Are You Him?

Writers: Miriah, Heather
Date Posted: 16th August 2012

Characters: J'ackt, Jeyme
Description: Jeyme meets the resident Holdless
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 9, day 18 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: Yarlna

J'ackt

Jeyme

Jeyme had heard the rumors milling around the Hold about the Holdless
man that was apparently "terrorizing" the area. Some of the women were
certain that he was a big, burly man, who would rather kill you than
look at you. There were other rumors, from the youth in the Hold,
however, that said it was a boy, someone their own age-- some of them
even looked up to the unknown figure. Either way, people were getting
jumpy and she was sure that no one would like it if she went riding
out on her own, but Jeyme was beginning to feel restless.

Stealing down to the stables, Jeyme peered into the wooden structure,
and seeing only a couple of stablehands, the woman strode straight to
Blossom's stall. The mare greeted her with a pleased wicker, glad that
her friend was here. Running a hand up the runner's muzzle, Jeyme
quietly called the attention of one of the stablehands.

"Need some help, ma'am?"

"Yes, I would like to take Blossom out for a ride."

"Women shouldn't be going out by themselves." The man's mouth turned
down into a frown.

This was what she had been worried about, "I'm not going alone," she
assured him, her lie coming out smooth and practiced, "I'm meeting up
with the Steward just outside."

For a long moment Jeyme wasn't sure that the man would believe her
until he shrugged and then set about saddling up the mare. Smiling her
thanks as the stablehand led Blossom out of the stall, Jeyme accepted
the man's hand up, and easily swung into the saddle. Arranging her
riding skirts around her, Jeyme clucked softly to Blossom.

--

Once she was outside of the Hold Jeyme breathed a little easier-- the
last thing she needed was for Sarban to find out that she was out here
on her own. The man had become something of a chaperon, but she wasn't
in the mood for scolding today, she just wanted to enjoy being
outdoors.

"Besides, you needed some exercise, didn't you?" Jeyme spoke in a soft
voice to Blossom, who swiveled her ears back to her rider.

Laughing, Jeyme touched her heels to the mare's sides, and Blossom
jumped forward into a smooth gallop in response. They hadn't been
riding long when Blossom snorted and drew up short, shaking her head
as she limped on her right front leg.

"Oh no."

Jeyme jumped down from the runner's back and lifted the animal's hoof
for inspection.

"Great." She muttered as she noted the rock that was lodged in the
runner's shoe.

A rustling in the bushes nearby had Jeyme on alert and she dropped the
runner's leg back to the ground as she scanned the area, "Hello?"

He hadn't meant to make a noise, but the sound of a galloping
runner had his senses had caught his attention and his clothing had
snagged on a thick bush. He smothered his curse and stayed still
and quiet, his eyes sharp on the woman next to the runner.

He had been foolish to venture even this close to the hold, but
hunting had been slim lately. Even with the scraps Yarlna was
able to get to him, he needed to replenish his own stores.
It was his unfortunate luck that this woman had stumbled on his
own path. His best bet, he reasoned, would be to stay quiet and hope
that this woman went on her way. Then his gaze flicked to the runner and he
frowned. He had little experience with the beasts, but from the way it was
limping, it was unlikely that she'd be going anywhere soon.

It left him in a bit of a quandry. He couldn't sit here the entire afternoon
waiting for her to leave. But, if he was seen, there was a higher chance
that she'd report him to the Lord Holder. A thought flickered through
his mind that it would probably be easier just to do away with her, but he
promptly banished it. It wasn't an option he wanted to consider. He'd simply
have to wait her out and try to get his clothes quietly unsnagged from the
bloody bush.

Suddenly all of the rumors she'd heard about the 'terrifying' Holdless
man came flitting through her mind. She didn't even know the basics of
self-defense! She would be completely helpless out here away from the
safety of the Hold walls! **What was I thinking? Stupid, stupid,
stupid!**

Licking her lips, Jeyme tried to slow the pounding of her heart,
otherwise she couldn't hear anything else around her. Cautiously,
Jeyme looked around on the ground and picked up a long, skinny stone.
This would do, wouldn't it? Lifting the runner's leg up once more, she
began using the stone to try and dislodge the other one that had been
picked up in the runner's shoe.

"Drat." She cursed under her breath as she put too much force down on
the rock and it went flying out of her hand, skidding across the
ground.

What in the blazes was she doing? Was she trying to cripple the thing?
Jenackt scowled. If she did that, she'd never leave. Before he could even
think anything else, the rock came sailing his way and clubbed him right
over his left eye. He couldn't help the immediate curse that emerged.
"Bloody,
shaffing son of a diseased wherry!"

His hand clapped to eye, feeling it throb and feeling blood already begin
to seep from the wound. He couldn't help but think that every time he
encountered a holder woman or girl, he ended up getting injured in some
sort of way.

At the yelled curse Jeyme squealed in terror and ran around Blossom,
using the mare as a shield as she peeked out at the bush where the
noise had originated, "Who's there? Come out!"

Too late to hide now. His brow stinging, Jenackt growled to himself,
muttering various obscenities about people in general.
He stood, holding a hand to his bleeding brow and scowled.
"For Faranth's sake, if I wanted to hurt you I could have done it
four times over by now." He stared at her shield for a moment
and shook his head before rolling his eyes. "And it would take
more than a runner to stop me."

