Baby Steps

Writers: Miriah, Suzee
Date Posted: 11th September 2012

Characters: D'arvn, Bahji
Description: D'arvn helps Bahji conquer her a bit of her fears and explore
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 9, day 27 of Turn 6

D'arvn

D'arvn got up from the loom and turned back and forth to stretch his
back. He'd been at in all morning. His poor weyrmate had been down
sick for the last few days and he'd wanted to help him finish the
cloth he'd been weaving.

"What are you working on there Bahji?" He walked across the room to
where the young woman sat.

Bahji looked up and grinned as she held up balls of yarn and string.
"Weaver equivalent of drudge work." She chuckled. "Sorting types
of yarns." Her fingers stroked the fibers. She gestured towards
the loom. "Taking a much needed break?"

He chuckled. "I am. I thought I'd go for a walk down to the lake and
stretch my legs. Want to come?"

"The lake?" She paused. "Sure. Yes, anything to get away from the
wool. It makes my fingers a bit itchy." She stood, putting the fibers
down and rising. "May I take your arm?"

"Of course," he said and took her hand to pull her fingers onto his
arm. The late morning sun was almost gentle in comparison to the heat
it would put out in the summer. As they strolled toward the lake
D'arvn looked curiously at the young woman. "Would you like to explore
a little?"

She immediately frowned, her hand stiffening on his arm. "Explore?
Explore where?" She had gotten comfortable knowing certain areas
of the Weyr and not yet dared to venture past them.

"Well I was only thinking you might like to visit the hatching
grounds," he said gently. "Vilarth is due to clutch soon and you'll
want to be able to find your way to the hatching."

"The hatching grounds......" Bahji wasn't able to hide the sudden
paleness in her cheeks or the convulsive shudder in her throat. "I
didn't think I would go really. It's for riders and all. " She
swallowed to rid herself of the growing lump in her throat. "I don't
do well in new places."

He patted her hand where it wrapped around his arm. The white knuckles
told the story even if he hadn't seen her blanch. "We're just going to
the lake like you wanted. But the hatching grounds aren't only for
riders." By then they were crossing the bridge to the other side of
the river to walk to the lake.

Now knowing that they were still in familiar grounds and feeling the
comforting creek of wood beneath her feet, Bahji relaxed and lightened
her grip on D'arvn's arm. "Then who else are they for, other than
dragons? I've heard about Hatchings, but I'm certain that they are
more geared towards people who can watch or participate in them."

"Well for everyone who wants to witness a hatching I suppose." He
smiled glad that she'd relaxed a little as they walked toward the
lake. "We get all sorts of visitors. I just thought you might like to
go when it wasn't full of people."

Bahji sighed softly and she took a deep breath. "Thank you, D'arvn,
for the thought. It is a good idea and I am interested...I just
haven't been to any new places since I had to become accustomed to
even being here. New places...I get terrified of being lost, you see."

"But you can't get lost if you hanging on to me," he said gently.
"I've been there many times and know just where I'm going and how to
get back."

She licked her lips nervously and tilted her head towards him. She
nibbled a bit more on her abused lower lip and took a deep breath
before closing her eyes. "Okay, but please...don't let go of me. And
tell me exactly where we are as we go?"

"Oh sure," he said with half a smile. He was certain that she used her
senses differently than he, but even he could hear the river on their
right and feel the texture of the ground as they got closer to the
sandy shore of the lake. "Now we turn east." He turned and walked
straight away from the lake toward the actual cliffs of the Weyr.

Her grip tightened on his arm, and her face was pale, but she nodded
and could be heard softly counting her steps as they went. "Okay." Her
expression showed that she was taking in every sense that she could
and doing her best to cement it in her memory. "Is it far?"

"Not too far actually," he said softly. "Its really right next to the
dining cavern. In fact, there is a hall from the Dining Cavern into
the Hatching grounds."

"Okay." She took several deep breaths and her chin lifted. "I can do
this." All the same, she still clutched his arm and tilted her head
towards D'arvn. She offered a smile that was a little braver. "Thank
you for being so patient with me."

"Don't worry about it." He patted her hand as they crossed the area
toward the huge opening to the hatching grounds. The shadow of the
ledge fell over them and they walked into the huge cavern. "What do
you hear," he asked softly.

Bahji noticed the sudden change from light to dark and as they walked
into the cavern her expression changed to one of concentration. "It's
quiet but I can hear the wind blowing. It sounds hollow, like when you
put your ear to a shell." Her brow knit. "And its very warm and
humid."

"Yes," he said with a smile. "The sands are hot enough to burn your
feet if you aren't careful. But we're not going onto them. We're just
going to go sit over here." He lead her to one of the front benches of
the tiers of seats. "Have you been at the Weyr long?"

Concentrating on marking her steps, she didn't hear him at first. Instead,
her mind went with curiosity to the burning hot sands. How did they go
on them for Hatching, she wondered. Surely special shoes... she started
when she realized she hadn't immediately answered and turned back
to him. "Oh for a bit. I've kept to myself." She smiled and shrugged.
"I can't claim shyness...just fear really."

"Well then," he said kindly. "If you need to go somewhere you don't
know, I'll be happy to show you the way. If I'm around that is."

"I'd like that. Thank you." Impulsively, she hugged him and then sat,
basking in her accomplishment.

D'arvn smiled at her then sat next to her just to enjoy the place he'd
found Falzeth.

Last updated on the September 23rd 2012

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Baby Steps