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[Weyoun]

Writer's comment : A story about a bully that had been on the back-burner for months and finally was completed. I hope you like it

 
New kid on the block

"Get it!" Vierna shouted as the ball shot towards the bushes and off the designated playing-field.

"Ack!" Shivon shouted as he made a slide on his tummy in an attempt to catch it before it rolled off the hill. Sadly, he missed by a mile and almost slid off the hill himself. The ball, in the meantime, bounced off a rock and was sent flying off the hill with amazing speed. It bounced off the hill and rolled down the road.

"Let's go get it!" Rowen shouted.

"My white shirt!" Shivon said as he regarded the green smudges now on his shirt. "Mother just washed it! She'll kill me!"

"Come on!" Clarissa said as the four giggling children followed the road after the path the escaped red ball had followed. A few moments later, when the road became less slanted, the ball finally and slowly came to a definite halt.

"There you are, you naughty ball!" Vierna said, admonishing the ball as if it was a pet. "Never run off on us again."

"Maybe it doesn't like to be kicked," Clarissa offered.

"That's his problem... Come on, let's play!" the halfling boy Rowen said.

"Wait, look there!" Clarissa said. In the distance, several carts were parked outside a semi-large farmstead. The carts were loaded with all kinds of bags and furniture, and movers were busy unloading everything and moving it into the house.

"Old Barney's farmhouse," Rowen said. "Mom said he moved away. After he oven exploded when he loaded it with grain to pop at once, he wanted to move away. Took dad and his friends a whole week to fix up the house."

"I wonder who these new people are," Clarissa said.

"Let's visit tomorrow!" Shivon offered.

"Yeah!" Vierna said. "We meet at the courtyard tomorrow morning and go visit them together."

And, as the four friends always did, they clasped their right hands together simultaneously, signifying a promise made.

---

"Are they here yet?" Clarissa asked as she was leaning against the cold stone of the keep's courtyard.

Vierna was still looking out the portcullis across the road. "No," she pouted. "They should have been here an hour ago."

"Another game of hide-and-seek?" Clarissa asked.

"Nah," Vierna said. "We've already used all the good spots..."

"I don't get it..." Clarissa pouted. "We clasped hands, we made a promise and they're not here..."

They were not here. Vierna and Clarissa had been waiting for two hours now, and there was no sign from either Shivon or Rowen.

"Maybe they've gone ahead already?" Vierna wondered and dusted off her little pants. That last game of tag made her slip and slide through a patch of dust. "Let's go look!"

"No, Vierna," Clarissa said. "I have to be home for lunch in an hour..."

"It doesn't take an hour to walk over there," Vierna answered.

"But... but... but... I'm so very hungry..." Clarissa pouted. Having had missed so many lunches while she was out playing with her friends, her parents had changed their policy towards lunch... No more second servings if the first one was missed, so Clarissa often returned home way before she should be.

"Okay," Vierna replied, and left on her own.

---

The tiny Drow arrived at the farmstead in less than a minute, seeing her running-speed was improving all the time. Not even beginning to feel tired, Vierna stalked across the farm, noticing everything there was still in a state of disarray. The windmill wasn't turning, nor was the barn in use yet. But Vierna noticed a familiar figure from the double doors of the barn's hay-cellar. Delighted, the Drow stepped into the barn and headed up the ladder leading up. She smiled as she saw Rowen and Shivon sitting on top of several bails of hay left over from the previous inhabitant.

Vierna noticed that both boys were looking rather timid, and weren't smiling at all. This surprised Vierna, but she didn't give it much though.

"Hi," Vierna said, announcing her presence. "Where have you been? We were supposed to meet up with you at the courtyard..."

"Oh, hi," Rowen said meekly.

"Hi, Vierna," Shivon nodded.

But then, Vierna's finely tuned elven senses picked up another person in the barn. A third boy stepped out from the bails of hay. He was large, just as old as Vierna, but rather large for his age. Bushy red hair stuck from his head, noting he was not one to be messed. "So," the boy spoke, "what's with the 'skirt'?"

"This is Vierna, Roddy," Rowen said. "She's okay. She'd fit in great in the club," he added hopefully. "Clarissa too!"

"I don't know what kind of boys you are," Roddy sneered. "But in this club, there will be NO GIRLS!"

"I can be in your club?" Vierna said.

"No girls!" Roddy emphasized again. "Especially not weird-looking girls like you. You've been playing with that skirt?" Roddy directed at the two other boys. "That girl might have all sorts of weird cooties no one has ever heard of before!"

