Double Crossbow (Daryl Dixon) [The Walking Dead]

Chapter 2 ↣ A good story?

"You don't know me, and you don't wear my chains."

— Augustana, Boston

↣ ↢

Daryl

HER STORY WAS the vaguest backstory I had ever heard, but I didn't care what this woman's story was. As long as she left me alone, we'd be fine. The people back at camp hadn't fully taken the hint I wanted to be alone. I was better off without people. A prime example being Shane showing up. I sure as hell didn't invite him to come hunting with me. Nevertheless, it'd be a lie if I said she didn't spark a little curiosity. It was the fact she carried her crossbow as if it was an extension of her arm—the same way I held my own bow—that piqued my interest.

I raised my hand in signal to stop as I saw another squirrel, but before I could even raise my crossbow all the way, there was a bolt in the squirrel's skull. Whipping around, I fixed Kathryn with a glare.  

She gave me an all too innocent look, those intense green eyes filling with fake sweetness. "Oh, I'm sorry, did you want to get that?"

"That was my kill," I growled, her tone pissing me off

"Well," she started, walking up to me, "if I remember correctly, you stole one of my kills too. Let's just call it even, shall we?" Brushing her blonde hair over her shoulder, she brushed passed me in the same fashion.

Anger washed over me. Who did she think she was? I continued glaring at her as she retrieved my kill. Shane chuckled from behind me, causing me to turn and face him.

"You might want to keep an eye on her," Shane said, keeping his gaze on Kathryn. The look in his eyes sent a pang of annoyance through me. Damn, wasn't Lori enough?

"Are you two ready to go?" I jumped as Kathryn manifested by my side. How had I not heard her? My stomach twisted. It shouldn't be possible.

"Yeah," Shane said, "we're almost there."

He then started back to camp with Kathryn trailing a bit behind him. I walked behind them this time because—even though I hated to admit it—she was a good shot. This in turn made her a threat. Call me crazy, but I didn't want to end up like that squirrel that was now limply hanging by her side—a hole where its right eye should've been.

Kathryn

I was conscious of Daryl's gaze burning into the back of my head, and I wished he would've walked in front of Shane and I. The feeling of his eyes on me made my stomach twist into knots. Well, more knots than there already was.

"We're here," Shane said. "Camp sweet camp."

Daryl brushed passed us, but I paid him no attention and slipped my crossbow over my shoulder. I looked around the small camp consisting of a few tents, an R.V., and a handful of people. There were a mixture of people in this group: men, women, and even a few children.

A boy looked up from a book, and the second he saw Shane, he was running towards him. "Shane, you're back!" he exclaimed. The boy halted and looked up at me. "Who are you?"

By now, multiple people had walked over to us, and all eyes were on me. My heart was beginning to race. "This is Kathryn. She's gonna be staying with us," Shane said.

He then pointed to each person standing around us and introduced them to me. When we got to a woman whom Shane introduced as Lori, she smiled warmly and reached towards me as if she were trying to give me a hug. I involuntarily flinched away, every muscle in my body winding as tight as they could. My heart leaped into my throat, and I had to force myself to breathe. Lori took notice in my apparent discomfort and smiled as if nothing had happened.