A Quick Adventure

Writers: Avery, Heather
Date Posted: 27th March 2015

Characters: Talwynn, D'kere
Description: D'kere and Talwynn go on another private beach retreat.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 12, day 7 of Turn 7

Dragonsfall's weather might have been improving with spring, but
Talwynn was still excited by the idea of visiting her private inlet
with D'kere. Who didn't love the tropical sand and beautiful water?
She couldn't wait to slip back into the sea and feel free again. And
of course, time with a man she'd come to care deeply for wasn't a bad
idea either. She even had a blanket and a little basket.

}:Ow.:{ Riveth complained as Talwynn pulled the straps to tighten them
up. }:We're not going far.:{

"Maybe you're getting pudgy," the greenrider teased. "Gotta get used
to them actually being secure. We can't skate by anymore." Becuase if
she was honest, she'd been a bit careless with safety.

The green's response was a huff of displeasure, but she was distracted
by lifting her head. }:Kenirath comes.:{

Earlier that morning D'kere had packed a bag and strapped it to
Kenirath before starting his day with the Weyrlings. Now that he was
finished, it only took a quick hop to his lifemate's neckridge for the
pair to head across the Weyr to meet up with Talwynn and Riveth.

}:There you are, lovely one.:{ Kenirath warbled happily as he came to
a brief landing beside of the smaller green dragon.

"You all set?" D'kere called over, his blue eyes barely visible as he
squinted against the sun.

"Perfectly ready. Still got the visual?" she asked back.

Riveth let out a happy sound. }:I look forward to the warm,:{ she said
to the bronze.

"Of course, I haven't forgotten what that beautiful beach looks like."
D'kere winked as he confirmed the image with Kenirath and then waved
at the greenrider. The bronze sprang upward then, gaining a safe
altitude over Dragonsfall before blinking /between/.

Appearing out over the tropical location with white beaches and clear
water, D'kere inhaled the ocean air with a pleased sigh. Even though
he was a Dragonsfall native, he could easily imagine himself living at
a tropical location like Dolphin Cove. **Maybe I'll retire there to
the warmth when I am old and worn out.** He thought with a chuckle as
Kenirath drifted to the ground in slow, lazy circles.

Riveth bugled in delight as she popped into the warm air. It was late
afternoon and she wanted to lounge and sleep. They'd come out very
high up. Unlike the bronze, she was too impatient to wait, narrowing
her wings and plummeting straight down towards the sand before flaring
her wings to settle into a landing instead of crashing into the
ground. Her impact was a little hard, and blew sand up around her, but
it was very showy.

Talwynn whooped in glee at the dive, pleased that the
carefully-tightened straps had held out. It took her more than a
minute to disengage the catches and slip down, but she was beaming
when she hit the sand.

"That was a rush."

D'kere chuckled as he watched Riveth land. While Kenirath circled
lazily downward the bronzerider shrugged out of his jacket and peeled
off his shirt.

"In a hurry, are we?" He teased after Kenirath finally landed with a
soft backwing that kept the sand from spraying up on Talwynn. Jumping
down from his dragon's neckridge, D'kere began the process of tugging
off his boots.

"A little bit. And I miss fancy flying. Taking some risks. Feeling danger."

The kinds of things she'd been told not to do - at first because of
damage, later because she'd lost some of her nerve, and because what
was the point of practicing acrobatics when she'd never be called to
use them? But she _missed_ it.

She sat down to get a better angle at peeling off her own shoes, then
piled her jacket and on top of it.

}:What about me?:{ Riveth grumped.

**In a moment.**

"Then why don't you do some fancy flying in your free time?" He asked
as he shimmied out of his breeches and then turned and unhooked
Kenirath's straps. As soon as the bronze was free he shuffled down to
the water, entering with a happy splash.

"I think I might. Need to finish my new set of riding straps," she
admitted. "Gave part of them a test with that stunt."

Again it took her longer to unhook her own dragon, but soon enough
they fell away. Riveth proceeded a little father down the beach to
start wallowing in the sun-warmed sand, though she kept an eye on the
handsome bronze.

Talwynn made her way over to D'kere, careful of the shifting sand.
"You ever do anything daredevil or risky just to feel the blood
pumping?"

D'kere grinned at the question, "When I was a wingrider I use to
always volunteer to be the 'dangling rider' during the rescue drills.
Being towed through the air is quite a rush." Of course in the rescue
drills the rider in need of 'rescue' was always properly harnessed and
secured and in no real danger, but it was a good simulation
regardless. "Cliff diving is fun too."

