Vey Churim

Vey sat shivering. It was cold and raining, and the small metal lean-to gave little shelter. His mother, Elis Churim, cast her arm around him, shielding her eight-year-old son as best she could.

Such was their life, living in a small alley. They had few comforts, and great many discomforts. They rarely had much food. A few generous people donated something, money or food, to them now and then, but overall, their success at begging was low.

Vey squinched his eyes, looking out into the downpour. Looking out, he saw a child and his parents retreating into the shelter of a house not far away. "Why don't we have a house, Mommy?" he asked.

Elis smiled slightly. "I can't tell you why, I'm afraid. All I can say is that we haven't been as lucky as some."

Vey glared glumly at the ground. "That's so unfair."

"I know, Dear, but I'm afraid that's the way life is."

"But why, Mommy?"

"I don't know. But don't worry. We are blessed in our own way. We have each other."

Vey huddled closer against her. "I'm hungry, Mommy."

"I know, Vey," Elis answered quietly. "So am I."

It was a few hours until the rain stopped. By that time, night was falling, and the moon was coming out. Just then, a loud noise disturbed the silence, and the evening tranquility was broken by the sound of someone cursing. Vey trembled, crouching against his mother in terror. His father was back.

Staggering into the alley, reeking of liquor, Genthir Churim stormed up to the lean-to, and bent clumsily down as he peered in. "Well," he snarled, his voice somewhat slurred with alcohol, "don't just sit there shiverin'. What you got to show for today?"

Vey whimpered, trying to be a small as possible. Genthir glared at him. "What you whinin' for, Rat?" he growled. "Nothin' today? You didn't get nothin' yesterday, neither, worthless little trash worm." He reached for Vey. "You're nothin' but a lazy little slacker, the pair a' you. I oughta. . ."

"Please, Genthir, calm down," pleaded Elis, grabbing her husband's arm. "You're frightening him."

"Get yer' hand offa me, woman," he snapped, throwing he back. He grabbed Vey and dragged him out. "I'll teach you lesson!" he bellowed raising his hand.

"No!" cried Elis, jumping up and grabbing Genthir's hand. With a snarl, he dropped Vey and struck her, knocking her down. He promptly proceeded to beat her until she slumped in an unconscious heap. He then turned to Vey. "Now it's your turn!"

Vey wailed and triwed to escape, but was seized savagely by his finlics (fleshy growths that Vatarri have on their heads) and dragged back. His father began to rain blows until Vey lost consciousness.

Vey awoke to something wet dabbing his face. Elis was cleaning away dried blood from his brow as best she could. Her own face had some on it.

Vey whimpered and wept a little. He was cold, hungry, and his body was in pain. Wincing, his mother gathered him close to her, and held him there for a while. They had sat there for an hour before she moved.

"Come, Vey. We're going."

"Where are we going, Mommy?" asked Vey. "To beg?"

"No," she replied. "Simply away. As far as we can. I should have done this a long time ago, but I just didn't have the courage to. But now it is past time."

"But what about father?" asked Vey.

"I hope he doesn't find us," replied Elis.

Vey's body hurt, and he suddenly felt scared. His life as it had been so far had not been a very happy one, yet it was the only one he had known. The idea of leaving it, and the alley where they had lived, was frightening, in a way. And then he feared what the repercussions might be if they were caught. He dragged a little.

"Come, Vey," said Elis with urgent earnestness. "We must go quickly."

The two of them quietly and quickly left the alley, each looking around, dreading to see that terrible man appear. They made their furtive way from alley to alley, always trying to keep inconspicuous.

They traveled this way for about an hour. At that point, they arrived at some construction sight. Due to the dreary weather, work was going a little slack, with few around.

"Hoi! Where do ya think yer goin?" demanded the voice they had been dreading to hear. Looking back they saw him, Genthir Churim, standing pointing at them, his face in its usual angry expression. "Tryin to split, eh?" he snarled. "I'll learn the two a' you!" He began to rush towards them.

"Look out below!" yelled a desperate voice from above. Genthir ignored it; it was his last mistake. Crashing down from above came a large girder, landing squarely on Genthir's head. The image was imprinted in Vey's mind forever.

A group of workers quickly gathered around Genthir's body. Elis stared for a moment, then turned and wiped her eye. "Come, Vey," she said. "Let's go."

Vey and his mother had walked for a long time without stop. All the time the sky was overcast, and it rained more often then not. Vey shivered. His feet hurt and he was cold. This area of the city was one he was not familiar with, and he was a little scared. At the moment, they were passing a very large, magnificent building. It was then that Elis stopped and sat down with a groan. Vey sat down next to her. For a while they were silent. Vey noticed that his mother looked more wan than usual, and she almost looked like she was falling asleep.

