Rock the Boat

Writers: Anika, Chelle
Date Posted: 17th February 2015

Characters: Eirock, Rhosyn
Description: Rhosyn and Eirock meet at the Seacraft Hall opening and share more than a dance.
Location: Seacraft Hall
Date: month 11, day 18 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: K'sedel, Relik, Bryvin

Eirock

Sipping at his wine, Eirock mulled over the eventful day. The
Seacraft Hall was officially open and Relik certainly had a right to
be proud! And that steamship - what an impressive accomplishment!
All day he had been considering the possibilities and how this might
prove advantageous to Sunstone Hold. There had been numerous people
to meet and with him being new to his position there had been much
obligatory hobnobbing. Now, though, he was enjoying a few moments of
relaxation.

Upon hearing some rather boisterous laughter he turned slightly, a
small smile tugging at his lips as he observed the River Bluff
Weyrwoman. Her coppery hair was striking this evening and as he
watched her, his eyes were continually drawn to her full lips. He had
heard rumors, of course, about the River Bluff Weyrwoman, but he was
always cautious in taking another's word on any matter. Currently she
was quite animated and fairly loud, but he didn't find her manner
off-putting at all. As a Queen's rider it seemed fitting that she
stand out from the other more punctilious Hold and Craft women.

For the past few months, Rhosyn hadn't been able to do much credit to
her Whorewoman reputation. This day, though, she was on full display
and in fine form, contrary to the recent Hatching a month before. It
seemed as if she had exorcised her demons and was getting back to her
old self. Much to K'sedel's likely chagrin, she was wearing light
clothing due to the heat, though the wind coming from the water was
refreshing. It hugged her body and complimented her coloring, but it
was nothing that a woman of her rank would usually wear. Besides her
knots and her obvious appearance, most wouldn't immediately have
suspected her rank. Eying the floor set up for the dancing to begin,
she laughed at a joke some other rider had said as she surveyed the
crowd gathered. She wasn't really one for diplomacy but duty called so
she was here making an appearance.

Seeing her look toward the dance floor, Eirock's grin widened and he
came to his feet. Grabbing another glass of wine from a passing
drudge, Eirock approached the goldrider with an appreciative look for
the way her lightweight clothing accentuated her form. He was
cautious that his visual appraisal was not so obvious as to be
insulting, as he was ever aware of the politics of his position.
"You've no wine, Weyrwoman," he observed quietly, offering the newly
acquired glass as he looked down into her rather feline-like hazel
eyes.

Turning about to see who addressed her, Rhosyn immediately looked up.
As a short woman, it was an automatic reflex most days. To her
surprise, she was met with a face she didn't know. However a look at
the knots said this was someone she should know. **Well met. You are
the new steward then.** She took the offered wine and drank once
before holding it. **Green eyes...Now what did K'sedel say his name
was?** "But now I do. Thank you, steward, for tithing to your Weyr."
Smiling, Rhosyn liked her little joke.

"Offering such a tithe is a pleasure," he stressed the final word
slightly, but only just, so the innuendo was mild as he offered a
smile for her humor. "We've not yet met, My Lady. I'm Eirock."

"I'm not a Lady...no Hold you know." She sincerely hated when people
referred to her in such a fashion. "Never have been. Weyrwoman or
Rhosyn works just fine."

Eirock lifted an eyebrow. Few women he knew scoffed at the honorific,
but then he had a feeling Rhosyn was like very few women he'd met
before. He lifted his glass. "Very good to meet you Rhosyn."

She lifted hers and drank once then brought it back down. "And you as
well. So is the Hold happy with its new Hall?" She wondered if the
Lord Holder didn't realize that the crafters would be competing with
his own shipbuilding activities. Of course they would receive support
from the Hold but would eventually be providing it with ably trained
crafters in recompense. And the Weyr would expect its tithe as well.

"Indeed," Eirock gave a nod of affirmation. "Given the scope and
magnitude of the project, Relik's done a superior job in keeping the
timeline. I'm confident that productivity will follow the same path."
Morin's vision to bring the Hall had been a good one and there was no
doubt in Eirock's mind that Hold and Hall would benefit one another
greatly. "What did you think of the demonstration?"

