It was passing late into the night, the sun having vanished long ago, when Ryan heard the soft sound of a chicken. Frowning, as all of his were tucked safely away in the old lean-to with the rest of his animals, he stood and stretched. Nearby, Geoff was huddled close the the fire, barely stirring to look as Ryan moved. Speeding towards him was a larger version of a chicken he had given away to a plainsman, the bird clucking and flapping as it circled the fire before turning back and shooting off into the night.
Ryan pursed his lips and reached for his coat, leaving the safety of the light and warmth with a quick word to the miner, heading after the bird. Coming up to the shore, covered with a decent amount of snow and ice, he sighed as he saw the two passed out on the ground. Franco had returned to the plainsman's side, pecking the frozen earth that had been shifted by the weight of two bodies. Both of them were shivering, and Ryan sighed to himself. Neither looked like they would wake anytime soon, and there was no point in getting Geoff to come help.
Canting his head to the side, the islander gave a soft smirk and crouched down, slinging the plainsman around his shoulders and heaving the creeper boy in his arms. Once upright, Ryan gave a small hop to adjust the weight of the pair before trudging carefully back towards camp. It didn't take long, Geoff raising an eyebrow and standing to catch the male slung around Ryan's shoulders, carrying the one to the house and dropping him to a mat that had been made up on the floor beside one of the make-shift beds.
Ryan slowly placed the unconscious male in his arms on the ground beside the fire, inspecting the wound on his arm. It was in bad shape, and clucking his tongue softly, he dragged the small satchel towards him. Cleaning the wound took some ripped clothing and time, as well as half the bottled water. The remaining potion was poured over the worst parts, then when that had sunk in and done what it could, Ryan applied some salve and dressed the arm. Already color was coming back to the creeper boy's face, and hauling himself up, the islander took him to the house and set him in the other mat as Geoff watched.
It was going to be a long night, Ryan thought to himself with a sigh.
