daryl follows wordlessly, propping the door open with his foot and stepping out of the way when she asks it of him. a whole goatââ he remembers faintly how nice it was to have livestock back at the prison. a fresh and steady supply of meat really does make a difference, even when some of itâs being fed to a tiger rather than people.
     alice offers him the opportunity to feed shiva as they saunter back through the doors that lead to her cage, and daryl barely thinks about it: heâs drawn to her, as though her spirit and his are linked somehow; like her tempestuous mind and his unruly heart are meant to be one in a single, GLORIOUS BEAST. willingly, he hoists the goat into his arms ( this is not the first time heâs carried such a large animal ), approaching the cage as shiva stirs back into motion. there, he waits for alice to open it, his eyes locking onto the creatureâs own blistering gaze.
     his heart thrums, like somethingâs just fallen into place.
âEasy.â Alice reaches a hand out, not laying a finger on her newest and unofficially appointed trainee, but instead waits as he hauls the goat up into his arms. Heâs strong, a trait that she silently hoped he would have and sheâs not disappointed. Shiva wonât be either, the flick of her long striped tail against the metal bars and the deep growl she lets out is all that needs to be heard for Alice to know sheâs caught the goatâs scent.Â
âOkay, good.â She sighs, unhooking the key that is tied in a knot around one of her belt loops before stepping forward in front of him. She eyes Shiva, the trust and the understanding in those wild amber eyes everything she relies on for the tiger not to kill her. It wasnât so long ago that the beast whose roar could send even the bravest men fleeing saved her life, and sheâll forever be in debt. Twisting the key into the lock until she hears that all too familiar click, Alice turns to nod at Daryl as she carefully pulls the door open.Â
âShiva, be calm --- you have a new admirer with a treat.â She tells the tiger as she steps into the cage, allowing room for Daryl to follow her inside as the large cat slinks forward to investigate her welcomed intruders.