Arrow to the Side

Anna was exhausted after the ride up to the ravine. Her limbs felt like jelly despite the enormous amount of muscle she'd built up over the past months.

She and Maggie had taken Nellie back to the stables and now all Anna wanted to do was flop down into the tent that she was still sharing with Andrea. Anna was starting to get uncomfortable with her tent arrangment but she knew for now she didn't have much choice.

She was on her way there when she was cornered by Lori. This woman was really starting to get on her nerves.

"Can you help me with washing these clothes for a sec?"

"Actually ,Lori, I just got back from the ride from..." Anna started until Lori cut her off.

"It's just that Hershel says I shouldn't put too much strain on the baby."She said it in a way that sounded like an order. Anna's skin twitched but she reluctantly nodded.

Not that a couple of clothes would be a strain. You're barely 4 months pregnant and you don't do anything else around here.
It was a subject that Andrea had been talking to her about. Apparently, Lori was known for her ideas that the women around her did nothing to help. She had even gone to Andrea and told her directly that she was of no benefit to the camp.

Nevertheless she followed on Lori's heels to the water pump and began to wash the clothes.

After a few minutes Lori got up and walked off leaving Anna with half the camps clothes to wash.

No surprise there then.

She was about to go say something when Carol came up behind her with Beth on her heels.

"Oh Anna, don't bother with that. You must be exhausted. Go and lie down and me an' Beth will finish up here."

Usually she would have politely declined and finished her work but she was practically falling asleep on her feet so she nodded and padded back to the tent. She always felt uncomfortable in Andrea's tent but it wasn't like she could sleep outside here.She would have to talk to Glenn and Maggie to see if they could grab one for her on their next run.

-----

She slept for a good few hours and was woken by Andrea shaking her arm.

"Hey Anna, we forgot to tell you, we're all going up to the house for a meal with Hershel and his family, you wanna come up?"

"Yeah, sure, just gimme a sec." Her stomach grumbled and Anna realized she hadn't eaten properly since the night before. This morning she had only had time to wolf down a granola bar before heading out.

Andrea waited while she straitened out the kinks in her spine and made herself look reasonably presentable before walking up to the house together.

On the walk up they discussed Lori's audacity and laughed about Carl's obvious crush on the younger Greene girl, Beth.

----
Dinner would have been nice, if it had not been for the awkward silence that had hung around the group like fog.
Even when Glenn had brought up a guitar for conversation it had been shot down because it brought up more bad memories.

Anna made an excuse for herself to bring Daryl some food. She picked some of everything and brought the plate to Daryl's door. She knocked and heard a grunt of consent from Daryl. She didn't know the man too well but she had come to learn that this was how the man usually communicated.

When she entered Daryl was looking considerably better than he had a few days ago.

****Daryls POV

Daryl couldn't hear anything coming from the dining room which made the dinner sound like it was obviously going badly. It made him glad that he hadn't had to join in.

There were some footsteps outside the door followed by a knock.
He grunted and Anna entered. She had obviously been looking for an excuse to leave the heavy dinner table but she seemed to be in a good mood.

"I brought you some food in case you were hungry." She smiled warmly and set the plate of food down on the table.

"Thanks."

"So, how are you doing? It feels like I've barely spoken to you since we met in the woods."

"I'm doin' okay, can't wait to get out of this damn lockdown."

It was true. He found sitting inside all day hell. The sooner he was out of here the better. He would have liked to have gone out today but Hershel wouldn't let him. He had resented it a little but he knew that the old guy was right.

"You're starting to look better. I guess you'll be out again soon enough, huh?"

"Yeah, Hershel said tomorrow or the next day he'd let me get back to my tent."

"That's good. So, Um, I hear you're a good hunter?"

"Yeah. why?"

"I mean, I was just wondering if you could teach me some hunting stuff once you're feeling better. I mean I was out in those woods for three days and all I ate was a handful of granola bars. I'd rather never get caught in that situation again, y'know."She gave a wry laugh. "I-If it's not too much trouble." She added nervously.

Daryl wasn't used to people asking for his help so politely. Or at all, for that matter.

"Yeah, If you want,I guess. I'll probably be out again in a few days. Checking snares and the like."

There was a sudden sound of a few chairs scraping back as people in the other room started packing away after dinner.

"Thanks"

Lori started calling Anna like she was her dog from the other room. No doubt for some mundane task that she could "help" with. Anna sighed and Daryl couldn't help but chuckle.

"Okay,I guess I better go see what the queen bee wants and I need to talk to Glenn and Maggie about their run tomorrow. It was nice talking to you." She slid him a quick smile and slipped to the door.

"See ya later." She added.

He nodded to her as she left.

What is it with that girl?

She was obviously very patient to put up with so much. He hadn't missed all the ways that Lori was trying to walk all over her. Hell, the girl had only been there for a few days and Lori was calling her like a child that needed to be disciplined.

Daryl couldn't help but like the girl.