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{Two Stick} Growing up a nerd
Feb. 10th, 2009 05:44 pmA hundred and ten odd years before current events...
Bloodied-Claws-From-Darkness caught her on the way to the storehouse. It was always the way- somewhere quiet, out of view of the village green, somewhere that someone who remembered that the tribe needed to stick together wouldn't find them. He jammed his arm across her chest, thrusting her back against the storehouse wall with all of his weight, his panther pressing against her legs, back bristling. In her belt pouch, Kirrit shivered, staying perfectly still.
"You think you can hide behind your 'mate' all the time?" he murmured, his face inches away from hers, "Think he'll support your weakness for all his days? He's a human, little girl. All his days are a very limited number- He won't be around forever."
She struggled, baring her teeth, but it never did any good- not in the days when he'd pushed and shoved and struck just a bit too hard in training, and not now. It didn't happen very often, but often enough that she didn't forget the common view that the tribe held of people like her.
"I hide behind nothing. I have my duty to the tribe!"
He laughed, a nasty, dangerous sound.
"And what duty is that, Sugar Glider's daughter? To follow around a crazy mooncalf and make sure she doesn't blow anyone important up? To keep yourself out of the way of people who actually contribute to the wellbeing of the tribe? To throw yourself on the altar of the Tiger chieftan's cock, because that's the only worth you HAVE to the tribe?"
Two Stick snarled, pushing against his arm, digging her fingernails into his hands. He pulled her forward and slammed her hard against the wall of the storehouse again, knocking all the air out of her lungs, and wrapped his hand around her throat.
"I just think it's a little funny how as soon as the war is over, you jump into bed with the strongest of the enemy. I think you worked out that in a time of war, there's no sense killing off those who can be used as battle fodder, but in a time of peace, the herd must be culled to ensure it's strength.
"Panther... must be awfully proud of you, Bloodied-Claws..." she panted, gasping for breath, "Standing over a younger, smaller tribemate."
"More proud of me than she is of you, weakling," he whispered, leaning in to breathe in her ear, "I am one of her warriors. What are you? You are nothing."
"When Silent Cry finds out about this," she murmured in return, voice dripping with hate, "He'll claw the skin from your back. And i'll laugh."
"Really? A Shaman of Panther disciplining a show of strength in the face of a weaker enemy, someone who burdens the tribe? How likely do you think that is? How likely are you to run to your Vara, little mystic, when you know he agrees with me?"
"What, by Panther's good grace, is going on here?"
Bloodied-Claws-from-Darkness and Two Stick Lightning both looked up at Silent Cry. He raised one eyebrow slowly, looking calm and perfectly reasonable. Only the twitching of his companion's tail betrayed any sign of a deeper emotion.
Bloodied-Claws let Two Stick go, more carefully than he might have otherwise, and his companion butted his head against Two Stick's hand, as if in a gesture of 'no hard feelings'.
"Nothing, Silent Cry," he said, running his fingers through his hair, the very image of a chagrined child, "Two Stick Lightning and I just got into a disagreement about that writing thing she does. Isn't that right, Two Stick?"
He turned and looked at her, the edge of a deadly smile on his lips, and Two Stick nodded numbly. Under her tunic, she could feel the pressure from his arm bruising. Silent Cry looked at her for a long moment, before turning back to Bloodied-Claws.
"Alright, then. You should get back to Smoke-Stride, she'll be looking for you shortly."
Bloodied-Claws-from-Darkness nodded, and strode off, his companion following in his wake. Silent Cry took a step towards Two Stick, eyes softening.
"Are you alright, Two Stick?"
In the corner of his voice was frustration, a note that said 'You are so frail. Why can't you look after yourself?' She shook her head angrily, still fighting for breath.
"I'm fine, Silent Cry, just... just leave me alone." She snapped, storming past him and Midnight back to the safety of StarCatcher's workshop.
When she got there, Kirrit climbed out of her belt pouch and up onto her shoulder, gently nosing her ear in concern. She picked up the dainty glider and cupped him close to her heart, fighting the urge to scream with anger and weep with shame.
Fang Strike wasn't due to see her for another week. She hoped the bruising would be faded by then, so he wouldn't ask questions, so he wouldn't start a war again for her sake and the sake of what she wasn't in the eyes of her tribe.
