New Experiences

Writers: Emma, Suzee
Date Posted: 3rd April 2012

Characters: Cyradis, K'deren, Kielya, Naradis, Deralie, Trievan
Description: Taking the children to the beach
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 7, day 10 of Turn 6

Cyradis

K'deren

Kielya

"Don't worry, we're going to the beach and you're going to have fun
with your foster siblings." Cyradis had been cajoling her strong
willed daughter all morning but Kielya was having none of it.

Naradis spoke up. "Kielya, it's the _beach_ you love the beach." The
smaller sister still elected to sulk in her chair. Cyradis shook her
head. Her other three children were nothing like this sulky creature
and there were times...

}:Donneth's comes:{ announced Panitath from the outer weyr.

The brown dragon gave a soft bugle of welcome as he landed on the ground by
Cyradis' weyr. }:My rider and his hatchlings are ready,:{ Donneth said to
the gold. }:He says he has a picnic ready.:{

K'deren had Donneth's straps rigged for passengers, and a child hanging onto
each hand.

"Da, it's _our_ beach," Trievan said.

"It's everybody's beach," K'deren said. "And Kielya is your foster sister,
don't you think she ought to know about it?"

The lad thought for a moment, "Maybe," he conceeded.

"And Deralie is still a bit too little to play in the water with you, you
know she can't swim properly yet."

"Can too," insisted Deralie.

"You will after you've had a few more lessons and some practice, and we'll
do that today."

Panitath was likewise rigged to carry her children and had already
been loaded with items for the beach.

"Oh, K'deren has a picnic already packed. Isn't that nice?" Naradis
rolled her eyes at her sister and picked up her small pack to go climb
into place on her mother's lifemate. Kielya scooted off her chair
knowing the look her mother had directed at her. "Oh, alright."

**Let him know we're coming.**

}:They come,:{ Donneth told K'deren as he was boosting Deralie onto the
brown dragon's back and helping her to fasten the straps.

Once the girls were situated. "Please tell Donneth's we are ready and
get the picture of where we're going." She reached down to check the
straps one last time before they launched.

With the aid of his rider donneth constructed the picture to send to the
gold and her rider. It showed a pretty patch of greenery, with a shining,
silvery blue stream emerging and running down a small sandy beach to the
sea.

Panitath launched into the air and with only a few wingbeats lifted
above the Weyr. Soon they were circling above a beautiful protected
stretch of beach with a stream.

"Derelie, Trievan!" Cyradis chuckled as her younger daughter called
and waved. Now she was all excited to see them. It was amazing to her
sometimes how Kielya's moods swung back and forth. They landed on the
sand near the stream and she bent to release the straps. By the time
she was done with Kielya, Naradis had already climbed down and was
running down the beach toward the others.

"The beach does that to them all," K'deren said with a smile for Cyradis. He
turned back to Donneth and unstrapped the brown, and the picnic. "I've got
some ale and some juice in those bottles, if we dip them in the stream,
they'll stay cold."

"Good idea," she smiled back as she dismounted. Then she turned to her
packs to pull out the blankets and towels. With them over her arm she
walked toward the stream. "This really is beautiful."

"Donneth and I found it a couple of turns back, when we needed somewhere to
go that wasn't the weyr."

"I like it," she turned and smiled up at him walking close. Then she
plucked the bottles from the basket and turned back to the stream.
"Let's get these chilling."

"Sounds like a good idea. By the time they've run around for a while,
they'll want to have a drink."

"Looks like they're already getting started," she said with a pointed
look down the beach. The children appeared to be playing some form of
tag. Cyradis dropped the blankets in the shade of a tree and then went
to the stream to prop the bottles in a pool.

"So long as they keep themselves occupied," K'deren said as he shook out the
blankets so that they could be sat on, or laid on as people wanted to.

She turned and helped him lay out the blankets and then retrieved the
picnic basket. She set it down on the blanket and then sat next to it.
Looking up at the tall brownrider she grinned. "So what's in here?"

"Meat rolls, some cheese ones too, " he began. "Pastries, some small tubs of
salads and fruit."

"Oh good," she smiled. "All things the children will love.> She leaned
back on her hands, crossing her ankles and lifted her face toward
Rukbat. "Oh this feels so lovely."

Panitath had found a nice cliff on which to recline in the sun herself
and her riders' pose reflected her contentment. }:Come sun with me,:{
she invited the brown.

Never one to refuse a lady, Donneth took himself off, close by the
gold. }:My rider and think it is beautiful here.:{

"It is lovely," K'deren agreed. "It's a good place to think about things and
enjoy family time."

"It really is wonderful compared to the north." **In so many ways,**
her eyes slid to the tall brown rider. Cyradis was finding she'd made
an excellent decision when they'd come to Dolphin Cove. "I love the
weather here."

"Pretty much like this all turn around," K'deren said as he eased himself
down onto the blanket, leaning back, resting on his elbows. "Except if we
get
a hurricane, but we've learned how to deal with those."

"Well we didn't' get hurricanes in the north," her voice was a little
worried. "I think I'll have to brush up on those measures. Or maybe
you can give me a quick course."

"Some other time," K'deren said. "Let's not spoil today with things that can
go wrong." He was finding that he really didn't want to talk about things
like that on a day when the Rukbat shone and it's warmth was obvious,
especially when the company was so good.

"Good idea," she smiled. It looked to her like the kids were settling
down to some sand hold building down by the water. Kielya was even
helping little Deralie's small hands pat the sand in place. They were
awfully cute squatting on their heels with their heads close together
in concentration. "Is the water warm too?"

"Most of the turn round," he said. "In summer, clothing can sometimes be
optional," he teased. "But it does depend on who you are with, of course."

"Of course," her eyes twinkled at him. "Like in a goldrider's private
bathing pool," she said. Hers was rather generously sized and the
water when it came in was almost too hot from the thermal spring.
"Though I was always trained to removed clothing before stepping into
the bath."

"It is never worth spoiling your clothing, those bath salts, or if you can
trade for soap, can do some damage."

Cyradis chuckled. It was a throaty contralto sound, not the usual
tinkle of girlish laughter. She did enjoy good banter and K'deren's
sense of humor tickled her. "Oh yes, one must avoid damage to their
clothing at all costs."

He liked the sound of her laugh. It reminded him of happier times and it
struck him it was a sound he wanted to hear again, like the laughter of his
children mingling with the laughter of her girls. "It's a shame nobody tells
the children that when they eat."

She grinned at him and couldn't avoid the picture in her mind.
"Somehow I'd rather see hot stew on clothing than on the child." She
shook her head at him as she pictured an entirely different scene in
her mind. One that made her blink then twinkle at him. "Adults are a
different matter altogether!"

"Oh, we are, but some are more 'adult' than others."

Her eyebrows rose, "We'll have to test out your theory then, won't we?"

"Some never grow up, and some are born adult," he teased gently.

"Well sometimes it's much better to be an adult than a child," she
purred at him.

"So long as you never lose your sense of wonder, or the ability to enjoy new
experiences," K'deren said with a smile.

"New experiences," she sighed happily and lay back to look at the sky.
"Now there's a thought." She was very happy she'd made the change to
Dolphin Cove and despite her initial unhappiness, Kielya had finally
settled in. Due in large part to the man next to her and his children.
Yes, this was a good move.

Last updated on the April 11th 2012

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

New Experiences