You Don't need Wine

Writers: Clancey, Paula
Date Posted: 7th March 2006

Characters: Solieira, U'das
Description: Solieira surprises U'das with dinner, which leads to dessert..and more.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 10, day 9 of Turn 3

Evening settled over River Bluff, promising a lovely night ahead, and Solieira decided to visit U'das, and see if he was free for dinner.
She'd cook him fresh fish if he had any, but she'd cook anything for him at all. It was a bit lonely as she grew older, outliving her weyrmate as she had. Deciding to surprise him, she packed a basket of sweets and one bottle of wine, and started on her way to U'das' weyr, knocking on the interior door. She had seen Zack out on his ledge earlier, so she assumed U'das was at home. Whether he wanted _her_ company, well she would see. "Sol?" U'das was surprised to see who it was when he opened the door. He wasn't expecting anyone. "What brings you here?" Sol grinned. "Is it a bad time, then? Have you a greenrider or two in your bed?" She teased him with a chuckle, then went on. "I thought I'd take you up on that dinner I promised you. I also wanted to congratulate you on making Wingleader again. You and Zack deserve it, U'das." She said genuinely, comfortable with him since she'd known him for so many turns. "No, no, it's a perfect time. You just saved me from boring hidework,"
bald bronzerider assured her and guided her in. "Thank you. We're happy to be back where we belong." "You certainly do belong there, leading a wing." She smiled in memory, then went on into his weyr. "Perfect.." She smiled at him, then went to the table to set her basket down. "There are some sweets in here, and wine. But I was thinking of cooking some fresh fish for you. It won't take long with the fires as hot as they are right now. If you don't have any, I'll have something sent up from the kitchens for dinner anyway.. it just won't be as tasty!" She grinned. "Sorry, I haven't had time to fish since my promotion back to Wingleader" U'das shook his head ruefully. "Well, J'an and I did go fishing once but we didn't have much luck." "No fish?" Her face fell a bit. "That's disappointing. In that case, though, did you want me to send for something to eat? Or shall this old woman leave you to your boring hidework?" She smiled. "Hey, I could eat stringy wherry if you're keeping me company," U'das said. Now that she was here, he didn't want her to leave. Indignant, the Headwoman made a face. "_My_ wherry is _never_ stringy!"
But she did make sure to call down for something she'd cooked, on the chance he didn't have any fish. Sometime later, a drudge arrived with two baskets of fresh, roasted wherry, tender and juicy, with rice, seasoned with herbs to make it a wonderful addition to the wherry.
Tubers filled with herbs followed, and then some sweet fruit rolls for dessert. "Dinner fit for a new Wingleader, hmm?" She grinned at him and began laying out dishes. Once she settled, she looked curiously at him. "Do you ever feel old, U'das? Sometimes I wonder why I outlived my weyrmate.." It was not sadness, merely curiousity for someone close to her in turns, though she had a good seven on the bronzerider. "You're spoiling me," U'das remarked when he saw what she layed out. "Ah, yes, I do feel old some days. Or the greenriders keep getting younger and younger. Even my eyes fail me." "Your eyes aren't failing you, U'das." She grinned. "I really do have enough food for a horde of starving riders. Just for us.." She wasn't quite sure why she wanted to spend a little time in his company, save that she found him such a pleasant change from the constant race surrounding her. She relaxed across from him and nodded agreement. "Even the bronzeriders grow younger, like that scoundrel I'zar.. "

"Yes, they do. Depressing, isn't it?" U'das said. Sol chuckled dryly. "For a few moments anyway. But I like my bronzeriders seasoned with age, U'das." She teased him with an arch to her eyebrow, beginning to work her way through the dinner she'd cobbled together for them. "You must go fishing soon, bronzerider, and catch me something to cook.."

"I will, as soon I'm settled down in my role as Wingleader. But this is delicious," U'das promised and ate with a healthy apetite. Pleased, Solieira watched him work his way though dinner with happy eyes. She felt at peace, for the moment, just sharing a bit of dinner with him. "I'll cook for you any time, Wingleader." She laughed, and began to stand, clearing her side of the table when she was finished. After eating his fill, U'das got up and picked a bottle from a cabinet.
"Do you like sweet wines? This is good one for dessert. Goes with klah too." "I like any wine, just about, U'das." She smiled at him, thoroughly pleased with her choice of dinner companions and evening plans. In the back of her mind, she wondered if more than dinner would come of it, but soon dismissed it. U'das had never really shown -that- kind of interest in her, though he'd loved his weyrmate well. U'das poured them two small glasses. "Be careful with this. It's sweetness hides a quite a kick," he warned playfully when he handed her a glass. Sol chuckled dryly, then took a sip. "Very good.. I don't suppose you are trying to get me drunk, are you?" She teased back, raising her glass in salute to their age and all manner of things. "Me? Would I make a woman drunk and then take an advantage of her?"
U'das joked and sat back on next to her. Very close to her. U'das now faced a dilemma. He and Sol had been friends for a long time. Recently he had started to realize that she was also a shardingly fine woman. Who did one tell old friend that they could have something more than friendship? Sol smiled back and leaned encouragingly close. At their age, who had time to wait? And she had been a bit lonely since her own Weyrmate had died. First her interest in K'sedel had surfaced, then faded in silliness and her realization that it _was_ just loneliness. But perhaps... she looked over at U'das for a moment, trying to understand her feelings. They had been friends for so many turns, and both loved others. But...

Her feelings were genuine. She smiled warmly at him. "I suspect, bronzerider, that you don't need drinks to convince women they should spend some time in your bed. You don't need it to convince an old woman like me, so young greenriders must take even less." She winked, teasing him mostly, but also telling him something else. "Well, then..." the bronzerider could be quite dense sometimes, but not when it came to women. He lifted his hand to brush a hair from her cheek, let his hand slid caressingly to her neck and bent to kiss her. Sol reached one hand up to the pins holding her hair up, and pulled them free. She had little enough gray in the rich brown locks for a woman of her turns, and it was quite long surprisingly. Pleased that dinner had turned into something else entirely, she responded to his kiss with genuine warmth and passion, pulling him closer to her as her arms slipped around him.

Last updated on the March 7th 2006

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You Don't need Wine