socrowdedinhere | Just in case (Reply)

*By afternoon they've entered a town. The man is stumbling along and only once reaching a.....structure at the center of town does he stop. With a /huff/ he collapses heavily to his knees, then face forward into the dirt, two men letting out startled cries and moving to him. The boy will find the blanket pulled back and one of the men will pick him up while the other helps the man up*

Boy: *goes down with a startled cry of his own, scrambling off the man's back . . . a-and then he's being grabbed and he panics!, CURLING* I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I-I didn't do it! P-please, I'm sorry!!

Guard1: Shh, shh, easy boy, easy. You're all right. You're not in trouble.

Boy: */shivering/* M'sorry! M'sorry...

Guard2: *as he gets the man up enough to see who it is he gives a gasp* It's Lewen! Hang on now, we'll get you and the boy taken care of.

Lewen: *gives the guard a weary but /grateful/ smile.*

Guard1: *worried, but he'll put his attention on the boy* Let's get you inside where it's warm and dry. You're going to be okay, son. You're going to be fine. *he snuggles the boy to him and will head for the massive....box. The other guard following with the young man that carried the boy all this way*

Boy: *TENSE in the man's arms, curled down against his shoulder* M'sorry...m'sorry...p-please...p-please d-don't hurt me. *crying softly*

Guard: No one is going to hurt you, boy, you're not in trouble. *he steps inside, the air is warm and dry. The guard will approach a female J'har, his tone soft* Ralia, will you take care of this little guy? *nods at the other guard and the man* Lewen carried him here, so take care good care of him.

Ralia: *smiles* I would anyway. Hi there, sweetie. Will you tell me your name?

Boy: *"take good care of him" - SHUDDERS, hunching, that's /never/ a good thing! - is /shaking/ as he answers, eyes /squeezed/ shut as he braces* I-I don't have one, miss. I'm n-not allowed.

Ralia: *softly touches his face, combing his hair from his eyes* You are now. We'll find you a good name later. But first, we're going to make sure you don't feel /any/ pain, that you're clean and have new clothes, and have a belly full of really good food. Will you come with me for all of that, sweetheart?

Boy: *would collapse in on himself further if he could, voice /soft/* I-I don't wanna get in trouble... *he's not supposed to do or have /any/ of those things!!!*

Ralia: You won't get in trouble. Lewen is looking after you now, right? The man that carried you here?

Boy: *n-nods* H-he's my new master. I-I w-was bad enough m-my m-masters...d-didn't want me anymore! *starts crying*

Ralia: *nods* Let's see what he says okay, honey? *petpets at his head and moves to where the second guard has gotten Lewen sitting down* Lewen, you're this boy's new master?

Lewen: *exhausted, and hands trembling, but he starts to make gestures in the air, different than he's done before.*

Guard1: *softly* He says "No, I'm not his master, I'm his guardian. He was punished for no reason, I couldn't leave him. Please take care of him."

Boy: *watches, eyes going wide at the gestures . . . b-but then he /curls/* I-I was bad. Overseer punished me because I was bad. I-I didn't /mean/ ta be! I-it was an accident!

Guard1: *softly* Lewen doesn't think you were bad. You're going to be all right, boy. No more pain, no more fear. No one here is going to hurt you.

Boy: ...............pain lets ya know you're still alive. Only people who are dead don't hurt.

Guard1: Hmm, that's not entirely true. No one is going to kill you. You'll see. *he finally shifts and puts the boy down* Go with Ralia now.

Boy: *shaking as he's put down, a little unsteady* Y-yes, sir. *will straighten as best he can, ready to follow*

Ralia: *smiles and offers her hand to him* Lewen wants you fed, bathed, dressed, and without pain, so that's what we're going to do, okay? Let's start with the pain...