"Honestly, I've never been one for boats. I prefer flying. However, I
know that something like that will benefit most of the people who need
that sort of thing. Of course the Weyr uses boats for tithe sometimes
so that's a consideration. Will be good for the Hold providing the
coal as well I imagine. Do you plan to buy that boat or will the Hall
benefit from its sailing?" Making polite conversation she did notice
the new steward was attractive. **Is he married?** He didn't seem so
and hadn't introduced a wife so perhaps not. He was also new to his
position and that factored in.

"We haven't had the opportunity to discuss the business ramifications
with Relik yet, he's kept this quiet, but I see this being beneficial
for many," he replied, though he doubted the Weyrwoman was overly
interested in the affairs of Hold and Hall unless tithing was
affected. "As for transport, well, I can understand where you would
have a predisposition towards flying. Once a person's been
adragonback, everything else pales in comparison."

"Ah so you've ridden then." The Hallmaster had surprised the Holders.
That was a good bit of information. That meant he was expressing his
craft autonomy already. Could be interesting. The old man clearly had
turns on both the Lord and the Steward so was likely more wily. Or
maybe he just kept a good secret. **Never a queen though I'd wager.
Now that is power between your legs. I wonder if you have some then
Steward? Or does Bryvin lead you around by your nose?**

He nodded and noticed that the harpers had struck up a dance tune.
Emptying his wine glass he answered, "My sister's a greenrider. Would
you care to dance, Weyrwoman?" This time his admiring look was more
obvious. Eirock had always found red-heads particularly attractive
and he wondered if there were any truth to the rumors about River
Bluff's Weyrwoman. There was something very alluring about the
confident and boisterous woman in front of him.

That was good information to note for later. "Aye sure. Always lived a
good turnabout." She finished off the wine and handed it to a passing
drudge. And then she let herself be led like the queenrider she was for
once.

~*~

Well into the evening Eirock captured Rhosyn for a dance once again,
this time the music was slow and the rhythm almost sensual. The two
had shared several turns about the dance floor and nearly as many glasses
of wine. Having an excuse to hold the tantalizing Weyrwoman a little
closer was just what Eirock wanted. Perhaps their pleasant evening need
not end when the Harpers ceased their playing.

"Are your feet beginning to tire? You've barely had time to sit. It seems
everyone wants to take advantage of the opportunity to claim a dance with
the lovely Weyrwoman."

"Well the lovely Weyrwoman doesn't get out much so perhaps they want to
make sure she's real indeed." Making another quip, Rhosyn slowed down and
was glad when the song was over. "I think..it would be nice to rest. Been a
long day." This wasn't his Hold but it was his territory. Perhaps he knew
where to go. The revelry was beginning to wind down and Rhosyn wondered if
she should start making her way home. Then again, Eirock was proving amusing
and handsome.

"There are any number of empty boats docked outside, if you want a place
to put your feet up where you'll not be bothered," he suggested quietly.

One of her brows came up just slightly. She wasn't stupid. Then again, maybe
it was time she did something she might enjoy instead of behaving. And it would
probably also help her along her path of self discovery since she had
realized recently just how alienated she had become from herself. Rhosyn considered
the possible consequences briefly and decided she didn't care. "Lead on then."

Pleased that she'd consented, Eirock offered his arm and the two
exited to make their way to the docks. He knew many of the boats and
consequently the owners of the vessels moored there so when he came
upon the _Sea Reeds Whisper_ he stopped and gave Rhosyn a grin. "I
saw Gruutus passed out not a candlemark ago. He'll not budge until
well after first light," he explained offering his hand to help her
aboard. Eirock also knew that the seaman kept a nice tidy vessel that
he used to ferry locals about from Hold to Hall and the like.

Wondering if he thought she had fallen for his ruse or if he knew she was
intelligent enough to realize what he wanted, Rhosyn quietly followed.
He was eager, that was for sure. Did he understand what this was going
to be and all it was going to be? She picked her way carefully, looking
around her at the vessel's accommodations. "I doubt I'll need to rest for that
long."

