Post by Conrad nó Dahlia on Oct 3, 2009 20:35:49 GMT -5
It was the beginning of the fourth year of my time at Cereus House. It was not unpleasant; they liked me here, and I enjoyed the lessons that I was learning - how to read and write, how to cipher, how to use a sword and a dagger. They were only wooden, but I seemed to have some skill with them that the swordmaster praised. To another boy, he only said, "See how Conrad holds his blade, and only here four months! You better pay better attention."
As we were walking back to the nursery, the boy whispered, "Hey, orphan boy."
I ignored him, keeping my eyes focused straight ahead and my posture upright.
"Hey, orphan boy! You might have some skill with a sword, but you'll never be a good adept."
I tried to block out his words, but they just kept coming.
"Your mother abandoned you, didn't she? Ugly stick boy, not even your mother could love you. How could a patron?" He shoved the back of my head, hard.
I turned around and looked him right in the face. "They will love me because I am good. I am just as good as anybody else.”
I continued. "It is you they won't love. How could anyone love someone with such meanness in his heart?"
The boy, shamed, turned his eyes away, and I continued back to the nursery, my head held high.
A short while later, I was called to the dowayne's office. "Conrad," he said sternly, "I understand that you said something to Eric today after he was being unkind to you. Can you tell me how you were feeling when that happened?"
Unsure what he meant, I said, "He was trying to shame me because my mother left me here, but I was not ashamed. I could not let him hurt me, I am a good boy, and a good student. Why should he lay me low for something I cannot help?"
The dowayne listened, nodding. "Conrad," he said finally, "I think the time has come to find a new house for you. Do not think it is because I do not want you here," he said quickly, "you are a kind and caring boy, one that Cereus would be proud to call their own. But something tells me that Dahlia might be better suited to you. I see a fierce pride in you - Dahlia will take it and nurture it, and you will become a strong man there. Would you like that?"
I puffed out my chest a little. "Yes, sir, I would like that."
As we were walking back to the nursery, the boy whispered, "Hey, orphan boy."
I ignored him, keeping my eyes focused straight ahead and my posture upright.
"Hey, orphan boy! You might have some skill with a sword, but you'll never be a good adept."
I tried to block out his words, but they just kept coming.
"Your mother abandoned you, didn't she? Ugly stick boy, not even your mother could love you. How could a patron?" He shoved the back of my head, hard.
I turned around and looked him right in the face. "They will love me because I am good. I am just as good as anybody else.”
I continued. "It is you they won't love. How could anyone love someone with such meanness in his heart?"
The boy, shamed, turned his eyes away, and I continued back to the nursery, my head held high.
A short while later, I was called to the dowayne's office. "Conrad," he said sternly, "I understand that you said something to Eric today after he was being unkind to you. Can you tell me how you were feeling when that happened?"
Unsure what he meant, I said, "He was trying to shame me because my mother left me here, but I was not ashamed. I could not let him hurt me, I am a good boy, and a good student. Why should he lay me low for something I cannot help?"
The dowayne listened, nodding. "Conrad," he said finally, "I think the time has come to find a new house for you. Do not think it is because I do not want you here," he said quickly, "you are a kind and caring boy, one that Cereus would be proud to call their own. But something tells me that Dahlia might be better suited to you. I see a fierce pride in you - Dahlia will take it and nurture it, and you will become a strong man there. Would you like that?"
I puffed out my chest a little. "Yes, sir, I would like that."