A Day of Freedom

Writers: Heather
Date Posted: 16th March 2019

Characters: Benamil, Arion, K'yre, Akidra
Description: Benamil and Arion call in some family favors to get a day on the beach.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 9, day 24 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentioned: Nazli

Benamil

Benamil felt jittery as he stood and watched the skies for sign of a dragon. Arion had already left with Akidra, his greenrider sister, earlier in the day under the guise of visiting his parents. Now it was Benamil's turn, waiting on Arion's brownrider brother, K'yre, for transportation.

The only member of Arion's family that Benamil had met was Akidra, and while she had been quite understanding of their unusual situation, she'd still let it be known that she would hurt him if he screwed things up with Arion- and he believed she could do it!

Suddenly a speck appeared in the air and as it winged closer to the Hold, Benamil could make out the brown hide glinting in the sunlight.

"Well met," Benamil said with a nod of his head as the brownrider leaped from his dragon's neckridge.

"Well met, Son of Benaroy," the brownrider's expression was cool and unreadable. Benamil could see the resemblance between the man and Arion in the color of their eyes and hair and the set of his brow.

"Thank you for transporting me today."

K'yre's expression remained hard to read. "It was a favor for my brother."

Was all of Arion's family like this? Benamil wondered. So far the two siblings he'd met, Akidra and now K'yre, both seemed incredibly protective of their youngest sibling. He was sure that K'yre probably thought he was just stringing Arion along until he was tired of "playing" and returned to his "normal life" with Nazli.

"Let's get going then," K'yre said as he turned and made a nimble leap up the brown dragon's flank and to the neckridge.

~*~

"I can't believe you had K'yre pick him up," Arion laughed as he spread more lotion onto his bare shoulders and chest.

"Well, you couldn't hide him from the rest of the family forever, you know. Kyre has been wanting to lay eyes on him and make sure he's good for you." Akidra smiled, having stripped out of most of her clothes to sit and enjoy the sun with her youngest brother.

"K'yre's an acquired taste, for anyone, I'm sure it'll be quite obvious to Benamil that he doesn't approve." Arion loved his large family and especially K'yre. They were the closest in age out of the eight siblings and because of it, K'yre had always felt that no one was good enough for his little brother.

Akidra smiled. "K'yre will never approve of whomever you choose. In his eyes, no one will ever be good enough for you."

"I know," Arion smiled. Despite having grown up with two farmer parents in the Amber Hills territory, there had been no judgment passed from their parents onto them as children when it came to choosing what they wanted out of life. Two of Arion's siblings had Impressed dragons at Far Island, he'd gone on to craft, one of his sisters was a Foster Mother at Dragonsfall, and then a couple were married and lived as farmers.

"Speaking of trouble..." Akidra tilted her head back as K'yre and his brown appeared above the deserted stretch of beach.

Despite the cold shoulder he'd been receiving from K'yre, Benamil was all smiles as they came out above the sparkling water that fed along the beach that had at one time been a part of the River Bluff territory. Down below he could see Akidra's green lounging in the warm sand and beside of her two specks- Akidra and Arion.

K'yre purposefully directed Ebaneth a little way down the beach from Arion and Akidra so he could have a moment to speak to the holder alone.

"If you hurt him -" K'yre began once both of their feet were on the ground.

"I know, I know, you'll hurt me," Benamil said lightheartedly, raising both hands.

"No, I'll drop you /between/." There was no trace of humor in the brownrider's blue eyes. "That's my little brother, and when you're tired of him you can move on like nothing ever happened with your public wife. He won't have the same luxury."

Benamil's countenance sobered as he met K'yre's eyes. "Arion is the single most important thing in my life. I'm not playing. I'm not experimenting."

"We'll see," K'yre responded before turning and leading the way to Akidra and Arion.

"Kid," Arion grinned and launched himself at his brother for a hug.

K'yre's face transformed, a smile stretching across it as he hugged his little brother and clapped him on the back. "You owe me."