Rhosyn was no naive maiden and Eirock assumed when she agreed to
accompany him, that she was agreeing to more, but he'd long since learned
that one didn't really want to rely on assumptions when dealing with women.
In his experience they wanted to be pursued, to be wooed, but ultimately
some were more interested in leading an intricate chase than the physical
outcome. "We can stay as long or short a time as you desire, Weyrwoman,"
he stated huskily. "Would you like more wine?"

"Aye sure." Seeing an open sofa, she walked toward it and sat. It did feel
good to her tired feet but she didn't say that. Instead she watched him as he
moved around the cabin. He was sure so it was clear he had been on a boat before
whereas she had not. And again, he was attractive. A few conversations had
confirmed that he wasn't married or engaged. And this location meant he
understood that no one needed to know what happened if it happened. Comfortable
for the moment, she thought back on other things that were said about him.
He was new to his position. Not many knew much about him except he had
holder kin in the area. Bryvin trusted him, though.

He poured them both more wine and handed Rhosyn a glass, trailing his
fingers suggestively over hers as he did so. Then he took a seat on the sofa
allowing her a bit of space. Taking a sip of his wine, he then set it down and
looked appraisingly at the woman before him. Beyond being attractive, she had
proven an interesting companion during the evening. More than willing to speak her
mind and seemingly unconcerned what others thought, yet there was something
underneath that. Something he couldn't put his finger on. "If you care to
kick your shoes off, I could possibly ease some of the fatigue in your feet," he
suggested sitting back and patting his lap.

Slowly slipping her shoes off, she leaned back into the comfort of the sofa
and offered her battered feet to the steward for a rub. It was refreshing to be
taken care of for a change. Taking advantage of it for the moment, she watched his
face. "So why would you want to be steward here, despite the advantages of the
rank itself?"

With a firm but tender touch, Eirock massaged the small foot in his
lap working his thumb into her arch and across the pad of her big toe.
"Potential," he answered simply, which was certainly truthful in part.
His debt to Bryvin was not something he had mentioned to anyone, nor
was it something he planned to. "Sunstone is a new Hold and brimming
with potential. It is already larger than some of the older and more
established Holds and I believe that it could become one of the
greatest and most influential."

It wasn't lost on her that the more successful Sunstone became, the more
territory it would have and the more Hold they would have to protect. That
would mean more tithe, though. "Right but all of that was due to Lord Morin.
Lord Bryvin may not be as great as his predecessor. You seem to think he
will be though."

"There's no adventure in betting on a sure thing. If you want to win big
you have to be willing to take risks, but at the same time keep your head about
you. I believe Bryvin has the determination and drive to carry through with what
Morin started," Eirock explained as he worked each of her toes between his fingers
and then rubbed circles up to her ankle. "I also have confidence that I can
help make that happen."

She made a small noise in the back of her throat. A confident man was something
to admire. That had always attracted her in the past, why should now be any
different? "No one bet on me and yet...I'm still here." Her voice became quiet and she
watched him for a few moments, hazel eyes resting on green ones. The way he touched
her bare skin was pleasant and she wanted more of it. "Come here, Eirock, I
think my shoulders are a little stiff too."

"How about if you come _here_?" he asked with a chuckle reaching across to
lift and position her in front of him then obliging her by running his hands down her
neck and across her lovely shoulders. He nuzzled her neck, breathing in her scent
and trailing his lips across sensitive skin. "You are an intoxicating woman, Rhosyn."

~*~

It had been odd being on a docked ship since the vessel rocked with the
water. That was a first. Rising early, Rhosyn had hurried to grab her things.
Thankfully, her queen had already come down from the fireheights, knowing her
thoughts. Walking out to the empty square, she had thrown on her jacket and helmet.
With a smile on her face, she mounted and headed back to the Weyr. Not a bad party, after all.

Last updated on the March 1st 2015

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Rock the Boat