Old Habits (part 2)
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: Avery, Yvonne
Date Posted: 8th December 2008
Characters: Kapera, J'nus
Description: Once again, Kopth interferes...
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 12, day 5 of Turn 4
Music and laughter rang off the stone walls and light glinted off hundreds of pieces of jewellery and the toes of polished boots. The Hatching Feast had been cleared away so that there was a space to dance, and hundreds of Weyrfolk and their guests were doing their best to keep up with the music-- some more successfully than others. J'nus wasn't one of them - instead he sat off to one side, slightly uncomfortable in his Gather finery, and eyed the carafe of wine placed nearby on the table.
He hadn't touched a drop since the last goldflight, after all, and the dry taste of red wine on his tongue was...
}:NO. You will not have any wine. You were surly for days last time you drank.:{ Kopth snapped. Outside, on his ledge, the bronze scraped his talons against the stone of his couch in pique. }:You will never drink wine again.:{
**Shut up, you old tunnelsnake,** J'nus shot back. **Just one glass won't hurt.**
}:You are a stupid man if you think you will stop at only one. I know you. You are _mine_.:{
**Stuck together until the end of us both!** J'nus thought cheerfully, and he poured himself a glass of wine as he did it. The wine gleamed ruby-red and berry-bright in the glass, and he raised it in a salute in the direction that his dragon lay. **Don't worry. I just want one glass. I miss it.**
}:That is what you said before we transferred.:{ The dragon sighed. }:Why do you not listen to me? I know what is best for you. You said so yourself, many turns ago.:{
**Times change, dragon-mine.** He took a careful sip, and the rich wine rolled freely across his palate. **It's a celebration, and I don't feel like dancing.**
}:Perhaps you will change your mind,:{ Kopth said. The dragon sounded sly... which never boded well.
}:Have you welcomed everyone and congratulated Onnyth and Kalamath's yet?:{ Riyanth prodded.
**You know I have, love. Now all I need to do is dance all night, find someone to take home...**
}:I think you should visit Kopth's. He could use a dance.:{
**Riyanth, are you being _partial_?** The gold had never minded her lovers, but she'd never shown a preference for any.
}:It would be a good idea.:{
**I just think you and Kopth have been talking.** But she liked J'nus, and so she started winding her way through the crowds, seeking him. She wondered if he danced. If he'd be graceful. What his arms would feel like- especially since they'd never slept together and she didn't know.
But any thoughts of convincing the bronzerider into an assignation disappeared when she saw him with the wine glass. **Oh, this _is_ a conspiracy.** she thought. She circled around to approach him from behind and settled her hand over his. "Are you saving that for me?" she asked sweetly.
The bronzerider jumped and the wine on his tongue suddenly tasted sour- although J'nus _knew_ he had no reason to feel guilty. He put down his wine glass and swivelled on his chair to face the goldrider. "There's an entire pitcher left, if you're so inclined. Had enough of the Hatching Feast already?"
"I wanted to dance, actually, so I thought I'd ask you to."
"Me?" J'nus raised an eyebrow - of all the men here, why'd she pick him out? Wait... **You're a sly old thing,** he told Kopth.
}:I am always right,:{ the dragon shot back smugly.
The bronzerider sighed and reluctantly set aside his glass. "You do realize that we're being set up. For all you know, after all, I have two left feet and you won't have a leg to stand on, much less dance with, once the next set is over."
"It wasn't just a set-up." she admitted. "I'd been wondering if you would dance but I didn't know if you would, unlike practically every other bronze and brownrider. But when Riyanth prodded me, I figured it wouldn't hurt to try my luck with you." It was remarkably honest from her.
"Besides, you can't be _that_ bad. If you were that clumsy you'd have died a weyrling." she said lightly.
"Who says I almost didn't?" J'nus ran a hand through his spiky grey hair and grinned big. "All right. I'll dance with you. But only if you ask nicely- I am the belle of the ball, after all! Or so says my dragon."
"Wingsecond, would you do me the honour of a dance?" she asked him with a playful light in her eyes. This would be fun, she decided. And it would be good for J'nus to dance.
"I'd be honoured." The bronzerider stood, bowed to his partner, and led her into the dance. Kapera was light on her feet and a good partner - as a goldrider she'd have had a lot of practice. J'nus found his feet remembering the patterns after only a bar or two of music, which left him free to enjoy the music. When he was a younger man he'd danced a lot, but since he'd come to Dragonsfall he'd spent less time at parties with his hands entwined with pretty young women.
"You're not so bad at this." Kapera said warmly. She liked the way they danced. Many men were taller then her, and to have someone closer to her height was enjoyable. "Glad you decided to?" She found herself hoping the next dance was a slow one.
The bronzerider merely smiled and continued to dance. Sometimes nattering on about how good a thing was sucked the enjoyment out of it, and he was enjoying himself. The reel came to an end and they spent a moment applauding the harpers who had been playing. J'nus turned to his partner. "Thank you- I enjoyed that. Even if it was a draconic conspiracy."
"I enjoyed it too." she said. "Want to go for another one, or were you planning on leaving the party early?"
The music began again and J'nus held out his hand. "As long as I'm not stealing you away from anyone else you ought to be dancing with!"
"If it was my Hatching, you might be. But not this one; its Teseada's and U'kaiah's, and I've done my official dancing already. I could even slip out if I wanted to." she said with a slight smile.
Speaking of whom... J'nus realized it had been a while since he'd seen either Teseada or U'kaiah. "Just as long as I'm not stepping on any toes," he said.
"Oh, let them be stepped on." she said with a suddenly arrogant toss of her head. "I choose who I want to spend my time with, and it would be good for some people to be reminded of it."
The bronzerider grinned and took the Weyrwoman into his arms. "As long as they're not _my_ toes," he said, and swept her into the dance.
Last updated on the December 13th 2008