Gil Goes Wandering (3/3)

Writers: Estelle, Devin
Date Posted: 1st February 2025
Series: Guarding Gil

Characters: Tr'vel, Gilbek, I'lek, D'stan, C'nal, Terella
Description: The aftermath of the flight has embarrassing consequences for Tr'vel and Gil
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 6 of Turn 12

Tr'vel

A blazing hot blush spread across Tr'vel's face and he cleared his
throat. "It's-- it's the dragonlust. Just ignore it." He regretted not
taking D'stan up on his offer, but whatever he did now was only going
to make things worse. Best to get this over with as soon as possible.

**This is all your fault,** Tr'vel repeated as Eboroth took off.

}:I can chase whoever I want,:{ the blue replied.

Tr'vel had never seen Gil as a man, not in that way, but with
frustrated lust still pulsing in his veins he couldn't help it. He
_wanted_ and images flashed through his mind. By the time they landed
he was breathing hard and sweating.

Gil turned in the straps, his cheeks as flushed as the dragonrider's. He
couldn't help being vividly aware of Tr'vel's presence and the heat
between them, but besides his embarrassment he felt more in awe at the
power of the bond between dragon and rider than uncomfortable.

"Well, I'll get down and you can go...take care of that." His color
deepened. "I'm sorry about wandering off. I didn't mean to worry anyone."

Tr'vel's hands shook slightly as he unfastened Gil, fighting the urge
to grip him, to pull him close, to . . . "We can't _trust_ you if you
take off the first chance you get." Anger was a good distraction . . .
no, it was an _easy_ distraction. The bluerider took a steadying
breath. "I'll talk to the others. We can say I'lek was watching you."
C'nal was going to be a problem, though.

"If you have to report it, I understand. I don't want to get you in
trouble." Gil glanced down involuntarily, and hastily looked up again.
"It wasn't your fault. Obviously."

It felt like it took an age to get a few simple straps unbuckled, but
finally it was done. "Get down now." Tr'vel felt his control slipping.
He hadn't missed Gil's look, and while he knew it didn't mean anything
it had shot straight through him anyway. "Please."

Gil hesitated, feeling some concern about leaving Tr'vel in his current
state, but then he swung his leg over the blue's side and, gripping the
strap, lowered himself to the ledge. He backed up a step to give Eboroth
room. "Will you be all right?"

Tr'vel snorted, but then it registered that Gil actually seemed
concerned. Even after all this. "I'm not going to die of lust. I just
need . . . release. So unless you're offering, I'll go take care of
that." He swallowed, hands tightening on the riding straps. Faranth,
he couldn't believe he'd said that.

Gil's brow rose, but he was reassured that Tr'vel couldn't be in too
much distress if he was still trying to shock the holder. The corner of
his mouth twitched in amusement. "Tempting, but I'm in enough trouble
already without taking advantage of my guard." He stepped back into the
weyr entrance and raised a hand in farewell.

Tr'vel urged Eboroth away quickly, to take him to their weyr. He told
himself Gil was only joking, told himself to _stop_ thinking about
Gil, but he had a terrible feeling the man was going to be in his mind
the entire time he used his hand to relieve the dragonlust.

**

Back in the Bowl, the Lightning wingriders watched Eboroth disappear
behind the cliffs in varying degrees of astonished silence.

Predictably, I'lek was the first to speak. "Well, that explains why
Tr'vel shouted at you, D'stan." He couldn't suppress a mischievous grin.
"He thought you were trying to steal his mate."

"What?" The bluerider stared at him in disbelief. "Nonsense. He's one of
_them_. A prisoner." He looked to C'nal for support.

"Tr'vel is _guarding_ him, not _screwing_ him," C'nal said. "Shards,
what is wrong with you people?"

"It is possible to do both at the same time," I'lek said sweetly.
"Surely I don't have to explain, even to a brownrider."

"I'lek, really," Terella reproved him. "Tr'vel's not a weyrling, he
knows how to control himself after a mating flight. And he wouldn't want
a lover who wasn't free to choose."

"But if he was free?" I'lek sighed. "That's what makes it so thrilling.
A dragonrider is assigned to guard a man who's been taught all his life
to despise the Weyr, and little by little, they fall in love, until his
dragon rises to chase a green and it all comes out...so to speak."

D'stan scoffed. "You've been reading too many romantic novels."

"I'd be worried if _you_ were guarding him," C'nal said. "But unlike
you, Tr'vel has some sense."

"They're probably doing it right now," I'lek said gleefully. Deprived of
a holder to torment, he turned his attention to the brownrider instead.
"Tr'vel will sweep him off his feet and carry him into that cliff weyr
with the waves crashing below them, throwing up huge plumes of spray,
and..."

"Those weyr romances are rotting your brain, greenrider," C'nal said.

"But they're so stimulating," I'lek drawled. "You should try one. It
might help with some of your...problems."

The brownrider glared at him.

"What? A good romance might put a spring in your step for once." He
winked suggestively. "I know just the one. It's about this gloomy,
brooding brownrider who hasn't cracked a smile since J'darin was
Weyrleader, until one day he meets..."

"All right, that's enough," Terella said, suppressing a grin. "I'm sure
Tr'vel takes his duty very seriously. Gil may seem pleasant, but we
don't know what he's capable of. We should be careful about getting too
close to him."

"Exactly," C'nal said.

Eboroth glided over the Bowl and landed on Tr'vel's ledge. C'nal
looked up, shading his eyes. "See? He just dropped the prisoner off
and left."

"But I bet I know who he'll be thinking about while he works off that
dragonlust," I'lek said, undeterred. His smile widened. "I speak from
experience. Oh, sorry, Terella, am I getting too close?"

The older greenrider shook her head, not sure whether to be exasperated
or amused. "What are we going to do with you?"

"Throw him in the lake," C'nal said.

"We should find _him_ a weyrmate," D'stan suggested. "Someone steady and
sensible."

"Boring." I'lek pretended to yawn. "I prefer the lake. I always knew
C'nal wanted to see me soaked to the skin."

C'nal groaned, though it had the faintest hint of amusement. "You
never stop, do you?"

The greenrider smiled slyly. "Oh, I can keep going for _ever_ so long."

Terella cleared her throat. "Well, I don't suppose Tr'vel will be back
for a while, and Julath keeps reminding me that we _were_ relaxing on
the beach, so I'll leave you to it?"

"We should really report this to the Weyrleader." C'nal rubbed his
chin. "But it's Tr'vel's duty, so he should be the one to report it."

"Let's speak to Tr'vel later and see what he thinks," she suggested.
"There's no rush, since Gil's back in his weyr and there was no harm done."

"If you're guarding him tomorrow, we'll be on standby," D'stan offered.
"In case it happens again."

"Yeah, my rotation starts tomorrow." C'nal frowned. "I'm not letting
that tunnelsnake out of my sight, and Normyth's got more sense that
Eboroth, so I won't be dealing with this kind of nonsense." He waved a
hand.

"Poor Normyth," I'lek murmured under his breath. When the others looked
at them, he just smiled blandly.

"Well, we'll be ready, all the same," Terella said. Julath had stopped
rising a few Turns before, so at least she didn't have to deal with the
unexpected from that quarter. As she mounted her green to go back to her
sunbathing, though, it was I'lek's words that were in her mind. Were
they nothing more than the romantic daydreams of a silly young
rider...or was there something more to it than that?

Last updated on the March 5th 2025

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Gil Goes Wandering (3/3)