The Passing of Time
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyrhold
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Elsewhere on Pern
NPC Weyr (NPC)
River Bluff Weyr
Seacraft Hall
Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 2nd August 2018
Characters: Zelanka, Benaroy
Description: Zelanka finds a reminder of a special memory in a forgotten place.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 3, day 27 of Turn 9
The Gather had finished sevendays ago, but still odds and ends were
being packed up and sorted for storage to either be brought out in the
next Gather or for the following turn. One Zelanka's devoted
assistants had brought her another box to sort through.
"I'm not sure any of this is work keeping, to tell the truth," the
young woman said, pulling out a string of bunting that had been strung
along one the rail along the race track. "It has definitely seen
better days. Have you considered replacing that?"
"If it still serves it purpose, why replace it? Waste not, want not,"
Zelanka replied. "Aren't those the Harvest Gather colours?"
"They are," the young drudge agreed, "but they are so old fashioned!
Surely the Hold doesn't want to hold onto these old rags forever."
"Would anybody even notice," Zelanka asked rhetorically and lifted
rest of the bundle carefully out of the crate. "Ugh, is that mold?"
she said with disguested voice. "You right, maybe these have served
their time."
She also saw something else, hiding at the corner of the box. She
pulled it out too. It was a shirt, that had somehow ended up to a
storage crate with the buntings. It was faded and frankly, growing
mold, but she still recognized it. It was _his_ shirt.
~*~
"Ah, yes, Zelanka, thank you for coming to pick up the bunting,"
Benaroy said loudly as he stood in the doorway. It wasn't really for
her benefit, but rather for that of anyone who happened to be in
earshot and wondering what she was doing down by the Lord Holder's
quarters. He held the door wide and beckoned her inside.
"It's no problem, my Lord," Zelanka curtsied and gave him a secret smile.
The Lord Holder peeked his head outside the door quickly before
shutting it quietly and leaning back against it. "So... Did you enjoy
the Summer Gather?"
"Yes, I did. They are always fun," Zelanka replied, feeling slightly
self-concious. She has also spent most of the Gather working, as a part of the
Headwoman's staff.
"I saw you at the runner races. You were smiling. I wanted talk to
you, but you were not alone." She in fact had been standing next to
her husband. But her smile had taken the older man's breath away.
"Ah, one of the times I was not working," Zelanka replied. "Yes, I had
great time with my family," she wasn't sure what else to say.
Shells. This was awkward. Before the Gather, he and Zela had found a
moment to share a bit of shade under a tree out of the glaring sun and
shielded from prying eyes. Before they knew it, they were flirting,
then kissing, then... There had been no time to feel awkward.
How could they when they couldn't even think. But since that moment,
Benaroy had done nothing but think. It was not like him to dwell on
feelings. He was a man of action. Pushing himself off from the door,
he moved up beside her, tentatively reaching a hand to hers.
Zelanka's body seemed to gravitate towards him on its own and she took
step closer. It was so hard to pretend that there was no fire between
them.
Benaroy's fingers reached up to caress a tendril of golden wheat
colored hair that trailed down behind her ear, along the graceful
sweep of her neck to her bare collar bone. His eyes were smoldering
as they lifted to hers. "You truly are exceptionally beautiful."
"Ben.." her voice was growing husky.
He stopped her words with a kiss that left no doubt of his attraction
to her. Thick fingers tangled into her hair, and suddenly there they
were. Right back to where they were under the shade of the tree. But
this time they didn't have to worry about being seen or heard. They
were safe here, safer than anywhere in the Hold. No one would dare
barge in on the Lord Holder in his own rooms. And yet, that did not
mean that this coming together was not without it's complications.
She was still another man's wife. Pulling back ever so slightly, his
voice soft and breathy, he asked, "Are you sure this is what you
want?"
"I want you," she said with lust and passion. Rest of the Pern could
go stand in Threadfall for all she care right now.
