RIDE OR DIE | DARYL DIXON

secrets and lies

DARYL WAS DESPERATE to get out of the farmhouse and back to his tent for a reason Willow couldn't understand. In the farmhouse was warmth during the night, a soft bed to sleep in, and an actual bathroom to use. But, Daryl insisted, nearly picking a fight with three of their men to get back to his tent.

Willow helped him get settled down in his tent, removing his larger bandages and replacing them with smaller ones that only covered the wounds. He had been recovering nicely. The bullet graze was a very superficial wound, Hershel didn't worry much about it. The arrow that pierced through his side was the most concerning one, but that too seemed to be healing well.

"You're crazy for not taking Hershel up on his offer." Willow said, taking a glance at the bullet graze before covering it. "I'd kill to sleep in that bed."

Daryl groaned under the pressure she applied to the side of his head. "I ain't a little baby."

"Hey." Andrea peeked her head into his tent. "This is not that great, but..." She stepped in, handing a book to Daryl.

He took it and flipped through a majority of the pages boredly. "What, no pictures?"

Willow looked at the cover of the book, reading, 'The Case of the Missing Man', rolling her eyes at his stupidity. It was quite obvious there wouldn't be pictures.

"I'm so sorry, I feel like shit."

"Yeah," he adjusted his head on the pillow, "you and me both."

"I don't expect you to forgive me, but if there's anything I can do..."

"You were trying to protect the group. We're good." He nodded to her, taking one of his arrows and poking the tip a couple times through the mesh of the tent.

Andrea stood up to leave, Daryl calling out to her. "But hey, shoot me again, and you'd best pray I'm dead."

"You're a real charmer, Daryl Dixon." Willow joked.

-

Rick and Shane took it upon themselves to take most of the group and some of Hershel's people further out into an open field to help them with their shooting. They had lined up some bottles and cans along a fence as targets, first showing them the basics of safety, holding the gun, aiming, and shooting.

"You gonna be shooting?" Rick asked Willow by her side, surveying the others as they began their practice.

"No. I've been shooting since I was 8 years old." She looked over at him through squinted eyes, holding her hand up to shield the sun. "I'm pretty confident in my abilities."

Rick smirked. "What'd you use?"

Willow answered cheerfully, looking over to Shane. "A Remington 700."

"Wow." Rick bobbed his head. "Are you good with it?"

She smirked. "Could put a bullet between the eyes, blindfolded."

Shane rubbed the back of his neck before tearing his narrowed eyes from her focus, moving down the line towards Andrea, Rick following shortly behind after giving Willow a firm pat on the back.

The only reason Willow even came to this practice was to keep an eye on Shane. After what Dale had told her, she didn't see it as a good idea for Shane to be trusted with a gun, let alone multiple guns. It took everything in her to not share with the group of what she thought of him. She figured that if she were to make an accusation that large, she'd need some solid proof.

She'll get it one way or another.

-

Most of the group returned back to Hershel's farm. Shane and Andrea decided to do a quick drive through a neighborhood a few miles east, looking for any signs of Sophia. Glenn and Maggie saddled up a couple of horses to make another run into the pharmacy in town. Willow caught Glenn before he departed, asking him kindly to keep an eye out for any baby products that may be useful for Sienna. Being the tender man he is, he promised her he'd come back with something.