Hazard

Writers: Leigh M-F.
Date Posted: 4th September 2014

Characters: A'kua
Description: A memory of life in a small hold.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 8, day 24 of Turn 7
Notes: A very belated response to Miriah's dream-memory challenge.

Bellard's fist cracked across his jaw, but that was exactly what he wanted;
it put his opponent back in reach. As Ballard began to draw away for
another attack, Aluka grabbed his vest and threw himself backward. Ballard
went sailing over his head with a surprised shout that ended in a grunt of
pain, and then Aluka was on him, half blind from a red haze. "My ma's a
what?!" he bellowed.

Still not knowing he was beaten, Bellard gagged, "She's a wh-"

Aluka thought nothing of breaking the other boy's nose. "_What's_ my ma?!"

"A bleedin' wh-"

His hands went around Bellard's throat.

"A good woman!" Bellard screamed, realizing it was best to give up right
that second. "She's a fine upstandin' woman o' this hold! One o' the best!"

The rage fled. He'd won. Aluka grinned with bloodstained lips, gave Ballard
a harsh shake to enforce his victory, and stood up, moving back. "That's
right kind of ya to say," he commented, still grinning. "Thanks for the
workout, Bellard. Lookin' forward to the next one."

The other boy scrambled to his feet and ran like a hungry wher was after
him. It would be a while before he said anything about Shastia again; Aluka
was a little too willing to get hurt in a brawl and go to extremes on the
offense if it meant he came out on top.

The heady flush of triumph buoyed Aluka above the pain of his injuries as
he gathered the goods his mother had sent him to get. He dusted them off,
made sure they weren't damaged, and carried them home, humming merrily.
"I'm back!" he called, stepping into the small stone hut that he shared
with his mother and grandfather. "I got.... the...." All his good cheer
fled with his voice at the sight of the mess in there. Shastia and Gordione
must have gotten into another screaming, throwing things fight while he was
gone, probably over the wineskins strewn on the ground (where did she keep
getting those from?). Shastia was sprawled in a chair, cheeks and nose
flushed, breathing unevenly in her sleep. "Aw, Ma," Aluka muttered, shaking
his head.

Gordionne would have a conniption if the place wasn't clean by the time he
got back, and he would voice dire threats to take it out on Shastia. Only
threats, though; the last time he had tried to hit his daughter, Aluka had
gotten between them, and the blow had laid open his cheekbone. Then he had
struck back, and Gordione had been lucky there were no broken ribs. That
had ended the altercation.

Aluka sighed heavily, went into the kitchen and put the goods on the table,
and set about cleaning up as quietly as possible. Once their living area
was finally tidy again, he checked on his mother, finding her drunk but
otherwise fine. He tucked an old quilt around her, wondering why she kept
doing this to herself. She was the best mother in the entire hold. Why
couldn't she see how wonderful she was?

And why.... why wasn't he a good enough son to make her realize that?

*~*~*~*

Aluka woke up feeling upset about something, but couldn't think what could
have caused it.

Last updated on the October 3rd 2014

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Hazard