Benaroy had known Zelanka all her life. He watched her grow up from a
young orphaned girl. Never would he have expected the turn their
relationship had taken over the past few sevendays. But he could only
see the beautiful woman in front of him, and now he wanted to see all
of her. His fingers reached for the first tie to the vest she wore
over her summer dress and gently pulled as he began kissing her neck
hungrily.
Zelanka replied to his kiss hungry, her hands tugging his shirt out
from the pants. She had to broke of the kiss long enought to pull the
shirt over his head. Then her fingers had free rein on his bare chest
and back.
Though Benaroy was twice the young woman's age, he was still strong
and active. He lifted her into his arms with ease. The shirt was
forgotten completely as he carried her back to his bedchamber.
She managed to lose his belt before they reached the bed.
"You won't be missed?" he asked he lay her gently on the bed, his
fingers pulling the fabric of her dress up her thigh teasingly slow.
"Not until it's time to start making supper. I'm supposed to store
away the Gather decorations," Zelanka said and then lost her ability
to speak momentarily.
"Good." Benaroy pulled off first one boot and then the other, his
eyes never leaving her as she finished removing her dress. For a
moment his breath caught in his throat, and he could not find the
voice to finish his thought aloud. **Then we can take our time...**
Time was a precious thing to the Lord Holder. His life was ruled by
it. Time to get up and go to work. Time to make his rounds. Time to
plant. Time to harvest. Time to micro manage their stores to ensure
his people would make it through another Amber Hills winter. And yet,
in Zelanka's arms, he lost track of time completely.
Afterwards, they rested and she might have dozed off for a moment. She
felt so safe and loved, wrapped in Benaroy's arms. It was the
lengthening shadows that reminded her of passing of the time.
"What time it is?" she asked, suddenly alarmed.
Benaroy's eyes were closed, but at the question they flew open with a
start. He released her from his arms to roll off the edge of the bed
and peak out the window towards the sun, still high above the hills,
but at a much lower angle. It was summer. It would not be completely
dark until the end of the evening meal but he knew from the shadows of
the trees that they had been careless with the time. "Shards." He
muttered, cursing the sun in it's unending journey towards the
horizon. "They should have started making supper by now."
"Argh, I need some excuse why I'm late," Zelanka said nervously and
started to collect her things and dress. She didn't notice she
accidentally tossed Benaroy's shirt to crate filled with decorations.
He had thrown a robe around himself and stopped her before she left
the room in a flurried mess. Putting his hands firmly on her
shoulders, Benaroy looked her straight in the eye, and in that calm,
assured voice practiced over terms of leadership he said, "Just tell
them that you came to pick up the gather decorations and I asked you
help me with some mending. If they have any doubts, send them to me.
No one would question me."
"Yes, my lord, your wish is my command," Zelanka replied with slightly
naughty and flirty smile. She stole a glance of his mirror to see that
she looked decent and hadn't got a buttons askew. Her hair was a
frizzy mess, but that was normal.
"May I command you again?" Benaroy asked hopefully as he caught her
eye in the reflection.
"You know I won't say no," Zelanka replied.
"You could, you know," he said as he came up to stand behind her. "I
would do nothing to hurt you or shame you if you chose to end this."
"Like I could," she said with mildly self-derisively tone. She never
been more happy than during these stolen moments with him. How could
she give up them? Yet, deep down she knew it couldn't last. She was
married woman with children, he was Lord Holder. Sometimes she felt
like she lived inside a harper romance.
Benaroy reached around to turn face towards his so he could kiss her
once more. It was hard to end their time together. He couldn't
remember the last time he had felt so alive. Reluctantly he pulled
away and whispered huskily, "Go now before we both get into trouble."
"I'm going," she said with wistful smile. Some of the flags were
handing outside the box, so she just crammed the deeper inside. With
one more longing look, she hurried outside.
Last updated on the August 21st 2018