Robin Hood (Sequel To Hiraeth- TWD)

Chapter 10

Cailey walked right out the gates of Woodbury, Friar close behind. Her throat burned, her hips hurt, her legs were shaky, but she was alive. She could barely utter out a word to Friar to calm his whining. But she was alive.

"See you, 'round, princess," Martinez called as he closed the gates.

Cailey didn't even turn back, didn't flip the man off. She continued slowly down the road, carefully stopping at the tree where her belongings were hidden under her poncho. The backpack seemed heavy now, although nothing was added. Cailey slowly slipped her bow over her chest, fixing her poncho under before walking back off towards the bike.

Friar kept whining as Cailey dragged her feet on the road. He nudged one of her hands with his nose as the girl stared at the asphalt, moving her feet like a walker. Friar brushed his head against Cailey's hip before she began slowly pulling the bike up out of the ditch, straddling the seat. The hunter snapped her fingers, pointing at the road for Friar. He barked, running in a tight circle before bounding off down the street.

The originally half-hour long motorcycle ride to the prison turned into almost two hours as Cailey didn't drive nearly as fast. Friar stopped a few times, grooming himself as he waited for his owner to catch up.

The sun was close to setting by the time Cailey turned onto the dirt road to the prison. As she rolled up, she could see Carol at the field gate, who nodded at her as she opened the sliding fence door. Cailey gave a little nod back, bouncing on the bike over the rocks while Friar followed up the field path. 

Rick was at the courtyard gate, waiting with a rifle strapped to his back. He slid open the gate to the courtyard, following Cailey and Friar as she parked the bike against the wall. 

"Glad to see you're back all right," Rick nodded. "What'd you find?"

"Bunch o' slickers with lotta guns." Cailey hadn't spoke a word since she left Woodbury, and her voice was quiet and cracking, her dry throat burning. "Got it real organized. Tell ya more later. Seen Daryl?"

The sheriff gave a small sigh as he put his hands on his hips. "Merle decided to bring Michonne out to the Governor, anyway. Daryl went to stop him a while ago. We can only hope he gets to Merle in time. I'm guessin' you didn't see anything?"

"Nah." Cailey mentally hit herself for not watching if something was happening on her way back. 

Rick watched the young girl with his brows furrowed. "Hey, you all right?"

"Yeah." Her voice was still a mumble. Rick didn't have the heart to call out her bold-faced lie as she walked off, walking straight through the prison hallways. 

Cailey ended up at the perch she and Daryl had been sleeping at, elbows resting loosely on her knees as Friar lied curled up next to her. She stared off at the air in front of her face, not bothering to listen to any of the conversation in the cell block right outside the door. 

Cailey sat in the same position for several minutes without counting the time. Friar moved a few times, but Cailey remained still as she stared off. Even when the door creaked open, she didn't look up. 

Just out of the corner of her eyes, Cailey saw Daryl sit against the wall across from her. He mirrored her position, leaning his head against the wall blankly. 

Words weren't exchanged until moonlight was shining into the windows. Daryl was the first the speak. "What happened with ya?"

"Nothin'," Cailey mumbled. "What happened with you?"

Daryl was silent for another minute. "Merle's gone. Got killed. Turned."

Cailey didn't offer a reply. She was quiet and motionless for another few minutes as the hunters still sat across from each other. Then, she propped herself up on her arms just enough to push herself over to Daryl. She sat right next to him, head against his shoulder. Daryl hesitated for a minute before putting that arm carefully around Cailey, leaning the side of his forehead against her hair. Both hunters closed their eyes as they leaned against each other, Friar coming up to join in only seconds.