Mercenary's Lament (Thorn)

[Kite]

Daran Vorandeer

Season: Spring

*Daran slogs through the barracks area of Gil'ead and sighs. All of the mud from the recent thaw of the latest snowfall, and the constant overcast were starting to get on his nerves. God, I hate this god-forsaken place. I thought Uru'baen was bad, but I'd much rather be in that hellhole than here. He thinks about this for a moment, then smiles to himself.
At least it isn't Dras-Leona. Helgrind is one creepy-ass place.

Still, he thinks up to his DI's tent and slips through the flap, why did the Empire waste him on training new recruits? Seriously... I mean, the money is good and I'm bound by the contract to go where I'm needed, but there are better things I could be doing. These weaklings aren't going to last more than 3 battles maximum, and then I'll just have to train their replacements... Eh, they deserve the best I can give. The fewer deaths due to my training, the better.

Daran thinks on his station, then sees a glimmer of hope. He figures that eveuntually he will get better jobs than leading a group of bodyguards and training new recruits. Eventually, they'll see the worth of an ex-Vorandeer mercenary. True, hard-core operatives all. Thats not just pride either, in his opinion.

He slips off his sword and scabbard, resting them against his bunk as he removes his mud-splattered cloak. He rolls his shoulders and lays gently on the bed, holding the hilt of his sword and hoping something would come along, and soon, to take him from the monotomy of this stupid "Head Drill Instructor"'s job.*

[.::Thorn::.]

Mud, How he hated it. It got everywhere and made his scales dirty and ugly, like some of the brown dragons he had heard of in legends and stories told to him. Thorn growled quietly to himself. He would have to go and bathe again later. Why did Murtagh always have to be sent to the most horrid of places. Mind you, It was better then Uru'Baen, It got very boring there.

Thorn walked through the streets, saddle still on his back from just getting back from taking his Rider to his room for the day. He elected to stay out in the city for the rest of the day. As he came upon a small group of Empire tents a spear hit him in the back. He whipped around in the direction the errant projectile had eminated from and locked onto a young man of about 20 who's face was solid white with fear as he realized what he had just done.

Not that the spear had done anything, Thorn as usual was in a foul mood and was not simply just going to shrug off this level of stupidity. He snarled loudly and walked towards the man, teeth exposed and jaws open. In a moment he had the man in claws and was squeezing him. Thorn roared into the mans pale white face. Further continuing to fuel his fear of death. "Make peace with your god, For you are about to die" he snarled into his mind.

[Kite]

*Daran starts in his bed, brought back to reality by the massive roar. He grabs his sword and runs out of the barrack, running towards where the sound originated. He sprints, even, knowing that this was an extremely dire situation if a dragon of either faction was attacking.

He sees most of the dragon over the tents, the scales gleeming red. He blinks, thinking back and wondering which dragon this was...

Is this Thorn? He is the only red dragon I've heard of, but another might of hatched... If its Thorn... why is he raging?

The answer becomes apparant as he rounds the corner and sees the situation. Trainee 195, from Serj's group, was grasped by the dragon and held there. Daran also sees a spear lying by, and infers that the dumbass must have attacked Thorn.

Good reaction, wrong target. Sorry, son...

*Daran approaches slowly, non-threateningly, sheathing his sword. If this had been an enemy dragon, he'd be rampaging, not focusing on this one man. He approaches slightly closer and watches, seeing what will happen to Trainee 195. This would be a learning experience for the man, if he lived through it. Learning experiences are very seldom bad.*

[.::Thorn::.]

Thorn snarled once more and as he saw the man close his eyes threw him into the mud ten feet away onto the upturned point of a spear. Seeing the men around him cower, All but one that was. The man stood out from the group."He must be the commander" thought the enraged dragon. He looked straight at the man before speaking.

"I offer you no apologie for the death of your soilder, If you had trained them better he might have survived." The dragon growled low and without waiting for an answer to the comment spoke again. "I will however give you a reason, The imbicile threw a spear at me. As you can no doubt tell I am in no mood to be toyed with." He growled into the mans mind. I demand an explination for these poorly trained pesants!"

[Kite]

*Daran looks at the dragon and watches 195 get cast away like a doll, and shakes his head in pity.

Well... two things come out of today. Serj is shamed, and all of the trainees are now shown the consequence of an idiotic stunt like this, mistake or not.

He looks straight back at the dragon as the dragon looks straight at him. He keeps a cool, barely, and stands tall.

However, he blinks as the dragon penetrates his mind's extremely well created barrier and pain shoots through his head. He then hears the dragon speak.*

I offer you no apologie for the death of your soilder, If you had trained them better he might have survived. I will however give you a reason, The imbicile threw a spear at me. As you can no doubt tell I am in no mood to be toyed with. I demand an explination for these poorly trained pesants.

Daran nods at the remarks, smarting in his last refuge that this was pinned on his bad training, but that thought is quickly dismissed. The dragon would not care, and neither should he. This is as much Daran's problem as Serj's. He thinks the response, knowing that the dragon will hear him.*

Sir, you need offer no apology. You offered the trainees an extremely effective lesson today, and while that isnt worth the life of a soldier, it can almost make up for it. I am not sure how I can offer any incite why this man, and probably his entire group, have been getting such poor training. I know their DI well and, while he is not a man I would trust normally, he is extremely competent. I will correct the problem as soon as you no longer need me, sir. Let him go, get him reassigned, even remove him permantently from service or life, if need be, or if ordered.

I am ashamed that I had not noticed such a lack of education in the trainees before.

*Daran bows to Thorn, attempting to keep his cool, and feeling slightly wary of the Dragon, wondering about that response, but not knowing how much else he could have said as this is one of the few experiences he has not had through the years.*