"Broken Promises"
Chapter 3-
Pros Vratnor finished pulling out the last of the kegnit root in the garden. His mother, Nila, had sent him out after the morning meal so she could talk to his father. As he packed the root into the basket, he got up from his knees and walked toward the house.
"Serves them right!" Dvrel's voice boomed from inside the house.
Pros shook his head at his father's intolerance. His parents, no doubt, were discussing the rumor about the Srolls' daughter, Nes, being attacked in the woods the night before. His father had been angry that the off-worlders had picked the northern side of the region to make contact.
Pros did not worry that his parents would not believe, as the Srolls, that the off-worlder was the attacker. He was more worried about Kel and his gang. They were just mean enough to tell what they knew.
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The silence was unnerving. Trip closed his eyes and tried to take a catnap, but he couldn't get himself to settle down enough. So, he decided to try the deep breathing T'Pol tried to teach him once.
His mind relaxed and it started to wander, running through the events of the last day. Nes had entrusted him with the knowledge of her most sacred, and dangerous, secret last night. He smiled as he thought of a comparison to the Hatfields and the McCoys. The Srolls and the Vratnors, two warring clans on this planet separated by the dividing line between the northern and southern hemispheres; and an inherited disdain for the other.
"Trip," Nes called out in a loud whisper.
His eyes flew open as he realized Nes was standing over him. He jumped to his feet.
"What're ya doin' here?" Trip asked.
"I had to come and see you." Nes answered.
"Where are they?" Trip asked nervously.
"Cly and Tor have gone to the fields to plow. My father is sitting in the house thinking."
"I'd have thought he would've had you under lock and key, too." Trip said sarcastically.
"Trip," Nes said in a pleading tone.
"You better go, Nes."
"I am so sorry." Nes wrung her hands, unable to hold in her frustration. "I never meant to hurt you. You promised me you would not tell anyone what I told you last night. And I showed my gratitude by...Your name just came out!"
"Nice ta know ya were thinkin' 'bout me." Trip now looked at her face. "Nes, what happened?"
The girl sighed, moving next to Trip. He backed away, trying to keep his distance.
"You hate me." Nes accused.
"No," Trip shook his head. "Just skittish."
"What?" Nes tilted her head.
"Please, tell me?" Trip asked.
"You know why I asked you to leave me there, in the woods." Nes reminded him.
"Yeah. Did he do that to you?" Trip pointed to her face.
"No!" Nes quickly replied. "But he feels as if he did, because he could not stop it."
"Nes," Trip tried to help her now. "You told me you were in love with Pros Vratnor and that he was in love with you."
"Yes. We dislike having to hide our meetings, but we would be in so much trouble if anyone found out." She looked up at him with pain in her eyes. "But someone did."
Trip wasn't sure if he was on the right track or not. "And that someone hit you, causin' that bruise?"
"Trip, when you left me Pros came shortly after. We talked, like we always do." Her face had softened at the memory, but then turned sombre. "Then Kel and the others showed up."
"Kel?" Trip asked.
"He is a mean one. And those that walk with him are the same." Nes began to gently stroke her bruised cheek. "They are from the southern side like Pros. They started to taunt us about our feelings for one another. Pros was restrained by the others while Kel attempted to..."
"Nes?" Trip gently prompted.
"He tried to kiss me. I slapped his face and he retaliated."
"He hit ya back." Trip bit his lip. "What else, Nes?"
The tears began to roll out of her amber eyes. She turned away from Trip now. "Kel said I was rubbish from the northern side. Not good enough for bonding spiritually. He said he would show Pros what I was good for..."
"Bastard!" Trip gritted his teeth.
"When Kel was finished, he and the others left." Nes sniffed back her tears. "Trip, I wanted it to be Pros the first time..."
Trip held out his arms now and the girl rushed into them, hugging him tightly. He stroked her yellow blond hair that rested on her shoulders.
"Shhh," Trip hushed her. "I know, honey."
"When I got back home," Nes continued. "They all were yelling at me. Demanding to know who did it."
"It's okay, Nes." Trip whispered. "You couldn't tell the truth without gettin' yourself and Pros into trouble. I know that. But that Kel oughta pay."
"What are we going to do?" Nes cried. "Cly will not let you leave without being punished."
"We'll figure somethin' out." Trip sighed. "But I won't tell on ya. Or Pros. I promised ya. And a Tucker doesn't go back on their word."
"Then you will suffer." Nes clung to him tighter.
"Not as much as you have, darlin'." Trip rocked the girl as she sobbed uncontrollably.
