Coming Clean

Writers: Cobalt, Chelle
Date Posted: 24th March 2012

Characters: Qorri, Kelwin
Description: Two candidates get into a scrape and end up answering to Qorri. NPCs: Paran, Celana, Lennaird
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 7, day 9 of Turn 6

"Are you sure he won't follow us or tell anyone?" Paran whispered to his companion as they
headed for a quiet, out of the way storeroom so they could clean up.

Kel snorted thinking that Lennaird was likely heading to clean himself up,
just as they were and didn't think they'd see or hear from him in a while. A black eye and a
bloody nose tended to stop bullies in their tracks.

"I highly doubt it," the blond Candidate replied to his shorter, reed thin
red haired companion and fellow Candidate.

Paran sighed. Even though he thought they were safe as well, he just had
to check. Too many run-ins with bullies had taught him to always be wary and keep an eye
pealed over his shoulder. But two together was always better than being on your own and he even
managed a somewhat crooked smile for his new friend.

"I don't know if I thanked you for stepping in for me, thank you," he
said, the smile in place keeping company with a relieved expression.

The younger boy by three turns had been picked on by the same tall, broad
19 turn old Candidate since the day he had arrived on the back of the blue dragon that had
Searched him three sevendays ago. Shy, retiring and very, very Holdbred with a naive innocence meant easy pickings for Lenniard. His short, scrawny build and soft spoken voice hadn't helped. Kel had been minding his own business looking for the kitchens hoping to feed his hungry stomach and Dusk's when he had heard the commotion. Lennaird had the smaller boy and was attempting to stuff him into what looked like a tiny closet. Kel was immediately angry and protective, hating to see bullies picking on people, and went to the younger candidate's rescue.

"That's a really fine, strong punch you've got there," Paran complimented
admiringly, remembering it well.

Kel chuckled, dismissing the thanks with a careless wave of his hand, as Dusk, his brown flit chirped to get his pet's attention. Flying along behind them, he had just caught up. Dusk had stayed out of the way of the situation. Dusk was a flit who tended to be lazy and leant towards
good natured.

"Thanks for your support as always Dusk." Kel greeted his flit with a disgruntled expression and a disgusted tone of voice as Dusk hovered in the air in front of his pet.

Dusk warbled pleadingly, his head cocked as he sent a wave of apology and
shame to his pet. Kel sighed
holding out a hand for him to land on knowing it wasn't Dusk's fault that
he was better suited to snoozing the
day away than playing hero. Paran laughed at the exchange, finding the
whole thing pretty funny. Now it was
all over and his jangling nerves were calming down.

"You'll have an impressive shiner tomorrow," he complimented back,
admiring said swelling brown eye.
Dusk chirped happily landing on the offered hand and rubbing his head
against Kel's hand.

"Won't I?" Paran admitted. Reaching up to gently probe his swelling eye
and wincing, he stopped.

"Maybe we should find a healer?" Kel suggested, noting the expression and
feeling concerned.

"Nah I'm fine. Let's just get cleaned up and go and find Qorri. She needs
to hear about what happened from us
before it gets around to her as rumor," Paran suggested,

Kel shrugged. "If you think it's necessary that's what we'll do. But if
we're punished for fighting I understand, we
shouldn't be doing so as candidates. It sets a bad example."

Once the pair of candidates had cleaned themselves up as best they could
it was decided that some ice or something
cold was needed to be applied to Paran's eye and Kel's bruised, swelling
knuckles, another reason to find the
Headwoman-so they went on a mission to track her down.

Just then Qorri was actually meeting with one of her assistants who was in
charge of seeing that the injured and infirm
received their meals. There were more than one might expect and they
drafted candidates to deliver them as part of their
chores. It was good for them to see what threadfall and turns could do to
a body.

"She should be somewhere here. Qorri normally visits with the sick this
time of day," Celana reassured the two candidates
she was escorting.

She was a drudge and had been on a break when she had overheard them
looking for Qorri. Realizing
they were lost, she had taken charge.

"Thank you for your help. We appreciate it. It seems every second person
says she's somewhere else," Kel observed with a
rueful grin.

"She's a busy lady alright," Paran commented with a giggle.

"There she is. Go on boys," Celana told them, grinning back at them in
response to their comments and gesturing to a dark
haired woman and her assistant coming towards them. "Greetings Qorri I
believe these lads wanted to seek you out," she
greeted the Headwoman with a polite nod.

She nodded to Celana and gestured for her to get back to work. Looking
down at the candidates, Qorri quietly gave her assistant
permission to go on without her. "Aye boys, what did you need then?"
However, a better look at them proved that the one had
been injured. "I hope you've come to tell me that you slipped and fell,
bruising yourself."

"We were hoping to find some ice or something cold for Paran's eye." Kel
replied in a slightly sheepish tone.

"Don't blame him ma'am it wasn't him. He's a hero, he saved me from
Lenniard's less than honest intentions," Paran replied
somewhat hastily, a pleading expression in his eyes that made his swelling
eye even more pathetic. He sensed she wasn't pleased,
not a good start.

"Let's see about your eye then I'll hear the whole story." She gestured
for them to follow and soon had them sitting in her office
with an ice pack on Paran's eye. "Start from the beginning," she ordered
as she sat down.

