Protector of the Big Folk (June 2994) - [Ceolmund]
Feb 1, 2018 13:00:35 GMT -5
Post by Runa on Feb 1, 2018 13:00:35 GMT -5
Ceolmund at least had his eyes open when she wheeled to turn back to him, and that was a relief immediately. Still, as he nodded, Runa felt her muscles ease and a wash of relief come over her.
“Ah-are y-you?”
Runa drew her sleeve over her throbbing lip, and looked at the smear of blood it left upon the cloth. Ceolmund was touching her cheek, and the careful way he stroked her in examination was almost soothing to the dull ache and sharp pain she was still feeling. She sniffed, and her blue eyes shot back to Gudmarr who was still sitting upon the dirt in a heap. They held the same power as the summer storms. Before she could utter her answer, though, the captain was back, and Runa felt her insides grow cold and clenched.
“What happened here?”
She was not certain if she should be asking for forgiveness, though perhaps such was not a bad thing to lead with. “I’m sorry, sir,” the girl mumbled, sound barely audible. She knew violence was not supposed to be the first answer, though she had in fact given Gudmarr far more times than one to avert his intention.
“Boys.”
Runa peered, watching two fresh-faced young children skirt around the captain’s frame and help haul her friend up to his feet. She scrambled to rise as well, though for a moment got caught in her skirts. She watched Ceolmund’s face, trying to judge how hard he had been hit. She might need to ask her mother to check him; she knew concussions were dangerous, but not enough yet to spot them herself. Nervously, her footing shifted, and she once more wiped the trickle of blood from her lip upon her sleeve.
The captain asked Ceolmund to take Runa to the Healing Hall, though the girl was about to protest such a thing. Ceolmund, though, seemed intent to follow such direction, and they immediately began to move away, the sound of Heruthain’s words bidding the other boys to ready themselves for the next bit of training fading behind them as they went.
Their pace was almost leisurely, save for Runa’s various skips to keep up with Ceolmund’s strides.
“I...”
Runa looked to him, patiently awaiting Ceolmund to gather his words and finish his thought. Still, it looked as if they might have simply wandered away, and the girl wondered if maybe she should offer something to say instead.
“Th-thanks. I kn-new y-you'd be fffast. Y-you've b-b-been g-going l-l-light on m-mmme.”
Runa giggled slightly, catching the gleam and smirk from Ceolmund’s face. “I only bested him because he dropped his guard,” she remarked. “I’ll have a much harder time with you.” Ceolmund seemed to pick up every instruction the captain’s offered.
Her jovial smile, though, faded to something a bit more serious. “I couldn’t let him hurt you,” she said, her voice lilting low in a sound that was almost a whine. “You don’t deserve it. He’s just a bully, that’s all.”
Her lip felt puffy and swollen, and there was still a dull ache where Runa was certain she was gaining a new bruise for her efforts, but she wouldn’t change thing, she knew. Ceolmund was a good person, and the thought of Gudmarr getting him with his own shield seemed to make her sick. She reached and grabbed his hand, once more peering up at him. “I’m sorry I distracted you and got your hurt,” she said morosely. “Mama will check to make sure you’re all right before you go back.”
“Ah-are y-you?”
Runa drew her sleeve over her throbbing lip, and looked at the smear of blood it left upon the cloth. Ceolmund was touching her cheek, and the careful way he stroked her in examination was almost soothing to the dull ache and sharp pain she was still feeling. She sniffed, and her blue eyes shot back to Gudmarr who was still sitting upon the dirt in a heap. They held the same power as the summer storms. Before she could utter her answer, though, the captain was back, and Runa felt her insides grow cold and clenched.
“What happened here?”
She was not certain if she should be asking for forgiveness, though perhaps such was not a bad thing to lead with. “I’m sorry, sir,” the girl mumbled, sound barely audible. She knew violence was not supposed to be the first answer, though she had in fact given Gudmarr far more times than one to avert his intention.
“Boys.”
Runa peered, watching two fresh-faced young children skirt around the captain’s frame and help haul her friend up to his feet. She scrambled to rise as well, though for a moment got caught in her skirts. She watched Ceolmund’s face, trying to judge how hard he had been hit. She might need to ask her mother to check him; she knew concussions were dangerous, but not enough yet to spot them herself. Nervously, her footing shifted, and she once more wiped the trickle of blood from her lip upon her sleeve.
The captain asked Ceolmund to take Runa to the Healing Hall, though the girl was about to protest such a thing. Ceolmund, though, seemed intent to follow such direction, and they immediately began to move away, the sound of Heruthain’s words bidding the other boys to ready themselves for the next bit of training fading behind them as they went.
Their pace was almost leisurely, save for Runa’s various skips to keep up with Ceolmund’s strides.
“I...”
Runa looked to him, patiently awaiting Ceolmund to gather his words and finish his thought. Still, it looked as if they might have simply wandered away, and the girl wondered if maybe she should offer something to say instead.
“Th-thanks. I kn-new y-you'd be fffast. Y-you've b-b-been g-going l-l-light on m-mmme.”
Runa giggled slightly, catching the gleam and smirk from Ceolmund’s face. “I only bested him because he dropped his guard,” she remarked. “I’ll have a much harder time with you.” Ceolmund seemed to pick up every instruction the captain’s offered.
Her jovial smile, though, faded to something a bit more serious. “I couldn’t let him hurt you,” she said, her voice lilting low in a sound that was almost a whine. “You don’t deserve it. He’s just a bully, that’s all.”
Her lip felt puffy and swollen, and there was still a dull ache where Runa was certain she was gaining a new bruise for her efforts, but she wouldn’t change thing, she knew. Ceolmund was a good person, and the thought of Gudmarr getting him with his own shield seemed to make her sick. She reached and grabbed his hand, once more peering up at him. “I’m sorry I distracted you and got your hurt,” she said morosely. “Mama will check to make sure you’re all right before you go back.”