"I know, but thank you, Kid."

Benamil was mesmerized by the way Arion looked with his hair blown from the ocean wind, blue eyes dancing, smile creating dimples in his cheeks. He looked happy and free. It sobered Benamil even more with the realization that he wished Arion could be that way all of the time, not just when they arranged to be spirited away from the Hold for some one-on-one time.

**If Arion was smart he would leave me and Amber Hills and move to the Weyr where he could find happiness that was permanent.** Benamil thought.

"Hey, you made it," Arion said as he released K'yre, and stepped around the brownrider to loop his arms around Benamil's neck.

Benamil smiled, one arm automatically curling around Arion's waste. "I did."

Akidra stood and pulled her linen draw-string pants back up her legs and tied the waistband into place. "Alright, Kid, let's leave the two alone."

"Do we have to?" K'yre muttered.

"Yes," she tugged on his arm, pulling him toward Ebaneth and Eyrath. "It was nice seeing you again Benamil," Akidra winked at the beastcrafter. "We'll be back later in the afternoon to pick you up."

Benamil met Akidra's eyes over Arion's head. "Thank you."

The moment Akidra and K'yre disappeared in the air on their dragons, Benamil exhaled a sigh. "That was intense."

Arion laughed. "What did he say to you?"

"Nothing major, just, you know, how he would drop me /between/ if I ever broke your heart." Benamil grinned a little.

"Yup, that's Kid," the vintner chuckled.

"Why do you call him that?"

"His name was Kidyre before he Impressed. We all called him Kid growing up, so it just sort of stuck."

"He doesn't approve of me." Benamil shrugged out of his jacket and then sat down on the blanket Arion had spread to tug off his boots.

Arion watched while the beastcrafter unbuttoned his shirt and cast that aside too. "K'yre doesn't approve of anyone so don't take it personally." He knelt beside of Benamil and started applying lotion over his broad shoulders. "I haven't been to the beach in ages," he said to change the subject.

"Me either," Benamil said. "When I was younger I traveled to Jade Harbor for a wedding. That's probably been the last time I've been."

"Imagined if we lived somewhere closer to the ocean," Arion's voice was wistful.

"Would you like that? To live somewhere else?" Benamil asked.

Arion could tell by the tone of voice Benamil had taken what he was hinting at. "I would like to live wherever you are," the vintner said, wrapping his arms around Benamil's shoulders and leaning forward so that their faces were side by side while they looked out at the ocean.

"You could move to the Weyr, you know. Dolphin Cove or Far Island, enjoy the beach all Turn long, and be free to date someone without having to hide it. There's nothing that ties you down to Amber Hills." Benamil hated each word as they came out of his mouth, but he needed Arion to know that he would never hold it against him if he wanted to leave Amber Hills.

"Excuse me?" Arion leaned back and punched Benamil lightly in the shoulder. "Nothing to hold me there? Did you come to the beach today to break up with me?"

Benamil whirled around and caught Arion up against him, half on the blanket and half-pressing the vintner into the warm sand. "No, I never want to let you go." His eyes were serious. "But you deserve every happiness that life can give you, and if that's not at Amber Hills, then I would want you to pursue it. If it's what you wanted."

The sunlight lit Benamil's hair like a golden brown halo around his head as Arion looked up at him. "I'm not leaving, Ben. The Weyr might be sunny and less judgemental than Amber Hills, but if I couldn't have you there with me then it would still be a prison."

"I wish we could go," Benamil whispered, but the reason they couldn't go went unsaid; Benamil's promise and marriage to Nazli.

"I know." Arion didn't resent Nazli as he had at one point. He knew that Nazli needed Benamil's protection, the same way his and Benamil's relationship needed hers. "Now, shut up and kiss me. I've never had sex on a beach."

Benamil's lips curved into a salacious grin. "Let's get that crossed off the list then."

Last updated on the March 22nd 2019

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A Day of Freedom