So Dark

Writers: Eimi
Date Posted: 10th July 2007

Characters: Nyblek
Description: Nyblek has a little trouble facing the night alone...
Location: Smith Hall (NPC)
Date: month 5, day 13 of Turn 4
Notes: The post refers to the events found in "Bullies: When Will It Be Over" and the two stories after, m13d27

"You really are good with them, Nyblek," the apprentice's oldest sister smiled. "I can tell you spend a lot of time with Keles' little one."

"Oh yes. Nearly everyday," the boy grinned, walking around the kitchen with one youngester riding his leg and the other sitting on his shoulders, hands burried his his bronze hair. "He's still a bit younger than Meljor, though." He grimmaced as the enthusiastic boy yanked his hair like the reigns on a runner.

"You really should come to the Hold more often. We miss you, you know,"
Joryn said fondly. Of course they were all proud of how well he was doing as an apprentice, but they had grown a bit apart since he left for the Hall turns before. "We really should see more of each other. We're neighbors, after all."

"Well, you know, I get busy..." he shrugged apologetically.

"Auntie truly misses you. You really should at least visit her," she gently chided.

Nyblek's reply was cut off as his little brown popped in from /between/ in front of him, prompting screams of delight from both children. Joryn shook her head, laughing at the scene as she wiped her hands on her apron. "Famish is going to be all they'll talk about for days, you know that, don't you. They'll want to know when they can have a little friend of their own."

"They're much too young for a flit!" Nyblek protested. "Maybe a canine or a feline..."

"Don't put ideas in the children's heads," his sister said with mock severity, waving a cooking spoon in his direction. "Now why don't you help the children wash up and we can have dinner."

Nyblek's face fell suddenly. "No, no, I'm not staying for dinner. Thank you, but... I can't."

"Nonsense!" she cut him off, pulling down plates from the shelves. "You have to eat. Auntie would never forgive me if I sent you back to the Hall as famished as your brown friend there."

"Yes, but... But I really do need to get back to the Hall. It's getting late," he protested.

"Late? It's dinner time! Now go on, wash up."

"But it will get dark soon..." Shards, Nyblek could think of no real good excuse that could get him out of staying and the look on his sister's face told him she would accept none. He'd just have to hurry along the path. "All right," he finally sighed. "But then I really have to go."

"Relax, Nyblek, tomorrow is a rest day and the Master of Apprentices knows where you are. You won't be missed. Now go on," she said, giving his behind a playful swat with her towel. "Go get Meljor and Seryn washed up!"

He plucked the child from his shoulders and he steered Seryn towards the wash basin. As he scrubbed their hands, his attention was drawn to the window. He watched as large, heavy rain drops fell from dark, low hanging clouds. So dark... "Come on, kids, let's hurry it up."

Joryn and her husband Seremel smiled as they all came back to the table. "Well, Nyblek, you're sister is out doing herself. I can tell she's happy to see you," his brother-in-law smiled.

"Oh?" Nyblek asked absently as he put little Meljor in his chair.

"All your favorites," Joryn beamed, "And a nice big cake for desert."

"I want to feed Famish!" Seryn reminded her.

"Oh yes, I kind of promised her she could, if Famish is hungry,"
Seremel said with an apologetic smile. "We have a plate full of scrapes she can feed him, if that's all right."

Nyblek mustered a smile. "Sure Seryn. That'd be fine."

He felt a slight twinge of panic when his sister gently reminded her, "Not until after we finish our meal first."

The apprentice spared another glance to the window. **Shards, its getting so dark...**

"Nyblek?" Joryn asked, poking his arm with the dish she was trying to hand him. "Are you all right?"

"Oh, yes," he replied, taking the offered plate and spearing a piece of lamb onto his plate.

"You can take more, you know," his sister chuckled. "You don't need to be polite. I have enough to feed all the guards in the Hold!"

"And Faranth knows they would all love that," her husband grinned with a fond wink.

Nyblek guiltily took another peice and then helped dish his neice. He would just have to eat fast...

"Nyblek? Did you hear me?" Seremel asked, waving his hand to get the young man's attention. "You look positively /between/!" he chuckled. "Must be the smell of food, eh? I remember being your age."

"It all smells wonderful," Nyblek said giving his sister a grateful, if not bright smile.

"So have they any more news?" Seremel pressed again.

"Oh, Seremel, don't bother the boy. I'm sure Nyblek doesn't want to talk about that. It's not exactly pleasant dinner conversation," his wife reminded him.

"What?" he replied with a shrug. "I'm just asking if they found the boys who attacked him. I'm not asking for details. Well, Ny?"

"Um..." Shards. Nyblek began cutting Seryn's meat so he had an excuse to not look up at his brother-in-law. "No, nothing yet..."

"See, Joryn, it wasn't hard," Seremel nudged her. "Well, you know we were all really worried when we heard what happened, and we would have visited if the kids hadn't had that flu going around. But we're all really glad you're all right."

