Not Yet

Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 30th July 2008

Characters: Nialyn, K'lar
Description: Nia meets K'lar's lifemate and they make some plans
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 11, day 7 of Turn 4

"He's the dark brown one there, between the blue and the green," K'lar
said, pointing down the Weyrlake's beach a ways to where his dragon waited
patiently in the gently lapping waters. The brownrider let his hand drop,
and as it brushed against Nia's he caught it, wrapping is large fingers
around hers in what he hoped seemed a natural move.

She allowed it, a slight blush coloring her cheeks as she pointed with her
other hand. "That one, right? He's beautiful." And he was. Nialyn had
seen many dragons during her time here at the Weyr, but never one as dark
a brown as K'lar's Bruith. The color reminded her of rich, gleaming
molasses.

"I'm glad you think so," he smiled down at her, their arms swinging
loosely at their sides. "Now he looks big, but he's very gentle, so
please don't be nervous around him."

As they approached, Bruith angled his head to he could see them better,
and Nialyn could feel her stomach begin to flutter despite K'lar's
reassurances. "Think he'll like me?" she asked in a whisper.

"He likes you already." The brown had told him that he liked the way
K'lar felt when he was with her. He liked that feeling too, and it was
obvious in his eyes as they met hers.

She grinned at him before turning her face up to the dragon, the water
lapping at her bare toes as she hesitantly extended a slightly shaky hand
to him. "Hello, Bruith." Shards, to be this close to a dragon....

Bruith brought his nose closer to touch her trembling fingers
encouragingly. K'lar leaned around her to run his fingers caressingly
along the brown's snout. "See. I told you he likes you," he murmured
close to her ear.

Shivering a little, both from excited anxiety in meeting a dragon for the
first time and from the way K'lar's breath felt so close to her neck, she
tilted her head just a little so that the side of her head would brush
against his cheek. She could feel the tip of his nose nudge her hair as
the strokes she bestowed on Bruith became less hesitant and more
confident. "He's so soft. I had no idea dragons felt like this. I mean,
of course I've _heard_ that they don't have scales or pebbled skin, but
shards, he's so smooth..."

"Here," he said, taking her hand. At a silent command Bruith leaned a
little closer, shifting so the his eye might be in reach. "He likes to be
pet right here, like this." K'lar's hand guided hers along the soft
eyeridge, and smiled approvingly as his brown began to hum with pleasure,
sending little waves of sound through the water to tickle their legs.

"You like that, huh?" she crooned, grinning when Bruith's hum increased in
volume in a draconic affirmative. "How old is he?" she asked K'lar,
fingers continuing to scratch the eyeridge.

"Well, let's see. I Impressed him my second time Standing when I was
eighteen, so that would make him almost eleven turns."

Nialyn did some quick calculating. K'lar was twenty-eight? He didn't
seem to be two Turns shy of thirty. She smiled. He really was a man--not
a boy, like Birigundi. Gently she smoothed her hand down the dragon's
snout. "And when's your birthingday?"

"Mine? I'm a Turn's End baby. Well, almost. The twenty-sixth day of the
thirteenth month." Not that long now.

"That's soon." She glanced up at him. "Have anything special planned?"

"No, nothing special." A small, hopeful smile spread across his lips.
"At least, not yet."

Her expression was soft as she looked back at him. She liked the way he
smiled. She liked the way his rough hands, warm and strong, felt against
hers. Blushing, she turned her eyes back to Bruith, who seemed to be
watching his rider and her with great interest.

"Bruith likes it when you scratch him there too. Like this." He
demonstrated for her and nodded encouragingly when she did the same.
"That's right. It's ok, you won't hurt him." The dragon's eyes began to
roll with contented shades of blue and green. "How about you? When is
your birthingday?"

"Next month, actually. I'll be twenty." There was a hint of pride in her
voice.

"That's soon. Which day?"

"The eleventh. And...and I don't have anything planned either." Last
Turn, Birigundi had forgotten her birthday. He'd made it up to her, in
his way, but it had still stung. She lifted her chin, pushing away the
old hurt. Well, this Turn she wouldn't have to worry about him
forgetting--she wasn't going to see him. Didn't want to see him.

"Well, maybe we can make plans," K'lar suggested, keeping his eyes on the
task at hand rather than meet hers in case she thought that it was too
soon.

"Just as long as there's a cake involved," she grinned. "I love sweets."

Cake. From the Baker's Hall, he decided. "What kind of cake do you like?"

"Oh shells, anything. But..." She hesitated, then decided to just be
honest--and hoped to Faranth that she wasn't taking advantage of him. "I
do really like the ones with the thick vanilla frosting smothered over the
sides and top...with a layer in the middle." Those tended to be pretty
expensive. She'd only had one of those once at someone else's birthday,
but it had been the best cake she'd ever had. Usually she wasn't such a
glutton, but she'd gone back for another slice after the first. Her smile
was a little guilty when she looked at him. "They're my favorite."

The Baker's Hall should be able to understand that description. "I'll see
what I can do," he promised. "So just cake? What else do you want?"

Nialyn flushed, embarrassed--and pleased. "Just the cake."

Well, just cake would not do. He'd get a whole picnic together maybe. Or
a very special dinner. He'd find the perfect plan. The perfect birthday.
She deserved it after the way she'd been treated. "It's a date, then."

Her fingers brushed shyly against his. "I can't wait."

"Me neither," he murmured, his other hand coming to rest gently on her hip
as he leaned in to scratch Bruith a little higher. "He really likes you."

"Well, I really like him," she murmured, silently berating herself for
such a girlish reaction to his closeness. But shards, it had been a while
since she'd felt her heart give that hard bump of anticipation.

He was close enough to her he could smell the scented sweetsand in her
hair. "Do you think next time you'd be ready to try flying?"

Her smiling eyes flickered up to his. "I think so."

"When do you want to go?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound overly eager.

She thought about it for a minute. "I have most of the restday off next
sevenday. Would that be okay?"

"Of course," he nodded. His brow furrowed thoughtfully. "But what about
your daughter. Do you want to bring her with you? She'd be perfectly
safe."

"No," she replied quickly. Too quickly. Clearing her throat, she shook
her head. "She can stay with her fostermother." The very thought of
Lyndi on the neck of a dragon scared her more than riding one herself.
"Or...or her father."

K'lar was a little relieved. It would give them some time alone. But all
the same he would have liked to have spent time with her as well. He
liked children, but more than that, she was important to Nia. "Do you
think I can meet her someday?"

Nialyn tilted her head to the side thoughtfully, surprised--and
touched--that he wanted to meet Lyndi. It was just more proof to her that
K'lar didn't want just one thing from her. Men looking just for sex
didn't want to have anything to do with their partners' lives outside the
bedroom. "Your prospects look promising," she teased, blue eyes glinting.

Shards, her eyes were so beautiful when she smiled like that. Maybe it
was the flecks of ice blue just a few shades lighter than the surrounding
color, but they looked as though they literally sparkled. He leaned in a
little, wanting nothing more than to kiss her in that moment.

But in that precise moment, a warbling green chose to fold her wings and
dive playfully into the lake very close to where they were standing with
Bruith. The brown craned his head around to look at the pretty green just
as the waves from her dive reached them. Nialyn yelped, jumping up as as
the water splashed over her, drenching the front of her tunic. Laughing,
she stumbled back, shaking her head, raking her now wet hair away from her
eyes--both upset and relieved that he hadn't been able to kiss her. Soon,
she thought, watching him smile ruefully at her. But not yet.

Last updated on the August 1st 2008

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