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 Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 6:15 pm
Marinel was starving. He knew that he wouldn't last long out here; not without food. He'd found streams, but he didn't know how to fish. He had never been out of his hold for longer than a Gather Day. Which plants bore fruit that was safe to eat? Dolmar would've known. Dolmar knew everything.
All Marinel knew was that he'd never felt this horrible, gnawing pain in his stomach. Drinking his fill of water had helped, the first few days. The longer he was out here, though, the more he felt it. He could almost smell it, fresh cooked fish--
He could smell it! The twelve turn old looked up. There was a trading caravan not far away. Surely they could spare something? Maybe if he was quiet, he could sneak up and grab something? As he approached, he spotted something he hadn't seen since he'd left the hold. A basket of ripe redfruit. The sight of them made his mouth water. He had to have one. Was anyone looking? He darted over, grabbed two and tried to keep out of sight.
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Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 6:37 pm
Saimwen was reviewing the stock they'd sold that day at the local Hold. It was nearly twilight, and his throat was exhausted from yelling prices and advertisements at passing folks, at explaining to big spenders why outside, handmade wares were superior to anything else also made in a Hold. They'd made a pretty good till that day, but he hated that one of his chores, after all he did all day, included tallying the stock, writing on a reused parchment with a burnt stick.
He was just finished tallying the hides when he looked back at the fruit - which he had just finished counting - and noticed a couple of redfruit clearly missing. The overflowing basket looked obviously like a few had been plucked off the top. Maybe it was one of the fisherman's little kids. They were always plucking things from their stock as if they deserved more than their rations, but they weren't usually so quiet about it. Well, if it weren't, this wouldn't be the first time Saimwen had to deal with thieves. "Hello?" he called out, placing the parchment and stick down on the nearest surface. He jogged around the corner to see a little boy, not much younger than him, hiding with the fruit.
Saimwen stared at the boy accusatorially. Usually the thieves were older than him, but he'd seen his father do this more than once. "Why are you stealing from us?" he asked, looking down his nose at the boy.
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Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 7:06 pm
Mari hesitated at the voice. He'd been in the midst of taking a bite--a wonderful bite of the first redfruit. Mmmm. So good. He couldn't explain it, it tasted so much better than he remembered.
He was so engrossed that he didn't notice Saimwen's presence until the boy spoke again. He dropped the second redfruit in surprise, stuffing as much of he could of the first redfruit into his mouth. He stood, wide eyed. Caught. Shard it all, he'd been caught. He should've just taken the entire basket, it might've been worth it then!
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Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 7:19 pm
Saimwen was starting to feel a little impatient, a little scared, when the boy didn't respond. Who just sat there and ate a stolen fruit in front of the person they'd stolen it from? "Hey!" Saimwen said, picking up the fallen second redfruit and holding it protectively against his chest. One of his sisters had found these growing in a forest a few days ago, so by now they were incredibly ripe and susceptible to being bruised. "These are fragile!" Trying to put on his best scolding face, Saimwen furrowed his eyebrows in the general direction of the boy in an attempted glare.
But then he really looked at the boy. Like, really looked. The kid wasn't in the best shape. Saimwen was skinny, but this younger kid was basically skin and bones, what was left of his clothing hanging off of him like sheets. Maybe he was hungry for a reason. Saimmy glanced at the redfruit and the boy. Should he share? No, these fruit were supposed to be sold. It was hard work to collect them, hard work to sell them, and traders didn't give away to beggars, as his father had taught him. "What's your name? Why are you stealing from us?" he asked again, lifting his chin in a gesture of dominance.
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Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 7:26 pm
Fragile. He knew that. He'd known that. It didn't matter, he'd eat it bruised! He reached for the snatched up redfruit hopefully, but it didn't seem like Saimwen was going to hand it over.
"'Nel," he said. "I--" he'd never stolen anything before. He'd never needed to. Even as the unwanted son of a minor lord holder, he had still been taken care of. "Can I have it?" He asked, reaching for the redfruit.
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Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 7:45 pm
Saimwen lifted the fruit above his head, his heart pounding. The way this boy was acting, like an animal desperate for scraps... it was nothing he had ever seen before, not even on beggars. What had happened to him? "Nel," he said shakily, suddenly more nervous now that the boy had reached for the fruit, afraid he might lunge if Saimwen wasn't careful.
Maybe if he gave him the fruit, he'd talk a little more easily. And that was good for Saimwen, because he felt like he was bursting to the brim with questions. He glared at the kid for a few more moments, before finally relenting. He handed the fruit down, bracing himself for the disgust that came with watching someone gorge themselves. "Will you talk to me if I can get you more food?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 7:50 pm
Marinel's spirits drooped as the redfruit was lifted. He swallowed, and nodded at the nickname. "Marinel, really. I don't care what you call me." It didn't matter. Anything was better than thief.
He took the redfruit like it was a precious treasure, and, instead of eating it, carefully tucked it away into his bag. He had to prepare for later. "More food?" He looked up. But he'd just stolen from this boy's family. Why was he offering more?