"Mommy?" he said, shaking her.

She started. "What is it, Vey?"

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she said, stroking his finlics. "Just tired, that's all."

Vey looked at the building. "Where are we?"

"I don't know," said Elis. "This building does seem very important, doesn't it?" She sighed, and groaned a bit, as if in pain. "Come, Vey," she said. "We need to find someplace to sleep." She rose, and then sank down with a gasp.

"Are you all right?" asked a voice.

Elis and Vey turned and looked behind them. Out of the building behind them, two Vatarri had emerged. The one who had spoken was a tall individual, light olive green in color, with some red markings on his arms. He had a mane of finlicsm from the top of his head down to the back that resembled clumped hair (this was known as horse mane finlics) and two curved horns, bearing spikes on the front edge, emerging from his brow. He had a kindly, yet proud bearing, and his fine dress suggested great importance.

Elis gasped. She guessed at once who this was; none other than Hadrin Tiirmot, the High Prince of Daro. "I'm terribly sorry," she said quickly. "We were just leaving." She rose again, and almost fell. The Prince rushed down and caught her before she did.

"Get a medic immediately," he said to the other Vatarri, who quickly hurried off. Supporting Elis, he helped her inside to a sofa, with Vey tagging along. Once Elis was sitting down, he hopped onto the sofa next to her, and was astonished at how soft it was.

"Please, Sire," she said. "You need not trouble about me. . ." she began, but was cut off.

"It's no trouble at all," he said, with a smile. He gave Vey a pat on the head, and then hurried off.

"Who is that, Mommy?" he asked. He had found the Vatarri a little frightening.

"He is the Prince of Daro, Dear," she said. "Be sure you are very polite around him." She gazed after where he had gone. "It seems," she said, after a moment, "that we have been very fortunate. I've heard that he was a generous man, and it seems that it might be true."

About an hour later, they were at the hospital. Elis, despite her earlier protestations, allowed herself to be examined. When the physician came out, her seemed about to speak out loud, but the Prince motioned him to be more quiet, seeing as Vey was present.

“What’s wrong with her?” asked Vey, in a frightened voice.

“She’ll be alright,” the Prince assured him. “Why don’t you go in and see her now?”

Vey couldn’t help but think they were concealing something important, but he went in anyways. Elis smiled as he came in. He quickly took up a seat next to her and laid his head on her. She tenderly stroked his finrics for a few minutes, before he raised his head to look at her. “Are you all right, Mommy?” he asked.

“I’ll be alright Vey,” she said to him quietly with a smile. “I’m just a little weak right now from that walk in the rain, and. . .” Here she paused.

“From what Father did to you?” asked Vey.

Elis smiled. “Don’t worry about it, Vey. That’s over now.”

“Yes,” said Vey quietly. Then suddenly his expression changed to one of intense anger. “I’m glad he’s dead!” he said suddenly in such a savage voice that Elis started. “He was a bad man and a terrible father. He did horrible things to you and to me too! I hate him!”

“Please, Vey, don’t speak that way!” said Elis, rather alarmed at seeing this side of her son, one which she had never witnessed.

“But it’s true!” said Vey. “He was a bad man!”

Elis was silent a moment. “He wasn’t always that way,” she said quietly, almost to herself.

“But why, Mom?” said Vey. “Why did he treat us the way he did?”

“I don’t know, Vey,” said Elis quietly.

Vey was silent for a moment; then he lay his head on his mother’s lap again. Elis hugged her son to herself. A sudden fear had entered her at Vey's outburst; he had looked exactly like his father had when he was angry. She thought back to the years when she had met Genthir. He was a cheerful man, who loved nothing more than good honest work done with his own hands. But then, about a year after their marriage, Genthir had come home looking devastated and angry When she asked him why, he had yelled at her, telling her to mind his own business; he had never yelled at her before. His rages became more and more frequent, and more violent. He started to get drunk frequently as well, something else that he had never done. Then one day he came home unemployed; he had been fired for striking one of his co-workers. He was unable to find another job, and eventually the Churim's lost their home. And his rages only got worse. Soon Genthir progressed from simply shouting to actually hitting Elis, and then to beating her.

Elis looked at Vey, and realized that he had a great deal in common with his father, more than she had realized. She hugged him, praying that, whatever had happened to Genthir to turn him into what he became, it would not befall her son as well.