going to shut down the idea of heading back before you opened your mouth. You knew that Daryl was more than stressed with how things had been at the prison. With Rick stepping down from his position as a leader, Daryl had become an important part of the council with Carol, Glenn, Hershel, and Sasha.

Everyone in the prison looked up to Daryl and you were more than proud of him for his growth as a leader and person in general. The only thing you didn't like was that he had taken it upon himself to provide for everyone and knowing him, that meant he wouldn't stop until he was able to bring back enough to feed all the hungry mouths back home.

And so the two of you continued to trudge through the woods, Daryl's crossbow loaded until either one of you spotted something worth hunting. You frowned when you felt the sudden urge to look up at the sky, seeing that it was getting rather cloudy.

"I think it might start raining soon," you voiced your observation.

"We should be clear for another hour or so," Daryl replied, not looking at you as he scanned the area for any tracks.

"How do you know that?" you asked.

"Jus' do," he grunted.

An amused smile reached your lips. "So, should I tell Zach that you were a weatherman before all this or just let him keep guessing?"

Daryl stopped walking and finally looked at you, a smirk on his face. "Ya serious?" ( ​ )

"Maybe," you muttered, and he scoffed, continuing to trudge through the undergrowth. You followed his footsteps, trying your best to be as quiet as he was and looking for sudden movements of food or danger.

Sometimes Daryl stopped, seemingly seeing something that you didn't, but kept going after watching the area for a bit.

He was very calm when he was hunting, you noticed. Probably the most tranquil you'd seen him. Usually, he was standing stiffly, his expression uptight, and he always seemed annoyed or stressed. But now, in the woods, you could tell he was relaxed. The muscles in his back were relaxed and when he glanced back to check on you, he actually looked a bit happy.