"Yeah. Bring more food."
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Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 8:01 pm
Saimwen narrowed his eyes. For someone who had been begging a moment ago, this "Marinel" seemed to transition really easily to bossing people around. The guilt of giving up his family's wares already rose up in his stomach, and he didn't really know what to do. But Saimwen was smart enough to not let this kid continue stealing. His dad would probably punish him just for giving away a couple pieces of perfectly good fruit.
He already started arguing with his father in his head - after all, the first fruit was better than gone by the time he reached the boy, and the second fruit had been dropped and therefore damaged. Yeah, those excuses would work.
"Just follow me, we're cooking up some stew on the campfire," he said, reaching out and grabbing the boy by the wrist. Once he got him to the middle of camp, it would be easy to shoulder the problem off onto his father.
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Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 8:15 pm
Marinel hadn't been expecting his wrist to be taken, or might have dodged Saimwen's hand. He tried to struggle. Stew? Such a simple thing, but it sounded like heaven.
"You don't have to drag me," he mumbled. But oh, that basket of redfruit was tempting. What would happen to him when the traders left? What would happen if one of the adults found out he'd stolen from them? He didn't have very much money. "What's your name?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 9:05 pm
Marinel was probably right about the dragging - but whether or not Saimwen was holding something over his head, figuratively this time, he was afraid of the kid running away. It was one thing to be letting a thief steal, but a whole new sin to then let said thief escape. Part of him was a bit angry with himself. "I'm Saimwen," he muttered quickly, casting his eyes down. He didn't want to become friendly with the kid.
But... he could feel the bones of Marinel's wrist beneath his grip. Who would let a kid get like this? Were there really people his age who were allowed to get this hungry? He whipped his head around at the boy, his expression starting out as a glare, but it melted to a softened gaze when he saw the look on his face. "Where's your family? Like, why don't you have food?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 9:11 pm
"Thank you for the redfruit, Saimwen," Mari said. The boy didn't seem to want to make eye contact, and that was okay. He himself wouldn't have known what to do with it. He hadn't been around many people in two weeks, not since he left home.
"My brother went away, and my father never wanted me," Marinel shrugged, but his tone was slightly bitter. "He says I killed Momma. They only wanted one heir. So... I left. I didn't think about food or anything. I just.." he swallowed. "I left. I was hoping to find my brother, but I don't know where the crafthall he was sent to is, even."
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Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 9:42 pm
Saimwen shut up at that. What could he even say? Marinel just laid everything out, just like that. But this kid was accused of killing his mother? Saimwen couldn't even imagine hurting one of his family members, let alone leaving them. That must be what life was like in the Holds - a place where kids killed their mothers, were rejected by their fathers, and families got all separated and broken up. And then they starved because they didn't know how to take care of themselves. If that's how people lived outside of the Caravan, Saimwen never ever wanted to leave.
Finally, they reached the clearing where the traders were all sitting around the fire, eating bowls of stew. Saimwen led Marinel directly to his father, a lanky, bearded man in leather traveling clothes. The man's expression turned grave when he saw Saimwen's entourage. The traders around the fire grew quiet as they watched for what was about to happen.
Before his father could say anything, Saimwen spoke. "I found this kid stealing some of our fruit. He says he was kicked out of his family." Saimwen stepped back so his father could get a clear view of Marinel. He'd done exactly what he was taught to do, and now, surely, his father would start on his typical treatment of thieves.
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Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 9:52 pm
Marinel hesitated in front of the group of adults, before shifting awkwardly. "I wasn't kicked out," he said, then. "I left. Please don't make me go back." He'd come all this way, to find Dolmar, to get away from his abusive father... What if these traders took him back? He'd have to leave again. Fight to survive again.
"I'm sorry I stole from you, though, sir. I..." He'd just been so hungry. The smell of food had ruined his resolve, and he hadn't been able to resist the sight of them. He looked down at his feet. "I was hungry."
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Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 10:00 pm
Saimwen smirked at Marinel as he shifted uncomfortably. His father really knew how to root someone to the spot with just a look. He'd have to work on his own intimidation, to prevent something like this thievery from ever happening again. His father stood - oh, here it was coming! - and approached Marinel. Saimwen grew a little nervous - maybe he'd made it seem like the kid was too much of a threat. Obviously, he wasn't. He hadn't hurt Saimwen at all, hadn't even tried to attack or run away, even when he had been a little scared.
His father crossed his arms, surveying the kid. What was he seeing? A dirty thief, or a bony child? The man leaned over ever so slightly to level with Marinel. "Do you have any skills, boy?" the gruffly-voiced man asked, raising a bushy eyebrow.
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Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 10:27 pm
Skills? Did he have to work for the fruit he'd taken? Marinel supposed that was only fair. "Just what I've learned since leaving my hold," he admitted, quietly. "I'm not very good at much of anything." Not even stealing.
Would Dolmar have been embarrassed because thieves were common, or ashamed that his own brother had resorted to stealing a few redfruit?
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