The End Is In Sight

Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 13th July 2007

Characters: U'kaiah, Traelyn
Description: U'kaiah and Trae realize their days are numbered
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 4, day 4 of Turn 4

U'kaiah hung the last of his shirts in the closet and tossed the now empty laundry basket on his bed. He'd take care of it later. There was still a lot he needed to get done before he was free for the evening.
The hidework just seemed to never end, and he had so many other things he'd rather be doing...

He stopped in the door when he saw Trae standing at his table, obviously snooping around at the hides he'd left there. When had she come in? He hadn't even heard her. The bronzerider wondered if she even realized where he was. A broad, impish grin spread across his face. Softly he tiptoed across the stone floor until he was standing directly behind her. Sneaking his arms around her middle he pulled her up tight against him. "Trying to steal Dragonsfall secrets, Weyrwoman?" he growled softly in her ear, his lips teasingly brushing along their edge.

Her quiet yip of surprise ended in a pleasured sigh as she leaned back against him. Then she grinned, closing her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his lips against her. "Me? Steal secrets? Who said anything about me needing to _steal_?" Her hand slid around his wrist. "I'm sure with the right incentive, you'd want to just tell me everything I want to know."

"So, what do you want to know?" U'kaiah murmured as his lips traveled down to her shoulder.

"Mmmm.... Everything?"

He chuckled deep down in his throat as he teeth lightly nipped. "That could take a looooooong time."

Shards and shells... Her fingers squeezed his wrist before she turned in his arms. "Surely you wouldn't be so averse to telling me?
Especially if you need a little convincing?"

"It might take a lot of convincing." Shell cracks, but she made it flaming hard to take things slow! Especially when she looked up at him like that! "But... I have to get some more hidework done. You may have noticed, I've been a little distracted lately." He smiled knowingly as he brushed his nose along hers.

She laughed softly. "Yes, I might have noticed that." Twining her arms around his neck, she leaned up and slid her lips against his. "While you work, do you mind if I take a nap on your sofa? I'd like to catch up on some sleep, if that's all right with you...."

"Hmmmm, I suppose I could let you do that," he murmured between soft kisses. Shards, but she was mightily distracting. Already he was starting to wonder if all that hidework was really necessary...

"I thank you from the bottom of my heart, U'kaiah," she grinned, nipping tenderly at his lower lip before forcing herself to pull back. What she really wanted to do was to press herself against his body and kiss him until they were either breathless or senseless, or both--but she didn't.
Flashing him an impish smile, she began to loosen the laces on her tunic, brushing past him to grab a blanket off the back of a chair. "Wake me up when you're done with your Wingleader duties?"

**Shells, can I be done now?** he thought as he followed her with his eyes. Finally he forced himself over to the table and picked up the first hide. Weather predictions for the up-coming fall and recommendations for possible flight patterns. He spared a glance over at the goldrider and inwardly groaned. Sharding responsibilities!

"You know, if you keep looking at me, you'll never get anything done."

An impish grin touched his lips. "Just making sure you're settling in all right."

Fluffing the pillows, she wriggled down into her nest of blankets.
"Mmmhmm. How very thoughtful of you." Leaning back, she smiled, meeting his eyes across the space between them. "Get to work, love."

"I always obey a weyrwoman," U'kaiah chuckled as he turned back to his hides. Deep down, he actually liked the fact that he had to obey a weyrwoman... But he shouldn't think on that now. He should just concentrate on flightplans...

**And that Weyrwoman is me,** Traelyn thought, her expression softening as she watched him bend his head to study his notes. **Me.** Had it only been just days ago when she'd doubted that it would ever work between them? That she had ruined everything they'd built together over the past Turn by giving in to temptation and kissing him that one evening? It amazed her how swiftly circumstances had changed...and how easily they both fell into a relationship that was developing into so much more than what it had been before.

U'kaiah scanned the hide with his eyes, but he could feel her gaze still on him. Sliding an amused look her way, chuckling softly, he said, "You know, if you keep looking at me, I'll never get anything done."

"Should I hide my head beneath the blanket?" she asked, grinning.

He pouted slightly. "But then how can I sneak little peeks at you?"

"I _thought_ you were supposed to be working so you can sneak more than just little peeks my way later." A pale brow rose in a mock-expectant way. "Right?"

His black brow rose to mirror hers. "And I thought you were supposed to be sleeping so I could get my work done."

Wrinkling her nose at him, she pulled the blanket further up her body.
"All right, all right! I'll sleep."