"Are you the Holdless Man that everyone is talking about?" Jeyme
called out, still shielding herself with Blossom, her head peeking out
from around the mare's neck as she studied the ragged youth. He didn't
look as scary as she had envisioned.

He couldn't help but hear the emphasis on "Holdless Man" and
frowned. Good news traveled fast it appeared. "Considering that
there is more than one "Holdless Man" on Pern, I wouldn't know."
He was sure that he was the one she was speaking of, but he wasn't
so stupid as to announce himself.

That was a good point, Jeyme admitted, and then the man's words about
having had plenty of opportunity to hurt her came ringing in her mind
once again. All true, she thought, but that didn't stop her from being
wary. Stepping out from behind Blossom, she surveyed the man more
openly, her eyes zeroing in on the bleeding cut above his eye, "What
happened to you?"

His gaze was just as wary as she came out from her runner. His youthful
mind couldn't help but noting that she was pretty, but dismissed it as
unimportant at the moment. He kept his free hand readily near his sword,
just in case. At her question he looked at her with open disbelief.
"You and your hacking at stones happened. Instead of crippling your
runner, you got me instead."

"Oh!" Jeyme was obviously surprised and she took a step forward, "I am
so sorry. My runner's caught a stone in it's shoe and I was trying to
dislodge it." Reaching into the pocket of her riding skirts, Jeyme
pulled out a silken handkerchief and then extended it towards the man,
"Here."

Jenackt's reaction to her placing her hand in her skirts was immediate, born
of an acquired distrust of anyone strange to him. Lightning quick and with
a the sharp sound of metal against hide, his blade was drawn and pointed
towards her. Muscles coiled instantly and his wound over his eye was
forgotten as he faced a possible threat. His easy drop into a fighting
stance was graceful and honed; his eyes immediately searched out
her weak areas. "Back off."

It was only when he saw the hankerchief that he relaxed, if only slightly,
and allowed the tip of his sword to drop away from its aim at her
throat.

Jeyme's hands were held aloft, visibly trembling as she stared at
Jenackt with eyes wide from fright, "I just wanted to give you this,"
she wiggled the hankerchief, "so that you could wipe off the blood."
She explained, glad that her voice didn't tremor the way her hands
were.

The sword lowered, but the mistrust still glittered in his eyes as he
straightened. Jenackt looked at her searchingly for long moments,
then back to the hankerchief and then back to her. Slowly, his sword
made its way back into the hide scabbard and he stood a little straighter.
Looking at her face, he felt a momentary twinge of guilt. "Sorry." He
looked at the hankerchief again and shook his head before carefully
putting his hand out to take it. "I truly am. I thought you were getting
a knife."

The woman gave out a shaky laugh, "Oh no, unfortunately I know nothing
about knives." She said as she passed the handkerchief into his hand,
"So what's your name?" Jeyme began to assess more about the man's
appearance, mostly his thin face and scraggly clothes. He was
definitely in need of some good, nourishing food and clean clothing.

There was only a snort at her comment. Apparently the Holders at
Emerald Falls were insistent on their women being defenseless
when they went outdoors. He simply didn't understand the
lack of what he considered necessary knowledge. As he pressed
the handkerchief against his brow he stared at her.

Only Yarlna knew his name and he was going to keep it that way;
he trusted the young girl and this one, while nice to look at, he didn't
know well enough to trust. He gave the only alternative that he knew.
"Jenasom." His father was dead; it would cause no harm if he gave her
his name.

"Well then, Jenasom, it's nice to meet you." Jeyme said with a polite
nod of her head. Her smile turned into a frown as she glanced at her
mount once more, "I suppose I'd better be on my way then. It's going
to be a long walk back to the Hold."

"Indeed. I hope you don't meet anyone else with a rock in hand."
Jenackt deadpanned. He offered her handkerchief back to her, then his
gaze followed hers to land on the runner. "Really? You crippled her
then? Pity. But I suppose she could be slaughtered for meat."

Jeyme's eyebrows flew up, nearly disappearing into her hairline, "No!
She's not crippled! I just need to get her back to the stables where
they can take that rock out of her hoof. I don't want to cause her any
more discomfort by riding on her back the whole way back." The woman
was instantly suspicious again as she tucked the bloody handkerchief
back into her pocket. Was this man going to try and eat her runner?

"And walking on the stone now wouldn't cause her discomfort?"
Jenackt raised his brows at this. "Can you not get the stone
out?" He paused "Without bloodying me again?"

"Well of course it's going to cause her discomfort to walk on it,
which is why I don't want to add to her misery by riding her as well.
The stone is wedged in pretty well, I'll have to take her back to the
stables and let one of hands see to her." The woman shot another look
at the sun in the sky, "I really do need to be going," Sarban was
going to have a conniption, she was sure.

"Good day to you, Jenasom, and, uh, good luck." With a little wave,
and anxious to be free of the strange man, Jeyme reached up, grabbed
Blossom's reigns and began leading her back in the direction of the
Hold.

Jenackt shrugged. She knew more about the runner than he did, so
obviously, it was up to her. He has spent too much hunting time with
her anyway and needed to get back to what was really important.
Not giving the typical polite response, he shrugged again and held himself
back long enough to watch her walk the runner away. He continued
watching her with a curious gaze before shaking off his thoughts and
melting
back into the forest behind him.

Last updated on the September 5th 2012

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Are You Him?