Bullies and Strays

Writers: Len, Paula
Date Posted: 20th November 2010

Characters: G'wen, E'naer
Description: Galwen tells E'naer about what happened in the woods the other day
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 11, day 15 of Turn 5
Notes: Meantioned: Cardella, J'darin, J'nev, Kendale, Teseada
Note: follows 'Bullies and Friends'

Galwen hesitated just outside the Weyrlingmater's Third's door. Would it be considered rude to bother the man in his private time? Well, he couldn't
very well have talked to him in his office. Then those two bullies
would have known what he was up to. And too, in the back of the boy's
mind, was the nagging thought that he had a crush on E'naer. He hoped
the man wouldn't know that and therefore think he was just being a flirt.
His hand hovered inches from the door before he plucked up the courage
to knock. The love for his friend Cardella and the horrible reality of
what could have happened to her made him do it.

E'naer had been enjoying a quiet evening with a book and bottle of good wine. He put the glass and book down, and went to open the door when he heard the knock. His foremost emotion was curiousity. Who was it this time?

When the tall man opened the door, Galwen managed to stammer out, "sir?
Can I speak with you a moment?"

"Of course you can," E'naer replied with friendly smile and let him in. So,
it was candidate-worries this time. Since he was also a dragon healer, a
knock on his door could be anything: Injured dragon, weyrling troubles,
worried candidate or someone looking for company.

Galwen walked in. Seeing the opened book and the glass of wine, he felt a
pang of guilt. The poor man had been enjoying a quiet evening and now
he had to deal with candidate troubles. But he thought about his friend
and the scared look on her face--on both their faces--just the other
day and turned to the greenrider.

"Sir? It's...it's about someone in our classes..." Not waiting to be asked,
he crumpled onto the edge of the couch. Shards, he hoped E'naer wasn't
thinking him just a tattletale.

"Oh?" E'naer sat down next to him. It had to be something serious, the boy looked very troubled. "Whatever you tell me will be dealt confidentaly," he said.

The man was a comforting presence. Struggling a bit to get his words out,
Galwen explained, "the other day, candidate Cardella and I went out to
the woods just by the upper lake. And...and candidate Berrn..." Here
his throat seemed to close up. He struggled not to start blubbering.
"And Beren...he...he..." Galwen couldn't stop it, he began to cry.

E'naer wrapped arm around Galwen and pulled him against his chest. "What did he do?" he asked with silent, serious voice. Berren was familiar to him, just the kind of boy that had made his mother send him over to weyr so
many decades ago.

Struggling to control himself, he stammered, "he ran into us in the woods, him and one of his friends, and the things he said...to Cardella. I think he was thinking...they were thinking...of raping her." He leaned into E'naer's chest and sobbed in earnest, thinking of what could have happened.

"Oh, shards," E'naer swore softly. "Is Cardella all right?"

The boy nodded. "I think so. She said so, anyways." He was desperately
hoping she was having his same talk with her fella, J'nev. Though not
the tallest, he was well muscled and could more than handle an arse like
Berren with no problem. "You know she's seeing J'nev, right? Well,
they were implying that she should be with them instead. And Berren
grabbed her arm and, before he saw me there too, he said that there was
no one here to stop him. And I'm too sharding short to have stopped
them if they had done something!" His tears were now more of
frustration than fear of what might have happened.

"It will be taken care of. That kind of thing is not allowed, not even in
Weyr," E'naer said sternly. He made mental note of checking out on
Cardella. Of course he would bring it to J'darin's attention, the
Weyrlingmaster perhaps wanted take care of it himself.

"Really?" Now that he had told, that terrible knot in his chest was easing. "I mean...I'm not a tattletale or anything, am I?" he asked in a quiet voice. He had rather stocily, he thought, put up with cruel remarks
from Berren and his ilk for two months now, it wasn't in his nature to
speak out.

"No, you're not. That was serious offense. And if it isn't dealt with, it might turn even nastier;" E'naer said.

"Wha...what will happen?" Now that E'naer knew, and no doubt would punish Berren, Galwen's mind was beginning to wonder what Berren would do to him, once he had been told off by E'naer. He'd have to cling to Kendale like
glue, for protection.

"We want to cut off that kind of behavior right from the start. At worst, we send him back home," E'naer replied. In the end, it would be Weyrlingmaster's call. This went over his rank.
"I do recommend that you and Cardella stay close to other people and not
go out alone or move alone after dark until the situation is over."

