Prelude to a Chase

Writers: Chelle, Miriah
Date Posted: 14th June 2012

Characters: J'ackt, Naerai
Description: Jenackt and Naerai have a little misunderstanding
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 8, day 10 of Turn 6

J'ackt

Naerai was walking around the edge of the cothold gathering up the little
berries that grew wild. Listening for any approaching animals as she'd been
taught to do, the girl put the berries into her apron. They would make a
good jam for the bread. After some time, she heard an odd noise and went to
investigate around the back of the shed. Carrying a small club, she hoped
she didn't come face to face with a whersport or feline.

Late in the evening was a risky time to go delving for supplies, but Jenackt
needed some sort of vegetables. He had plenty of meat, to be sure, but he
had been craving tubers and the spring fruit. He had chosen a cothold
farther away from the main hold and hoped that most of the inhabitants were
busy elsewhere. He'd gotten away with it before, so hopefully, he could be
gone before he was noticed. Involved in trying to pull up a board behind the
shed, his attention wasn't focused as it should have been.

Her footfalls were light so he didn't hear her approach quietly and
carefully. When she saw it wasn't a wild animal, but a boy, Naerai was
momentarily confused. Why would a boy be trying to get into their shed? Not
knowing what else to do, she charged in without thinking, brandishing her
club. In the dark, her size might be harder to tell. "You there! Get away!
Go!"

Jenackt was startled away from the shed and spun on his heels. All he saw
was a slim figure holding a weapon; instinctively, he lunged at the figure,
his shoulder aiming for the dark figure's mid-section and his hands flying
towards what It held.

Unfortunately, her midsection wasn't where an adult's would be. So he ended
up almost getting her shoulder. As it was, though, in the scuffle and seeing
the man coming toward her, she did the only thing she knew how to do. She
took the club and swung with all her might.

The club impacted heavily on Jenackt's ribs, making him give a strangled
grunt of pain. His hands grasped wildly at the club, ripping it out of his
attacker's hands and tossing it away. He then used all his weight to bear
his attacker to the ground. He grabbed at the hands he had recently disarmed
and pinned them with one hand, while moving to cover the mouth with the
other. Grimacing in pain, and sure that if his ribs weren't broken, they
were at least badly bruised, he finally really looked at his attacker. His
eyes widened. A GIRL?

Losing her club and then finding herself in such a position, Naerai began to
panic. If this male wanted to hurt her, he could. Well, she'd hurt him
first! And so when he tried to cover her mouth, she bit his hand and started
to scream for all she was worth. He'd crushed the berries in her apron and
now her midsection was covered with a growing red stain that would likely
ruin the clothing.

Jenackt hissed as she bit his hand and as she screamed, he immediately
covered her mouth again. "Shh!! I'm not going to hurt you!" His deep voice
was raspy with fear. "Hold still, shaffit!" He glanced around quickly. In
the moonlight his youth was obvious, as was the bitterness of hunger that
plagued him. He looked back down at her and whispered. "Please... I promise
I'm not going to hurt you!

Now she couldn't speak since he had covered her mouth again, but she
continued to struggle, trying to get her arms or legs free to kick him or
something. Naerai didn't believe him. He was a stranger trying to steal
their food, after all!

Jenackt did the only thing he could think of to keep the girl still and keep
from sounding the alarm. He grimaced and with all of his body weight, he
pinned her firmly, laying half on the girl. So pinned, he glared at her
exasperated. "For Faranth's sake, girl, I'm just hungry! You didn't have to
crack my bloody ribs!" He glanced around again, his face drawn. "Look. I'll
leave, just don't tell anyone. Please. I was just hungry."

For a moment, she was stunned at his declaration. Yet, she still didn't
trust it. Holdless people weren't normal. People who didn't want to be
behind stone walls when thread came-something was wrong with them surely?
"People work and earn their keep. You steal from others. You don't work."

He didn't work? The stunned expression on his face should have said
everything. He stared down at her and a sparkle of anger lit in his eyes as
his voice dropped to an angry whisper. "I work hard everyday trying to
survive, from the time the sun rises until it sets. I steal when I have no
other choice." He glared down at her. "You would do no different. All I
bloody wanted was one tuber, maybe two, not your entire blasted stock. "

He pinned her arms firmly with one hand, then pulled his knife. With a quick
and sudden burst of energy, he plunged it down next to her head, burying it
into the ground. "I could have hurt you; I didn't. " He shoved away from her
angrily and rose, yanking out his knife from the ground and wiping it on his
pants. "Sound the alarm, and I swear to you, I'll fight and I won't care who
I use the knife on. Or, I can walk away with nothing and all that'll be lost
is your berries." He gestured to her dress. "And your dress. That I can't
replace." He shoved the knife into its make-shift sheath. "Your choice." He
spun on his heels, moving to walk as quickly and quietly as he could, one
hand holding tight to his bruised side.

What he did with the knife did shock her, but then her anger returned.
Holders worked hard. Holdless, they didn't do anything-but took the efforts
of others. This boy would never be able to outfight her father. She knew
that. As the dutiful daughter, she took off running back to the cothold to
tell him.

Last updated on the June 29th 2012

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Prelude to a Chase