"All right, then, I'll work." He shook his head, knowing he probably had the silliest smile on his face as he turned back to his hidework.
Maybe he'd even be able to concentrate on his work. Maybe.

~~~

It turned out that Traelyn really did need to catch up on sleep, for when U'kaiah finally sat back in his chair and looked up, she was sprawled all over the sofa, breathing deeply. One long leg had escaped the warm confines of the blanket, bare foot trailing on the floor; one arm was flung out over her head, fingers tangled in her pale hair as her other arm curled the blanket up beneath her chin. It really was such an undignified posture for a Weyrwoman....

But the bronzerider found it absolutely precious. Setting his last hide down, he crept over to where she slept and knelt down beside her and just took in the sight of her. Faranth, sometimes he still couldn't help but wonder just what was it they were doing! And sometimes he wondered why hadn't they done it before. They were taking it slow, as they should.
Relationships were hard when you shared the same weyr, but they were all the harder from half a continent away. But all his logical reasoning, all his careful planning and cautious reservations were completely undone every time he looked at her. He ached for her.

U'kaiah's fingers tenderly interlocked with hers, digging into her soft, creamy blonde hair. She looked so innocent and peaceful laying there like that. And yet, with her lips parted ever so slightly and her white eyelashes fluttering over closed lids, hiding secret dreams, she was so alluring. His other hand reached out to softly trace from her exposed foot to her knee, wishing he had the license for more. Leaning in he kissed the knuckles of her hand as she clutched the blanket to her, and then moved up to caress her throat with his lips. "Mmmmmm...." Shifting, she turned her head, sleepily tilting her chin up to give him a kiss. It was a little clumsy, but then again, her eyes were closed... But she had a feeling he didn't much care about technique at the moment. "I would move over so you could sit, but there's not much room," she grinned, voice husky from sleep.

"I'm plenty comfortable, thank you," he smiled against her lips. "How long before you have to go back to the Stands?"

"Mmmm." Traelyn nuzzled him. "We have a little while yet."

"Well, we can't relax just yet. A message came for you. They didn't say it was urgent so I let you sleep." The bronzerider pulled it out of his pocket and dangled it up over her head. "Now I'm not sure I want to give it to you though..."

She bared her teeth at him in a playful, kittenish snarl as she made a grab for it. "Come on... Let me read it, U'kaiah."

"And I thought Weyrwomen were trained in the art of persuasion," he chuckled, swinging the letter from his fingertips tauntingly.

"We are." Her fingers crept slowly, caressingly up his arm. "But do we have to persuade you every time the opportunity arises?" The caress had distracted him like she'd hoped it would, and she gave him a saucy grin as she snatched the rolled hide from him, holding it tightly in her victorious grasp.

"I certainly like being persuaded better," he sighed, helping her to sit up and slipping in the gap between her and the arm of the sofa.
Wrapping his arms around her he murmured in her ear, "I guess I'll just have to distract you as punishment for your lack of diplomacy."

"You can certainly try," she chuckled, unrolling the hide. The kisses he trailed down her neck and pressed to her shoulder felt very nice, and under any other circumstance, would have been quite distracting. But the feel of his lips faded to the background as she read the letter. At first, relief washed through her, quickly followed by pride in the Weyrfolk of Dolphin Cove. But then another emotion mingled with the others...an emotion she couldn't quite identify.

U'kaiah noticed she had become rather quiet. Subdued, even. "Nothing's wrong, I hope," he said softly, his arms tightening slightly, pulling her closer.

"Wrong? Oh shards no, U'kaiah." She gazed down at the scrawling penmanship. "On the contrary. A test was done today on Dolphin Cove's Sands." A smile touched her lips. "It seems as though they're almost completely dried out. Another test will confirm the news tomorrow, but they're hopeful. More than hopeful."

"And if the test proves the Sands are ready?" he gently prodded. But he knew the answer. Shards, it had to come sometime...

Turning her head, she met his eyes. "The eggs will be moved back."

He could feel an dull, aching emptiness in the pit of his stomach.
"Tomorrow?"

Traelyn shook her head, looking away. "Day eight."

Thank Faranth for that. But still, it had been easy to convince himself this would be the way it always would be... the two of them sharing evenings like this... Now the end was in sight. But he could not justify wasting the time they had worrying about what could not be changed. Kissing her cheek softly he whispered, "Then we still have time..."

"But it doesn't seem long enough." She sighed, then shook her head.
"Shards, I'm a selfish woman, U'kaiah." Her expression turned suddenly bitter. "I feel so relieved at the news, and so sharding proud of J'darin and the Weyrfolk I sometimes feel like I'm ready to burst. And yet at the same time..." Her jaw tightened as she turned her face up to his, dark fire flashing in her eyes. "I don't want to give this up."

"We don't belong to ourselves, Trae. We haven't since the moment we Impressed. We knew it had to be this way." He reached up to stroke her cheek softly. "Don't clench your teeth, love. I won't give you up that easily."

Softly she rubbed her cheek against his fingers, but the fire in her eyes didn't fade. **I won't give you up either,** she thought as she leaned in to kiss him. **I won't.**

Last updated on the July 14th 2007

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The End Is In Sight