Enchanting Stranger (2/2)

Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 29th November 2005

Characters: Traelyn, R'hoos
Description: Traelyn's solitude is broken by the arrival of a stranger
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 8, day 22 of Turn 3
Notes: 2 of 2

She had whipped off her towel and was right behind him, an eager light in her eyes as she curved around him, backstroking to get to a more convinient spot. "Let's see if I still remember how to catch that," she grinned, pointing at the ball he held.

He swam a fair distance from her and lobed the ball high into the air towards the waiting goldrider. **Give her an easy one first...**

She saw it flying towards her, and almost as if on instinct, her arm raised, her fingers splayed and she caught it. Easily. Her eyes glinted with triumph as she drew her arm back and threw it back.

They passed the ball back and forth, the goldrider finding her webbed feet again with each catch and throw. Finally the bronze rider called "So how are you at _handling_ the ball? Want to play keep away?"

She raised her chin. Keep away. She knew what she was getting herself into. She knew it, and she stepped up to it. "Sure!" Trae called back, and, with a laugh, she grasped the ball tightly in her hand and spun away.

Her legs were propelling her pretty swiftly along the surface of the water
- or so she thought! - as she kept the ball between her arms.

Though the goldrider was a wonderful shape, the bronzerider was much faster in the water from daily practice. He quickly closed the distance between them. With one strong lunge he had his arm over her back and pulled her towards him. "You think you're fast, do you?" he chuckled, reaching his longer arm towards the ball.

"Yes I _do_," she growled, the competitive streak at last coming through as she squirmed under his arm, trying to thrash free. One hand shoved at his shoulder as the other threw the ball as far away from them as possible.

It was a race for the ball, both gold and bronze rider determined to reach it first. It was the bronzerider's longer arms and daily swiming that allowed him to grab the ball first. He held the ball high over his head. "Ha! Now what will you do, Weyrwoman?"

With a gleam in her eye, she lept at him with the intent to knock him back.

As she leapt, he threw his arm around her. He was determined that if he fell back she'd fall back with her. Though he sputtered a bit on the water from her splashing about, he was able to keep the ball just out of reach. "Ha! Now I have you _and_ the ball. Do you have another tactic in mind?" he asked teasingly.

Growling in frustration, she struggled against his hold on her. Blindly she ran her hands up his sides, _trying_ to see if this stranger had _any_
sensitive spots she could find and use to the best advantage....

Though she did get him to squirm, his long arm was able to wrap far enough around her back and retaliate. "Now what will you do, Lady Traelyn?" he chuckled, his fingers starting to move bit more caressingly than tickling.

She shivered despite the sudden, unexpected warmth rising between them. "I _could_ kick you where it hurts..." Her tone held an annoyed, snarly note to it, but her eyes glinted with a bit of humor at their situation too.

"And I could drown you," he said with a teasing growl. "Admit it, you've met your match."

Her chin rose defiantly even as his arm brought her closer to him. "I'll admit _nothing_, bronzerider."

His smiled as he leaned in face closer to hers. "Maybe not in words, but your eyes are admitting a lot more than you think." The look in the bronzerider's eyes hid very little of his interest in getting to know the new weyrwoman of Dolphin Cove even more.

"Oh? And how did you learn to be _so_ perceptive, hmm?" Traelyn didn't miss the way his arm was slowly tightening around her, or the way he was leaning in closer - or the expression in his eyes. And she also didn't miss how her sharding body was responding to him. Before she knew it, her arms were around him, but not to tickle him, and not to shove him off her.

The ball was forgotten as he wrapped his other arm around her as well. "It was my specialization at the Enchanting Stranger Hall," he whispered against her lips.

She would've laughed at his attempt to be so clever if her lips hadn't been moving on his. Her hands flexed on his back as his fingers moved down her spine.

The bronzerider released her when he realized their legs alone were not going to keep them afloat much longer. Pulling back slightly he smiled, "I think if we're not careful we could drown ourselves here. Not that it would be a bad way to go, though."

Flushing she drew back. "Better than most ways," she managed to grin, while within, she was berrating herself.

What was she _doing_? Why on Pern had she gone ahead and let herself...
Her jaw tightened, frustrated with herself. One man - _one man_ - goes and shows that he's interested and she leaps at him like flit on a tidbit of wherry!

Was it because of J'darin?

Shoving that thought away, she glanced up at him.

Her expression was unreadable, but the bronzerider grinned. "Can you come to the waterball game?"

"Well...that depends, bronzerider."

"Depends?"

Still trying to shove her irritation at herself down, she gestured towards the shore where Nyith lay. "If I can get away. She might've clutched by then..."

"Ah," he nodded in understanding. The disappointment didn't linger in his eyes for long. "Then I suppose I will have to find a reason to come visit your Weyr someday."

Shards. "You're a clever boy. I'm sure you'll think of something."

"Count on it," he said with a grin. It wasn't exactly an invitation, but it wasn't a rejection either. "Well, I suppose we should start heading back to shore before we find ourselves in real trouble."

She cleared her throat. "Yeah...I suppose." She gave him a small smile as she turned around, leaving him to grab the ball which was floating, previously forgotten, nearby.

Traelyn ran a hand through her hair as she waded through the shallows. Shards. She needed to really just sit down...and think. Shards.

They picked their towels off the sand and dried themselves off in silence as they walked back towards their waiting lifemates. They both dressed quickly and prepared themselves for what was shaping up to be an awkward good-bye.

"I hope to see you here, if your dragon is not clutching," the bronzerider said as he pulled his riding jacket back on.

**I'm sure you do...** "Good luck playing, bronzerider."

Had they really gone all this way witout a proper introduction? He chuckled softly as he filled in the missing information. "My name is R'hoos, rider of bronze Rogeth."

"R'hoos." Again, she gave him another small smile as Nyith pointedly extended her forearm. "Safe flying."

He bowed to her gold formally and turned towards her rider once more. For a moment R'hoos hesitated as he looked down into her dark grey eyes.
**Shards, when are you going to get another chance,** he reminded himself.
He reached out for the Weyrwoman and planted his lips against hers in a proper kiss.

Last updated on the November 30th 2005

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Enchanting Stranger (2/2)