Cooling Off
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Bree, Eimi
Date Posted: 4th October 2005
Characters: Birigundi, Talryne
Description: Birigundi proves to Talryne that he can run, and Talryne proves that she can run away
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 8, day 16 of Turn 3
Talryne had made it a point to avoid eating at the usual times, figuring that she could avoid the press of strangers and give herself a chance to get used to the Weyr a little bit at a time. What she'd forgotten, of course, was that there were _always_ people in the dining cavern, and trying to find a place to sit alone was a hopeless cause. After a dinner spent fending off the tempting offers of several attractive looking men, Talryne fled the dining cavern and took refuge outside, doing her best to ignore the cold as she huddled in the jacket she'd borrowed from the stores and walked off the excess energy that had been making her jittery ever since her arrival. "You'll get warmer faster if you move a bit faster." Birigundi slowed his pace as he reached the young woman. His steps did not slow down, but his strides shorted until he was jogging in place next to her. "Care to jog a pace with me?"
Startled from her brooding, Talryne studied the man through narrowed eyes for a moment. Reassured that the invitation was innocent enough, she smiled.
"I'd love to. Just go easy on me until my frozen muscles get warmed up." He nodded. "You can set the speed. Don't worry, you can't go to fast for me."
Talryne laughed as she launched into an easy jog, waiting for him to catch up before speaking. "Is that so? You like to run, I take it?" Running had always been Talryne's second favorite form of physical activity--but she'd been doing a lot more of it since her decision to cut back on her romantic encounters. It _was_ a good way to burn off sexual frustration and nervous energy, after all.
"Yeah, you could say I like to run," Birigundi chuckled as he easily caught up. "You run often?"
"I did more before I came here," she replied, keeping the pace steady as chilled muscles slowly woke up. "I've never lived somewhere so cold before!
I'm not sure what I think about it."
"Personally I prefer running in the cold," he said as he fought the urge to speed up. "But it won't stay cold forever."
"When will it warm up?" Talryne let herself run a little faster, still taking care not too push too hard. The ease with which the boy next to her was keeping pace told her clearly that he was as good as he said he was. "We're still in the throws of winter! Give it some time. A couple months yet, I'd say." Birigundi adjusted his pace to match hers.
"A couple months?" Talryne sounded dismayed. Shards, just the thought made her want to sink up to her neck in a nice warm bathing pool. "Well, there are ways to stay warm, even in winter," the runner teased. He knew he was a shameless flirt at times, but it seemed to bring good results more often than not, and this girl was beautiful. Talryne flashed him a grin, the sexy, knowing one that tended to make men scramble to do whatever she wanted. She _liked_ that grin... liked how useful it had become in recent months. "Like running?" Her muscles were warmed up enough that she could increase their speed to a true run. Her smile was more than enough incentive for Birigundi to keep up. "Running is one way. There are others. Warm clothes. Warm meals. Hot baths. Hot bodies..."
"And are you as good with hot baths and hot bodies as you are at running?"
Talryne asked with a grin, pushing them forward a little harder. _Shards_, he was fast! She wasn't used to being outrun--not by someone who looked like they weren't doing anything more strenuous than taking a brisk walk! "Both actually," he said as he picked up the pace a notch faster than the one she set, challenging her to keep up. "A good run is condusive to a nice hot bath, and that can lead to all sorts of hot activities."
The tantailizing thought of enjoying a hot soak with a handsome man was Talryne's undoing. The ground was just uneven enough to be dangerous to the unwary, and with thoughts of the wonderful things she could do in a bathing pool distracting her, Talryne didn't even notice the slippery patch of snow until she was already on top of it.
Her momentum kept her going for a few stumbling steps, and she managed to get enough control over her descent to tumble into the snow instead of on the mostly clear path. "Whoa there!" Birigundi stopped and reached down to help her out of the pile of snow. "The bathing pools are the other way," he teased gently, hoping to put her at ease after what could potentially be an embarrasing spill.
Talryne was well past embarrased, but she made the best of it by tossing her arms out to the side and grinning. "What can I say... I felt the intense need to cool off. The snow seemed to be the best way." And there was enough of it down her back that Talryne was fairly sure she wouldn't be warm again for days. "Too hot, eh? I understand, I have that affect on women sometimes,"
Birigundi chuckled. He stepped forward and pulled his glove off and reached up to run his fingers through her hair. "You have snow in your hair." "I'm sure it just adds to my allure." Talryne pushed herself to her feet gingerly, wondering how many oddly placed bruises she'd have from this adventure. "I'm not sure that's possible." He bent down to brush snow off of her trousers.
"Then I must be terribly alluring. Or so unalluring nothing can save me."
Talryne caught the tip of one glove between her teeth and pulled it off so she could brush the snow out of her hair with one hand. The snow that had fallen down her jacket was now melting its way in a very icy stream down her back, making her think a warm bath would be the most delightful thing she'd ever had. "Oh, I find you terribly alluring," he replied with his best confident grin.
"You look ready for that bath now. Do you need some help? I could make sure no snow got into any important bits."
"I rather think I'd notice," Talryne replied dryly, tugging her glove back on. She stretched one leg carefully and then the other, pleased that she seemed no worse for her tumble. "But now is not the time for baths. After all, we have to run back." And with a grin she set off in the direction they'd come from. Birigundi smiled as he accepted the challenge. He was sure, this one would not outrun him for long.
Last updated on the October 4th 2005