Kel blushed a little at being called a hero. He didn't see it that way. He
just couldn't stand to see anybody getting picked on and it
roused his protective instincts. He sat when told to and sucked on his
bruised, swelling knuckles. They were cured of their bleeding
by then. He let Paran do the talking as it was his story really. Dusk sat
on his shoulder, attentive, and still carrying his sheepish
embarrassed air as evident in the tint of a blushing pink in his brown
hide.

Paran pressed the ice pack to his eye, wincing a little at the initial
sting of the cold ice but he relaxed as the sting faded and he too sat
down. He glanced at his taller blonde companion and when Kelwin leaned
over to pat his arm in reassurance, saw that he wasn't going
to talk, and began his story.

"Well ma'am I was just minding my own business. I got lost looking for the
Infirmary. It was where I was assigned to assist the Healers
for the afternoon and Lennaird found me. At first he seemed helpful and
polite, offering to take me to the Infirmary but I should have
been wary at his offer. He's only ever been mean and sarcastic to me, but
I was just grateful to get to where I was going that I followed
him. He led me down a side hallway that was vacant and grabbed me. He
punched me in the eye and attempted to shove me into a small
closet, knowing I'm afraid of small, dark spaces. I tried to fight him and
pleaded with him to let me go, but he wouldn't listen. Then Kelwin
arrived out of nowhere. He stepped in, pushed Lennaird away from me, and
was helping me stand up when he was attacked. He defended
himself and me with a punch or two, but then other Candidates assigned to
the Infirmary arrived and he backed off, in view of the other
witnesses I believe," Paran explained the words coming faster as he spoke.

"First of all, why does this Lennaird not like you so much?" Qorri found
that when someone went out of their way to be mean to others,
there was usually a reason. Her eyes watched Paran closely, not taking any
of this at face value.

"I honestly don't know ma'am but from the day I arrived he has hounded me
and picked on me. I've been picked on before because I'm
small and like to keep to myself, but I too would like to know why he
hates me like he does. I just want to be left alone." He answered a
little bitterly with a miserable expression.

Kel was sympathetic and angry for him. He knew what it was like to be
picked on for no reason other than you were different and someone
took exception to that but he stayed silent. His expressive eyes told
their own story despite his downcast look. Dusk too was listening intently
nodding along as a testament to the truth of the story, or the bits he saw.

"And you've never fought back?" She really wished children would behave
themselves. Time and time again, though, she was forced to intervene,
and usually with the boys.

"To be honest ma'am I have tried to verbally tell him to leave me alone as
I'm not a good fighter, but he doesn't listen. It just makes him worse,"
he answered with an embarrassed flush. It was a mark of shame to him that
he was by nature a peacemaker and somewhat passive.

"For the record I'm not a fighter either ma'am. I prefer non violent means
to break up an argument or fight but when someone is getting beaten up,
threatened, or bullied like Paran here, I can't help stepping in to help
defend the victim. It is true I didn't see what caused the outbreak of
violence
but it was clear Paran needed assistance. I heard him pleading to be left
alone and getting ignored. There was no way he could fight off Lennaird.
He is bigger and stronger than Paran and I find it unfair that he should
be picking on someone so much smaller and younger then he is. He needed
help so I stepped into assist him," Kel spoke up speaking courteously
enough but his words were unwavering in their support for his friend and
filled
with his unspoken dislike towards bullying or injustice.

"Here's the problem. The way you tell it, this has been going on for some
time and I have never been told before now. So you allowed it to escalate
instead of coming to me. And the minute you stepped in, Kelwin, it became
two on one and then it was bullying by _you_ and no longer a fair fight.
Furthermore, you could have easily sent that firelizard to find me if one
is to believe such things and you did not. So, I think in this case
everyone is in trouble and I hope you learn the lesson so it doesn't happen again. I'll have a talk with Lennaird to make sure he understands as well." She looked at them both with her dark brown eyes. Qorri could not have candidates running around thinking they knew better than her. That's what got them into trouble most times. "Are there any questions before we discuss your punishments?"

Kel and Paran glanced at each other, exchanging the same thought. **If you
told about bullying it only grew worse in their experience**. But neither
said anything, merely nodding with almost identical resigned nods.

"Paran, keep tending to the eye. The rest of your body should be fine,
though. For a sevenday, you will both have extra duties. I expect you to
report to my assistant everyday after your daily chores are over. She will instruct you in the fine art of harvesting needlethorns." The plants were harmful to the ones who had to gather from them, but the healers needed them constantly.

Again the two Candidates exchanged long looks and sighed in unison
accepting the punishment.

"I only have one question. Will Lennaird be getting the same? Since he
started the whole thing he should be in there with us. He will only carry
on bullying Paran and that isn't fair." Kel wanted to know.

"Actually, since he seemed to instigate the violence, he'll be getting
worse. Don't you be worrying about him, though. I will _not_ have fighting
and carrying on in my barracks. Am I clear?" She was already dreaming up a few choices for Lennaird. The Headwoman was a valuable person to have on one's side. As an enemy, though, she was formidable. Too many had realized that too late.

For the first time both lads managed a grin at her words, thinking for
once that justice might be done here. With respectful nods, both got up and
filed out of the Headwoman's presence.

Last updated on the April 3rd 2012

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Coming Clean