Haezar looked around. Morning's light had just crept upon Bynor Hold. Since he was awake, he got up and dressed quickly in a green-grey tunic and black short pants, sliding his feet into sandals before running silently to the kitchens. He had dark hair, and olive-tan skin. His eyes, oddly enough, were a foggy blue grey.
"Good Morning!" Haezar called cheerfully as he entered the kitchen.
"Mornin' Hae." someone answered, muttering "fardling morning people" under their breath.
"What can I help with?" Haezar said, sitting down to a quick breakfast of porridge with fruit bits stirred in.
"Bread needs to be kneaded, and there are half a dozen big pots that want for scrubbing." the same sour auntie said, knowing that would keep him busy for a while.
After he'd eaten and put his dishes in the sink, Haezar set to work kneading the bread. The job took a lot of arm strength, but turns of working in the kitchen and carrying bolts of fabric about the weaverhall had given him that. At 17, Haezar stood just under 6' tall, and didn't have an extra ounce of flesh on him. The heavier boys wanted to hate him for being so attractive, but he was much too nice of a guy to dislike.
Haezar was fully aware that it was all busy work, but he'd volunteered, so he didn't complain. He never complained, and it was beginning to drive his peers insane. Did the boy have no flaws? After Haezar had scrubbed all the pots, he decided to go for a swim in the pond. The Kitchen Staff couldn't bar him from it -- the work he'd done this morning had saved them hours.
The swimming pond was a few minutes away from the hold proper, and when Haezar arrived there, he stripped off his tunic, and kicked off his sandals and waded into the pond. The water was still cool, and not many of the hold's inhabitants were coming down for a swim this early in the day. The pond was formed by the damming of a stream several decades ago, and many of the hold's inhabitants would come here in the morning or the evening of the hottest days for a refreshing dip. Two of the hold boys came down to the pond to find Haezar floating on his back looking up at the clouds floating by in the sky.
The boys entered the lake, as noisy as they always were, and swam up to Haezar. "Oh, good morning lads." he said, smiling in a friendly manner.
"Why're you always so cheerful?" one said, splashing water over Haezar's face.
Haezar spluttered, and once he regained a steady position in the water, turned to face them. "Because I can find good things in the world?" he offered.
"Wrong!" the second boy said, punching Haezar in the stomach. The nice boy doubled in pain, and the two other boys pushed his head under water. "That's the last time you'll foil our plans, Haezar!"
Moments later, the furious bugling of a dragon was heard at the hold. Amitath had come from Between and spied Haezar struggling to get away from the bullies and above the surface. The blue dive-bombed the pond, rider and all, roaring at the boys. In the manner of all bullies faced with a much larger foe, they ran. Amitath snatched Haezar out of the water, and the boy hung by his shorts from Amitath's claws, gasping.
"Are you okay?" J'rin shouted, concerned.
"I am now." Haezar said as Amitath set him down on the shore.
"You'll be reporting those two straight away, won't you?" J'rin said, authority in his voice.
OOh! so I have taught you something! Amitath said, pleased with his rider.
"Y..yessir." Haezar said, toweling off as he shivered.
"And once you're done with that, pack up your things." J'rin continued.
"Wh..hat?" Haezar shivered incredulously.
"Pack your things. I'm taking you back to Ryslen with me. Amitath thinks you will be a good candidate."
"Candidate?!"
J'rin grinned. "I didn't stutter. Now, hurry will you? Cytiath's clutch could hatch any minute."
 |  |