"I DON'T HAVE COOTIES!" Vierna replied sharply.

"Oh, yeah?" Roddy challenged. "Then how come some your skin is black and you have white hair? I'll tell you why! : It's because the cooties crawl out of your ears at night and paint your skin and hair! Keep away from her, guys, or you'll get black skin too!"

"Don't be silly!" A baffled Vierna replied. "I'm a Drow, all Drow have dark skin and white hair!"

"Oh, yeah?!"

"Yeah!"

"Oh, yeah?!"

"YEAH!"

"Well, if you're a Drow, my dad says all Drow should be hunted down and killed. My dad once crushed a Drow's head with his bare fist!"

"You lie!"

"I saw him do it!" Roddy said. "He picked that Drow up when it stuck his head up from a mole's hill and crushed his head and ripped his arms off!"

Vierna looked at Roddy for a moment. "You're weird," she finally said.

"Not as weird as you!" Roddy replied. "When I grow up, I'll be a paladin and come back to kill you! When I'm a paladin, I can kill and beat up everybody I don't like and who talk back to me!"

"Come on, guys," Vierna said. "We don't need this lame-o. Let's go outside and play."

Little did Vierna know that Roddy had already bullied Shivon and Rowen into submission. They looked eager to go, but a single glare from Roddy, their mood plummeted.

"Sorry, Vierna," Rowen sighed.

"We can't go," Shivon added.

"And if you want to stay in this club, you may never talk to girls again!" Roddy added.

Vierna simply looked at her friends. A short while later, her lower lip started to quiver and her eyes were brimmed with tears. The tiny Drow sped to the ladder and ran off, leaving a laughing Roddy and two boys feeling very guilty indeed, behind.

---

"Vierna?" Viconia asked when her daughter entered the keep. However, instead of the usual 'Hi, momma!', the tiny Drow just sped right past her, fled up the stairs and into her room, slamming the door shut behind her.

Viconia was puzzled for a moment, but then decided to investigate. She found her little girl lying on her bed, her face crushed into her pillow, crying softly.

"Hey, hey," the Drow responded as she sat down on the bed next to her child, softly running her hand through Vierna's long white hair. "What's the matter?"

"Some stupid boy stole all my friends," Vierna said between sniffs. "I wish I was a boy," she added, "then I could join that stupid club and still have my friends!"

Suddenly, however, Vierna was faced with a slightly angry mother. "Vierna," Viconia seethed. "I will only tell you this once, and I NEVER want to hear you talk like that again! You are so vastly superior that ANY boy!"

After both of them took some time to cool off, Vierna told her mother all about what has happened to her this morning over a cup of warm milk and a bowl of cookies. Vierna told all about her friends, Roddy and his so-called club.

"Hmmm," Viconia said. "Sounds like another weak-minded fool male who's had a tiny taste of power..."

"What should I do?" Vierna asked.

"Well, the best thing you could do, is to storm in that club, claim that which is yours and smite anyone who gets in your way, like we all used to do back in Menzoberranzan," Viconia said. "Also, you can try to play along until you have control over the club, and then Roddy is the first one you throw out..." she added, "then again this might just blow over... Just wait it out, bide your time..."

Vierna considered it.

---

"So, when I came across that fool again, I popped him one in the nose and then kicked him in the gut!" Roddy boasted to two intimidated boys back in his clubhouse/barn. "That shut him up."

"Gee, did you have to fight?" Shivon asked.

"Hey, you shut up and listen to my stories, or I'll pop you one too..." Roddy started to say, but then, when the little door on the side flew open, he was as startled as the others were. There stood Vierna, grim determination written on her face. "I wanna join your club," she menaced.

"Well, well, well," Roddy said. "Shivon told us you live in that big castle over the hill... You might be of some use after all..."

"Oh, yeah?!"

"Yeah!"

"Oh, YEAH?!"

"Yeah! Before you can join, you have to... do an initiation..."

"But we never..." Rowen started to say, but was shushed when Roddy rose his fist.

"Anyway, little skirt," Roddy sneered. "You dad must have... a wine cellar?"

"Yeah, why?" Vierna replied.

"There's your initiation. Sneak into the wine cellar, take a bottle and bring it here... Then you'll be a member of our little club," Roddy grinned.

"Steal? But... stealing is wrong! And I can't steal from my momma and daddy!" Vierna said, her resolve weakening.

"Well, you and your other girlie-pal can't be in the club, then..." Roddy smiled.

"But we..." Shivon tried to say, but was silence by a menacing Roddy again.

