74th Day, Fall 511 - forenoon
Less than thirty yards outside of the training area a young Myrian boy was watching the training of the Myrian tigers and their riders. He was not exactly hiding but didn't stand out in the open either.
The boy of maybe eight years of age wore nothing but a primitive loincloth that was not more than two small frayed and stained flaps of soft leather hanging at his front and back from a leather string around his waist. It was enough for a boy his age to be counted as modest but not much more. The boy looked rather skinny without much muscles showing but he was surprisingly clean. There was a tattoo on his left shoulder most Myrian's didn't recognize and a stone knife was strapped to the outside of his left leg. The one outstanding thing for a Myrian boy was his black hair that was cut short to show the boy's shame.
The boy's name was Moru but if asked about his name he would usually answer 'Moru the Clanless' because that was what he was. He wasn't ashamed of it and thought it was better to make that clear from the beginning. At least he knew right away how people reacted to it instead of getting his hopes up and being pushed away after they learned that he had no clan.
It had been nearly two weeks since Moru learned about this training area for the Myrian tigers. Since then he had been here most days for at least an hour or as long as he could unless he had to go out hunting for his survival.
Every day he dared to go a bit closer to the training area. Not because he feared the Myrian tigers but because he feared to be rejected and sent away by their riders. The young boy adored the massive tigers for their strength and beauty since he saw two of them for the first time. It had been the guards at the gate the day he arrived in Taloba last summer. Seeing the boy's fascination the two guards allowed him to offer the antelope he carried to the two tigers.
After he saw how they made short work of the animal he was barely able to carry Moru had a healthy respect for their strength and size but he didn't fear them. Seeing the mighty animals training with their rider was fascinating and exciting for the boy.
Closest to the side where Moru stood was some sort of course. The riders rode with their tiger along a trail and at certain distances wooden posts had been erected. Straw bundles that looked like heads had been stuck on top and the riders tried to hit them with their spears. If they did the bundles fell down and a helper put another one onto the post for the next rider. Light walls of braided branches had been erected at the sides between the post to protect the helpers against the bundles going astray but because of it the helpers remained out of sight of the riders and each other most of the time.
Moru watched another rider passing the pole in front of him as the spear hit a bit too low. The bundle fell but the spear splintered and the part with the sharp tip was hurled to the side by the force of the rider. Moru held his breath as the deadly tip missed the head of the young man only by an inch or two. Breathing out in relief Moru suddenly saw the white in the young mans eyes before he dropped to the ground from the shock of near death. there was no way the rider could stop and he never had a chance to see what happened there anyway.
Without thinking Moru ran towards the fallen youth and held his hand in front of his mouth and nose. Feeling his breath and seeing no injury the boy's next thought was for the next rider who had to be on his way.
Quickly he grabbed one of the spare bundles and ran towards the post. There was no way he could reach the top from the ground because he was just not big enough. Thinking quickly Moru jumped onto the diagonal stilt at the back of the post. It was meant to keep the post from falling over if a rider hit too deep and into the post but now it provided the boy just the height he needed. Stretching as long as he could while holding onto the post with his second hand Moru placed the bundle on the spike on top of the post. He only had a few seconds left to jump to safety before the next rider was there.
The rider missed so Moru didn't waste any time to look after him but hurried toward the unconscious youth to check on him. Only now he asked himself why he didn't stay there in the first place. On a second thought he came to the conclusion he would set up the next bundle again so the training didn't need to stop.
Less than thirty yards outside of the training area a young Myrian boy was watching the training of the Myrian tigers and their riders. He was not exactly hiding but didn't stand out in the open either.
The boy of maybe eight years of age wore nothing but a primitive loincloth that was not more than two small frayed and stained flaps of soft leather hanging at his front and back from a leather string around his waist. It was enough for a boy his age to be counted as modest but not much more. The boy looked rather skinny without much muscles showing but he was surprisingly clean. There was a tattoo on his left shoulder most Myrian's didn't recognize and a stone knife was strapped to the outside of his left leg. The one outstanding thing for a Myrian boy was his black hair that was cut short to show the boy's shame.
The boy's name was Moru but if asked about his name he would usually answer 'Moru the Clanless' because that was what he was. He wasn't ashamed of it and thought it was better to make that clear from the beginning. At least he knew right away how people reacted to it instead of getting his hopes up and being pushed away after they learned that he had no clan.
It had been nearly two weeks since Moru learned about this training area for the Myrian tigers. Since then he had been here most days for at least an hour or as long as he could unless he had to go out hunting for his survival.
Every day he dared to go a bit closer to the training area. Not because he feared the Myrian tigers but because he feared to be rejected and sent away by their riders. The young boy adored the massive tigers for their strength and beauty since he saw two of them for the first time. It had been the guards at the gate the day he arrived in Taloba last summer. Seeing the boy's fascination the two guards allowed him to offer the antelope he carried to the two tigers.
After he saw how they made short work of the animal he was barely able to carry Moru had a healthy respect for their strength and size but he didn't fear them. Seeing the mighty animals training with their rider was fascinating and exciting for the boy.
Closest to the side where Moru stood was some sort of course. The riders rode with their tiger along a trail and at certain distances wooden posts had been erected. Straw bundles that looked like heads had been stuck on top and the riders tried to hit them with their spears. If they did the bundles fell down and a helper put another one onto the post for the next rider. Light walls of braided branches had been erected at the sides between the post to protect the helpers against the bundles going astray but because of it the helpers remained out of sight of the riders and each other most of the time.
Moru watched another rider passing the pole in front of him as the spear hit a bit too low. The bundle fell but the spear splintered and the part with the sharp tip was hurled to the side by the force of the rider. Moru held his breath as the deadly tip missed the head of the young man only by an inch or two. Breathing out in relief Moru suddenly saw the white in the young mans eyes before he dropped to the ground from the shock of near death. there was no way the rider could stop and he never had a chance to see what happened there anyway.
Without thinking Moru ran towards the fallen youth and held his hand in front of his mouth and nose. Feeling his breath and seeing no injury the boy's next thought was for the next rider who had to be on his way.
Quickly he grabbed one of the spare bundles and ran towards the post. There was no way he could reach the top from the ground because he was just not big enough. Thinking quickly Moru jumped onto the diagonal stilt at the back of the post. It was meant to keep the post from falling over if a rider hit too deep and into the post but now it provided the boy just the height he needed. Stretching as long as he could while holding onto the post with his second hand Moru placed the bundle on the spike on top of the post. He only had a few seconds left to jump to safety before the next rider was there.
The rider missed so Moru didn't waste any time to look after him but hurried toward the unconscious youth to check on him. Only now he asked himself why he didn't stay there in the first place. On a second thought he came to the conclusion he would set up the next bundle again so the training didn't need to stop.
