U'odh shifts slightly. Even under the rigidness of the Sultansworn's demeanor, he has never found himself to be uncomfortable under the scrutiny of another (he's fucking fought Titan for Hydalen's sake), but his request to the woman is what stokes the sense of uneasiness that he feels kindling inside of him.Â
"Please do not misinterrrprret what I ask of you, Lady Crrrofte. I underrrstand your position in this matter verrry clearrly, and I have faith in what that boy is doing, but I will not rrrevoke what I have said earrlier...if it werre up to me..." his voices wavers, even falters, as he speaks. "I...I would see that boy be finally able to walk frreely without being hunted forrr the crrrime of simply defending himself."
U'odh adjusts his posture in his chair, trying to retain his stoic demeanor. It is unlike him to react so passionately and he knows that. U'khuba Tia sees the Nuhn's pain and places a reassuring hand on the Nuhn's shoulder, who nods his thanks in reply. U'odh corrects himself before his emotions reign free of his judgement, and looks back to Crofte.Â
"What I am about to tell you has not been sharred except with a select few of this trribe and most trusted allies; I would ask that you would rrrespect this knowledge forrr it's lack of disclosurrre. G'leo Nuhn is the orrrphaned son of his fatherrr, G'anu Nuhn (who was my verrry close friend) and exile of the G trrribe, but morrre than that...I am his Rrrito, his godfatherrr. When his fatherrr was defeated in an dishonorrable conflict with G'rrramau Tia, who used magic to poison and overrpowerrr the former Nuhn, G'leo was subject to be hunted by his own trrribe; he was only eleven at this time and had just barrely earrned his rrright to manhood. As dirrrected by G law, any offsprrring of the defeated (in this unlawful case, murdered) Nuhn should be hunted down and killed to prrrevent the sprrread of lesserr offsprrring. This law, was instituted by G'rrramau Nuhn, who still rrrules the G trrribe with an irron fist."
U'odh pauses, drinking from his cup of water, before continuing. He'd spit on the floor from just uttering that bastard's name, but he retains his composure. Â
"G'leo's brrrotherrs and sisterrs werre hunted down one by one and killed along with G'leo's motherr who was defiled when she rresisted G'rrramau's rrright to rrrule. The boy...He trried to sneak back into the camp and kill G'rrramau, but the cowarrrd knew of the boys intent and capturred G'leo. He allowed the boy the chance to challenge him in the same fashion as his fatherrr, but G'leo was no match forrr him. G'ramau was and prrobably still is a powerrful warriorr, and, despite his outlawed use of magic in battle, was able to defeat and injurre the young G'leo. G'leo still carrries the scar of that fight acrross his chest and back." U'odh motions with his hand showing that the scar would cross from his shoulder blade down to the length of his lower abdomen.
"The boy did the only thing he could think of after his defeat and rrran for his life. Frrom then on he was labeled as a trrraitor to his trrribe. G'rrramau sent his own sons to hunt down G'leo, but they werre not as skilled a hunterrr as the young G'leo was; the boy has always been verrry resourceful and managed to evade them forrr some time in the desert, but, as fate would have it, he was forrrced to face them eventually. G'leo was able to kill one of his purrsuers by taking him by surrrprrise and then stealing his weapon to face the others, and his valor caused the other pissants to flee. Alas...he was forrrced to surrrvive in the Sagolli alone forrr the next month; it was afterrr that time when I found him."
U'odh finishes with a heavy sigh; he hasn't recounted that story for a long time now.Â
"His fatherr asked me to be the child's godfatherr in the event that anything unforrtunate should happen, and when word of G'anu's death rrreached mine earrs, I stole no time to mourrn my frrriends death...I simply went looking forrr the boy...That brrrave, stupid, noble boy...Therre is no doubt in my mind that when he turrrned himself in he did so to prrrotect anotherrr. He has always been like this, always seeking to defend those he carres for, and always being stubborrnly Irrrational in his decision making...I admirrre him for that fact, but...it pains me to see how much he forrrces upon himself to sufferrr when he has alrrready sufferrred enough. I love that boy, as if he werre my own son, and that is why I ask you...if therrre is any way my tribe can unite funds to buy his contrrract, or to keep him from the hands of that madman...please, let us. What you subject him to is a fate that is worrse than death if he rrreturns there. Not only will he be victim to G'ramau's torture, but also the furrrther disgrace of his family in frrront of his trrribe. It would brrreak my heart to see his legacy end in such dishonorr."