Bloodied-Claws-From-Darkness caught her on the way to the storehouse. It was always the way- somewhere quiet, out of view of the village green, somewhere that someone who remembered that the tribe needed to stick together wouldn't find them. He jammed his arm across her chest, thrusting her back against the storehouse wall with all of his weight, his panther pressing against her legs, back bristling. In her belt pouch, Kirrit shivered, staying perfectly still.
"You think you can hide behind your 'mate' all the time?" he murmured, his face inches away from hers, "Think he'll support your weakness for all his days? He's a human, little girl. All his days are a very limited number- He won't be around forever."
She struggled, baring her teeth, but it never did any good- not in the days when he'd pushed and shoved and struck just a bit too hard in training, and not now. It didn't happen very often, but often enough that she didn't forget the common view that the tribe held of people like her.
"I hide behind nothing. I have my duty to the tribe!"
He laughed, a nasty, dangerous sound.
"And what duty is that, Sugar Glider's daughter? To follow around a crazy mooncalf and make sure she doesn't blow anyone important up? To keep yourself out of the way of people who actually contribute to the wellbeing of the tribe? To throw yourself on the altar of the Tiger chieftan's cock, because that's the only worth you HAVE to the tribe?"
Two Stick snarled, pushing against his arm, digging her fingernails into his hands. He pulled her forward and slammed her hard against the wall of the storehouse again, knocking all the air out of her lungs, and wrapped his hand around her throat.
"I just think it's a little funny how as soon as the war is over, you jump into bed with the strongest of the enemy. I think you worked out that in a time of war, there's no sense killing off those who can be used as battle fodder, but in a time of peace, the herd must be culled to ensure it's strength.
"Panther... must be awfully proud of you, Bloodied-Claws..." she panted, gasping for breath, "Standing over a younger, smaller tribemate."
"More proud of me than she is of you, weakling," he whispered, leaning in to breathe in her ear, "I am one of her warriors. What are you? You are nothing."
"When Silent Cry finds out about this," she murmured in return, voice dripping with hate, "He'll claw the skin from your back. And i'll laugh."
"Really? A Shaman of Panther disciplining a show of strength in the face of a weaker enemy, someone who burdens the tribe? How likely do you think that is? How likely are you to run to your Vara, little mystic, when you know he agrees with me?"
"What, by Panther's good grace, is going on here?"
Bloodied-Claws-from-Darkness and Two Stick Lightning both looked up at Silent Cry. He raised one eyebrow slowly, looking calm and perfectly reasonable. Only the twitching of his companion's tail betrayed any sign of a deeper emotion.
Bloodied-Claws let Two Stick go, more carefully than he might have otherwise, and his companion butted his head against Two Stick's hand, as if in a gesture of 'no hard feelings'.
"Nothing, Silent Cry," he said, running his fingers through his hair, the very image of a chagrined child, "Two Stick Lightning and I just got into a disagreement about that writing thing she does. Isn't that right, Two Stick?"
He turned and looked at her, the edge of a deadly smile on his lips, and Two Stick nodded numbly. Under her tunic, she could feel the pressure from his arm bruising. Silent Cry looked at her for a long moment, before turning back to Bloodied-Claws.
"Alright, then. You should get back to Smoke-Stride, she'll be looking for you shortly."
Bloodied-Claws-from-Darkness nodded, and strode off, his companion following in his wake. Silent Cry took a step towards Two Stick, eyes softening.
"Are you alright, Two Stick?"
In the corner of his voice was frustration, a note that said 'You are so frail. Why can't you look after yourself?' She shook her head angrily, still fighting for breath.
"I'm fine, Silent Cry, just... just leave me alone." She snapped, storming past him and Midnight back to the safety of StarCatcher's workshop.
When she got there, Kirrit climbed out of her belt pouch and up onto her shoulder, gently nosing her ear in concern. She picked up the dainty glider and cupped him close to her heart, fighting the urge to scream with anger and weep with shame.
Fang Strike wasn't due to see her for another week. She hoped the bruising would be faded by then, so he wouldn't ask questions, so he wouldn't start a war again for her sake and the sake of what she wasn't in the eyes of her tribe.
