Varen Snide - Hapless Fencer
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Age 23, Cormyr.
_"Your left side is open, Varen - You need to bring your rapier back faster from that last attack, your not trying hard enough!" Yelled out Varen's instructer, Vral, as he managed to land a slash across his left set of ribs.
"Nghhhha!" Varen staggered back and clutched his now cut ribs with his right hand, his lowered rapier hanging loosely from his left. Vral sheathed his rapier and slowly stepped towards Varen with a stern look.
"This is for your own good, Varen." He tossed him some bandages and turned around. Varen had his head lowered, looking towards the floor. He heard Vral's polished heals click against the fencing college floor. He plopped down to his knees with a small groan. His shakey left hand dropped the rapier and reached for the bandages. He tore off part of his student's uniform and wrapped the wound shut.
This was the fifth time he'd failed his final exam. He just couldn't win against his intructer.
"Damn it… He's just too fast." He thought to himself with a small annoyed scowl on his face. "Why do I have to beat him just to graduate and earn my blade? Why do I even want the title of graduate?" He picked up his rapier and sheathed it to his side. He leaned down and gathered the torn pieces of his clothing before he walked back off to his dorm.
"Hey Varen, how'd it go?" Jameson was Varen's dorm mate. He always tried to support him, but Varen simply took it offensively and Jameson never really realised it.
"What in the nine hells do you think? I'm bleeding and my clothes are torn!" Varen snapped back before sighing and dropping his things near his bed.
"Hey, sorry to hear that, buddy. I hate to brag, but, I just managed to land a hit on Vral before you had your exam." Oh, great, he was bragging again. This annoyed the hell out of Varen, Jameson always had the lucky breaks. Why didn't anything good ever just happen for him?
"Whatever, Jameson. Look, I just want some sleep, don't wake me up until tomarrow morning, alright?" He let himself fall back first unto his bed and closed his eyes."Sure thing, buddy."
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Varen woke up a few hours later, it was still dark out. He sighed and turned himself to face the cieling.
"Do I really need to graduate here...?" He rubbed the area in between his brows and squinted at the thought.
No.
He didn't have to graduate. Hells, he couldn't return to his noble familey, and he couldn't stay in Cormyr. Not with the shame of failing the fencing college after so many of his house's members passed with flying colors. No, he couldn't stay in Cormyr. He just couldn't.
He rised out of his bed and watched Jameson snore and shift around in his bed. Perfect, he was out like a rock. He quietly nudged his way out of bed and leaned down to gather his things.
His rapier, his set of chain, food, bandages, a skinning knife. Everything he would need. He packed them away and looked at the door. He couldn't just walk out the front door. He would have to sneak out his window, which was unfortunatly for him, on the fifth floor of the college.
He slowly opened the window, the cold night's breeze easily swept his long, black hair back. He looked back over his shoulder, he looked back at the arrogant, snobby, spoiled student who served as the pinnacle of the college's resentment - Jameson. He scowled slightly and turned his head back to face the breeze. He was done with this stupid college, he'd already wasted three of his twenty three years of life here. He wasn't going to waste anymore.
He jumped unto a large tree branch and nudged his way to the center. He then proceeded to slip down to the trunk. He looked straight forward, keeping his face impassive, eyeing the people in the streets. He made his way to the docks.
"Hey there chum, wot can I do fer ya?" The dirty old dockworker was swapping the decks of a musty ship as Varen approached looking up at him.
"Where does this ship lead, seaman?" Varen watched the dockworker set his mop against a wall and walk over to the ledge to peer down to him.
"Narfell, chum. The rides free if yae work on'a ship." Varen cracked a slow smile as he said this.
"A free trip to Narfell, hmmn? Brilliant. I'll take you up on your offer, seaman!" He was going to get as far away from the shame of failiure before his familey and his house would find out he left._
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Reviewed - XP Pending.