"Dangling rider sounds fun. Your weyrlings need one for practice?" she
asked with a wink.

"We used a stuffed dummy with them." He laughed, thinking of poor
E'clet trying to actually catch a real person. The boy was sixteen and
as puny as a weed.

"But you know, I might be rusty on performing mouth-to-mouth and chest
compressions. Maybe you could help me with that?" He returned her wink
before letting his gaze sweep over her boldly.

"I think that could be arranged," she said, taking another step
closer. "And then at some point you'll have to tell me more about the
cliff-diving."

A smiled curved D'kere's lips as he reached out and curled his arm
around Talwynn's waist, "Deal." Bringing the greenrider flush against
him, D'kere ducked his head and nibbled a tantalizing line along her
neck and shoulder. "Shall we go for a swim?"

"I think that would be delightful," she purred. With the water's
support, she'd be more free to tease her partner.

Bending at the waist without warning, D'kere scooped Talwynn into his
arms and strode down toward the water, "You think living somewhere
warm all-Turn round would be easier on your joints?" He asked
suddenly, an eyebrow arched as he reached the darkened sand where the
tide had receded.

"It very well might," she said, shifting herself to sling an arm around
his back. "But what nice tropical Weyr would take a young cripple over a
seasoned fighter?"

"Perhaps one who wants a package deal? An experienced bronzerider,
Weyrlingmaster's Second plus a young cripple? We're took good to pass
up." D'kere teased as he waded into the water up to his shins.
"Besides, I would imagine that a nice tropical Weyr would need
Weyrlingstaff, and help with star charts just the same as Dragonsfall
does."

She tilted her head, wondering where he was going. "Are you thinking about
moving?"

"Not without you." The blonde assured her with the wink of one blue
eye. "I am just daydreaming mostly, I suppose. You gotta admit, coming
to beaches like this makes it easy to imagine what it must be like to
live in the sunshine all the time."

"I grew up in this area, you know. It's a paradise compared to the snow
and cold. But then when you think about it, in the summer when it's even
worse, you wind up wanting a break from it."

Realizing it sounded like she was flaming the idea, she gave him a little
smile. "I do think it'd be lovely, though."

"What about one of those seasonal Weyrs where they get to enjoy summer
and winter?" D'kere guided them out past the rough breakers, to the
calmer waters, where he released his hold on Talwynn.

"Sounds like the best choice. You know of one that has an opening?" She
was content to play this what-if for now.

She paddled backwards so she was floating fully in the waves, letting them
leech the tension free.

"No," he flashed his white teeth at her as a smile curved across his
face. "I am just daydreaming, remember?"

"Well, if you ever hear of a chance to make it a reality, let me know."

"You would move?" D'kere's eyebrows lifted in surprise.

She nodded, but hesitated while she tried to put her answer into
words. It was odd for her to not really feel attached to a place. As a
loyal person, she liked having an identity and real pride. She
wouldn't have wanted to transfer out during weyrling training, or
active flying. Then she'd had a firm attachment to being a Dragonsfall
rider, in a particular wing.

But she was retired, and so somewhat dislocated within the overall
structure of the Weyr. And as such, what was her motive to care about
one place over the other? Any Weyr would do, and she wouldn't be a
prize for any.

}:You're not useless,:{ Riveth interjected. She stirred on the sand,
cracking open one eye and turning to look at her rider. She didn't
like the sick feelings of self-pity and worthlessness. Her rider was
stronger then that.

"I Impressed here, but wasn't born and raised. I don't feel any real
attachment to one Weyr over another," she finally said.
"I'm more surprised you would. Haven't you been at Dragonsfall forever?"

"Since the dawning of time...." He trailed his voice of in a
mysterious fashion before he waggled his eyebrows. "Yes, I was born at
Dragonsfall, and been there ever since. I'm pretty immune to the cold
at this point but I do like the sand and sun. Sometimes I get an itch
to live some place different and new."

"Well we can go exploring whenever and look around. Visit exotic
locales, see new places. That's the promise of being a rider, right?"
she said with a crooked grin.

D'kere grinned back at her, "It is. But enough of that... I believe we
have chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth to get to." The man's blue
eyes gleamed.

"I do believe we do," she said. "But you might have to grab me first." And
she dipped under the water and was off before he could respond.

The bronzerider growled playfully and launched through the water after
Talwynn. Despite the woman's injuries the water was an equalizer and
she was just as fleet as he was in the waves. D'kere loved seeing her
this way, carefree and playful. Maybe they could take an adventure
some day and go somewhere new, the future was wide open for them.

Last updated on the March 30th 2015

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A Quick Adventure