Real Sun (2/2)

Writers: Emma, Eimi
Date Posted: 3rd August 2005

Characters: Demalia, Birigundi
Description: Demalia takes Birigundi for a ride to a special place
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 7, day 7 of Turn 3
Notes: 2/2

Birigundi

Birigundi finally dunked himself under he water. He popped his head up in a spray of water. "Your green doesn't want to join us?"

"Tapheth?" she called out loud?

}:I'm sleepy,:{ was the reply.

"I think she's enjoying being able to sleep in the sun," replied Demalia.

Birigundi laughed as he stretched his armed out along the surface of the water. With one kick of his powerful legs he was propelling himself towards the greenrider. "Who can blame her! The sun feels so good!"

"It does," she said, treading water as the young man came alongside her.

"How did you find out about this place?" He asked as he turned around in the water, admiring the beauty that surrounded the two swimmers.

"Almost by accident," she replied. "I spotted it on my way back from River Bluff to Dragonsfall, Tapheth wanted to hunt, so I stopped here."

"You have good eyes." He smiled as he slid onto his back to float on the water and look up at the deep blue sky above.

"How about I race you back to the shore?" she suggested.

"All right," he smiled, always up for a challenge, "count it off."

"Three, two, one...." She paused for a moment, "Go!"

Birigundi stroked forward as soon as he heard the signal. He cursed that his body was more conducive to running than it was swimming. But he saw a nice size wave coming up behind him and decided to allow it help push him in towards shore. He looked over to see how his friend was faring.

Demalia was a little behind him. Still swimming strongly, but just not as fast as Birigundi.

"Come on, greenrider. With all that time you spend in the water washing your beast..." He gave her a smile over his shoulder, encouraging as well as teasing good naturedly.

"I usually have my feet on the ground then," she replied as she finally caught up with him.

Birigundi suddenly regretted the pause in his stride. Now, was she not only catching up, but she was threatening to over-take him!

"Now, are you giving me a chance, or what?" she asked as she came alongside.

"Didn't want you to feel bad," he said half-truthfully. He could go no further swimming, and so he thrust his long legs towards the sea bottom, trusting them to carry him onto dry land. He stumbled out of the crashing waves and into a dripping heap on the sandy beach.

Restraining the urge to laugh, Demalia had to swim a little further before she too could stand up. Following him out of the water, she turned to a bundle she'd tied to Tapheth and picked out a towel, and dried herself off a little. "Want a towel?" she called to him.

"Let me wash all this sand off first, and then, yes. I think I will need a towel." He laughed a little breathlessly. He pulled himself from the ground and walked back to the water to rinse the sand off.
There was nothing worse than pulling a towel across wet sand.

She took more than a moment to admire his figure as he rinsed off. Why had she never noticed it before, she thought idly as she found the other towel she had packed.

"Thanks," he said as he took the towel and started running it through his black hair. "That swim felt good! I'm glad you thought of coming here."

"My pleasure to bring you, and Tapheth's too," she said as the green lifted her head to look at the pair.

"Who knows, maybe next time we come here I can bring someone to keep her company too," he said with a wink at Demalia.

"I'm sure she'd love that," replied Demalia with a grin as she threw her damp towel down on the ground, and knelt to spread it so it could dry in the sun.

"Would she prefer a bronze or a brown?" he asked. Demalia's swimming clothes clung to her a bit as she spread her towel on the ground. He couldn't help but remember the crush he had on her when they were Weyrlings.

"She likes them both, I think." Tapheth had shown no marked preference in her flights so far. Demalia looked at her dragon, and framed the question in her mind.

}:Both are good, strong and male,:{ was the reply.

"Yes, she likes them both," said Demalia.

"And which do _you_ prefer?" He couldn't help but ask, and he half hoped she would blush a bit, the way she used to when he flirted with her.

"I've got a soft spot for brownriders," she confessed, looking at the ground so she didn't have to meet his eyes.

He smiled. She could still be shy, though he had noticed she had grown a lot more confident after Impressing. "Well, I will see if I can't find a nice brown for you then."

"I'm sure you will do just fine, whatever colour finds you."

"Will you be so happy if I find a pretty green?" he asked with a mischevious smile.

"I'll be happy whoever finds you," she replied finally looking up at him.

"Then I will do my best not to disappoint you." He gave her a wink before he pulled his tunic back over his head. She really was very pretty when she was shy.

Deciding that changing the subject now was probably best, she reached into her bundle and brought out a carisak of food. "Hungry?" she asked.

"You brought food? What a wonderful woman you are!" he cried as he knelt down in the sand. "Now we don't have to leave to find something for lunch."

"That was the general idea," she grinned as she opened it. "There are rolls, some cheese and fruit and I talked my mother out of some cakes as well."

"Oh, I love your mother's cakes." Birigundi smiled appreciatively.
"Did you bring anything to drink in that wonderful sack of yours?"

"Have a look and find out," she teased passing it to him, after first taking out a roll.

"Ah, I see your plan," he said with a grin as he pulled out two bottles of wine. "You want to get me drunk and take advantage of me while I'm weak and helpless."

She laughed. "Why would I need you drunk?"

"You mean your intentions are purely innocent? How very disappointing, greenrider," he said as he rumaged through the bag for something to open the bottles with.

"They're only innocent if you want them to be," she teased.

"And if I didn't want them to be innocent?" he asked, a look of pleasant surprise crossing his face.

"Then maybe you might just have to find out how corrupt I can be," she teased. "Someday I will take you up on that offer," Birigundi said teasingly, but his eyes betrayed his thoughts - he was more than interested in how corrupt Demalia could be. "But for now I'm hungry. Let's eat."

"Sounds like a good plan to me."

Last updated on the August 31st 2005

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Real Sun (2/2)