By Another Name (Editing)

Appearances

We wandered over the desert in the van, taking our home with us, like some giant snail. I saw nothing more of the tribes, not even old camps or foot prints to show their passing. They were like ghosts. After a few weeks Crow finally removed the bandage and let me keep it off leaving me with a thick white scar, and the skin slightly puckered round the edge.

"It'll get less obvious in time, but you'll always have a scar"

I smiled, brushing the scar with the tips of my fingers. I was looking at it in one of the small metal dishes they use for mirrors in the fading light. I liked the new scar. I'd changed so much on the inside, it was good to see a difference on the outside too. But now I thought about it I realised there were other differences, less obvious. I'd gained a light tan from spending so much time in the sun, and I had lost the small layer of puppy fat I used to have, though I wasn't much fitter than before. But the biggest difference was my eyes, they looked more alive than they had in years, more than that, I looked happy. I hadn't been properly happy for a long, long time. Not since I was fourteen.

"Oi! Newbe. Now Crows finally taken the bandage off we can get round to teaching you some close combat fighting, how to drive the car and practice your marksmanship. And lots of training to improve your fitness. I'm not having another fiasco like last time."

"Okay... When do we start?"

"Today, first lesson a nice little jog with Angel round that rock over there, and if you're not back in time for dinner Angel's the only one of you two that'll be getting one. Chop chop. You've only got ten minutes by the look of the meat."

I groaned, the rock looked a long way off. We set off, over the landscape and after less than thirty seconds I was panting. That didn't bode well.

Ten minutes later we got back, Angel’s breathing had barely changed while I collapsed onto the ground feeling like there was no oxygen in the air. I barely noticed when Cub put the plate of grilled chicken and peas next to me.

I did notice when Static tried to take it away.

"On"-pant-"no"-pant-"You don't" I reached over and pulled it closer to me, sitting up.

"If you don't want to eat it then the foods best given to the rest of us."

"You said"- pant-"If I got back"-pant in time I"-pant-"could have"-pant-"my dinner"

"But if you're not eating it what's the point"

"Just you wait till I get my breath back"

"Looks like it just came back"

"Then you better let me eat in peace"

I picked up the plate and started to cut the meat. Static sat down beside me

"I bet you that before the moons full you'll be able to run that mile as easily as Angel"

I glanced up, the moon was a gibbous with maybe a week or so before it was full. I snorted through a mouthful if peas

"Yeah, and my name's... Okay bad choice of phrase, but the point remains."

"I'm not joking."

"And you're the one in charge of this group? Worrying."

"Fine, we'll see whose right soon enough"

-*-

When I woke up next morning we ate breakfast together, then Static announced "Right, we're having some intensive training for Newbe, first she'll have close combat practice with me for two hours, then her and Ice will practice shooting, me and Cub'll come along and practice that with you, then it's back for lunch at midday, then driving practice with Crow for an hour, then fitness training with Angel till dusk, a break then the run before dinner.