Galwen nodded, being to look quite desperate. That was all well and good, but until they did this something, what the bloody shards were he and
Cardella to do exactly? And what if they_didn't_send Berren home for this
offense? What then? That knot he thought should have gone away came
right back.

E'naer noticed his desperate look. "Don't worry, we
take care of it." He took a clean glass and poured a little amount of
wine into it. "Here," he handed it to Galwen.

"Thank you, sir." Taking the glass, he all but downed it one gulp. It would be cheeky to ask for a refill and, even though Galwen felt he needed it, he put the glass down and said, "I should be going and let you go back
to your book."

"Don't worry about it. I'm here for you youngster," E'naer replied, touching him gently on cheek. He was such a sweet boy.

** Eillie, can you keep an eye open for candidates Galwen and Cardella?** he asked silently from his dragon.

}: If I remember :{ she answered.

Galwen flushed when E'naer touched him. Moving a bit awkwardly to the door, he said, "I might beg my da to let me stay in his weyr for the night.
I'm a bit scared to go in a large darkened room with Berren and his
thugs about, y'know?" He nodded his head, thinking about if his da
would let him. Hopefully T'bel was around and in a sympathetic mood.

"Well, yes," E'naer frowned. He could offer let him stay with him, but that
would probably get taken in wrong way. He considered Galwen too young to
himself. "Do you like little children? My sister has a large weyr and
her son sometimes sleeps there, so there's a spare bed."

"Really?" The tension in Galwen relaxed at that. T'bel had a funny notion that he should now be in the candidate's barracks since the eggs were on the ground and had been refusing all pleas to let him sleep in the weyr with the dragons like he had been. "I don't mind the little ones. Actually, I'm the one they usually send off to find them in the kitchens since they like me. The only positive for being so small, I guess." He had figured on asking to become a creche worker, if he didn't
Impress this time.

"Really," E'naer nodded. "Let me check first if she has company." His eyes turned distant.

** Eillie, ask Ylisath if her rider is alone?**

The answer came soon. }: Just her hatchling. :{

** Good, let her know I'm coming over. ** "She's home with her son. You'll love Endison, he is five."

"Okay." Playing with a little one would be perfect, a lovely way to end the
day and turn his anxious mind to something positive.

"All right,let's go then," E'naer ushered him out of the door. He led the
candidate a downwards one level and then long way along corridor before
stopping and knocking the door.

The door opened instantly. "Uncle!" E'naer caught the little boy flying.

"Hello, Endison, have you been a good boy?" E'naer asked with wide grin.

"Yes!" the boy answered.

"No," his mother replied and came to rescue.

"Hi, bro, what brings you here?" she asked, pulled her son off from E'naer and eyed Galwen curiously.

"Ennae, meet candidate Galwen. Galwen, my little sister Ennae, green Ylisath's rider and her son Endison."

Galwen tried to straighten out his grin at the little one's antics and held out his hand for a shy handshake.

"Nice to meet you, Galwen," she said and gave him a firm shake. She looked a lot like his brother, just younger and blondier.

"Galwen here run into some bullies at the candidate barracks and needs a safe place to sleep a night or two," E'naer explained the situation.

"So, you want me to house one of your strays?" Ennae asked and pulled them in at the same time, closing the door after them.

"If it isn't too much trouble," E'naer said.

"I have a life you know."

"Have you?" E'naer feigned surprise and she started to laugh helplessly.

Oh dear, maybe this was a bad idea after all. Piping in, Galwen mummered,
"I can stay someplace else, if it's too much trouble." The last thing
he wanted to do was impose on anyone. He could always hide out in one
of the unused storage rooms, or even ask Teseada for a use of her couch
for the night.

"Oh, no!" Ennie looked mortified. "Of course you're welcomed to stay, if you don't mind bunking with Endison," Ennae assured him. "Just ignore our bantering."

E'naer hid a smile. He knew his sister, she was as tenderhearted as
he was and Galwen had just the right note of forlorn dejection. She
couldn't resist a 'stray¨as she called them any more he did.

"Yesh!" Endison cried jubilantly and took Galwen's hand, pulling him
along. "Come on! I show you my bed and my toys! How old are you? I'm
five. Do you have a pet? My mom has a greendragon, do you have one?" He
was rapid firing questions and facts.

Galwen laughed and let himself be led off by the little one.

"You ove me one, E'near," Ennae said to her brother.

"Sure I do. When do you next need a baby sitter?" E'naer agreed. He loved watching Endison.

Last updated on the December 16th 2010

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