Memories of Times Long Ago

Writers: Eimi, Ames
Date Posted: 1st March 2011

Characters: U'kaiah, Janani
Description: Janani thinks back on old times
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr, Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 13, day 23 of Turn 5
Notes: Mentions: Tavia

Tavia hadn't been gone long. U'kaiah was to be a father. Funny how
things worked out. She thought she'd heard he already had a son, but she
wasn't even sure of that for she hadn't seem him in a _very_ long time.

A smile came to her face as she sat contemplating the very first time
she remembered really noticing the rather dashing bronzerider.

~.~ Begin Flashback ~.~

The sun was bright and the air was warm. Janani had needed an excuse to
get out of the Weyr for some fresh air. It wasn't like she had all that
many duties to tend to. She helped with the hidework here and there, but
mostly she had far too much free time on her hands. So much so that
she'd taken to reading some of the more entertaining tales that she
could get her hands on. The story, currently residing in her hands was
rather captivating. So much so that she'd hardly watched all of the
waterball game. It was an amusing sport, yes, but not exactly her cup of
tea. Well, aside from the hulking males in their nice little bathing
suits.
She'd pull herself away from anything for _that_ view.

Glancing up she noticed that most of the other spectators had either
gone their separate ways or had made for the water themselves. Shards,
but she'd missed one of her favorite parts of the game, watching the
teams as they emerged from the water, their hard, muscular bodies just
glistening in the sun. She chided herself that next time she'd be a bit
more attentive to the live men around her and not caught up in some
silly make-believe man in a story. Sighing, she decided to turn her
attention back to said
make believe man to see what mischief he might churn up once again.

Luckily for her, the team began to assemble once more, balls, nets and
towels in hand, for their post match discussion, giving her wonderful
view of the men, and women, of the waterball team. "Right, good game
everyone," the captain said with an approving nod. "Our defense has
really improved and I think that new zone offense is really working
well. We'll keep drilling it, but I think it's going to be ready when
we go to River Bluff. And I have to say, I was quite impressed with our
U'kaiah! What a goal!"

The young bronzerider beamed under the praise. He had been rather proud
himself! He hadn't been on the team very long, and he was desperate to
prove himself to his older, more experienced teammates. U'kaiah soaked
it in as they gave him friendly claps on the shoulder and showered him
with praise.

"U'kaiah, as a reward for your hard work," the captain said with a grin,
knowing what was coming, "you get to take care of all the equipment.
All right, that's it for today! Good work everyone!"

There was a chorus of "Thanks, U'kaiah!" and "Way to go! Don't lose
that," as towels showered down around U'kaiah's feet as his teammates
waved goodbye and headed inside for a pint and a bite to eat.

"Thanks guys! I'll just take care of all this for you!" U'kaiah called
after them with a shake of his head, though he too was smiling. He knew
he was the low man in the Flight rotation and he would just have to suck
it up and do his time.

She had watched the scene from atop the pages she'd been attempting to
read. This time, however, she _did_ enjoy the view and not the story.
She wished she could reach out and snake her arms around a few of the
rather handsome young men on the team, but that would _not_ help her win
the favor of the Weyrwoman and the other goldriders. She had much to
prove,
more to herself than to them.

She tried not to draw attention to herself as she oogled the sleek
bodies presented for her eyes to feast upon, but when the team all but
dumped their towels onto the youngest player, she couldn't help but
laugh out loud. It was a playful, light sounding laugh. One that made
her eyes seem to twinkle along in merriment as well.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," U'kaiah said, rolling his eyes and planting his
hands on his hips as he faced his critic, though his lips were spread
wide in a smile and his eyes twinkled with merriment. "You just watch.
When I'm captain of the waterball team, they'll all be carrying _my_
towels. Just see if they don't."

She snorted, but she was grinning in his direction. "It takes more than
_one_ towel to be captain?" She teased.

Oh, well, wasn't she the saucy one? he thought with a laugh. "Well, you
know, one for each leg, each arm, back, front, hair..."

She laughed so hard it brought tears to her eyes. Then when she looked
up at him again, she found she couldn't contain herself and the laughter
bubbled up once more.

"Tis a good thing you have so many before you now then, for the one
piteful towel you carry of your own would hardly suffice to cover _such_
a large...ahem....ego." She smirked and couldn't help but giggle again.

U'kaiah made a great show of pulling out his swimming trousers and
peeking down inside them. His eyebrows lifted slightly and he nodded
with satisfaction. "You know, I think you're right!" He turned his
eyes up to her slightly suspiciously, "But how did _you_ know that?"

She actually had to cover her face with her pages to hide her amusement
and the slight blush that had crept up to her cheeks. **He is _not_ what
you need in your life right now,** she told herself, but she couldn't
help finding him charming in a rather devilish sort of way.

"You'd be surprised what things I know," she challenged, enjoying the
spark of something that seemed to have charged the air between them.

"Oh? Try me," he said with a daring lift of his eyebrows before bending
over to pick up the first towel and shake it out. "Tell me, Janani,
what _do_ you know?"

Caught! She thought with a grin as her mind whirled to try and find
something witty to say.

"Well for starters, U'kaiah, I know _all_ about your charming ways, and
they will _not_ work on me!" **There, that was a good answer,** she
thought happily.

"Oh, reeeeeally?" he asked with innocent eyes, folding the towel and
picking up another. "How do you know I ever intended for them to work
on you, hmmmm?"

**Why does he have to be so sharding tempting,** she asked herself
before sitting the story aside and staring right at him.

"Who said I was even interested? Waterball players aren't _really_ my
thing." **Only because I can't _do_ them _and_ impress the Weyrwoman at
the same time.**

"I would agree, that group of misfits are hardly worth you time," he
said with an arrogant sniff. "But you're a future Weyrwoman, and I'm a
future Weyrleader. Doesn't that make you in the least bit curious about
what our future holds?"

"The part about _me_ is true," she replied, "but you, hmm, I don't know
if I see that in _your_ future." She couldn't help but try and rile him.
The
longer she kept him busy, the longer she could enjoy looking at him,
which was definitely _not_ a hardship at all.

"Oh, don't worry," he said, his smile confident and no longer teasing.
"I'm destined for great things, Janani. I won't be a rank and filer all
my life. No way. You'll soon see what I can do."

"Only time will tell that, U'kaiah," Janani replied. Why was it that she
found him so appealing? It was something about his confidence, something
she, herself, shared. Perhaps someday they _would_ both be in positions
of power. Only time would tell.

U'kaiah wasn't surprised that she didn't seem to impressed with the
thought. That was all right. Not many people were yet. But he would
show them all! He was destined for greatness, and having the best
bronze in the Weyr, Kalamath, only assured him that he would never be an
ordinary man. "Well, someone tell time to catch up," he said, giving
her a quick wink.

She smiled and shook her head at him, but she couldn't help but wonder
what the future would hold for them both.

~.~ End Flashback ~.~

Janani found herself back in her office, shaking her head just as she
had all those Turns ago. She'd thought on U'kaiah now and again over the
Turns, but nothing too involved. In her mind, she'd left behind her early life
at Dragonsfall when she'd moved to River Bluff. She'd become a new woman
and had thoroughly enjoyed the freedom that had given her. Still, she
wondered how U'kaiah had fared over the Turns. She recalled their brief moments
together fondly and wondered if he did as well.

Last updated on the January 28th 2012

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Memories of Times Long Ago