Too Much Freedom (1/4)

Writers: Paula, Len
Date Posted: 11th May 2011

Characters: Sh'lua, G'wen
Description: Sh'lua makes good on a promise and takes G'wen to the tavern at the Vintner Hall
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr, Vintner Hall
Date: month 2, day 22 of Turn 6
Notes: Note: part 1 of 4

"Don't you worry, G'wen, she'll be fine!" S'vin sat back and eyed his
friend, before laughing at the anxious expression on the boy's face.
Neath, sitting in the sun and watching for Galerith to arrive, looked
just as woeful at the thought of not spending the afternoon with her
lifemate. "Come on Neath, you're going fishing with Kadeth and I!"
he told the young green. "Just think of how impressed all those
bronze boys'll be after you catch the biggest fish in that lake!"

She did perk up at that, telling G'wen and Kadeth, }:they_would_be
impressed, wouldn't they?:{ She liked the idea of doing something
better than the bronzes, at that. Not showing any potential at being
a search dragon had been eating at her a bit. She nuzzled her
lifemate, letting him know she was going to miss him, today.

Overhead a similar blue shaped floated down to them. "And here comes
your hot date," S'vin teased, ducking when G'wen tried to punch him.
"Geez you're getting violent lately! Just how many times have you
punched me in the last month?"

"He's_not_my date, so shut up before he hears you!" G'wen hissed,
trying to stop grinning and scowl at his friend. And whilst he may
have had a thing for the tall blue rider, he was sure Sh'lua was yet
another one that saw him only as his da's weyrbrat..eternally 7 and
ready to be bounced on a knee.

Galerith landed neatly. Sh'lua leaned down. "Ready to go, G'wen? Just
get up here," he called, holding out hand in case the boy need help.
Galerith was big blue. He was also wearing passenger straps.

S'vin grinned and gave G'wen a rude gesture, before waving hello to
Sh'lua and stepping back with Neath and Kadeth. "Go have fun! Don't
worry, mum, we'll take care of your big girl here!"

G'wen gave Neath one last look before reaching up and grabbing
Sh'lua's hand and one of the straps. He was used to getting on large
blues, as his da's Manarth was pretty much the same size as Galerith
here. He buckled himself in and smiled to Sh'lua, letting him know he
was ready.

Sh'lua gave him a warning just when Galerith leaped to the air. After
gaining the safe altitude, the blue popped /between/.
"Welcome to Amber Hills hold, we are going to visit the vintner hall's
famous tavern!" Sh'lua called when they came out over the hold.
Following mental instruction from his rider, the blue deliberately
landed slowly, making big circles above the place and offering a good
view to his passengers.

"Really?" G'wen squeaked. He had heard all sorts of tales about the
tavern over the turns, most of them exciting. As the blue circled, he
watched everything, making careful note as to where exactly good
landmarks were placed and at what distance everything was to one
another and at what angle Galerith was flying.

"Really. Don't worry, this is a neat place," Sh'lua replied. "Good
food and good drinks."
The blue landed in front of the Tavern.

G'wen slid down Galerith's shoulder and waited for Sh'lua, trying not
to feel timid as more than a few eyes turned to look at the three of
them. He swallowed nervously, his mouth feeling dry at the thought
that he wasn't going to be around Weyr-types now. Glancing up at the
older man, he hoped he'd give him some instruction before throwing him
on in there.

"It should be rather quiet around this time of the day," Sh'lua said
after he had dismounted. Galerith had been here many times and knew to
move to suitable sunning place without being told to. "Come on, let's
get in," Sh'lua put a hand on the boy's shoulder and gently guided him
towards the door.

"Okay," G'wen said, sounding braver than he felt. As they opened the
door, a lovely smell hit them, reminding him that he had been a while
since breakfast.

They were greeted at the door by the tavern staff.

"Hello, Helisse, what goodies is your mother cooking today?" Sh'lua
greeted her. He had visited the tavern often enough to know her by
name. She was pretty, young and although she didn't mind light flirt,
she had made clear that she was decent, honourable hold-woman.

"Greetings Sh'lua. There's fresh river fish coming up with tuber-bean
salad," she replied and guided them to a free table.

"Sounds delicious, I take that and pint of Amber's Pride- ale." the
bluerider said.

"And what do you want, sir?" the girl turned to G'wen. "Besides the
fish, we had herdbeast stew and mashed tubers and salad with
yesterday's wherry-leftovers, if you want to eat light," Her smile was
all business-like.

"I'll have what he's having." His voice was barely above a whisper as
he spoke. After she left he looked around, in wonder at the place.

She brought them two pints and basket of bread and butter, "Here you
are. The food will take awhile, I'm afraid," she said.

"That's all right, thank you," Sh'lua said and took a first sip of the
ale. "Aah, this is life," he sighed and leaned backwards.

The younger man eyed the pint before him and tried to hide his glee.
Looking up at Sh'lua, he explained, "the Weyrling ban was lifted just
a few days ago...so now I_can_drink." At that he took a big drink, or
two.

