Author's note ~ Hope you enjoy.
Newt cast a sideways glance at the man, catching the look of understanding and resignation on his face. The fun and games were over, for now. It was time to head back.
Adrian made it to the shallows first, but he still had to wait for some assistance from Newt to fully make it to dry land. Without the water buoying him up, his leg threatened to fold beneath him when he tried to put his full weight on it. Without bothering to ask, Newt grabbed the man's arm and looped it over his shoulders, holding him up so he could take small hopping steps onto the rocky beach. Spotting a familiar shirt (washed, hung over a branch and mostly dry from the sun) as well as an equally familiar pair of underwear (in the same state) Newt helped Adrian head towards them, leaving him to lean against a stout tree as he retrieved his clothes and the change he had brought for the man from where he'd dropped them.
Returning quickly, Newt found the man using his old shirt to dry the water from his body and scrub his sopping hair to a tangled damp mop. He held the bundle of fresh clothes out to the man, who took them gratefully, tossing the damp towel-shirt to Newt. By the time Newt had dried off the man had succeeded in getting mostly dressed, pulling on pants and underwear in fast jerky motions while supporting himself with a weird stick of some kind on his weak side. Leaving off the shirt for now, Adrian leaned against the tree and attempted to work some of the snarls out of his wildly tangled hair as the boy quickly dressed himself. Newt glanced over at him, curious.
"What was that...gunk...you were washing with?"
"Soaproot. Never used it before but I recognized it, decided to give it a try. It did a really decent job, all in all."
Newt nodding, accepting the answer even if he didn't fully understand it. "The leg's looking better." He commented.
"Yeah, the antiseptic packing last night killed the worst of the infection; the rest of the pus drained out of it this morning, so I was finally able to stitch it up. It should heal up fine and dandy now, and I'll be walking on my own in a couple of days at the latest."
"Where'd you get that stick?"
Adrian mentally rolled his eyes at the boy's seemingly endless well of questions. "I had lots of time to putter as your boss-man was grilling me - and as I was grilling him - for most of the day. I borrowed a knife, and with a bit of carving and fine tuning, managed to turn out something that'll give me back a bit of my freedom until this leg heals up."
Newt glanced at the stick; it was actually two decent size branches, stripped of bark. They had been tied tightly together at the bottom and had three supporting horizontal bars; one at the top, and two more almost half way down. The top bar was padded with a wad of fabric, tightly wrapped around the wood.
"Not my best work, but it should do the job."
Nodding, Newt pulled his clothes on, crouching down to tie his boots. When Adrian finally stopped fighting with his hair, he grabbed his shirt, reaching up to pull it over his head. The tattoo on Adrian's ribs caught Newt's attention once more.
"That...design on your side. What is it?"
Pausing with his shirt high on his chest, Adrian turned slightly, offering Newt a full view of the picture.
The silhouette of a strange bird with a long tail and head crest, its beak open wide as if screaming, standing right in the center of a small but blazing fire. The words that Newt hadn't been able to see before were done in a blocky gothic style, and read;
Rise From The Ashes
"What is it?" Newt asked again. Adrian tugged the shirt down, and the tattoo vanished beneath the cloth.
"It's a phoenix."
"What does it mean?"
"It's a personal reminder." Adrian stated flatly, turning his head away and refusing to elaborate. He picked up his home made crutch and started limping towards the bent bushes where both had come through the foliage. "We should get back." For an injured man he was able to move fairly quickly, and had already snatched his ruined pants off the branch where he'd left them and started back towards the med hut before Newt could process his last comment; Newt had to scramble slightly to catch up. He walked silently by Adrian's side, shaking his head in confusion.
He almost missed Adrian's inability to speak; it seemed that every answer he got somehow spawned a dozen new questions. A loud clanging, metal on metal, echoed in the distance.
"That's Frypan, dinner must be ready. Hungry?"
"Oh God, yeah. Just let me get my boots on, then I'm all for eating pretty much everything I can get my hands on."
"Sure." Newt agreed, casually following the man to the dwelling and waiting for him at the entrance. It was time for him to meet the rest of the family.
The tables around the cook hut were full of rambunctious boys, talking and eating and joking around. The noise level was considerable given the size of the group, and the curious and mildly suspicious hush that fell when the group caught sight of the newcomer was all the more poignant for the contrast. Adrian stood as straight as he could, shoulder back, and met their considering stares with a level, measuring look of his own. Newt stepped into the void, taking advantage of the captive audience.
