Broken

[Therak]

He'd been caught by surprise as Rhonya slapped his hand away, he'd been even more surprised as she pushed him. Strangely, the actual fall was not so surprising.
Therak actually felt calm as he fell, looking up at Nagrands colorful nightsky. He felt more like a spectator, unable to move. He knew he should twist, roll in the air. He -knew- he could land safely, but he couldn't even twitch.
The impact came after what seemed a small eternity, there was a moment of pain. And then nothing. Nothing below except his head. He couldn't hear the roaring of the waterfall, and worse. He couldn't continue watching the sky, the sky was beautiful... Why had it been taken from him? His head felt cold, and wet. As much water as air passed his lips, clean water... It tasted clean. It made him think of Alterac, the mountain stream he'd lived by... Was he thirsty? Was that why he was drinking? He wasn't sure...
What had happened? Why was remembering that so hard? Why was his head cold? He knew he had to cover his head in the snow... Had he dropped it?
Warm hands pressed against his head, warm was good... Like under the furs... Rhonya was always so nice and warm... Her stomach wasn't in the way when they slept either... And he actually liked it when he woke up, feeling something stir beneath her hand, in her stomach. It used to make him smile...
Slowly feeling began to return, he could feel the vertibrae move in his neck. That wasn't good, was it? He was cold, soaked to the bone. Then the pain hit him. His head felt like it was on fire, he could -feel- bones move in it... His stomach burned, the warmth leaving it slowly... He felt tired... He couldn't open his eyes...
This wasn't good. Would he die here? Was this it? He survived a fall off the Loch Modan dam, and a tumble off a small cliff would do him in? He wasn't done! He'd not met his daughter yet. He still had duties. He couldn't die here!
Could he?
He wanted to scream, shout out to anyone who'd listen. He had to live!
He couldn't... His lungs didn't move. Was he breathing? No... His lungs felt heavy... He couldn't draw any air into them.
His body was moving, sliding? Like down the snow in winter? He'd loved the sled he had... He'd run up and down the hill all day when he was allowed... Up... and down... and up again... But this only went down... And the water... If it hadn't hurt so bad... it could have been fun... sliding down into water... a soft landing... Maybe he could make something by the hot springs... Thu'uk and Skorm would love it, wouldn't they? And the twins... when they got older. And Vaala.
Suddently he was out of the water, there were sounds around him... What were they? Voices? Should he know them? What language were they speaking?
Slowly the pain faded,  and something was coming up his throat, something warm. Was he throwing up?
How undignified... He hoped Rhonya didn't see...
Rhonya... Where was Rhonya?
Suddently he could breathe again... It felt good... Maybe he wouldn't die? Maybe he should sleep now... He did feel tired after all.
Perhaps just a little sleep...



Slowly sensation was returning to him, there was some pain. But mostly he felt tired. There was some kind of pressure around his head, he couldn't move it.
Slowly, he opened his eyes...
He couldn't see anything more then a ceiling, no matter how much he moved his eyes. He didn't dare move more then that, in case someone saw.
He focused on the link, on the tribe.
”Whe... Where am I?”