Back On the Boat

Writers: AL, Kaysea
Date Posted: 28th February 2009

Characters: Relea, Nico
Description: Nico finds that Relea has finally returned to the Riverboat.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 1, day 23 of Turn 5

Relea

Leaton was _not_ in a good mood. Had things gone the way he had planned, he would not have needed the return passage for his sister However, he did. Evidently the man could not get past her problem. She was damaged goods and while she was just as good for bearing children as any other woman, he seemed to think that her deafness might be passed on, damaging any children produced. At that rate, Relea would be an old auntie, growing old and unmarried and he'd have to keep his eye upon her. And what if something happened to him? Their parents were dead. What then? No, he needed to find her a husband, get her settled and then he wouldn't have to worry about her any longer. There was also the fact that he had been away. Granted he had been doing some work in trying to procure certain contacts, but it wasn't the same. Mostly, a month had been gone and wasted.

They had made their way back to the boat quickly once it was made clear that she wasn't wanted. He had taken her to her quarters and made his way to his own, fairly stomping with every step in his frustration. Relea watched him from the doorway until he disappeared and sighed, then closed the door. The room was empty though there were four beds. Her roommates would not be there until probably the next day as the boat didn't leave until the following afternoon. Well, she could get some work on that sweater if nothing else.

It was, perhaps, a good thing that she hadn't let go of the doorknob as of yet. Had she done so, she wouldn't have known that someone had knocked. She didn't hear it, but she felt it and immediately opened the door. She wasn't surprised to see Nico and immediately a smile sprang up to light her face.

"You're back!" he grinned widely at her, "I was wondering when you would return." His words were scrambled, and he had to take control of his excitement and calm his words and actions. "Welcome back." He said, after taking a deep breath.

Relea obviously didn't quite catch everything he said in the flurry of words, but she did understand the last phrase. Her smile brightened and she nodded, signing 'yes', a simple enough sign that he would, hopefully, remember. She then signed a polite, "How are you?"

"Good...good." he answered both by words and signing to her. "And you?" he asked, his eyes meeting hers while in his head he thought of the sudden kiss she had bestowed on him the last time they had met.

"Good." She signed, then added, "Thank you." Relea realised then that she was in her room while he was standing outside. It wouldn't do to invite him in and they be alone, so she stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her. She took up her stylus and etched, "Returning early is all right?" No one had said anything to them about it save to state that if they went ashore again they should be certain to be back before the boat set upon its course for it would not wait for them.

"Returning early is fine," he nodded, then thought, "Have you had anything to eat since you returned?" Nico asked, offering his arm to her.

Relea shook her head and then slowly took his arm. Leaton saw them...well, hopefully he wouldn't be moving from his room for a while. He was rather upset.

"Your stay was longer than you expected?" he asked, enjoying having her on his arm. He was aching to ask why her brother had looked like thunder when they had come back aboard, but knew it wouldn't be proper to probe.

Relea shook her head, then shrugged. It was just as well. The prospect had been quite a bit older than her. That in itself wouldn't have been so bad if he just hadn't been so...so...stiff? It wasn't quite the word she was looking for, but it would do.

"What's wrong?" Nico asked, turning her face towards his, as he met her eyes.

Relea raised her eyebrows, not quite catching the question until Nico repeated it. She then shook her head and waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. There was no point in worrying over the prospect for he was no longer a prospect. She just wished Leaton wasn't so upset.

"Okay, if you insist - but, if you ever want to talk - you know I'm here." He stopped outside the galley door and held it open for her.

Relea missed a couple of words, but the meaning was clear. She smiled and nodded, then slipped into the galley. She had dined in there with her brother before so had a passing familiarity with it. She stepped to the side to wait for Nico, then motioned at a place where they could sit.

"You go and sit, and I'll grab a cold platter from the servery." He spoke slowly, and indicated where the platters of fruit, cheese, meats and breads rested. "Cold drinks or klah?" he asked.

That was something they hadn't gone over so Relea wrote it upon her stylus, "Cold please."

A few moments later he took a seat next to her, placing the tray in front of them, he passed her a mug and poured some cold fruit juice for her. "So, you're returning home, is there someone waiting there for you?" he asked, not knowing how else to ask without coming straight out with it.

Relea shook her head and took a sip of her juice before she wrote down, "Just Leaton and me." She shrugged and gave a half smile then took another sip of her drink. It was cool and sweet and felt good going down. Relea knew exactly what Nico had meant. Perhaps a bit forward of him, but those on the riverboat seemed more forward than hold folk. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"And your parents?" he asked, taking a sip of his own juice, before dropping his gaze and eyeing the platter of fruit and cheese.

Relea lowered her gaze and made a sign before she reached out to take the chalk and write upon her stylus, "Passed on."

"Oh...I'm sorry." He bit his lip, hoping he hasn't pushed her too far with his questions. "I...I didn't know."

The girl laughed with that strange sound of hers and made a gesture that was impossible to really interpret. She wiped her stylus and wrote, 'who would expect?'. She shrugged again and reached out to take up her juice. It was a common and polite question and she hadn't meant to make him feel bad with the answer. Death was as much a part of life as birth, and just as painful if in a different manner.

"True..." he nodded, searching for something else to say, but realised he had nothing more pressing than discovering if she had anyone special waiting for her back home. "Is there.... Um," he paused, looked out across the water, then back at her, "is there anyone you're returning to?"

The look that Nico got in return for the question was amused. Her mouth quirked upward and after a moment's pause, perhaps done deliberately to keep him waiting, she shook her head. She had thought he would understood what she meant by 'just Leaton and me' earlier, but perhaps he was playing it safe.

"No one?" he asked, swallowing deeply. He couldn't believe she didn't have plenty of men following in her wake.

Once again the girl silently replied in the negative then shrugged. She didn't mind. Her brother had been trying to get her married off for some time and to be honest, she hadn't much liked his choice of prospects.

The shake of her head, was all he needed to press forward with what had Been on his mind since they had first met. "Would it be... would you mind...?" he licked his lips, girding up the courage to speak again, "Would you permit me to call on you, once you return home? When we dock in Port, that is?" he asked, daring to meet her eyes whilst he spoke. "I'd...I'd speak to your brother, of course, and get his permission..."

Relea's smile returned at the offer and she nodded. She made a few signs, stopped herself, then quickly took up her stylus to write, "I would like that."

"Then I shall make my request as soon as I meet with him again." Nico bowed his head briefly, the smile wide on his face.

Last updated on the February 28th 2009

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