"Please do not misinterrrprret what I ask of you, Lady Crrrofte. I underrrstand your position in this matter verrry clearrly, and I have faith in what that boy is doing, but I will not rrrevoke what I have said earrlier...if it werre up to me..." his voices wavers, even falters, as he speaks. "I...I would see that boy be finally able to walk frreely without being hunted forrr the crrrime of simply defending himself."
U'odh adjusts his posture in his chair, trying to retain his stoic demeanor. It is unlike him to react so passionately and he knows that. U'khuba Tia sees the Nuhn's pain and places a reassuring hand on the Nuhn's shoulder, who nods his thanks in reply. U'odh corrects himself before his emotions reign free of his judgement, and looks back to Crofte.Â
"What I am about to tell you has not been sharred except with a select few of this trribe and most trusted allies; I would ask that you would rrrespect this knowledge forrr it's lack of disclosurrre. G'leo Nuhn is the orrrphaned son of his fatherrr, G'anu Nuhn (who was my verrry close friend) and exile of the G trrribe, but morrre than that...I am his Rrrito, his godfatherrr. When his fatherrr was defeated in an dishonorrable conflict with G'rrramau Tia, who used magic to poison and overrpowerrr the former Nuhn, G'leo was subject to be hunted by his own trrribe; he was only eleven at this time and had just barrely earrned his rrright to manhood. As dirrrected by G law, any offsprrring of the defeated (in this unlawful case, murdered) Nuhn should be hunted down and killed to prrrevent the sprrread of lesserr offsprrring. This law, was instituted by G'rrramau Nuhn, who still rrrules the G trrribe with an irron fist."
U'odh pauses, drinking from his cup of water, before continuing. He'd spit on the floor from just uttering that bastard's name, but he retains his composure. Â
"G'leo's brrrotherrs and sisterrs werre hunted down one by one and killed along with G'leo's motherr who was defiled when she rresisted G'rrramau's rrright to rrrule. The boy...He trried to sneak back into the camp and kill G'rrramau, but the cowarrrd knew of the boys intent and capturred G'leo. He allowed the boy the chance to challenge him in the same fashion as his fatherrr, but G'leo was no match forrr him. G'ramau was and prrobably still is a powerrful warriorr, and, despite his outlawed use of magic in battle, was able to defeat and injurre the young G'leo. G'leo still carrries the scar of that fight acrross his chest and back." U'odh motions with his hand showing that the scar would cross from his shoulder blade down to the length of his lower abdomen.
"The boy did the only thing he could think of after his defeat and rrran for his life. Frrom then on he was labeled as a trrraitor to his trrribe. G'rrramau sent his own sons to hunt down G'leo, but they werre not as skilled a hunterrr as the young G'leo was; the boy has always been verrry resourceful and managed to evade them forrr some time in the desert, but, as fate would have it, he was forrrced to face them eventually. G'leo was able to kill one of his purrsuers by taking him by surrrprrise and then stealing his weapon to face the others, and his valor caused the other pissants to flee. Alas...he was forrrced to surrrvive in the Sagolli alone forrr the next month; it was afterrr that time when I found him."
U'odh finishes with a heavy sigh; he hasn't recounted that story for a long time now.Â
"His fatherr asked me to be the child's godfatherr in the event that anything unforrtunate should happen, and when word of G'anu's death rrreached mine earrs, I stole no time to mourrn my frrriends death...I simply went looking forrr the boy...That brrrave, stupid, noble boy...Therre is no doubt in my mind that when he turrrned himself in he did so to prrrotect anotherrr. He has always been like this, always seeking to defend those he carres for, and always being stubborrnly Irrrational in his decision making...I admirrre him for that fact, but...it pains me to see how much he forrrces upon himself to sufferrr when he has alrrready sufferrred enough. I love that boy, as if he werre my own son, and that is why I ask you...if therrre is any way my tribe can unite funds to buy his contrrract, or to keep him from the hands of that madman...please, let us. What you subject him to is a fate that is worrse than death if he rrreturns there. Not only will he be victim to G'ramau's torture, but also the furrrther disgrace of his family in frrront of his trrribe. It would brrreak my heart to see his legacy end in such dishonorr."
