Protecting What's His
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: Miriah
Date Posted: 17th August 2012
Characters: J'ackt
Description: Jenackt has to fight to protect what is his
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 9, day 19 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentioned: Yarlna, Jeyme
Jenackt walked slowly back to the cliffs where he lived, still
grumbling softly about yet another Hold girl causing him injury.
He gingerly touched his slightly swollen brow and muttered to
himself again. He had been careless. Maybe it was because
of his time spent with Yarlna. He admitted to himself that
considering her age, it was foolish to compare other Holders,
especially the women, to her. She was young and naïve; the
others probably were not, excepting their ridiculous tendency
to run about unarmed and unprotected.
As he approached his little cliff-side nook, his sharp ears caught
the clatter of something within his dwelling and he stopped then
fell to a crouch. His head ached but he ignored it, instead drawing
the battered sword that his father had left for him. A wild feline,
perhaps? His nose wrinkled as he smelled the air. There was no
musty scent of the beasts, but that meant little.
Another clatter came and as Jenackt watched, a man emerged
from his nook. In his hands were bundles filled with what could
have only been his stores of food and the few precious items of
clothing and essentials that he possessed. Jenackt was
immediately filled with anger; it was all he had! His eyes narrowed
on the man. He was older and heavily built, but had the scruffy
look that many holdless possessed. His clothes were patched
much like his own, but unlike Jenackt, there was much more of
a hungry look in his eye.
Jenackt didn't have pity for the hunger he saw; he hadn't been
raised to simply give up what he had worked for. While he may
have thieved from the cotholds, he only did so when he absolutely
had to and never all of what they had. Only enough that would
not be missed. And he could understand if the cotholder did
what he was about to. Jenackt leapt out, baring his battered
blade at the man. "Stop! That's mine!"
Startled, the man whirled, coming face to face with what to him
looked like only a young boy. His eyes flicked over Jenackt, taking
in the slim build and the mop of blonde hair. Instead of fearing the
blade pointed at him, he laughed. "I found it, pretty boy." He
clutched the belongings to him."Run off to your mam, ye whelp of
a tunnelsnake!" he looked with disdain at the sword and snorted.
"Stole that too, I reckon. Off with ye!" He pulled a long knife from
his waistband and gestured at Jenackt with a smug smile. "I got
one too. Run off! This is my place now!"
Jenackt snarled and didn't waste any further time with discussion,
stepping forward to block the man's path. The man was startled at
first, but answered with a growl of his own. He dropped the purloined
belongings and thrust forward with his knife towards Jenackt's
midsection.
The hours of instruction sword drills and fighting that Jenackt's father
had forced upon him paid off. The man may have been burly and
muscular, but his thrust was unskilled. The complete extension of
his arm had thrown him off balance. His blow was knocked aside
by the flat of Jenackt's blade, followed quickly by a quick boot to
the man's groin. The long knife went flying and the man crumpled
with a howl of pain. Jenackt wasted no time in planting a firm boot
at the prone man's throat, pressing down. "I'm not a boy." His eyes
narrowed."If you had actually known how to use that knife, you may
have been able to keep it." Ignoring the surge of compassion gifted
to him from his mother and firming his jaw, Jenackt made his
decision.
His blade may have been battered, but it was still keen; a single
thrust of the keen edge ended his problem. Jenackt exhaled as
he stepped away, grimacing at the steadily pooling blood,
then wiped his sword on the grass to clean it. He could not have a
fforded the man the chance to come at him again at a later day.
Jenackt didn't want to be looking over his shoulder anymore than
he already was.
He felt a moment of regret for what he had done and more than a
little angry frustration at the necessity of it. But Jenackt could not
lose the few things that he had and he certainly couldn't lose what
was left of his food. He would have to spend the rest of the day
disposing of the interloper. Nausea suddenly gripped him at the
thought and he swallowed his bile as he stared down at the corpse.
He couldn't use the boots. They were too large. Blood soaked
the man's clothing. But at least he had a new knife.
Last updated on the September 1st 2012