"Optimus let himself gratefully sank down on the ground besides the fire, carefully balancing Smokescreen in his arms to avoid dropping him. His legs hurt, but it wasn't unusual by now. All around him, the nomads were busy mounting their tents or starting on the evening's meal. He knew he should have helped -- it was even expected of him at some point, as Ratchet had quietly pointed out to him during the trek -- but each time they settled down for the night, he remained too dazed to do anything but sit in a daze and feed Smokescreen.
"You be stir the stew, yes?" one of the other tribe members assigned to the meal's preparation asked as he handed him a ladle. He was another Carrier, with a son who didn't look much older than Smokescreen. He too was handling him with one arm, using the other to add bits and pieces of metalloplants in the gigantic cauldron others mechs had put on the open fire. "You can be feed Sparkling while you do, yes?" Optimus nodded slowly, accepting the ladle and gingerly stirring the content. The other nomad nodded. "Not too fast," he cautioned. "Stew be good tonight."
"Yes"
"Optimus nodded simply, trying not to divert too much of his attention away from Smokescreen. Half-hidden under his poncho, still swaddled and installed in the sling with Optimus' free hand to support him, the Sparkling was gently suckling one of his nubs. The red and blue mech fought down the impulse to tug the poncho lower to hide them better, blushing slightly when some of the other mechs gathered around the fire to cook chuckled at his skittishness. They themselves didn't bother; if they had a Sparkling to feed, they fed them openly, not caring anyone could see their full pouches. The only moment they covered them was when they let Sparklings suckle during the trek; in those moments, they let them swell under their ponchos to keep the rubbery material protected from the sun and they guided their Sparklings' head to the nubs without stopping walking.
Optimus had attempted to twice, but his success was mitigated. Thankfully, he had always been a fast learner and he felt he was starting to get the hang of it. Smokescreen certainly wasn't complaining in any case. These days, he spent his time feeding and recharging, literally knocked out by the heat. Truthfully, there were moments Optimus wished he could have imitated him and just sleep through the travel.
They had been walking for five solar cycles now, settling the camp every night as the sun sank toward the horizon, and the trek was just exhausting. The nomads took it well, used to it by years of wandering through the Wastelands... the Badlands, but Optimus felt like he was going to fall down face first in the ground long before they even settled for the night. Still, he continued to stubbornly walk, unwilling to show weakness... unless Megatron grabbed him by the waist with a grunt to make him sit on the edge of a cart.
The first time he had done so, Optimus had yelped in surprise and kicked uselessly, blushing madly as Megatron sat him down. The grey nomad's smug look and his condescending tone hadn't helped his embarrassment. "Mate be tired, mate do rest." Optimus had started to protest, but Megatron's next comment had cut him off. "You be think Sparkling in your belly first.
And just like that, a very chastised Optimus had accepted the ride, although he remained quite ashamed of his lack of physical resistance to the heat and to the tiredness. Ratchet had come over at some point to reassure him, that there was nothing to be ashamed of, that him too had had trouble getting used to the trek at first, but still Optimus wondered. He had often been told he was a strong, enduring mech -- and he certainly was, by the cities-states standards, but next to a nomad? He felt like an helpless Sparkling himself. Never before had he walked so much and so far, always having the option to use his altmode before. Here in the Badlands, it was impossible though, and so his forces were tested further than ever before."
"Sighing and never stopping from stirring the stew simmering in the cauldron, he glanced around to see how much of the camp had been set up already. After five solar cycles, he was still amazed as how fast and efficient the nomads were when it came to put things apart and back together."
