Eye on the Sky

Writers: Eimi
Date Posted: 14th August 2007

Characters: U'kaiah
Description: U'kaiah watches the dragons from his ledge hopeing to catch a glimpse of a special visitor
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 5, day 8 of Turn 4

U'kaiah had been raised in the Weyr. Heights were just a fact of life.
In fact, sometimes he preferred them. He had no reservation whatsoever
about walking straight up to the edge of his top level weyr and sitting
with his legs dangling over the side. It gave him a beautiful view of
the Weyr Bowl and the dragons flying in. His face turned up to the pink
and blue sky of dawn as another dragon popped in from /between/, the
Watchdragon bugling a welcome. The dragon's blue hide was almost lost
against the color of the sky.

A blue. Not gold. It was amazing that even after sevendays his eyes
still scanned the skies, and his heart sank every time he looked up to
see the dragon arriving wasn't the one carrying her. He shivered
slightly as the wind whipped through his open shirt. Funny, he had
never
noticed the cold before.

His fingers curled around the stone edge as his eyes starred straight
down between his knees. **Where are you, Trae?** his mind whispered.
**How long can you stay away?**

Every day she didn't come he asked that question over and over. And
each day that past the aching fear grew that maybe the answer was
indefinitely. He wondered if maybe she didn't miss him like he missed
her. Miss, shards, he didn't just miss her. He longed for her. He
mourned for her. He lamented the way they had parted. He grieved when
he felt her hands pushing him away. She had run away from him without a
backwards glance, lept onto Nyith's neck and sprung almost strait
/between/. And that was the end. That was the end of sevendays of
sweet loving moments. But a greater fear gripped him. Had that moment
signified the end of much more?

U'kaiah couldn't help but wonder what would happen if she _did_ come
back to him, but had decided they could only ever be friends. She had
said they would see each other. Trae had seemed adamant about that.
But what if she had meant as only friends? Could he look at her now as
just his friend? Or would he always have to fight the desire to touch
her? To run his fingers through her hair. To brush his lips across her
skin. To envelope her in his arms. That which once had been innocent
acts of friendship meant so much more now. How could they ever go back
to the way things were when every easy sign of affection would be filled
with the knowledge that friends were all they could ever be? It would
be torture. But at least it would be something, which would be better
than nothing. And nothing was what they had now. A great, empty
nothing like /between/.

**How could you leave me like that?** his mind whispered. **How could
you of all people be so cruel.**

And yet, as he closed his eyes against the biting wind, he couldn't
quite bring himself to regret it all. Not when he could remember the
way her lips had felt, her skin, her tongue. He had seen the heat of
desire in her eyes, and felt the soft caress of love in her kiss. Oh
shards, if he had to stand next to her and never feel that again...
Would it even be worth it?

"There you are," a voice drawled behind him. "Aren't you freezing out
here?"

"I don't mind the cold," he shrugged, turning to look over his shoulder
at the woman wrapped in his weyrhide jacket and little else. "Did I
wake you?"

"No. I was pretty tired," she smiled, sinking down to the stone behind
him, thankful the jacket was rather long on her. "What are you doing
out here?"

"Just thinking," he said absently, turning his face skyward at the sound
of another welcoming call.

"Oh? About what?" she murmured, reaching around to slip her fingers
under the open buttons of his shirt.

A bronze. U'kaiah sighed as he leaned back against her. Her presence
was a sort of comfort, but just a shadow of something deeper. "Just...
About how I wish we didn't have drills this morning."

"Well, you know what you could do about that," she smiled, grazing his
ear with her teeth. "Speaking on behalf of your wing, we wouldn't mind
at all if you canceled drills for a day."

The bronzerider snorted as he reached up to cover her hand with his.
Trae would be leading drills already. Or maybe she'd be sitting at her
desk working on a mountain of hidework... "I doubt the Weyrleader would
like that much."

"Everyone deserves a little time off." Her fingers slipped into his
hair, running through his black curls. "Even ambitious Wingleaders."

"I wouldn't know what to do with myself." His eyes closed as he leaned
into her hand. U'kaiah knew exactly what he'd want to do, though. He'd
go to Dolphin Cove. Shards, if he could just _see_ her again...

"Surely you could think of something..."

"I'm sure I could..." Actually, it wouldn't be a bad idea. Get the air
cleared. At least that way he'd _know_ where they stood. It was this
sharding waiting that was tearing into him. His wingsecond was more
than capable. In fact, it was about time he was given a chance to prove
himself by leading drills alone for a day. His eyes drifted upwards as
a green popped in. Shards, it was tempting. Even if he just took a
couple candlemarks off, that could be enough.

"Just think..." she murmured in his ear as her fingers scrapped lightly
across his abdomen. "We could take our time..."

**Time...** The rest of her words were drowned out as he remembered
Trae's words to him. 'I need time..' **Shards, Trae, how much time do
you need?** And what would happen if he pushed her too fast again.
Could he push her away even more by such a show of desperation? Would
he push her away completely with his impatience?

He sighed as he closed his eyes and turned his head towards the woman as
she tickled the stubble on his jaw. Could he really take being pushed
away again? Was it worth the risk? Why was it all so sharding
complicated? What he felt for this greenrider was shallow, but at least
it didn't hurt.

But she, nor any other woman, could ever be Trae...

"We'd better get dressed," he whispered softly as a bronze's brassy
bugle rang off the stone cliffs, finally coming to a decision. "We've
got drills soon." He'd just have to wait for Trae to come to him. And
until she did, he'd always keep one eye on the sky.

Last updated on the September 3rd 2007

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Eye on the Sky