Chương 17: Friends

Blick was having a great time. He had cooked all his own food by trial and error thus far. The cook tent has all these tools meant just for making food. Not knowing what these things are for he did the first thing that came to mind. Trial and error. He found some meat already cooked and started adding miscellaneous other foods to it. Taste testing, he found the rice and beans mixed with this weird brown powder in a jar was the best available here. So, time to learn how to make it. Meat is the easy stuff.

He cooked lots of meat before now, it's the other two. Now they both look like they come from plants. Finding a bag of beans he compared the soft, damp, squishy bean in the food, to the hard dry bean in the bag. Ok so uncooked is dry and cooked is wet so part of the cooking is adding water.. Fire and Water? Finding a big pot near the fire he brought it over to a barrel of water and gathered some. It can't be that simple right? Just beans and water?

Shrugging to himself he adds beans and water to the pot and puts it on the fire. Not sure how to know what it's suppose to do he moves on to the rice. Finding a bag of the stuff he notices a trend. Is food really that simple? Cook the meat over a fire and cook the plants in some water over a fire? When they are done just put them together and add some powder that smells weird. While Blick was distracted and loosing himself to a new curiosity the cook tent was being approached by a friend and a risk.

When the tent flap was pushed aside he didn't react. When he heard Terran call his name he finally looked up and froze. Terran was not alone. A thousand thoughts flashed through Blicks brain. With a look around the tent for a way out he glance back to see Terran with both hands raised.

"Easy Blick, ally. Friend. Stay." He really considered just running as fast as he could, but this particular person had taught him so much and his curiosity was so hungry all the time. What else could he learn if he didn't have to hide from all these scouts. With his hand on a knife he replied, "Terran. Friend. Help?"

Lieutenant Jones was not ok. What the fuck. When Terran the cook told him he had the creature in his tent he didn't expect the thing to be learning to cook. Let alone did he expect the cook to be able to talk with it. It wasn't impressive speech, but considering a month ago it couldn't talk at all to his knowledge it was proof the creature was pretty smart. It was a little uncomfortable seeing the clawed hand reach out for that huge knife when Terran started talking.

The words they used let him relax and he stepped forward matching Terran's posture with hands raised.

"Easy… my name is Bradford Jones. Ally." Jones gestured to himself when he introduced himself like he had seen the two do a couple of times. For extra effect he pulled his sword off, scabbard and all, and placed it on the floor beside him. When he returned to standing without it Blick lifted his hand off the knife on the table and stepped forward. He walked up to Terran and placed a hand on his shoulder making eye contact.

Terran nodded once and Blick turned to regard the lieutenant with what he assumed was a smile. He put his hand out and said "Blick" before grasping Jones hand and giving it a shake.

"Ha ha, wow I didn't expect that." Terran smiled and clapped the shorter, grey furred man on the shoulder before responding, "He learns fast sir. If y'all stop scaring him he would probably just follow us and learn anything we offered. He seems to question everything. It doesn't seem like he's been taught much tho. Like a big fuzzy child… with claws and no moral issue with murder… but a child."

"Ok so, Blick" the lieutenant turns to face blick before continuing.

"Will you come with us? We would like to find your home? Can you help?" Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. The response was just as broken as before. Mostly because he spoke too many words too fast.

"Blick. Help. What is this?" Terran interjecting "oh yeah! That's how we learn new things. He grabs something and asks 'what is this' before I try and explain. He doesn't know most of those words so hes probably asking what we need help with. He doesn't know a lot of our words. Honestly I was only teaching him the names for things while we ate. It wasn't a lot."

"Ok let's let him stay with you then. I'll get a guard on your cook tent to keep people away. Help him Terran. If he wants something try and let us know and we will make it happen. If he just wants to learn, teach him what you can. I'll inform the captain of the situation and our deal." With strong eye contact the lieutenant smiles the largest smile Terran had ever seen him make and backed away to reclaim his sword slowly and exit the tent.

Terran and Blick stood together listening to the orders being relayed outside. With a smile Terran patted Blick on the shoulder in their accepted "this is fine" gesture. Turning back to the cooking happening he started laughing while he tried to correct whatever mess the furry man was making. There were quite a few small half eaten piles of meats and veggies, a pot boiling over in the fire, and some rice sludge stuck in another pot.

Realizing how close the friendly being was to figuring it out, Terran waved him over and began teaching.

Captain Rictor was a mix of irritation at not being the one to make the deal and pride that his direct subordinate made such a beneficial arrangement. The man had spent his life fighting and beating success out of those who opposed him. And some situations just didn't need that solution. He knew he wasn't the best leader and planner. This situation just reminded him of that flaw. For almost the last five years Rictor had been realizing just how difficult his mentality had made his life.

Small things lead to big issues because his favorite solution was to punch the son of some stupid fancy pants or some other silly thing. It was always in the heat of the moment that Rictor failed to grasp how others would perceive his actions. This situation was not one he could force and that made him uncomfortable. He was good at force. Differing to a subordinate to make decisions on his behalf while he was on the other side of a door was not normal.

Recognizing his subordinate was probably smarter than him was another blow. Jones had a proven track record and that likely why he was forced to bring the young officer under his command. Jones was not from a noble family and the leadership assumed correctly that Rictor wouldn't be talked off the "punch people" cliff by a fancy pants kid. Even seeing the logic and agreeing with the decision, he still felt off about it.

Closing his eyes and breathing a few long slow breaths, Rictor stood and responded to the report he just received from his lieutenant.

"Lieutenant Jones, thank you…. I would not have made the same decision and I'm almost positive there would have been negative consequences had I been the one in this tent when the cook showed up. Hell, I'm not even sure the cook would have told me at all. When we return I am going to put in for your promotion to captain…. And I'm going to step down… I'll take my exit pay and find something less troublesome to do. Maybe go on this mission to wherever Blick came from." The lieutenant was visibly shocked.

He snapped his mouth closed with a pop when he realized he hadn't reacted with an officers bearing.

"Sir, while I appreciate the candor… there is definitely a need for your style of diplomacy sometimes. I don't believe for a minute that should I make commands there would be those who do not respect or follow my orders because I lack the ability to scare them. I've learned to help you when I can and back off to let you sling your weight around when you must. Had I been in charge in the village I do not believe I could have stopped the chaos as quickly and more would have died because of it.

While you are trying to improve yourself, I would appreciate if you stayed on and helped me lead this unit."

"Well I suppose it's a day for shocking revelations Jones. Inform the troops guarding the cook tent to keep others away until I can give the brief to the leadership about our new guest. And as per your agreement his title will be GUEST. No armed guard on him and anyone found treating him poorly will be dealt with. Hopefully we can get home without further issue."