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Katone
Today was no different than any other day. Katone untacked his runner and released the beast into Forlon’s runner pen. He sighed as the runner immediately dropped to the ground and rolled, flinging dirt all over himself. Shaking his head Katone then stowed his gear where it wouldn’t be in the way and headed over to knock on the cothold door. Gwendola answered it, her hair still loose and hanging about her face, and Katone’s eyes widened in shock as his gaze swept over her, realizing she was still wearing her sheer nightgown. He cleared his throat; his gaze jumping straight back to her face and he almost winced at the seductive, knowing look she was giving him. “Morning Gwendola,” he said, trying to keep his voice as steady as possible. “Ready to hit the fields?” “We’re not going out today. Papa’s not feeling well and he decided you and I should take the day off as well,” she replied, that seductive smile growing wider. “So where are you going to take me?” “I don’t believe that for a minute Gwendola. Your father knows how important it is to tend the crops everyday. Where is he?” “I told you, he’s not feeling well,” said Gwendola, her lower lip beginning to protrude a bit and her voice taking on a pouting tone. “Alright, fine. I’m going to go get my work done then. I’ll see you around.” Katone walked off then, heading to the little shed that held the tools he’d need. Once he’d grabbed what he needed he plodded out into the fields, turning the soil and pulling up any weeds he found. It wasn’t long before Gwendola joined him and Katone sighed as he saw her walk towards him. “I thought you had the day off.” “I couldn’t very well stay inside all day, there’s nothing to do. Besides, if you’re going to be foolish enough to work on your day off I figured I might as well help you get it done faster,” she said, walking up beside him and using her hoe to turn the dirt around some of the plants. Katone frowned and moved away from her, focussing on the task at hand, but she followed, staying close by his side no matter how far he tried to get from her. He closed his eyes momentarily, restraining a sigh of frustration and when he opened them again Gwendola was peering at him curiously. “What were you thinking just then?” she asked, her tone portraying that she thought she already knew. Katone shook his head, “Nothing. Why don’t you go work at that patch over there, I think I see some weeds sprouting up.” “Do you really want me that far away?” she said, her pouty look returning. “That patch needs weeding, as does this one here. As you said earlier we’ll get done faster if we’re both working and there’s no sense in you re-turning dirt I just turned.” Gwendola scowled, but she moved away from him, pulling up weeds in the patch he’d indicated. He turned his back on her, focussing on the task at hand. After a while he heard an exasperated sigh from her direction and then she was calling to him. “Hey, Katone? Is this a weed or is it an offshoot? I can’t tell,” she said and he rolled his eyes at the sky as he straightened. He turned and walked over, his eyes on the ground as he walked, looking for weeds she may have missed. He found none though and soon saw that what she was referring to was in fact a weed, and very obviously so as well. “That’s a weed,” he said and turned to walk away again, but she laid a hand on his arm to stop him. “What?” He turned to look at her and she smiled seductively as he did so. Her grip on his arm grew more insistent as she moved towards him, pushing past his comfort zone. He shook his arm from her grip and turned away, trying to act casual about it. But then she was in front of him, once again moving in close. “Gwendola, stop it,” he said, hearing a touch of fear in his voice. “What’s the matter, Katone? Don’t you think I’m pretty? You must, all the other boys do.” “If all the other boys do, why don’t you go seduce them?” “I’m not interested in them, Katone, just you,” she said, in a soft breathy voice, now close enough to press her body against him. Katone sighed; a little surprised that a beautiful woman pressed up against him would have so little effect on him. He wasn’t the least bit aroused by her proximity, but she was making him extremely uncomfortable and he gently put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her away. “I’m sorry, Gwendola, but I need to get back to work.” He dashed around her then, quickly returning to where he’d left off and getting back to work, throwing his back into it with vigor. He heard the disgusted sigh from behind him and then heard Gwendola stomping off. He heaved a sigh of relief and continued working, trying to work faster so he could head home at a decent time that evening. That was not to be though, because not long after Gwendola stomped off he heard a scream. Katone’s head snapped up and he rushed to the source of the scream to find Gwendola on the ground, covered in dirt, her dress torn. Shocked, he reached down to help her to her feet but she only screamed again, as if someone were trying to kill her. “Gwendola! What’s wrong with you?” he cried, trying once again to help her up, but she just thrashed about, kicking out at him. By this time her father had made it out of the hold and Gwendola leapt to her feet, racing into her father’s arms, gasping for air and trembling as if she’d been through some frightening ordeal. Katone watched all this with wide eyes, not sure what was going on. “Gwendola, what’s wrong, dear?” asked Forlon as he stroked her hair, dirt falling from it as he did so. “Oh, papa, it was so horrible! We were working together and then,” Gwendola hiccuped, tears flowing down her cheeks as she clung to her father. “And then, what, darling?” he asked, his tone gentle and concerned. “Then he lunged at me! I tried to run but he chased me down and tackled me, Papa!” Gwendola sobbed into her father’s shirt, clinging to him as Katone’s mouth fell open in appall and shock. “I did no such thing!” said Katone in an angry tone. “It was her that came onto me, and I turned her down!” “You filthy liar!” spat Gwendola in anger, then turning her words again to Forlon, her words punctuated now and again by a shaky breath. “Oh I was so scared Papa. He toppled me into the dirt and ripped at my dress, so I screamed as loud as I could! He got up then but it looked like he might still try something so I screamed again and if you hadn’t come when you did...” She broke off into hysterical sobs and Katone winced at the angry accusal in Forlon’s eyes as he glared at Katone. Gwendola turned her head ever so slightly to flash him an evil look and a self-satisfied grin and his mouth shut with a snap realizing this was his payback for refusing her. Katone started shaking his head, silently denying it, but unable to come up with any words with which to defend himself. “Get out of my sight, Katone! And don’t you ever come back here to work either!” spat Forlon as he glared at the young man. “You’ll be lucky if you can find work anywhere once I tell everyone what you tried to do to my little girl! Get out of here!” Katone, still shaking his head in disbelief, walked around the father and daughter, giving them both a wide berth. He hurriedly collected his runner and his tack, getting the runner ready as fast as he could. Before long he was mounted and riding away from the cothold. He turned in the saddle to watch as the cothold slowly disappeared from view behind him and sighed. What now? Katone had been riding for quite some time when he realized he was approaching Sidra Weyr. Deciding to stop there as it was always a rather hospitable place he turned his horse onto the path that led there. Wisely leaving his horse at the stables where he would be far from the terrifying dragons he continued on foot into the weyrbowl. When he got there he was shocked to find everyone in a flurry of commotion. He grabbed hold of a weyrbrat as he tried to dart past. “What’s going on?” “The eggs are rocking! That means they’re ready to hatch!” replied the boy, shaking off Katone’s grip on his arm and running for the Hatching Grounds. Katone watched the boy go in disbelief, not sure what to do. He certainly hadn’t been invited to attend the hatching, would anyone notice if he slipped in and watched anyway? Dragons had always fascinated him, and to see a hatching.... In that moment Katone made up his mind and rushed forward, following the crowd of people hurrying into the hatching grounds, a big silly grin on his face, all his other problems forgotten in this exhilarating moment. |