Bruised and Beaten but not Broken

Writers: Ames, Heather
Date Posted: 19th March 2019

Characters: K'lvin, Relkeyi
Description: K'lvin rescues a badly beaten and injured boy and takes him back to the Weyr
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 10, day 9 of Turn 9
Notes: Welcome my new candidate!! Relkeyi is up for posties at DCW!!!!

"I told you to leave him alone!" Relkeyi shouted at the group that now
surrounded both he and his friend, Kathul.

His older brothers sneered at the pair. "_We_ told you to shape up,
little brother, and if the only way we can help you see the _right_
way to do things is to teach your friend that we don't want _his_ kind
around here, then so be it. Now _move_ or you will get another beating
yourself!" Rancarn, Relkeyi's older brother snarled.

Relkeyi reached for Kathul's hand. Giving it a squeeze, he stood as
tall as his short stature would allow him. "I won't let you hurt him."

"Looks like we need to teach you _both_ a lesson then." Rancarn
snarled, his hands clenched into fists.

*****

Relkeyi groaned, reaching a hand up to touch the cut on his forehead
that was still oozing blood. He was sprawled on the ground and he
ached almost everywhere. Where was he? What had happened?

Flashes of memories came to him. The hold. The plans they'd made to
leave together. Then the fight. The fists. Kathul! Relkeyi looked
around. He was alone. Where was his friend? Where was he? He didn't
recognize anything around him.

**I have to find him,** he thought, pushing himself up off the ground
on shaky elbows, he gasped at the hurt he felt all over. He tried to
push himself upright, but the world around him began to spin.

As he fell back to the ground with a groan, he recalled the last words
his brother had spoken, "You are a disgrace. You are dead to us now."
With those words, Relkeyi's world went black again.

}:It seems that there is someone on the ground.:{ Xmrenth pointed out
as he battled the gusty wind with his large bronze wings, stabilizing
them for a moment so that K'lvin could squint down at the ground. He
could just barely make out a spot, but if it was a person, and Xmrenth
was sure it was, they were a long way outside of the Hold.

**Let's drop down and check on them, then. Just to be safe.** K'lvin
had actually volunteered for the sweepriding shift. Being busy was a
good way to help take his mind off of Riveenata and the void that her
absences had created in his life.

~~Flying!~~ Sir's head popped out from the inside of K'lvin's shirt.
The little blue, that he'd only just bonded with a couple of days
prior, was balled up in K'lvin's shirt for the sweepride. The
firelizard wasn't too young to fly, but K'lvin had been worried about
his abilities to keep up for such a long distance. Sir didn't seem to
mind riding around on his big friend Xmrenth anyway.

The bronze was amused by the little flit's excitement and so he
dropped them into a step descent, causing Sir to practically become
flattened up in K'lvin's armpit.

**Was that really necessary?** K'lvin asked as they neared the ground.

}:He enjoyed it.:{ Xmreth said with a dragon equivalent of a laugh.

~~Fly! Fly! Fast! Again!~~ Sir's head popped back out of K'lvin's shirt.

"Not now," K'lvin murmured, pushing the flit's head back down inside
of his shirt as he buttoned up his riding jacket a bit higher.

Xmrenth had been correct, there was someone on the ground.

"Hello there," K'lvin called, plucking off his riding helmet and
pushing his goggles up into his hair so that he could see the boy more
clearly as he slid off of Xmrenth's neckridge.

Between the gust of air and the voice, Relkeyi came to, blinking and
coughing. He groaned. "Help," he managed to say, trying to push
himself up from the ground. His arms wouldn't hold his full weight and
he collapsed back with a painful groan.

K'lvin hurried over to the boy's side and dropped down. "Easy there,"
he said, taking in the scrapes and bruises now that he was closer. Sir
poked his head out inquisitively. "You need some water?" K'lvin asked.

Relkeyi tried to swallow at the thought of water and ended up coughing
instead. Relkeyi curled his legs up with a moan. His pants were torn
and a cut on his leg began to bleed again as he moved. "Please help
me," he murmured as tears leaked from the injured boy's eyes.

"Easy now, easy," K'lvin reached down and felt the leg wound, noting
that it was shallow enough that it would probably only need a stitch
or two. "Let's get you up now and I'll get you back to the Hold. You
from Emerald Falls?"

**The Hold?** The words jarred Relkeyi out of his fog. Gasping, he
pushed himself up, grabbing K'lvin's shirt front. "No," he gasped.
"You can't take me back there. Please. No. Anywhere but there," he
murmured, feeling dizzy again at the sudden movement. He began to
slump forward towards the rider. "Please, not there," he whispered
before he passed out again.

"Well, shells," K'lvin cursed as he hefted the youth into his arms,
which wasn't difficult since the young man was of slender build.

~~Human?~~ Sir asked inquisitively, cocking his head this way and that
as he eyed the boy.

"Yes, injured it would seem, let's get him back to the Weyr so the
healers can take a look at him." K'lvin said as he got back on
Xmrenth's neckridge and strapped the boy in.

}:Back to the Weyr.:{ Xmrenth confirmed as he leaped into the skies.

Last updated on the March 23rd 2019

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Bruised and Beaten but not Broken