14.Mar.12, 02:28 PM
Larrikith's voice drifted into Talian's mind with unusual softness, lacking its usual insulting or cruel edge. Talian didn't like whens he spoke to him but he knew concern when he heard it. He knew when to shove his own anxieties aside and listen. Perhaps most importantly, he noticed her use of his full name - a rarity he imagined, though he didn't have any evidence to support his hypothesis. He'd just never heard it before. He was usually 'little healer' or 'brat'.
He didn't look at the dragon, his tawny eyes fixed perpetually on B'jin, though he gave her the best mental nod that he could. He wouldn't run out there too hastily. He was too afraid of that whip and too cowed by the leadership here to think of such a thing. He'd never been lashed, but his father had been awfully liberal when it came to smaller-scale beatings. His favored weapon was his riding whip. That hurt plenty and left welts for days. Talian wanted nothing of that real one.
Poor B'jin!
Tal wanted to cry, but he refused. He watched with the same sad, broken expression, never tearing his eyes away even though it hurt to watch. He held his composure, but his heart throbbed with particular pain when he noticed just how badly Valerian was taking it, too.
In spite of himself, the healer took a step towards Val and set a hand on his arm. Talian wanted to give the man a hug, but he was still a bit shy to initiate such a thing, especially in public. The touch would do for now, but Tal was unable to produce a smile to go with it. He tried, but what came out instead was a sour frown.
"I can already tell it's bad..." he said regretfully, eyes locking in on the stripes across B'jin's back. Silently, he admired B'jin's toughness thus far. The greenrider must have been awfully pain tolerant. Tal was pain tolerant too, but that just meant that he understood all the better that a lack of screaming didn't mean it wasn't terrible.
Talian cringed a bit as a second dragon landed close by. He instinctively stepped away. The creatures still disgusted him, though he thought he recognized the blue as Larrikith's new mate. It at least made sense for the beast to be there. Talian frowned and looked helplessly at his feet for a long moment.
B'jin was allergic to numbweed. This was just too cruel. Any chance the boy ever had to respecting or feeling devoted to Katila was slipping away with each crack. This place was the worst kind of prison. But now wasn't the time to feel sorry for himself. How was he going to tend to B'jin?
He found himself leaning close to Eri again, almost out of instinct.
He didn't look at the dragon, his tawny eyes fixed perpetually on B'jin, though he gave her the best mental nod that he could. He wouldn't run out there too hastily. He was too afraid of that whip and too cowed by the leadership here to think of such a thing. He'd never been lashed, but his father had been awfully liberal when it came to smaller-scale beatings. His favored weapon was his riding whip. That hurt plenty and left welts for days. Talian wanted nothing of that real one.
Poor B'jin!
Tal wanted to cry, but he refused. He watched with the same sad, broken expression, never tearing his eyes away even though it hurt to watch. He held his composure, but his heart throbbed with particular pain when he noticed just how badly Valerian was taking it, too.
In spite of himself, the healer took a step towards Val and set a hand on his arm. Talian wanted to give the man a hug, but he was still a bit shy to initiate such a thing, especially in public. The touch would do for now, but Tal was unable to produce a smile to go with it. He tried, but what came out instead was a sour frown.
"I can already tell it's bad..." he said regretfully, eyes locking in on the stripes across B'jin's back. Silently, he admired B'jin's toughness thus far. The greenrider must have been awfully pain tolerant. Tal was pain tolerant too, but that just meant that he understood all the better that a lack of screaming didn't mean it wasn't terrible.
Talian cringed a bit as a second dragon landed close by. He instinctively stepped away. The creatures still disgusted him, though he thought he recognized the blue as Larrikith's new mate. It at least made sense for the beast to be there. Talian frowned and looked helplessly at his feet for a long moment.
B'jin was allergic to numbweed. This was just too cruel. Any chance the boy ever had to respecting or feeling devoted to Katila was slipping away with each crack. This place was the worst kind of prison. But now wasn't the time to feel sorry for himself. How was he going to tend to B'jin?
He found himself leaning close to Eri again, almost out of instinct.