A Present For You

Writers: AL, Suzee
Date Posted: 18th November 2011

Characters: R'enh, Meledei
Description: R'enh has made some earrings for Meledei and delivers them to the goldrider.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 4, day 5 of Turn 6

R'enh

Meledei looked up from the hides she was working on and her face
launched into a smile. "Well hello R'enh!" She greeted warmly and set
aside her quill to focus on the dragonrider for a moment. "Brought me
more work?"

"Actually no," he said with a charming smile. "I think it's time you
knock off for the day and come with me for a drink." His brows rose
and he nodded expectantly.

"Is it the end of the day already?" Sometimes days just seemed to drag
on, but Meledei had been so busy that she'd barely noticed the time
passing.

"Yes, and past." He admired such a hard worker. It was probably part
of her makeup and something that had contributed to Elleth's choice of
the girl. "Let's go," he said, holding out his hand to assist.
"There's a new vintner in the lower caverns and I have a bottle of his
wine to try. I think I need your help."

"I could do with a glass of wine or two." Meledei stood and stacked the
work neatly - it would make it easier to pick up the next day if she
didn't leave a mess! "I heard about the new vintner. Is this the first
of his that you've tried?"

He nodded. "Yes. Though I've heard some good things." He watched as
she neatened up her work area.

Meledei left the area to her satisfaction and turned to make her way
out with R'enh. "What sort of wine do you prefer?" She asked in a
conversational manner as she allowed him to lead her through the
hallways.

"Well, of course it depends on the food but I'm rather partial to a
good full bodied red." He smiled and nodded as one of his wingriders
passed them in the opposite direction. "How about you?"

"I tend toward whites, but I do like red well enough." Meledei sped up
a bit to keep up with R'enh, his strides longer than her own. "So
really, whatever suits your fancy."

He smiled rather pleased. "I was hoping you'd say that." They'd
arrived at the dining cavern and he led her over to the table he'd had
set up. He gave the candidate he'd set to watch it a few marks and
sent him off for his dinner with a "thank you." Then he picked up the
bottle and poured some cool white into her glass.

"Making people keep tables for you?" Meledei laughed but took a seat
and rest her hands upon the top of the table. "Is this your favourite
table or..?"

He half smiled. "Oh he was compensated for his time and yes, it is
actually." He liked to sit at the edge of the room rather in the
middle where all the traffic was. There weren't a lot of people
passing by to hear his conversations though there were quite a few
eyes cast in there direction tonight.

"Are you hungry?"

"Yes, actually. I ate lunch, but I always seem to be starving by
dinner time." Meledei leaned back in her chair, letting her hands fall
to lace across her stomach. "So have you two ever caught a gold
before?"

"Good," he grinned and lifted two fingers to the drudge who came over
with two plates piled high with some of her favorite things. He'd gone
to the kitchens earlier that day and asked for some of the goldrider's
favorites to be made for this evening's meal.

"Actually we have," he turned his plate and put his hand on his
utensils waiting for her to lift hers first. "At Vista Point we won a
junior queen's flight." He knew of course that goldriders knew of one
another, they were the rarest of dragons on Pern after all. "One of
Orlaith's early flights actually."

"Really?" Meledei cut into her steak and noticed with satisfaction
that the middle was still quite red. Oh yea. "I didn't know that.
But I guess that shouldn't surprise me since I knew she Impressed
there. Do you two still keep in touch?"

That was a loaded question and he wasn't going to be one to spread
rumors not with the way things stood between the River Bluff and
Dolphin Cove Weyrwomen at the moment. "Sometimes," he said as
nonchalantly as he could manage. "I sent her a gift for her birthday."
He reached into the inner pocket of his jacket. "Speaking of which."
He pulled out a small package and pushed it across the table toward
her.

Meledei stared at the box for a moment, as if she couldn't quite see
it. Then she looked up at R'enh, her mouth twisting. "What's this?"
She didn't reach out to take it, though, she certainly wanted to."It's
not my birthday."

"No," he smiled. "But you will be the focus of an upcoming hatching."

"Are you sure _these_ won't be the focus of the upcoming hatching?"
They were lovely without being overdone - which was definitely
Meledei's style, if she had one. She wasn't generally the sort to
dress up, but R'enh had known she had planned to for Elleth's
hatching. "Thank you. They're beautiful and they'll be perfect with
my dress."

"Exactly what I thought." He smiled with simple pleasure that he'd
made her a little happy. The peridot stones would sparkle a lighter
green than her eyes and would make a nice accent.

"It's too much! I don't have anything to give you!" Meledei laughed,
but she stood and circled around to throw her arms around R'enh's neck
in a hug.

His arms went around her waist and he squeezed back "Don't worry about
gifts. I wanted to do this for you. Your first clutch is a special
time and you should have something special to remember it. That's
all." She really was a sweet kid.

"Thank's R'enh. You're the best." Meledei stated as she returned the
embrace. She was going to be the most girly she'd ever been - and this
would be the most memorable hatching of her life.

Last updated on the January 2nd 2012

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A Present For You