Savage World •••Daryl Dixon•••

On the Fence

The sun rose on a soaking wet and prone Asher still kneeling by the gates to the outside world. Her hair clinging to her face and old blood running in rivulets down her neck under her shirt. She had nothing left so she didn't much care about how terrible she looked. The sun had just crested the horizon when she heard a familiar sound on the other side of the fence.

"Meeko?" She looked up and saw the large cat rubbing up against the fence and making her usual chuffing meows. "Meeko!" Asher jumped to her feet and opened the gates to let the feline into the safety of the prison before the walkers could hear her. After closing the gates, she dropped down to her knees and watched as the spotted animal take a few leaping bounds and pounce on her lap.

"You're okay! Meeko!" She scratched the cat's huge ears as she feels her fingertips vibrate with deep purrs. "Such a smart girl!"

"What the fuck is that?!" Both girl and feline snap their heads towards the voice a few feet away. Glenn stood eyeing the animal in Asher's arms, a small plate of food in his hands. Meeko bristled and jumped forward protectively, teeth bared and lowly hissing.

"Meeko, stop!" The cat relaxed very little, sitting back on its haunches but tensed and ready to pounce. "Sorry, she can be jumpy and protective. This is Meeko, she's a friend I made when I was alone. Saved my life more than once."

"What is she, exactly?" Asher shrugged and started to gently pet the feline's soft fur. "Because it looks like a small cheetah." She softly chuckled and nodded.

"I thought that too when we first met. All I know is she's all I've got left now." Glenn softly sighed and warily took a step forward, eyes locked on Meeko and her teeth. Once he figured he was close enough, he crouched down and slid the plate across the grass towards her. Meeko stepped forward and sniffed at the food, Asher pushing the plate towards her for her to have it.

"You have us, Asher. Me and Maggie and Hershel and Carl and Rick. Everyone. We're all here for you." Asher softly nodded and pulled her knees under her chin as she watched Meeko scarf down her food. "I'm not going to try and force you to come back inside, but just know that we're always here for you."

"Thank you, Glenn." He reaches over and gently patted her on the shoulder before moving back towards the prison. She turned back to facing the woods, spending the day curled and frozen. Meeko wandered a few feet away and chased mice through the grass until she got bored and curled up beneath her legs. She hadn't even noticed that people were approaching the fence until she heard the muted voices in the back of her head.

"You're living in a prison? How cutely ironic, baby brother." Meeko perked up beneath her, but she didn't care. "Is that Asher? Why does she look like she's been outside during a tornado? Why is she wearing a collar?" The gates rattled open and Asher felt Meeko press up against her leg with a sharp hiss and a yowl.

"What the fuck is that?" Asher didn't even realize that the people talking were Merle and Daryl, all she could hear was softly muffled voices and snippets of sentences.

"Whatever it is, it's dinner now!" Asher yanked up her crossbow and snapped it towards the voices, finger held against the trigger.

"Don't you touch her, I'll kill you where you stand." The brothers looked to each other and Merle smirked before turning back towards the monotone girl.

"You've raised quite the badass, baby brother. Willing to kill her own family over a damn cat." Meeko hissed once more and snapped her teeth at them in warning.

"Her name is Meeko and she's not for you to eat, jackass." Daryl chuckled lightly at her snappy curse words.

"What have I said 'bout watchin yer mouth, baby girl?" Those two words finally sunk in and she realized that the people she was talking to was Daryl and Merle. Her family. Who left her behind. She pushed to her feet and snatched up the plate Glenn brought her hours ago before walking towards the prison, Meeko hot on her tail. Daryl jogged to catch up with the girl, careful to keep on the opposite side of the oversized cat.

"Asher ain't you gonna say somethin?" She ignored him and forced herself to keep walking, the plate gripped so hard her knuckles were white. Merle strolled along as a leisurely distance, contented to watch the two have it out. Daryl caught up to her and caught her around the bicep so she'd stop and look at them. At him.

"Asher, say somethin." Her tired eyes sparked angrily and she pushed violently against his chest so he would be forced to step back from her.

"What do you expect me to say? You left me behind! You promised me you would never do that!" Merle stepped to his brother's side and spoke to her.

"But he did come back, we're here right now." She turned her icy eyes on the older male, their sharpness and fire growing as she did.

"You don't get to say shit about this, Merle Dixon. You were the first to run off, you left us back in Atlanta."

"Quite the bold talk comin from the little girl we found cryin in a basement." Asher lifted a brow and crossed her arms.

"Meeko, play nice." The feline howled and shot forward to claw at Merle's legs and kneecaps while snapping at fingers before darting out of his reach with his weaponized stump. While he dealt with his newest threat, Asher turned back to Daryl who was fighting back a smirk as his brother's struggle.

"I thought I wasn't a pet."

"Yer not, Asher-"

"Then why? Why did you ditch me? You left me behind just like Meeko's owner did to her. See, I got the pet's collar and everything." She jangled the chain still attached to the thick metal ring around her neck.

"That ain't fair-"

"What ain't fair is making me feel like I mattered then vanishing on me without a second thought." She glared at Daryl, eyes sharp and angry but rimmed with tears. He didn't know the right words to say that would calm her down, so he chose to stay quiet rather than run his mouth and make this worse. Grassy eyes dropped to the dirt and he bit his lip trying to figure his words out. Asher stepped inside the prison long enough to drop off the plate before storming away from the Dixons. Meeko stopped her attack on Merle and followed obediently after the blonde.

He turned and watched the girl as she stomped through the courtyard towards the gate, expecting her to stop where they saw her earlier. She did and he caught the distant movements of her venting to the sky and her cat, Meeko she called it. Merle stood next to him, silent and brooding about being attacked by an oversized house cat.

"She'll come 'round."

"We left her behind, Merle. I left her behind." The older brother clapped his brother on the shoulder and sighed while nodding. The large gates rumbled open and Daryl furrowed his brow looking for any incoming cars, finding nothing but a small herd of walkers racing for the opportunity to get inside to the food. Metal glinted in the sunlight and Daryl's confused expression morphed into one of shocked terror.

"Asher!"