"Thanks," the apprentice mumbled, trying to sound as genuine as possible.

Joryn decided it was time to change the topic. She might have missed out on Nyblek's life for most of the last few turns, but she knew when her brother really didn't want to talk about something. "So jewelry, eh? I would have thought you'd make a great blacksmith!"

Despite his best attempts, the meal did not go fast enough for Nyblek. As the moments slipped past his attention was inverably drawn back to the window and the ever darkening sky. Sometimes it was all he could do not to just jump up and excuse himself, grab his umbrella and make a run for it while there was still some light. But every moment seemed prolonged, from eating the meal, to feeding the flit, waiting for his sister to make the icing and then ice the cake and finally eat it. Every minute that passed he could feel his level of panic rise. **For Faranth's sake, Nyblek, be a man!** he chided himself.

Finally he couldn't hold it in much longer. If he stayed just a moment more he was just going to show himself as the terrible coward he knew he had become. "Thank you for the dinner, Joryn, it was wonderful. But now I really have to go. It's raining and its... its dark. I should go."

"Oh, all right, Nyblek," she said mustering a smile, though he could tell she was disappointed. "I can wrap up a little food to take back with you for a snack. Or maybe some of the cake to share with your friends..."

"No, really, Joryn, I have to go. Thank you, I love you, and I'll be back soon to visit, I promise," he said hurriedly, giving both of the children a quick kiss on the head. "I really wish I could stay but..." He gave her cheek a quick kiss.

His sister exchanged a worried glance with her husband. Something was not right here.

"Here, I'll walk you to the door," Seremel said, giving the young man a friendly clout on the shoulder. He watched as Nyblek paused in the door frame, then passed through it slowly, spreading his umbrella wide. "You take care out there. Watch your step."

"I will. Good night." Nyblek put his head down and took several long strides before he heard the door of the cot close behind. He suddenly felt very alone...

Joryn accepted her husband's help in putting the children into bed. Wiping dry the final dish she sighed, suddenly feeling very tired. "Well, I think I'm going to head off to bed."

"I'll be there soon," Seremel nodded. "I'll just finish picking up Meljor's blocks and be right there."

He gave his wife an appreciative smile as she turned to walk towards the bedroom they shared. Perhaps he could hurry and dump all the blocks in the corner. In fact, he was just about ready to forget them all together when a faint sound caught his guard-trained ears. It sounded like heavy breathing... Coming from just outside the window.

Seremel carefully walked to the door, stopping to grab his knife from it's sheeth. No one should be sneaking around at this time of the night... Opening the door he peeked around the corner. What he saw, however, was unexpected. "Nyblek?"

The boy sat crumped on the porch under the light of the window, his hands covering his face in shame. "It was... it was... so... dark..."
he whispered in shuddering gasps.

Shards, the boy was crying! Not just crying, _weeping_. "Nyblek, what's wrong, lad?" Seremel crouched down next to his brother-in-law, reaching out to rest a hand tentatively on his shoulder. "I thought you'd gone."

"I tried... I _tried_! But its just so sharding dark!"

Seremel's hand reached around his shoulders, realization dawning on him.
"You're afraid you're going to get jumped again?" he asked gently.

Nyblek wrapped his arms around his face, unable to speak, unable to hide. All he could do was nod and cry like a sharding child.

"Oh lad, I'm so sorry," his brother-in-law said gently, giving him a gentle squeeze.

"I'm such... a sharding... coward."

"No, Nyblek. No, you're not a coward," Seremel chidded him gently. "Shells, boy, you have every right to be afraid. Those boys beat you mercilessly. They were the cowards for not facing you like men, not you."

"I don't even know _why_..." Nyblek whispered hoarsly. Sure, he had been in his share of fights before, but what had he done to deserve such a thrashing? And the wherries didn't even give him a fair chance! They just hit him over the head, held his arms and laid into him when he couldn't defend himself. Seremel was right, they _were_ cowards! But they had turned him into a coward too. A scared, weeping little child.

"I'll tell you what. Why don't you sleep on our couch tonight. We can send a note to the Hall. Maybe Famish can take it. How does that sound."

It didn't sound much better. It sounded like admitting defeat. But what choice did he have. "All right," Nyblek whispered. "But can we stay out here a while? I don't want Joryn to see me like this..."

"It's all right. She and the kids are in bed. She won't see you,"
Seremel assured him. "Up you go now."

As Nyblek followed him dully into the cot Seremel could barely contain the fierce anger building inside him. Of all the boys, why did they have to pick on this one? Shards, didn't they know that Nyblek might have the body of a man, but in his heart, it was as tender and vulnerable as a child. Whoever did this to him better hope they were never found out, cause if they ever were... Seremel was sure there was more than one man who would like to give those boys their own reason to be afraid of the dark...

Last updated on the July 11th 2007

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

So Dark