"This is our new greenie. Name of Adrian." Newt said, by way of an introduction, sliding a sideways glance and a small smirky grin at the man. "He's on the mend from his injuries, and the poor delicate flower should be back to full shortly. Until then, have a care, and keep an eye of the shank, will you?"
"What's the matter with him Newt? Poor baby have a boo-boo? Does he need someone to kiss it better?" A voice called out from the crowd, laughter rippling through the gathered boys.
Before Newt could come up with a suitably sarcastic response, Adrian stepped forward.
"Nah dude. I caught one glimpse of your ugly shuckin' face when they opened the box, and I've been in shock and pain ever since. I might have nightmares."
Raucous hoots and more laughter from the boys, a couple of jeering comments tossed at the original speaker. Any hostilities from the group eased at the careless exchange, and the boys went back to their meals and conversations. After they had gotten their portions of the evening meal, they gratefully dropped onto benches at a crowded table.
"Good show, that." Newt commented, digging into his dinner.
"Well," Adrian said, curiously examining the mystery meat and potato sludge in his bowl, "I can't very well let them think I'm the weak sister, can I? It's always best, when joining an established group, to stand your ground early and prove you're not an easy target. They'll accept me easier for it, too." Sighing inwardly, he picked up his spoon and dug in; he couldn't afford to be picky. In short order and without further conversation, both bowls were very nearly clean, and the worst of the gnawing hunger in his belly had been quelled. Newt stood and picked up both bowls.
"I'm after a bit more, myself. Are you game?"
"Absolutely."
Nodding approval, Newt headed back to fetch another helping. Left idle in the middle of the group, Adrian started to overhear some of the conversations around him. One just off to his side caught his interest in particular.
"Man, I don't know how he makes the meat so tough."
"It's not that bad, I don't find it that tough."
"I'm telling you, it's tougher than it used to be. It's getting harder to chomp my way through it. My jaw hurts from trying."
"Don't you think it's maybe just you? Why don't you go see Jeff, ask him?"
"I did! That shank said he couldn't see anything wrong with me. I tell you, it's Frypan's cooking. Even my teeth hurt. You'd think after being the cook for so long, he'd figure out how to make decent grub!"
"You're just being a whiny shank, George. It's the same it's always been!"
Newt arrived at that moment, two full bowls in his hands. Focus back on his belly, Adrian quickly polished off his second portion and sat back, finally satisfied. Glancing down the table, he saw that the boy who had been complaining earlier was still sitting, brooding into his still partially full bowl. His companion had already left, so Adrian took a chance and leaned over.
"You'd be George?"
The boy looked up, startled. His cheeks looked a little hollow, and his skin had a faint, distinct - and telling - jaundiced tone. "Yeah, I'm George. 'Meetcha. Adrian right?"
"Yeah. Look, I couldn't help but overhear that you're having some...difficulties eating. Stop by the med-hut tonight, I'll give you something that should help."
The boy looked mildly insulted. "Yeah?" He snorted, "and why would I do that? What do you know about it, huh?"
"I know that your jaw hurts, your teeth hurt. I know that your gums feel a little soft, that they bleed sometimes. I know that you feel tired more than you used to, just don't have any energy anymore. And I know that if you don't fix this now, you'll suffer and be very sorry later. I can help you."
George looked startled, lowering his voice to a hiss. "How did you know all that?"
"Because I recognize the signs. It's not a big problem yet, but it will be if you don't do something about it now." Adrian stated with authority. "Come and see me tonight, and in a day or two, you'll feel like a new man."
Watching Adrian with slitted eyes, George appeared to think hard for a moment. Then, with a sharp nod that signaled his acceptance, he quickly got up and walked away. Newt watched the exchange curiously, saying nothing until the other boy was out of earshot.
"What was that all about?"
Adrian shrugged. "I'm pretty sure he's suffering from something called a vitamin deficiency. His body's starving for something that it's just not getting, and that's making him sick. I'll make him a tea with some heavy vitamin C in it, should clear it up in no time."
Newt just stared at him, impressed. He wasn't sure what to ask next when his train of thought was derailed by Alby, who appeared at their table without warning.
"Evening guys. Finished?" Both nodded, waiting for Alby to continue. "Good. I've called a meeting of the Keepers tonight; there are some things that we need to talk about." Alby said blandly, looking right at Adrian. "I need you both there."
"It was bound to happen sooner or later," Adrian stated placidly, pushing himself to his feet. "Now's good for me. Lead the way."
Author's note ~ Next up; politics and answers.
~Ruby