"Be careful, after months of no drinking, it will hit you hard," Sh'lua warned.

G'wen rolled his eyes at that suggestion. The beer was bitter on his
tongue, after not having tasted it in months, but after three or more
swallows, it was getting back to tasting good again. In no time at
all he had half the pint in his stomach. Ah yes, he was feeling
better already!

Sh'lua took some bread to go with the ale. "So, how's the training
going? Did you move to your own weyr yet?"

"No, not yet. Next month we get to move." The boy grinned at that.
"S'vin is gagging to move! But I think I'm going to miss it, a bit.
I've never gotten to sleep in a room by myself, it's going to feel so
empty. And training? It's really good...but Neath is miffed she
wasn't search dragon material." He giggled at the thought of her and
her annoyance over the other day.

"Ambitious one, isn't she? Well, frankly, there is usually only one or
two dragonet in a clutch who had Searchrider potential and not even
all of them make it to actual Searchrider. On the other hand, all
greens and blues are sensitive to the potential candidates in some
level. It takes training though," Sh'lua replied.

The girl brought their food. "Here you go, bon appetit."

G'wen nodded to Sh'lua's question before downing the rest of his pint
and asking the girl for another before she left. He gave Sh'lua his
best innocent look before tucking into his lunch, hoping he wouldn't
stop her and say he was too young for another drink.

Sh'lua wasn't going to say anything about G'wen's drinking. In his
opinion, G'wen was old enough to judge his own limits by himself. You
were old enough to Fighting wing, you were old enough to drink.

When the next pint was put before him, G'wen gave Sh'lua a coy look
before taking a sip from it. The man hadn't said anything, so maybe
he didn't think of him as his father's weyrbrat. He was also aware
that he felt a bit dizzy, but the beer tasted so good and it had been
so long that care was being ignored. And he did 'feel' out to Neath
and knew she was asleep, happy thoughts of having caught a big fish in
her thoughts. "Neath's eaten a fish as well," he told Sh'lua, a tiny
bit embarrassed to hear his voice slur a bit.

"If Galerith hears that, he'll get envious. His worst complain about
the move back here is that he can't just go to fish from the ocean,"
Sh'lua chuckled. He drained his own drink and asked another one.

"Yeah? What was the ocean like? I'd love to see it one day..."
G'wen's voice trailed off as he thought about it, a small smile
forming at the corners of his mouth. When the serving girl brought
Sh'lua's drink, he shyly asked if he could have another, please. The
one before him had seemed to have mostly disappeared.

G'wen seemed to be one ahead of him, Sh'lua noted, wondering if he
should warn him. But he wasn't his father, besides that was part of
growing up too. He certainly had his share of drinking too much in
that age.
"Maybe that's the next on the agenda. Of course, when you start
learning /between/, you'll be soon visiting various weyrs and I
recommend making a longer stop in Dolphin Cove."

The young man nodded and, maybe it was the beer talking, but he heard
himself say, "y'know...I've always had the biggest crush on you!" He
grinned and traced a pattern on the table with a finger. Had he been
sober he never would have said such a forward thing and, had he been
a bit less drunk, would have been mortified to have said it. "Maybe
you can show me the ocean some time."

"Have you?" Sh'lua said with interested tone. "I would love to show
the ocean to you." And a few other things, if G'wen really was
interested. Sh'lua wouldn't
have acted as "mentor" for a young rider for the first time. He knew how to be
gentle and cautious. If G'wen wanted "experience" he would be more
than happy to help, even if he didn't share his feelings.

"Just the ocean?" the lad asked, picking up on Sh'lua's tone.

"Anything you want to, G'wen," Sh'lua leaned forward to gaze his eyes,
or what was visible of them under his hair.

"Really?" He trailed his finger from the table to Sh'lua's hand,
tracing lightly on it. "Then what are we still doing here?" He
grinned and hide it behind his other hand.

"I think we are finishing our meal and then paying it," Sh'lua grinned
and gestured Helisse and asked for the check.

"Okay." G'wen sat back and studied Sh'lua.

"You won't be welcome here again, if you leave without paying," Sh'lua
teased him.

"True..." G'wen rolled his eyes at him and laughed.

Sh'lua took care of the bill and drained last of his ale. "Now we can
go," he said when Helisse started to clean the table.

"Great." The boy stood up and that's when he realised just how drunk
he was. The room shifted and swayed and he had to swallow a few
times. **How am I going to get across this room without passing
out?**

"Come on," Sh'lua placed an arm over G'wen's shoulders and his eyes
unfocused when he called Galerith to pick them up. "See you later,
Helisse!"

"Welcome back anytime," she replied.

G'wen leaned into Sh'lua, grateful that he had done so. This way he
could get out of the tavern without collapsing. Once they were back
on Galerith, he cuddled into Sh'lua's back. He couldn't believe this
was happening! Feeling bold--it may have been the alcohol talking--he
let his right hand do a bit of 'exploring' in the man's lap.

Sh'lua had absolutely nothing against his exploring.

Last updated on the May 26th 2011

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Too Much Freedom (1/4)