As Daryl and Arthur walked deeper into the forest, Arthur couldn't resist teasing. "Couldn't track a single girl, eh?"
Daryl scoffed. "Shut your mouth, Kenway. That girl was in a panic, making me chase ghost tracks."
"Lead me to where the girl was last seen," Arthur instructed, flashing Daryl a deliberate side-eye and a smirk. Daryl just muttered, "Annoying bastard," and began leading him toward the creek where Rick had last seen Sophia.
After jogging for a while, they arrived. "There. Rick said he told the girl to hide there," Daryl said, pointing beneath a tree beside the creek. Arthur walked closer, sniffing the air for a lingering scent. Daryl mocked him. "You ain't no dog to sniff like that, Kenway." Arthur simply turned to Daryl, then activated his cognition eagle vision, and the once untraceable tracks became visible.
"How long has it been since you became a hunter, darlina?" Arthur asked. Daryl clenched his jaw before replying, "Don't know. Been drifting everywhere with my brother. It just came to me through experience."
Arthur turned to Daryl with an infuriating smile. "Let me teach you a little trick to make you a better hunter like me." Daryl was intrigued but annoyed by the arrogance. "Go on," he grunted.
Arthur stepped beside him. "This is a family trick," he lied, though his inner voice screamed, 'Family trick my ass, it's just a good old eagle vision minus the cognition!' "I want you to clear your mind of any thoughts and distractions, Daryl, then close your eyes."
Daryl followed the advice, clearing his mind. Arthur continued, "I want you to focus on your surroundings, take in the information in great detail. Find what you really want to see, look for what you desire to look."
Daryl opened his eyes in a daze. His pupils dilated as the world briefly resolved into intense, focused patterns of gray and white before fading back to normal. "What the fuck?" he blurted out, blinking rapidly.
Arthur, standing beside him, smirked. "Like what you see?"
Daryl turned to him. "What the fuck was that, Arthur?"
"That's what my family called an Eagle Vision," Arthur explained. "It's what we used to track our target, gather information that can't be seen normally." 'So it's possible, but based on his reaction, the duration seems much lower,' Arthur thought.
Daryl processed the words. "That's some voodoo shit right there, but useful."
Arthur nodded. "Alright, now let's track this girl." He activated his cognition and followed the trail of footprints. Daryl followed, still processing the new skill.
After a while, they arrived at a big lake. Daryl crouched and picked up a stuffed toy. "This is Sophia's toy," he confirmed.
"Indeed," Arthur replied, straining his hearing. "Daryl, prepare. Many walkers around." He drew his bow from his back.
Daryl nodded, readying his crossbow. Having gotten a better handle on the Eagle Vision, he used it, spotted Sophia's panicked tracks, and the erratic tracks of the walkers. He whispered, "Sophia went this way. These walkers are going toward her."
They both moved forward, quietly killing any walkers that noticed them. Soon, they spotted Sophia clinging to a tree branch, while walkers reached up for her. "He... Help me, Mommy!" Sophia cried out, holding on tight, tears streaming down her face. Suddenly, an animalistic shriek echoed, and Sophia quickly covered her mouth, whimpering.
"What was that?" Daryl asked, shooting the walkers in front of him.
"That, my friend, is a Hunter variant," Arthur replied, rushing in, shooting arrows left and right. "We need to hurry and kill these walkers before that Hunter pounces on Sophia."
They worked quickly, watching each other's backs as they killed the closing walkers. Arrows pierced the heads of walkers trying to reach Sophia. She noticed the intervention, looking to see Arthur and Daryl fighting beneath her, even using their daggers in close quarters.
They heard the Hunter shriek again and saw it spring up toward Sophia. "Ahhhh!" Sophia screamed as the Hunter jumped at her. A crossbow bolt pierced its chest, and a bang! immediately followed, hitting its head. Sophia looked down, seeing Arthur, who had already drawn his S&W Model 500, and Daryl, who had reloaded his crossbow.
They quickly cleared the remaining walkers beneath the girl. Daryl motioned for Sophia to climb down. Sophia, terrified and exhausted, immediately hugged Daryl. "Hey, kid, that's enough," he said with clear discomfort, looking at Arthur as if asking him to remove the girl.
"Let the kid be, Daryl. She's frightened due to her experience," Arthur replied, a slow smirk forming on his face as he collected all the arrows he shot. Daryl responded by showing him his middle finger.
"Anyway, let's move. We need a place to rest for a while, and away from here. The gunshot will make this place swarmed with walkers," Arthur stated as he put the arrows in his quiver.
"Why don't we go back directly to the highway?" Daryl asked, reloading his crossbow with Sophia still hugging him.
"The kid is tired and hungry, Daryl, plus I know a place," Arthur replied, focusing on Sophia's immediate needs. Daryl sighed, then told Sophia to climb onto his back so he could still fight if needed.
They began walking, Daryl following Arthur. Sophia spoke up. "Thank you, Mr. Dixon and Mr. Kenway, for searching for me."
Arthur replied, "No need to thank us, kid. We're a group, so it's normal for us to look for you," while Daryl remained silent.
Soon, they arrived at a small clearing with a fenced horse shed and a cabin in sight. "Home sweet home," Arthur said, walking toward the cabin. Daryl followed. "This yours?" he asked.
Arthur opened the door. "Yeah, I stayed here for a good while," he replied. Inside, Daryl placed Sophia down, and they sat.
Arthur opened a can of tuna and gave it to Sophia. "Eat up, kid, and make sure to take a rest," he instructed. Daryl opened a water bottle and drank a bit. "How long are we gonna stay here, Kenway?"
"'Til the girl wakes up. Let her rest, Daryl. She earned it for surviving alone," Arthur said, looking at Sophia, who quickly ate the tuna and drank the remaining water.
Soon, Sophia fell asleep, and Daryl soon followed. Arthur went outside and set up an alarm system in case walkers approached. After finishing, he went back inside, settled in a corner, and fell asleep.