Sneaky

Chapter 113

After collecting everything needed for restarting the fire, I straightened to make my way back to the henge and turned to find Daryl walking towards me.

"Hey."

I quirked my eyebrow but nodded back. 'Why'd he come out? It's not like I need help getting firewood. I'm already finished.'

The leaves crunched under his boots like fistfuls of corn kernels thrown against a metal sheet, little snaps of twigs and other forest-floor debris here and there until he came to a stop, facing me more directly than usual. "I wanna talk to ya for a sec."

Uh oh. Why do I feel like I'm about to be scolded?

Everything I've done in the last 48 hours started going through a fine tooth comb in my mind. What could I have possibly done to warrant a 'talk'?

"Don't wander off no more." Daryl glanced around, checking our surroundings the same way I do.

...Ok, that's not what I expected.

I stared at him in question. Mostly confused about where this is coming from all of a sudden. All I did was come outside to grab fire stuff. The camp is literally like a stone's throw from us.

"I mean it." he shifted, not looking at me and I honestly can't tell if it's because he's nervous, embarrassed, or if this really just isn't as serious a conversation as I thought — as he's making it sound.

My eyes wandered over his face. The dirt and sweat clinging to his skin in the same manner as most of us at this point, but a little thicker because he's got something against water. Sometimes I think he actually does it to protect his skin from bugs and sunburn and the like. But other times...

Then again, this is Daryl. There might be a perfectly good reason — like one of those many old hunter's tricks that he just seems to dispense when needed — or there might be no reason at all and he just didn't think about it. Which I find hard to believe because this crap is itchy after a while.

On cue my cheek started itching but my hands are full so I'll have to settle for rubbing it against my shoulder and trying to catch my jacket zipper at a good angle.

"I can't keep lookin' for ya all the time, going after ya. It's better if ya just stay where I can see ya."

'Hmph, no worries. I'm not goin' anywhere by myself anymore.' My hand travelled from where it's tucked up under my bundle of stuff, just to hover over my ribs. Even the idea of touching it is making my hand shake. The way it does with anticipated pain.

I nodded and watched him give a firm one in return, before motioning at me to hand over the sticks & kindling.

I pulled them back into me like I'm protecting my child and he deadpanned at me.

Seconds ticked by as the two of us had a stare off until Daryl raised an eyebrow and snapped his fingers.

I sighed, making absolutely positive he heard it.

'Fine.'

I handed the bundle over and let him carry it as we walked back to the camp to start a fire.

I don't know when we're gonna get moving today, but we have some serious things to sort out before we can go anywhere, and the fact it's cold enough to still need a fire when the sun is up already is a serious warning sign.

We gotta find a place to stay for the winter. Preferably more than one, and we gotta do it fast or we're not gonna make it without casualties.

At the very least, that baby in Lori's belly will be consumed by her body for nutrition or energy, or just plain miscarried because she doesn't have the resources to grow a child.