Vierna just stole a look at her friends, and made her decision.

---

Being as silent as a mouse, Vierna had snuck into the keep. Sneaking through the portcullis when the guards weren't looking, she moved through the corridors of the first floor of the keep until she reached the kitchen. At least this part of the trip was familiar after all this cookie-raids. The entrance to the wine-cellar was inside the kitchen, and, unfortunately, Olma was in there, preparing the evening meal. Vierna snuck passed her as Olma was softly humming a tune as she was stirring the soup. On the opposite of the storage-room, was the wine cellar. Taking her chance, Vierna rose for the door-handle... but found she was too short to reach the relatively higher doorhandle.

Realizing she had too move before Olma would turn around, she picked up one of the cooking-forks and used it to dislodge the handle. The door, having recently been oiled, opened without a sound, and Vierna crept down the stairs.

She was confronted with a very, very cold and dark room. With her Elven Sight, she could see tiny specks of colored light coming from insects and spiders living in the damp cellar. Aside from several wooden kegs, she found five racks of wine-bottles which were left over from the reign of her aunty Nalia's father. The bottles were hardly ever touches and most of them were covered in cob-webs. Picking a bottle which wasn't covered with as much grime, the took it from the rack. Almost overcome by the weight of a litre of wine, she almost dropped it. But, she recovered and stuffed the bottle in her pack. Unfortunately, the bottle left quite a bulge in her little backpack, but at least she was able to cover the bottle-neck.

Quick as a flash, she ran up the stairs and poked her head around the door. Olma was still stirring the soup. Smiling, Vierna slipped out and replaced the doorhandle with the fork. Sneaking from the kitchen, and stalking through the halls, she finally entered the courtyard, the portcullis being straight ahead. Almost there... she felt nervous and took the final steps...

"PIYO!" sounded from behind her, startling the girl and stopping her in her tracks. Her pet Lim-Lim had crept on behind her, wanting some affection and play.

"Ssssshhh," Vierna tried.

"Piyopiyopiyo! Piyopiyopiyopiyopiyo!" Limmy responded, attracting the attention of the guards.

"Something wrong, miss Vierna?" a male guard named Berger asked from the top of the portcullis tower.

"No, no... no, no!" Vierna said quickly. "I'm fine... I just going to play outside..."

"Run along then, little miss," the guard smiled.

Vierna didn't waste any time, petted Limmy over his back and sped out of the courtyard, not stopping until she had reached the first hill. She was excited that she had made it... but she also wondered why she felt so guilty.

---

A few steps later, she reached the place where Roddy and the other boys were already waiting for her. Roddy was very excited, while Shivon and Rowen were still looking sullen. "Did you get it?!" he asked. "Did you get it?!"

"Yeah," Vierna sighed and removed the bottle from her pack. "Here it is..."

Roddy gasped as he took the bottle. "Oh, my, oh, my!" he said. "Okay, everyone, let's take a drink from this..."

Vierna looked on as Roddy tried to open the bottle, intending everyone to drink from it. Neither herself, nor her friends were very much looking forward to that, but apparently, this wasn't Roddy's first taste of alcohol. He grunted and groaned as he attempted to pull out the cork. Vierna felt slightly dirty... In less than an hour, she had lied, and stolen something from the keep... and she knew this was more than just raiding the cookie-jar...

"PIYO!" sounded from behind her... Apparently, Limmy had followed Vierna from the keep.

"Oh, look!" Roddy smiled. "A giant bug!"

"That's Limmy! My pet!" Vierna challenged.

"Oh, yeah?!" Roddy sneered. "Well, you get to watch me as I pull out its wings!"

"No!" Shivon shouted.

"You can't do that!" Rowen challenged.

"Leave Limmy alone!" Vierna said and moved to stand between Limmy and the boy.

"Here, buggy, buggy, buggy," Roddy cooed, while Limmy was blissfully unaware of any evil intent.

"Here, buggy, bugg..." Roddy snarled, but was suddenly silenced by a tiny fist connecting with his eye. Roddy flew backwards, and landed on the floor, the bottle smashing to pieces on the stone path. Surprised, he stared up at Vierna, her little fists balled up as she send him a harsh glare.

"Don't touch my pets and leave my friends alone!" Vierna snarled.

"Yeah!" Rowen said to Roddy.

"You suck anyway!" Shivon added before the two boys ran off.

That said, Vierna turned around and beckoned Limmy to follow her.

"Who needs you anyway?!" Roddy screamed after them.

