All through the week leading up to Murtagh's lashings, Coran avoided everyone, and for the most part stayed in her room. when the day finally came, Murtagh had recovered well, but also avoided people and seemed to have a perpetual scowl on his face. As he was led by guards to the stockade, the look in his eyes was like those of a caged animal, though he struggled little and seemed lethargic. Coran watched coldly from her room, which had a clear view of the stockades. She watched unmoving as Murtagh gritted his teeth as the whip struck his back once, twice, thirty times. Jake came behind Coran and wound on arm around her. He led her to her favorite spot in the room, and they both lowered themselves to the ground, leaning against the door-frame Coran shook her head. "This isn't the way it was supposed to be!" Jake sighed sympathetically. "I-" he was cut off as a voice rang out from the stair landing. "Wanna play some ball?" Coran blinked, erasing the tears that were threatening to brim over, and stood up fast, yanking Jake's arm away from her body. She put on a smile just in time as a blond, blue-eyed boy came up the stairs. He was the same age as Coran, and as he looked at Coran a blush lit on her cheeks. "Hey, Tony." she said. Tony looked toward Jake coldly as Jake whispered, "Tony." Tony was the fun, humorous heartthrob of the League, and of course Coran's biggest crush. The boys both put on a smile again as Coran looked toward them. "So, do you want to?" Tony said again. "Sure!" Coran said with a little too much enthusiasm. Coran and Tony raced down the stairs just as Murtagh walked past Jake. His back was still streaming from his wounds, and he stumbled and leaned against a wall. Jake went up to him. "Need some help?" he asked simply. Murtagh turned toward him, angry tears in his eyes. He snorted. "what do you know about help?" he asked. He turned to go to his room, but Jake caught his shoulder, making him wince. "Coran really does care, you know." Jake said soft-spoken. Murtagh shrugged away from Jake. "I came to this League so that people could accept me!" Murtagh said, shouting now. "But now I see! No one can accept a son of Morzan!" With that, Murtagh stumbled the rest of the way to his room, leaving the normally calm Jake in the hallway, his face flushed red and silently cursing every single person in the League.
