20.Mar.12, 12:36 AM
Tal raced breathlessly through the collection of huts that surrounded the Weyr, his heart pounding and his legs moving as quickly as they could. Sweat was already pouring down his neck and back. It wasn't even hot outside! It was, however, remarkably tense.
He could not believe what he'd just witnessed. One of his dearest friends, the man who saved his life, the man he considered a father...flogged like some sort of common hooligan in a public setting. How cruel and humiliating. How heartless this place was, devoid of anything resembling charity or kindness! The dragonriders loved to bitch and complain about how hard their lives were, whine about the plague and the horrors it brought with it...any yet react dismissively when a stolen candidate made the same complaints.
Now Talian could see how cold they were even to each other. Monsters.
All he cared about was helping B'jin. He tore up to the door of the man's hut, a bag of medical supplies in hand, and burst through the door without knocking. "I'm here," he said breathlessly as he tossed the bag down and pulled his headband on. He frowned miserably as he looked at B'jin. Tal knew R'nd only as B'jin's latest flight partner. Tal didn't honestly care - he was a dragonrider and not B'jin, therefore he was an enemy. All that mattered was that he'd helped carry B'jin to safety...away from that horrid brownrider and his whip.
Talian approached the bed and ran his fingers delicately on the unmarred skin closest to the lacerations. Tal's eyes became glassy. "Hang on, Dad..." he whispered gently.
He reached into his bag for sheepskin gloves. Time to get to work. This was a special patient.
He could not believe what he'd just witnessed. One of his dearest friends, the man who saved his life, the man he considered a father...flogged like some sort of common hooligan in a public setting. How cruel and humiliating. How heartless this place was, devoid of anything resembling charity or kindness! The dragonriders loved to bitch and complain about how hard their lives were, whine about the plague and the horrors it brought with it...any yet react dismissively when a stolen candidate made the same complaints.
Now Talian could see how cold they were even to each other. Monsters.
All he cared about was helping B'jin. He tore up to the door of the man's hut, a bag of medical supplies in hand, and burst through the door without knocking. "I'm here," he said breathlessly as he tossed the bag down and pulled his headband on. He frowned miserably as he looked at B'jin. Tal knew R'nd only as B'jin's latest flight partner. Tal didn't honestly care - he was a dragonrider and not B'jin, therefore he was an enemy. All that mattered was that he'd helped carry B'jin to safety...away from that horrid brownrider and his whip.
Talian approached the bed and ran his fingers delicately on the unmarred skin closest to the lacerations. Tal's eyes became glassy. "Hang on, Dad..." he whispered gently.
He reached into his bag for sheepskin gloves. Time to get to work. This was a special patient.