---

Relieved and feeling happy, Vierna entered the courtyard... only to be confronted with her parents and her aunty Imoen. And nobody was smiling...

"Hi?" Vierna tried.

"Vierna," Karis began. "Imoen has been telling me some... interesting facts..."

"Well," Imoen offered a lopsided grin. "I was trying out my newly developed Amulet of Invisibility and, well, I was trying it out by pulling pranks on the guards when I saw you stalking through the hallways and, well, I decided to follow you and..."

"You have some explaining to do, Kiddo," Karis said.

---

"Wholloped by a girl! Hang your head in shame, boy!" Angus told his son as they walked towards the Keep. For all intents and purposes, the boy Roddy was a miniature version of the beefy man-mountain walking beside him. "I mean, a lousy girl? A lousy elven girl?!"

"But dad..."

"No buts, boy!" Angus spoke. "You're just a little weakling it seems... Time for a little, ahum, hard-to-hard with that girlie's daddy, don't you agree?!"

"Hard-to-hard," Roddy grinned like a fox. "Yeah... You're the strongest man in the world, dad!"

"And don't you forget it! That he's just a stick-boy half-elf don't matter... Pounding-time, boy!"

"YEAH!"

"Angus, Roddy!" Mydyne, wife and mother, said as she trailed the two men. "Just think about what you're going to do!"

"Quiet, woman!" Angus said. "This has to be settled man-to-man..."

When they entered the Keep, Karis, Viconia and Vierna were already waiting for them. Viconia stood next to Vierna, rubbing her shoulder.

"So, this is the girl that hit you, boy?" Angus asked.

"Nice eye, Roddy," Vierna giggled as she referred to Roddy's painful black eye.

"Your girl hits boys!" Agnus shouted at Karis. "That ain't normal! So I gotta punch some sense into ya!"

"Your boy," Karis menaced as he walked towards Angus. "Was teaching my daughter how to steal and to lie... I don't like those sort of practises..."

"Though luck!" Angus replied and decided to throw in a powerful punch to start off. He swung his arm, and hit Karis against the nose... but nothing happened. He didn't fall, he didn't cry out in pain. He just bent his head back to absorb the blow and slowly bent it back. Angus was more than a little surprised at this. Several of the guards standing on the walls moved to intervene, but Karis stopped him with a hand-sign. "I was hoping you'd do that," Karis smiled, and immediately delivered a punch to Angus' nose with his right fist and a swift punch to the gut with his left fist, instantly downing the giant.

"That... was... pure... luck," Angus gasped as he picked himself up. Immediately, Karis downed him again with a second blow to the nose.

On the sideline, Mydyne and Viconia were watching the fight.

"Ach, men," Mydyne sighed.

"I hear you," Viconia smiled.

The fight continued, and after being downed for the fifth time by a seemingly invincible opponent, Angus was still not willing to give up. That is, until Mydyne stepped in. Without hesitation, she grasped both son and husband by the ear, putting them in immediate submission.

"You two! Always the same with you two!" she shouted. "How stupid are you! Attacking the lord of the manor like that! Do you realize he could have you executed on a whim?!"

"I would never do that, I..." Karis tried to say, but was unable to get a word in.

"And YOU!" she told her son. "Picking fights and terrorizing the other kids! Won't you ever learn?! I never wanted to go to the country, but I thought it might change you for the better! Well, I WAS WRONG! We're going back to the city!" she said as she started to drag her family home by the ear.

"Awww, mom!"

"Mydyne, no!"

"Good thing I still have the Bill of Sale of our last house, and we hadn't paid for the farmstead yet! We are GOING BACK TO ATHKATLA!"

"Well," Viconia chuckled, "we know who is the head of that family. Even is she cannot correctly handle her males..."

---

"So, Vierna's not grounded?" Imoen told her brother as the two of them were watching Vierna and Clarissa play in the courtyard.

"Nope," Karis replied, "we'll sort of... She wanted to be punished herself, which is a good sign. So, we've decided she can only play in the courtyard and in the Keep for a week. But I don't think she'll be stealing again anytime soon."

"Good thing too," Imoen said, while two timid boys carefully entered the courtyard. Immediately, Vierna and Clarissa stopped playing and glared at them. Shivon and Rowen sighed and withdrew, heading towards the portcullis again.

"Wait for it," Karis smiled. Immediately, Vierna and Clarissa giggled and headed them off. Smiling, the four friends started to play with the red ball.

"See?" Karis smiled. "There's hardly anything that can split that group up." Smiling, he and Imoen watched the kids play for a while.