The Walking Dead Final Season- 'Safe and Sound'

Safe and Sound IV

The arrow fumbled forward into the air and slid against the dirt before feebly stopping. The Walker nearby didn't pay it any attention and carried on lurching towards the main gates.
"I missed" A.J said sadly, putting down the bow and leaning it against the side of the wall.
"It's OK. Like I said, you're too little for it" Clementine reassured him "You'll be better when you're older, or taller. A few more years or inches, whatever comes first"
She picked up the bow and then grabbed an arrow from the wooden bucket on top of the watchtower.
"Ok, I might lose my balance a bit, so grab me if I fall" she looked down at A.J and smiled.
With her makeshift foot planted firmly on the tower's wooden boards, she moved her other leg and assumed a firing stance.
A.J peered over the side of the wall at the approaching Walker, still ambling towards the gate.
It was an older man wearing a stained jumpsuit, like a Mechanic covered in gore and dirt instead of oil and grease. 
"Here we go. For ten points" Clementine nocked the arrow and then pulled her arm back to draw the bow.
She exhaled and then loosed the arrow, which sped through the air and drove itself into the Walker's face, causing it to stumble and fall on its back.
"There, one less walker ruining the evening" said Clementine.
"How come you didn't miss?" A.J said, his eyes still on the Walker's crumpled form.
"Because I am a Warrior Queen. All tremble before me" she smiled and placed the bow back against the wall.
"I aimed for his nose. If you find something small and focus on that, it helps get the arrow close enough to where you want it to go. After plenty of practice of course."
"Who taught you that?" A.J asked.
Clementine thought for a moment and a half dozen possible faces  sprang forward, a couple with names, but she was having trouble narrowing it down.
She had first picked up a bow years ago in Richmond, a scruffy hand me down lying around in the armory, but she couldn't recall who had specifically had taught her that piece of advice. 
So many people with so many lessons, with most outliving the person who imparted them in the first place.

She mentally shrugged it off; at least she'd remembered the lessons, where they came from were sometimes less important.
"I'm actually not sure" she admitted, joining A.J against the wall.
"Well, I don't think I'll forget who told me" he said, turning to her and smiling.
"I should have lied, should have told you I thought of it myself. I could have looked pretty cool" Clementine grinned, resting her elbows on the wall and placing her chin in her hands.
"Yep, you're now super lame" A.J laughed.
"Better than that guy" Clementine nodded in the direction of the fallen Walker, the arrow planted in its skull like a sapling that had grown beneath it and burst through the bone.
"Should we get the arrow?" asked A.J.
"The guys who are fishing will grab it on the way back. Let's just stay up here for a bit" said Clementine, eyes on the sun as it began to bury itself below the treeline, merging into a blur of dark green and bright orange, with spots of soft light bleeding through the gaps between the trees.
"You know I used to get worried when the sun would set" Clementine said quietly "Even if we had somewhere to stay and were inside, I'd always feel anxious. Worried something would jump out the dark or we'd have to make a run for it in the middle of the night."
"I couldn't tell" said A.J.
"Lately I've been trying to watch the sunset as much as I can, just to get rid of that worry. Just to see something beautiful instead of feeling sick. I thought it might be easy with all the people here, and all these walls, but I'm still having trouble letting go of that feeling" Clementine exhaled before smiling somewhat.
"Maybe in a few more weeks It'll go away. Not like I can shoot an arrow at it sadly"
"If you could, you'd probably hit it right in the face" A.J said, turning to her and putting his thumb up.
"You know it kiddo" she returned the thumbs up and continued looking at the treeline, hearing faint birdsong drifting around various parts of the forest. Bright chirping bouncing around the trees, seemingly from everywhere. 
She closed her eyes for a few seconds and focused on the sounds, before faint voices in the distance bled through, causing her eyes to slowly open.
"Sounds like the hunting party's back" she said.
"Time for food!" said A.J, leaping back from the wall and heading to the watchtower's ladder before scrambling down the rungs and leaping onto the dirt. 
Clementine turned to see A.J running into the main building, rousing a sleeping Rosie who stretched for a few seconds before excitedly following him inside.
Turning back around she saw Louis, Aasim and Violet approaching the main gates. Louis was carrying a bucket of fish and Aasim had what looked like a couple of squirrels dangling over his shoulder like a grim, furry fashion accessory.
Clementine shot them a wave and pointed to the Walker on the ground.
"Could you get that for me?"
Louis gave a salute and handed Violet his bucket before dashing over to the corpse. He mimed rolling up his sleeves and grabbed the arrow with both hands, feigning stress and exertion before finally yanking the arrow out and playfully stumbling backwards.
Clementine mouthed a 'thank you' and gave him a thumbs up. Louis winked at her and jogged back to Violet, grabbing his bucket and placing the arrow in her hands.
"Well, seeing as I'm going that way anyway" she said, turning to face Clementine and smiling.

After closing the gate behind her, Violet headed to the Watchtower beside the entrance and made her way up. 
Clementine was facing away, resting on her elbows and looking at the sunset.
"Hey, got you something" said Violet as she pulled herself over the top.
"Is it an arrow covered in brains?" said Clementine, still facing away.
"You know it. Only the best."
"You spoil me." Clementine laughed.
Violet threw the arrow in the wooden bucket and settled in next to her on the wall.
"What are you looking at?"
"Nothing. Everything. I'm just looking" Clementine shrugged 
"You sound like me that time I shoplifted" said Violet, moving closer and resting her head on Clementine's shoulder for a few seconds.
"Isn't that what we do these days anyway?"
"Yeah kind of. But it's not as fun."
Clementine laughed before a glint of light caught her eye. It was the tip of arrow that A.J fired earlier, still lying in the dirt.
"Ahh, I should have asked Louis to get that" she said.
"Get what?"
"There's another arrow there. It's A.J's"
"You had me worried for a second. I thought you might have missed."
"Nope. Just ask that guy. Oh wait you can't, cause I put an arrow in his face" Clementine playfully nudged Violet.
" Fuck that guy" said Violet.
"Yep. Fuck that guy."
"On three?" Violet asked, playfully squeezing Clementine's hand.
She counted down, and after getting to three they both yelled a spirited "Fuck you!" over the wall and at the corpse. For a brief moment it drowned out the birdsong, and rolled across the trees towards the sunset.