Chapter Text
Everyone at the encampment was crazy. It took Neil all of five seconds of sitting around the fire to reach that conclusion. He didn’t even have a bowl of stew in his hands before he began to regret the choice of joining them for a bit. One of the girls, a blonde named Allison, was loudly arguing over hunting grounds. Her voice grew shrill the louder she became and Neil winced. Sat near to Neil was Andrew whose eyes didn’t leave him. A matching version of the man sat on the other side of the fire, next to another man. Neil had gotten the very quick, loud, and excited rundown from the man. His name was Nicky and he was the twins’, Andrew and Aaron, cousin. Nicky had lived in a city similar to the one Neil had fled from, but he had left and joined the encampment with his husband Erik. It was weird listening to Nicky gush over how attractive and strong his partner was.
He’d been saved by Abby, swooping in with a gentle arm around his shoulders to guide him over to a seat. Wymack took the open spot to Neil’s left, glaring at the others who gathered around the fire. The gruff man pointed to the people who joined, dishing out their names with fondness. Dan was the woman he’d seen before at the fire, beside her was Matt; a tall man with thick coils of dark hair. Matt’s grin was wide as he waved to Neil but he was kind enough to give him space. The cousins Neil had been subjected to already so he ignored Wymack’s introductions for them. Allison waved with a wink when Wymack pointed her out and explained that the man she sat beside was Seth. here was a sizable notch taken out of his ear that couldn’t have felt pleasant at all. The final one turned Neil’s blood colder than the ice underfoot. Kevin Day, a man whose name had been whispered around Neil since his childhood.
Kevin’s mother had been one of the founders of a city. She’d worked alongside another to build up a large community and had managed to translate ancient texts that allowed them to grow food indoors with the use of the sun. It was something Neil didn’t fully understand, but clearly Kevin did. There was a sizable building that was free of snow and made up of repurposed glass. Neil had seen them often in the cities, but never in an encampment such as this one.
In the back of his mind, he was thankful for the earthen dye he’d mixed up using the last of his water and fat to darken his hair. Kevin and him hadn’t crossed paths in years, but the last time they had seen each other hadn’t beena pleasant one. Neil’s father was known by many, his skill as a hunter didn’t stick just to the animals that roamed the ice in packs. His father was dead now, killed and left to freeze beneath the ice.
Neil was thankful to his Uncle for that, but the suffocating feeling of being trapped in a city was too much for him.
Andrew’s eyes remained on Neil as everyone ate. It was unsettling but Neil wouldn’t allow the other the satisfaction of knowing that he was unnerved. Neil ate slowly, sipping from his bowl as he reached the end. The stew was surprisingly good. He’d only been able to make a soup a few times and it always ended up too watery to be good.
Across the fire was a figure who had gone unnoticed. She wasn’t there when introductions were being done but Neil hadn’t heard her approach either.
“Oh, Renee,” Andrew’s tone was amused. “Seems you spooked our little invader.”
The woman smiled, teeth flashing in the fires light. “Sorry, Neil, I’m used to moving quietly out on the ice.”
She was clearly a skilled hunter. How did she know his name? Had someone already told her? Neil forced himself to look away to avoid any more questions. He stared into the flames until Wymack stood.
Hands on his hips the man commanded the area without a word. Conversations fell off and everyone turned to look. “Listen up all, Neil is going to be helping out around camp a bit so be welcoming, understood?”
The agreements from the others around the fire were mostly joyful, but Neil took careful note of those who glared or kept silent. Andrew was grinning, lips stretched and eyes narrowed. A mix of amusement and something deadly on his face. Conversation lifted around the fire again and others joined and a few left. Neil didn't catch everyone’s names after that, but he offered a nod to each one.
“Let’s get you settled in then,” Wymack spoke.
Neil glanced up. “What?”
Abby laughed behind him. “You didn’t think we’d keep you in our medical room the whole time, did you?”
Neil could do nothing but blink. He hadn’t imagined that there would be space for him to stay outside of where he already was. Most encampments he’d come across with his mother in the past hardly had room for those who lived there full-time. The silence stretched on until there was a harsh shove to his shoulder. It wasn’t enough to knock Neil from his seat, but it was enough to make him sway.
“Get a move on city boy,” Andrew drawled. “Can’t be late for chores in the morning.”
Neil stood, mainly to get away from Andrew beside him, and turned to Wymack. The older man was glaring at Andrew but simply shook his head and led Neil to a building he had yet to see.
The building was of similar shape to the others with its wind-stripped walls. Snow sat heavy on the roof and large icicles hung from the eaves. Neil stepped beneath them carefully as Wymack shouldered open the door.
“You’ll have your own room for the most part,” Wymack explained. “Seth tends to stay with Allison.”
Nodding along, Neil stepped in behind. The building was warm inside. A small fire in the hearth was going and sending warm red and orange light throughout the place. There was a large open space around the fire and another one with flat surfaces full of supplies just beyond. A personal kitchen in the building was a luxury, one the residents squandered in favor of cleaning their hunting supplies. A hall jutted out to the left and there were several openings in the wall. Thick hides hung to block the view of the rooms and provide privacy, but one was rolled up.
Inside the room, Matt and Dan sat weaving sharpened stones onto thin sticks. Dan was the first to look up and notice Wymack and Neil passing by.
She grinned. “Welcome Neil, let us know if you need anything!”
“We don’t have much,” Matt laughed. “But we can always make something or steal it from one of the others.”
Dan laughed along with him and nudged Matt’s leg with her foot. Wymack muttered something that Neil missed as he continued down the hall. Pausing by another door. Wymack pulled aside the hide and tipped his head towards the opening.
Neil entered the room first. It was dark, but his eyes adjusted slowly as he looked around the space. There were two bedrolls, soft furs and hides that would keep anyone warm throughout the night. Along one wall spears and a well-crafted bow rested.
Wymack cleared his throat. “I wouldn’t touch Seth’s things if I were you, he’ll talk a big game but he won’t throw the first punch.” He scratched his beard. “But I’ve seen that boy eat with his hands with dirt packed onto them.”
Neil grimaced as Wymack shuddered at the memory. Back outside, he could hear people talking and laughing around the main fire. It wasn’t terribly late with the sun just recently setting, but Neil was worn out. He shuffled over to the other side of the room, toes nudging the furs.
“What about chores?”
Wymack crossed his arms. “Andrew goes against anything that involves being a team player, including helping around the encampment.”
The chores, as Wymack explained, were things such as hunting, fixing up the buildings, helping Kevin in the greenhouse, cooking, treating the meat, and inventory in the storerooms, all things that kept the encampment running smoothly. Neil wasn’t expected to jump into helping immediately, but it would be good for him to go around throughout the week and see where he was best suited.
With that said, Wymack nodded and left Neil alone in the room. All of his things were there surprisingly, almost as if Wymack had expected Neil to agree to stay at the encampment. All of his furs and hides were still with the sled, Neil knelt on the ground and counted each one to verify. He sat back on his bedroll, his. It was a strange feeling in his gut. Something hot and tight that moved up to his chest the longer he thought about it.
It wasn’t a permanent place, Neil knew that. But the warmth of being inside and the softness beneath him was hard to pass up. He was asleep before he even realized that he’d laid down.