TO BE CONTINUED
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Chapter 3-
Pros Vratnor finished pulling out the last of the kegnit root in the garden. His mother, Nila, had sent him out after the morning meal so she could talk to his father. As he packed the root into the basket, he got up from his knees and walked toward the house.
"Serves them right!" Dvrel's voice boomed from inside the house.
Pros shook his head at his father's intolerance. His parents, no doubt, were discussing the rumor about the Srolls' daughter, Nes, being attacked in the woods the night before. His father had been angry that the off-worlders had picked the northern side of the region to make contact.
Pros did not worry that his parents would not believe, as the Srolls, that the off-worlder was the attacker. He was more worried about Kel and his gang. They were just mean enough to tell what they knew.
----------
The silence was unnerving. Trip closed his eyes and tried to take a catnap, but he couldn't get himself to settle down enough. So, he decided to try the deep breathing T'Pol tried to teach him once.
His mind relaxed and it started to wander, running through the events of the last day. Nes had entrusted him with the knowledge of her most sacred, and dangerous, secret last night. He smiled as he thought of a comparison to the Hatfields and the McCoys. The Srolls and the Vratnors, two warring clans on this planet separated by the dividing line between the northern and southern hemispheres; and an inherited disdain for the other.
"Trip," Nes called out in a loud whisper.
His eyes flew open as he realized Nes was standing over him. He jumped to his feet.
"What're ya doin' here?" Trip asked.
"I had to come and see you." Nes answered.
"Where are they?" Trip asked nervously.
"Cly and Tor have gone to the fields to plow. My father is sitting in the house thinking."
"I'd have thought he would've had you under lock and key, too." Trip said sarcastically.
"Trip," Nes said in a pleading tone.
"You better go, Nes."
"I am so sorry." Nes wrung her hands, unable to hold in her frustration. "I never meant to hurt you. You promised me you would not tell anyone what I told you last night. And I showed my gratitude by...Your name just came out!"
"Nice ta know ya were thinkin' 'bout me." Trip now looked at her face. "Nes, what happened?"
The girl sighed, moving next to Trip. He backed away, trying to keep his distance.
"You hate me." Nes accused.
"No," Trip shook his head. "Just skittish."
"What?" Nes tilted her head.
"Please, tell me?" Trip asked.
"You know why I asked you to leave me there, in the woods." Nes reminded him.
"Yeah. Did he do that to you?" Trip pointed to her face.
"No!" Nes quickly replied. "But he feels as if he did, because he could not stop it."
"Nes," Trip tried to help her now. "You told me you were in love with Pros Vratnor and that he was in love with you."
"Yes. We dislike having to hide our meetings, but we would be in so much trouble if anyone found out." She looked up at him with pain in her eyes. "But someone did."
Trip wasn't sure if he was on the right track or not. "And that someone hit you, causin' that bruise?"
"Trip, when you left me Pros came shortly after. We talked, like we always do." Her face had softened at the memory, but then turned sombre. "Then Kel and the others showed up."
"Kel?" Trip asked.
"He is a mean one. And those that walk with him are the same." Nes began to gently stroke her bruised cheek. "They are from the southern side like Pros. They started to taunt us about our feelings for one another. Pros was restrained by the others while Kel attempted to..."
"Nes?" Trip gently prompted.
"He tried to kiss me. I slapped his face and he retaliated."
"He hit ya back." Trip bit his lip. "What else, Nes?"
The tears began to roll out of her amber eyes. She turned away from Trip now. "Kel said I was rubbish from the northern side. Not good enough for bonding spiritually. He said he would show Pros what I was good for..."
"Bastard!" Trip gritted his teeth.
"When Kel was finished, he and the others left." Nes sniffed back her tears. "Trip, I wanted it to be Pros the first time..."
Trip held out his arms now and the girl rushed into them, hugging him tightly. He stroked her yellow blond hair that rested on her shoulders.
"Shhh," Trip hushed her. "I know, honey."
"When I got back home," Nes continued. "They all were yelling at me. Demanding to know who did it."
"It's okay, Nes." Trip whispered. "You couldn't tell the truth without gettin' yourself and Pros into trouble. I know that. But that Kel oughta pay."
"What are we going to do?" Nes cried. "Cly will not let you leave without being punished."
"We'll figure somethin' out." Trip sighed. "But I won't tell on ya. Or Pros. I promised ya. And a Tucker doesn't go back on their word."
"Then you will suffer." Nes clung to him tighter.
"Not as much as you have, darlin'." Trip rocked the girl as she sobbed uncontrollably.
TO BE CONTINUED
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