Dancing of another sort

Writers: Dana, Emma
Date Posted: 7th October 2005

Characters: K'sedel, Ciara
Description: K'sedel and Ciara wake up together
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 8, day 6 of Turn 3

K'sedel

Ciara

It had felt right, thought K'sedel as he looked over at the greenrider slumbering beside him. After the dancing they had done, well it seemed logical to go somewhere more private.

And they had, and the dancing had led to other things as well, things that both of them had enjoyed.

She made a soft, sleepy sound and moved, her head coming to rest on his shoulder. As if the contact had woken her, she stirred, her eyes slowly fluttering open.

"Ciara," he said, breaking the silence. He moved his arm gently, bringing her into a gentle embrace.

"K'sedel," she murmured, her smile soft as she curled closer against him.

"That was good," he said, "Very good." He dropped a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Worth waiting for."

"Mmm..." She raised her head to kiss him on the lips. "I'm glad we're not waiting anymore," she whispered, giving him an almost impish grin.

"But it was worth it," he said again. Sometimes a little of his upbringing in a craft hall came out now and then, despite turns in the Weyr and as a rider.

"Mmm-hmm..." She rested her head back on his shoulder. "Built up the anticipation, no?"

"Very much so." He had to agree with her there. While they had shared a flight, this was different.

Her fingers moved, gently tracing lines up and down his arm. "This is what holders and their wives must feel like then..."

"Not quite," he said, having been there himself. "Some do indulge in these pleasures."

Her eyes flickered to his, and she wondered. "You would know?"

"Before, before I impressed I was married, to a wonderful woman," he said, a slight note of sadness in his voice. "She died." He didn't often think of Naishea these days, but when he did there was always a twinge of pain, coming from the knowledge that their child had died too. "She was a Journeywoman Farmer, like me."

Ciara hadn't known that he'd been married. She hadn't even known that he wasn't Weyrbred. "What did she die from?" she asked softly.

"The Plague," he said, emphasis on the word,as if it had capital letters.
"When she died, I went back to my father, at Thayan Peak."

Her fingers had long since stilled on his skin. "I'm sorry, K'sedel..."
she whispered.

"I think Naishea would have liked you," he said, his voice low. "We used to ride out from the Hall, and sneak off together, stealing a few precious candlemarks here and there. Then we decided to make things offical, and we got married. Then the plague came, we both got sick. I made it through, she, she didn't."

Not knowing what to say, Ciara turned her head to lightly kiss his neck, meaning for the touch to be a comfort to him.

"It was a long time ago now, I was barely eighteen turns," he said, reaching out to hold her close.

"That's so young, Kes..."

"We were young, young and hopeful."

She pressed another kiss to his skin, gently running a soothing thumb against him. "I'm sure she'd be proud of you, and what you've been doing..."

"I'd like to think so."

"I know I would be."

"And I thank you for that," he said, leaning over to give her another gentle kiss. Naishea was his past, as was Meree, Ciara was the future.

Last updated on the October 8th 2005

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Dancing of another sort