Getting In Trouble

Writers: Anika, Avery
Date Posted: 14th January 2015

Characters: Corran, Geiran
Description: Corran sees Geiran getting into trouble, and elicits some information on why.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 10, day 22 of Turn 7
Notes: NPC: Thov, Darkis
Mentioned: Gautrek, Geirlene

Geiran paused before accepting the stinking bucket from one of his
comrades, his uncertainty growing. The pranks were fun at first. Nothing
dangerous or hurtful. His new friends kept upping the ante, though, and he
was getting more and more uncomfortable with their ideas. When he
remembered his talk with his uncle from just a sevenday past, he felt a
sharp stab of guilt.

Uncle Gautrek had been good to him, good to his siblings, and even
when Harper Tevarn called him in to talk about how Geiran had been
misbehaving and skipping lessons he had been understanding. There had
been consequences certainly, but not the punishment he probably
deserved. His own father would have been far more harsh, but Gautrek
wasn't his father. His father was dead. His mother was dead. He was
far away from the only home he had ever known and
nothing really mattered any more. Geiran followed the other boys, a
bucket full of manure mixed something dark and sticky in hand.

"Ya sure ya kin get in, Thov?"

"Tol' ya so, din' I? Callin' me a liar?"

"Nah, jest don' wanna git caught is all."

"Ain't gonna. Only wish I could see his face when he gets back is all.

Geiran listened to the older boys argue and his conscience once again
reared its head. The old tanner might be crotchety and unkind but did he
really deserve this? Before he could answer his own question there was a
shout and everyone scattered. Geiran too dropped his bucket and ran, not
even sure who he was running from.

"You're lucky to have connections in the Weyr," Darkis said. "I wouldn't
mind getting one of those beauties for myself - hey!"

Corran turned his head to see what Darkis was pointing at. There was a
group of boys huddled, holding buckets in their hands. It was a few too
many for chores duties...

They scattered off when they saw the guard. Corran ran after one group of
boys, while Darkis went after the others. A couple of the ones he was
following split off in one direction. Corran saw where they went, but
continued on the heels of the small one ahead. He caught up and clamped
his hand down on the kid's shoulder.

"What's going on?" he said sternly.

Geiran turned wide green eyes up to the guard he'd met earlier this
month. Corran was much scarier now than he had been chatting with his
uncle in the tavern. "N-n-nothing," he squeaked his freckles all the
more noticeable as his face had lost all color.

This was the Vintner's boy. What was he doing out here at this
candlemark. "Doesn't seem like nothing. What's going on?"

"Some boys here at the Hold was just showin' me around, sir. On
account of me bein' new an' all."

"While carrying buckets?" Corran asked skeptically.

Caught in his lie, the boy hung his head in shame, not really sure
How to respond to his uncle's friend. He dug the toe of his boot
into the dirt, trying to figure out exactly what to say and finally
looked back up at the guard, his strawberry blond hair partially
obscuring his frightened green eyes. "We didn't do no harm," he
uttered contritely.

"If you tell me about what's going on, you'll be in less trouble," the
guard emphasized. He couldn't promise none at all, but if the boy
would discuss it, he'd know where to place more blame.

"Might be we was lookin' to play a prank on the tanner," the boy mumbled,
"But honest we ain't done nuthin' yet. I promise I won't be a part of no
more pranks."

"Why would you play a prank on him?" Corran asked, relieved that at least
nothing had happened immediately.

"Well, some of the boys say he's mean and harsh. Got Th- ah one of the
boys into a right bit of trouble fer no real reason atal."

"But he hasn't done anything to you?" he queried.

"Well, not to _me_ but the other boys _said_..." His voice tapered off,
realizing that he'd been pulled into all of this based on the word of some
boys his age or only a couple turns older. This hadn't been the only prank
in the last few sevendays either. It had never occurred to him that his
new friends might be exaggerating the situation.

The words Corran said might be sharp, but the tone he delivered them in
was more gentle. "And do you always do what the other boys say?"

"No! Course not! It's jest, well their my new friends and well, friends are
supposed to help each other out."

"That's not really a good thing to help someone else do," Corran said.
"Aren't there friends who are less mean to others?"

"I guess maybe I've been feelin' a bit mean lately," Geiran admitted
so quietly the words could barely be heard.

