Daryl's Precious Gem (Daryl Dixon FanFiction)

34: Limited

The earth grew warmer as the worst of winter passed us and had turned into spring. Grass started growing again as spring flowers bloomed. The sun shone through the trees which allowed light to hit the forest floor. Even the birds seemed to enjoy the warmer weather as they chirped and picked at worms from the soil.

I let out a steady breath as I slowly pulled back the arrow and aimed at the coyote that dug in the ground a few yards in front of me. The bow string sprung forward as I released it and sent the arrow flying directly into the coyotes heart. Smirking I slowly stood from my crouched position and made my way over to my kill.

"What did Wile E. Coyote ever do to you?" Enid joked as she walked through the trees towards me.

"He was after a road runner." I laughed at her cartoon reference. Enid laughed with me as she showed me her catch of the day which was a pheasant. I congratulated my student as I patted her back. I had taken Enid under my wing while I recovered from my injuries and taught her how to hunt with the bow. On one of Aaron's and Daryl's supply runs they found a couple traditional long bows which Enid and Carol used. Carol, Enid and Daryl were the only ones able to use bows for a while until Denise deemed me capable to shoot.

It had taken two and a half months for me to rehabilitate the muscle strength in my right arm after my injuries. Denise thoroughly went over exercises I had to do every morning and night to ensure my muscles regained their strength. There were days where I didn't feel like participating but Maggie and Tara practically forced me to partake in them. I knew they meant well but I felt silly doing some of them! Carl would join some days and make fun of the moves I did which resulted in me throwing pillows or any object nearby at him.

"Want to call it a day?" Enid asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Do you?" I smirked at her as I slung the coyote over my shoulder. Enid shook her head at me as we hiked through the forest and came along a stream. We washed the blood off of our hands until we heard tree branches snap close by. Immediately we ducked behind a bush and peered through the branches as a few walkers trudged by. We stayed quiet and out of sight until the walkers disappeared.

"Maybe we should call it a day." Enid smirked at me. I rolled my eyes at her as we made our way back to Alexandria. Barnes and Tara stood watch as David, a newbie, opened the gate. David and his wife Betsy were found by Aaron while he was on a supply run. Unfortunately, Betsy had been bit not too long after their arrival and didn't make it.

Michonne chatted with David and explained to us that they had been through quite an ordeal! I'll never forget what David said at the funeral we had for her, "I was alone, lost everything.. everyone. Myself, I-- I wasn't crazy. I just gave up on being someone, an actual person. Know what I mean? We found Betsy on the way back to the community. She still saw me. After I thought I was dead and gone, she was my first friend. Then she was more. She made me more. Even better than how I used to be. But if I could make it back, I'd want to say goodbye. Tell her... finding her in all this, that was everything."

David was a good man and his love for Betsy inspired me. Daryl and I had rough patches but at the end of the day it seemed to bring us closer together. With each new obstacle that we encountered we always overcame it and learned more about one another during it. From the beginning I always saw Daryl as a fighter and now even more so. Whoever said 'you're either a lover or a fighter' was wrong! Daryl was a fighter and a lover! He fought each and every single day for the ones he loved and cared for. Even if we butted heads every now and then.

All of us at Alexandria were a family and were stronger than ever! Spencer had been released a week after my revival and had to work twice as hard to earn our trust back. The group held a vote as we contemplated releasing Spencer or not. It resulted in a tie which was broken by my vote. At the time I didn't want to see him be set free but knew it was the right thing to do. Daryl refused to allow Spencer near me for the first couple months while I recovered.