Step at a Time

Writers: Heather, Mirren
Date Posted: 23rd December 2015

Characters: D'shiel, Barenziah
Description: D'shiel takes Barenziah abseiling.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 3, day 21 of Turn 8

Barenziah

D'shiel had everything packed, ready and tied to Padraith's straps. The bronze was shifting from side to side, eager to get out and fly. Not that drills and fall weren't exciting, but it was nice to leave the Weyr and have adventures. Or lie in new places and sleep. That was fun too.

It was just as D'shiel had said, he would be in the weyrbowl with a goofy looking dragon. His faithful bronze was clearly carrying gear, gear Barenziah assumed they would be using for this "abseiling" that she had agreed to try. Dressed in fitted breeches, jerkin, boots and a flying jacket, Barenziah hoped the clothes were appropriate for the activity, since she wasn't really sure what all she was in for.

"Morning." she said as she drew near.

"Morning." He couldn't help a quick look up and down. She was a nice-looking woman and he wasn't dead yet. "Ready?" He was similarly attired but without a jerkin or curves.

"I'm all set." She confirmed, reaching a hand out to him so he could help her get up on Padraith's neckridge.

He tried not to focus on soft her hand was. Instead he helped her get settled and strapped her in. "All right. I know a nice place, but we'll have to go between to get there." It was a fact and not a warning. He knew by now that she was no wilting flower.

Barenziah reached down and buttoned up her jacket, feeling a flutter of excitement at the prospect of going /between/. She'd been more than once with Z'lred, and it never ceased to amaze her.

D'shiel strapped himself in behind her. "All right Pads, we're good to go." He spoke out loud for her benefit.

}:My name is Padraith:{ The bronze leapt skyward with a snap and took them between.

They came out over a mountain range. The vista spread below them, as far as the eye could see, interspersed with the occasional sign of human habitation. Padraith dropped gradually, taking them to a large plateau, the surface of which was little more than scraggly grass.

Barenziah was delighted to hear the dragon's voice, she had only heard one once before, it amazed her at the difference between them. The landscape that sprawled below was breath-taking! As the dragon began to ascend she leaned back into D'shiel's solid frame as she felt her stomach drop, not an altogether unpleasant sensation, just different.

The landing was fairly soft, but they were immediately buffeted by a light wind from the south west. D'shiel surveyed the area and decided the shallow cliff on the opposite side should be both out of the wind and suitable for a beginner. He didn't want to scare her on her first time, she might never want to try again.

He unstrapped and helped her down before starting to untie the bags and unstrap Padraith. "We need to take everything over there." He pointed vaguely toward a tree; one of the few that grew. It looked sturdy enough to use as an anchor point.

"It's a good thing I've been lifting weights like my teacher taught me to, then." She winked teasingly at D'shiel as she bent and gathered up a couple of the bags and carried them over to the tree.

He smirked back on her and tossed the straps aside before picking up the rest. "If you're nice, I might let you share some of the lunch I packed us. After we work up an appetite."

Having set the sacks down, Barenziah gave D'shiel a mock salute, "I'd better be on my best behavior then."

He snorted softly and put his down. A glance over his shoulder told him that Padraith was curled up several metres away, his eyelids closing already.

**Lazy thing**

The bronze sent a mental raspberry in reply.

"All right, I need to get out the ropes and secure them," he worked while he spoke, untangling, tying and tightening before checking by leaning his weight backward while holding the rope. If the tree even gave a little now, it might give a lot more later.

"Now for your harness." He pulled two out of a bag and passed one to her. "First we check them over for any wear. Never trust someone else to do it for you." Maybe he was paranoid, but it was better than dead at the bottom of a cliff.

Barenziah turned the harness over in her hands. She didn't really know what it was she was looking for but the straps all seemed to be in good condition. "Maybe you should check behind me?" She offered him her harness.

He had checked it thoroughly before they left, but he checked it again anyway, in case she thought him lax. "Looks good to me." He handed it back and demonstrated how to put one on. "It might feel funny, but it might also save your life."

She mimicked D'shiel's movements in putting on the harness, all of the straps were a little confusing, but she finally managed to get the contraption on correctly. "How do I adjust the fit?" Her fingers fumbled over all the different straps and buckles.

"With those buckles on the side." He gestured. "Do you want me to do it?"

"There's fourteen buckles on this contraption," she said in exasperation. "You had better do it or I'll end up slipping out of this and falling on my pretty head and then what will you do?"

"Catch you," he replied. His expression darkened. "I'm not letting another woman die on my watch." His mouth set in a line, he tightened each buckle carefully.

Barenziah's voice softened and she placed a hand on his arm, "None of that, not today. We're here to have fun, remember?" She looked up at him for a moment before winking, "And I promise not to die."

"You better not," he growled. "All right, you're good." He stepped back and adjusted his own before attaching them both to the anchor. He handed her rope and gripped his own. "This one you'll let out as you go down. Move at your own pace. The other will keep you from falling too fast. That's the easy part. The hard part comes first. We step backward off that cliff." He pointed.

She looked over her shoulder at the edge of the cliff, and then looked back at D'shiel with slightly wider eyes. "Just... step off the cliff... into... thin air?"

"Not quite thin air. We'll be walking down the side of the cliff. It's just that first step that seems a bit scary, but the ropes have you." Now it was his turn to say, "I promise."

Barenziah exhaled a quivery little breath, "Okay, let's do this."

"All right. Step back to the edge, don't look down, just lean back a little and let the rope take your weight." Again, he demonstrated.

Doing as D'shiel instructed, Barenziah soon found herself on the side of the cliff with nothing beneath her but then air and the ground, a very long way down. "This is amazing." she breathed.

He smiled at that. "Just remember, you're in control of your descent. From here out you take it at your own pace. Just enjoy it." It felt dangerous and scary, but he'd done this often enough that it was just a thrill.

Barenziah did what D'shiel said, she focused solely on placing one foot at a time, relying on the rope that anchored her descent. Nearly half way down she stopped, shaking her hands and rubbing her arms to soothe the ache. "You're right about this being a work out."

"Wait until we have to climb back up." He nodded up the cliff, but his eyes held a mischievous glint.

"That's what you think! I'll just attach myself to your back and you can carry me back to the top." Barenziah shot him a grin.

He snorted. "Do I look like a dragon to you?"

Barenziah narrowed her eyes as if she were truly studying him, "No, but I think I see some muscles. You can do it."

"How about we race to the bottom?" he suggested. "Ready, get set…"

"I'm not rushing!" She exclaimed, clinging to her rope. "You can race if you want, I'd rather get there in one piece." Barenziah carefully placed another foot down.

He grinned and continued down, keeping pace with her, a step at a time.

Last updated on the December 23rd 2015

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Step at a Time