"Let's sit and talk about it." Standing in the middle of nowhere talking
to the boy looked more suspicious then if they sat on a bench chatting,
and Corran felt the sudden urge to protect the kid rather than get him in
trouble.

"How come?"

He followed the guard's lead and sat down, looking down at his boots. "I'm
afraid I ain't really a very nice boy. Things just sorta make me mad
lately an' then I just feel like sayin' an' doin' stuff that's mean."

"Is it being in a new place?" he asked after a moment.

"I miss my Mum and Da'," the boy answered softly. "Harper classes
remind me of Da. He was the best Harper ever. I ain't been behavin' in
lessons. Uncle Gautrek was real good about it when the Harper tol' him.
He talked to me an' everythin'. Then I had some extra chores to do but he
didn't give me a whuppin' or nuthin' like Da woulda done." Geiran looked up
seriously at Corran, tears pooling in his eyes. "I'd a gladly taken the
whuppin' if only my Da woulda been here ta give it."

"Your Uncle is a gentle man, it sounds like." Corran wrapped an arm around
the boy.

"Do all Harpers remind you of your dad?"

Geiran leaned up against the guard needing the comfort the man offered.
"Not al'ays," he sniffed as he tried to keep the tears from falling to no
avail. "Goin' back ta lessons was hard."

And there was no way to educate the boy without a Harper, not really. All
kids needed lessons till they were done. "Did he do your lessons, or did
someone else?"

"Both," the boy answered and wiped his eyes, knowing he was too old
for such tears. "It ain't that there's anythin' wrong with Journeyman
Tevarn and he ain't nuthin' like my Da. It's just, I don't know,
sittin' there in class..."

"It reminds you of the kind of things your father did for you, and it
makes you miss him more?" the guard guessed.

Corran's own parents weren't dead yet, but he'd lost so many friends at
Amethyst Cliff, knew the pain of remembering someone and having it pierce
the soul.

"Yeah, that's it and then I just kinda get mad, and then I go home and my
brother and sister are just goin' on like nuthin's a big deal. Sometime's
I don't think they miss Mum an' Da at all. That makes me mad. Uncle
Gautrek's real nice an' all an' I feel bad 'bout bein' ungrateful. Then I
get mad at myself. I jest seem ta got so much mad in me that I kinda wanna
do sumthin' bad an' mean." It was wierd to be talking to this man that he
barely knew, but somehow it was actually easier than taking to his uncle.

"I'm sure your siblings miss your family too. They're just handling it
different. I bet they're not as happy as they might seem. My twin and I
handle being upset very differently from each other." Maybe that
perspective would help Geiran out a bit.

"Really? I thought twins was exactly the same in everythin'." Geiran gave
that some thought. There were times he'd seen Geirlene look out into the
distance, all quiet like. If you asked what she was thinking, she'd put on
that really fake smile and say it was nothing. Maybe Corran was right.

"Oh no. My brother has to be brave to face Thread. But he's also a quiet
man who likes to spend a lot of time alone and traveling. People wouldn't
think he's a bronzerider. And then I'm the louder and more social one. We
react to thinks completely different."

As for the other issue... "Maybe there's something more productive you
could do when you feel mean. Like hitting a tree stump with a stick.
Something that won't hurt anyone else."

Scrunching his brow as he considered Corran's words, the boy nodded.
"I suppose I could try it. I don't really like hurtin' other folks
an' it don't really make me feel better anyhow. Maybe I could pretend
the stick is a sword and I'm fightin' off the bad guys," he said,
beginning to like the plan as his incredible imagination kicked in.

"Go ahead and give that a shot, and tell me in a few days if it
helps," Corran encouraged. Maybe he could talk to Gautrek about if he
could give the boy a lesson or two - assuming his behavior shaped up.
Maybe he'd turn out to be a future guard.

"Okay," the boy gave a nod. "Um, am I still in trouble?"

Corran thought about that. "Go to lessons and apologize for being late.
Tell the Harper I stopped you. You should tell your uncle when you get
home that you spent time with me, and if he seeks me out I'm going to
answer him," he warned.

"The rest of your friends are, though, and they might say things," he added.

"Yes, sir," Geiran replied, knowing that Corran was being more than fair.

Last updated on the January 14th 2015

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Getting In Trouble