Worthless
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Curious
Date Posted: 30th April 2024
Characters: K'aur, Eidovin, Irrim
Description: K'aur has an encounter with a childhood bully.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 5, day 13 of Turn 11
K’aur heard it and saw red.
“Hey, crazy Irri!” came a familiar mocking, laughing voice. “Never thought they’d let a nutjob into the Weyr!”
His littlest sister’s voice, subdued and tense with pain that she would never bring herself to vocalize, anger that she would never bring herself to act on, or some wretched combination of the two. It was barely more than a whisper, but it still managed to score itself on K’aur’s soul when she said, “I’m not crazy.”
“Oh yeah?” the smooth, confident, _ugly_ voice asked. “I guess that means you’ve managed to get through the day without talking to yourself?”
“I don’t talk to myself every day.”
“Yeah, _that_ makes it so much better.” A bark of mocking laughter. “Oh, someone’s _twitchy_ today! The sun must be up.”
K’aur had heard enough. He barged around the corner and shoved himself between Irrim, who was edging closer and closer to the wall, and Eidovin, who had been stepping further and further into her personal space. Nose-to-nose with the candidate, he snarled, “Feck _off_.”
Eidovin’s response was yet more laughter. His face split into a raucous grin as he stepped back, arms spread out wide by his side. “Kesri!” he crowed. “I’d _heard_ you impressed, but I didn’t believe it.” He shook his head as he crossed his arms. “Shards. And here I thought the Weyr had higher standards than…”
“My family?” K’aur stiffly asked.
“Kesri…” Irrim whispered, hesitantly reaching out to touch her brother’s shoulder.
Eidovin shrugged, his eyes positively _gleaming_. “Hey, your words, not mine.”
K’aur took a step forward, gently pulling his arm out of Irrim’s grasp.
Eidovin didn’t so much as flinch.
K’aur’s hand clenched into a fist. “You thought wrong,” he growled.
“Or maybe the Weyr just hasn’t realized it made a mistake yet,” Eidovin purred.
“Are you _blind_?” K’aur spat. “I’m a _rider_ now.”
“Yeah, a _brownrider_,” Eidovin said, the laughter seeping into his voice once again. “What was all that you said about being Weyrleader when we were kids? How do you expect to do that from the back of a brown?”
K’aur wanted to say that he’d find a way. He wanted more than just about anything, to force the jerk before him to see, to understand, to look at him and _know_ what he would be one day.
But he knew where it would lead. He knew how Eidovin would laugh, the mocking words that would leave his vile mouth. He knew how he would start to scream and curse and fight not to revert to the hapless child once again. And he couldn’t do that, not when Irrim was there, not when she was watching, not when she _needed_ him.
What he could do was look Eidovin in the eyes and sneer, “A brownrider still outranks a candidate.”
“For now.” Eidovin finally stepped back, but his smirk only grew wider. “Tell you what,” he began, dropping his arms to his side. “If you work very, very hard, follow every order, and be the _best_ subordinate you can possibly be… I’ll call you Wingthird and let you shine my bronze’s feet.”
K’aur didn’t realize that he was lunging forward until Irrim caught his arm. “Kes, don’t!” she cried. “People are watching!”
And they were. It looked like every eye in the lower caverns was turned toward them. Toward _him_, the brownrider prepared to assault a candidate.
“Who would’ve thought the crazy one would be the smart one,” Eidovin mused. “You _are_ an interesting bunch.” With an easy wave, the candidate turned around and saunted off. “See ya about, Kesri.”
Last updated on the April 30th 2024