New life and old memories

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 18th March 2008

Characters: Zelanka, Benaroy
Description: Zelanka shares a moment of joy with Benaroy, and remembers a moment from their past
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 9, day 9 of Turn 4

Zelanka had a big, happy smile on her face when she entered the Lord Holder's office.

"It's not lunch time yet, is it?" Benaroy asked, rather surprised to see her strolling through his door.

"No it isn't. I brought you some good news. I have a new granddaughter," Zelanka declared. Then she lowered her voice: "_We_
have new granddaughter."

"Latriv's wife delivered?" he asked in the same hushed voice, though he rose to his feet quickly and crossed the room to meet her. "A girl is it?"

"Yes, last night. A perfect little girl," Zelanka said. "I had the big sister with me overnight and we visited them this morning at the infirmary."

"And is she beautiful?" Benaroy asked, taking her hands in his. "Does she have her father's nose?"

"She's lovely. It is too early to tell, but she seems to have her mother's nose. But eyes are Lantriv's, no mistake there," Zelanka replied.

"Lucky girl then," he grinned, giving her hands a knowing squeeze.
"What did they name her?"

"They haven't yet. They were still discussing names when I left them,"
Zelanka laughed. "More like arguing."

"Amazing. Are they still in the infirmary? Perhaps I can find an excuse to visit them."

"Yes, they are."

Benaroy sighed, letting go of her hands. His eyes turned to the window and the white hills of in the distance. If only he could acknowledge this new joy openly as Zela could. "I'm so happy for them both."

"So am I" Zela looked him tenderly. She absently reminiscened how they had ended up to this situation. When had it actully started? After Pelanka's birth and after the Lady Holder's death...

~*~ Flashback ~*~

It was hot summer day and Zelanka had stepped out side to take a rest.
She had removed her appron and rolled up her sleeves. In this weather, kitchen was unbearably hot. She sat in a shade and watched the lord holder riding in. He had taken off his shirt and she found herself admiring him. He really was fine looking man.

"Good news," Benaroy said as he threw his leg over the side of his runner in an easy dismount. "The technicians say as long as we turn it off to all the rooms and cots not in use, our dam is generating more than enough electricty to run the air conditioners all day and night."

"Well, that's a relief, " Zelanka said. "Shall I fetch you a cold drink, My lord"?

"No, I'm not thirsty," he said with a wave and tied his mare off on an obliging branch. "I would, however, like to share your shade for a few minutes if you don't mind."

"Feel free," Zelanka said, moving a bit sideways to make more room on the bench. "It's been terribly hot summer this turn."

"I don't remember another like it," Benaroy agreed, though it seemed all the summers blended together in his memory after the Plague. "At least now we know we can keep cool without worrying about if the eletricity will go down."

"Mmmm. It's already hard to sleep in this heat, I can only imagine what it would be without air condition."

"We've done it before," the Lord Holder shrugged. Though he doubted Zela would remember. She would have been pretty young that summer. The Hold had been filled with people then, and the electrical output could not keep up with demand, or so the technicians had explained. "We just had to find alternative ways of keeping cool, that's all."

"Well, I just hope it rains soon," Zelanka said.

"The crops could use it," he nodded, stretching his legs out in front of him, feeling very relaxed and at ease.

Zelanka watched him behind her eyelashes. He really was handsome man for his age.

"What brings you out of doors, Zela?" he asked, realizing for the first time that she was usually busy inside this time of day.

"The kitchen is just too hot to work there, I came out to have a little rest. The children slept restlessly, so I'm not my usual effient self." Especially baby Pelanka. She had kept her up most of the night.

"Not youself? Then just who are you then?" he asked, quirking an eye at her suspiciously.

"I let you know when I figure it out," Zelanka laughed.

"You know," Benaroy said, leaning towards her conspiritorially, "I bet a dip in the river would make us feel more like ourselves again..."

"That would be fun," she said. He was so close that she could smell his sweat and it made a delightful shiver down to her nether parts.

He suddenly felt his energy returning at the thought of a nice cool dip.
Springing to his feet, he turned to help her up. "Do you mind riding double?"

"Not at all," Zelanka smiled.

There was that smile again. It was captivating, and he couldn't help but grin like a boy in the spring of his youth. She was absolutely stunning. "After you."

"I didn't bring my swimming suit with me, would that bother you?" she asked, watching him coylly.

"I... hadn't thought of that." Suddenly Benaroy's mouth felt slightly dry. He understood fully what she was implying. "Does... it bother you?"

"Not a one bit."

The thought that she was married crept into the back of his mind, but he quickly shoved it aside. She was a grown woman - a very _fine_ grown woman - and she was old enough and smart enough to make her own decisions. And he would be a sharding fool if he let a moment like this slip through his fingers. She was witty, she was comfortable, she was safe, quite possibly one of the most intoxicating women he had ever met... And she was smiling at _him_. "You know, I don't have a bathing suit either. Suddenly I... I don't feel much like a swim."

"Oh, what then?" Zelanka asked. Her body was moving on its own towards his. She longed to melt into his arms.

The way she walked, the way she looked at him, she was practically daring him to act on the attraction he felt for her. His fingers wrapped around the lovely, shapely hips that he had been secretly admiring for months and gently pushed her back against the tree which could offer shelter from more than just the glare of the sun. No casual glance from the Hold would see them there. The long branches and full compliment of leaves could conceal then from prying eyes, and for this moment at least, Benaroy could be just a man caught under the spell of a beautiful woman.

~*~ ~*~

"Zela?" Benaroy repeated gently. "I asked if you'd go with me..."

"Oh? Sorry, I was caught in a past.."

Last updated on the March 19th 2008

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New life and old memories