The Beach

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 26th November 2012

Characters: Aileyan, U'kaiah, Ravyan
Description: The three of them are spending time with the beach and of course something happens...
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 10, day 21 of Turn 6
Notes: Follows The Morning

"Ok, hit the bottom of it gently," the bronzerider instructed as he
tipped the small bucket full of compacted wet sand upside down. "We
just need the block to come out, ok?"

Ravyan nodded and patted the bucket's bottom with expression of serious
consentration on his face.

"Ok, that's good. Now we'll lift the bucket up..." U'kaiah slowly
lifted it, the sand staying in a perfectly molded block. "See, isn't
that great? We can make a whole Hold like this. You wanna try?"

Ravyan inspected the sand block for a moment, then he made gleeful yell
and just smashed it with his hands. Then he laughed.

There was a bugle and a green dragon appeared to the sky above the
beach.

"Or you can just do that," the bronzerider said with a helpless shrug.
So much for his plan to teach the kid how to build a sand Hold! But his
spirits lifted instantly when he heard the green's call. "Go fill the
bucket again, Ravyan."

Ravyan looked up and pointed the dragon, "Kjarrie," he remarked and
returned to play with sand.

The green landed next to Kalamath and Aileyan dismounted. While
Kjarliheth greeted her mate, she removed a basked from the straps and
walked over to them. "Hi, so here you are! I was thinking of raising a
noise about kidnapping!" her tone was playful and teasing.

"After I left you that elegant note?" U'kaiah asked, pouting slightly as
he reached for the basket with one of his hands, and hers with the
other. "I would have thought you would have just been grateful for a
slow and quiet morning for a change."

"A puny. little note," she tried to sound indignant but the happy
twinkle in her eyes betrayed her feelings. She reached to kiss him. She
had enjoyed the luxuriously slow and lazy morning. Now she wanted to
enjoy time with her little family. She was slowly adjusting to being in
different wing with U'kaiah. They saw each other less often and that made
every moment together even more precious. Since she didn't see him daily, she wasn't
any longer constantly aware where he was or when he was visiting Dolphin
Cove Weyr. That made her easier to push Tavia out of her mind.

"Look what I had to work with!" U'kaiah protested, pulling her down to
the sand next to him with a grin. "Besides, the way you were sleeping,
I figured we wouldn't see you again 'til Turns End!"

Aileyan looked Ravyan. "Hi sweetheart, you having fun?"

"Hi, momie. Lotsa," Ravyan replied, covered all over in sand.

"He's doing fine," Aileyan grinned at U'kaiah.

"Of course he is! Why, did you expect I would break him?" the
bronzerider laughed. Like he would ever let anything happen to the boy!

"I've never doupted your ability to handle him. What I mean, he's happy
just being with you," Aileyan said. That's what you got when you we're
curt spoken.

He smiled as he curled an arm around her. She was so serious all the
time. "I'd say," U'kaiah murmured, leaning in close to press his lips
to her neck, "I've gotten pretty good at handling you _both_."

"Are you?" Aileyan's expression turned mischievious. "Ravyan, someone
needs tickling!" she called her son, nodding towards U'kaiah and giving
him a wicked smile. Ravyan didn't need to be told twice and the mother and
son united to give the bronzerider a tickle.

"You're both _traitors_" he cried, writhing under their fingers. Of
course, most of it was just for show. Ravyan's little tickles were more
like scratches, though his mother certainly used her knowledge of his
body to her advantage. Still, he could use his long arms to retaliate,
getting in a good shot himself on them both in turn. Finally he grabbed
the greenrider and pulled her down, wrapping her up in his arms so she
could not move. "Get mama, Ravyan! Get mama!"

"Okay!" Ravyan replied gleefully and turned against his mother.

"Oh you two, there shall be revenge!" Aileyan cried and squirmed and
laughed so hard her eyes started to run water. **Kjarrie, help!**

}: I'm not getting involved in that, :{ the green snorted to her rider's
appeal.

**Traitor!**

}: Nope, just neutral party.:{

"All right, Ravyan, I think she's had enough," the bronzerider laughed,
though he made no move to let go of Aileyan. "You know, Kalamath needs
to get his eye ridge scratched. Could you do that for me, son?"

"All right!" Ravyan agreed and left his mother alone, running to give
the big bronze the scratching.

U'kaiah knew the bronze would keep an eye on the little boy. At least
for a few minutes. He wanted at least a little grown up time. "So,"
his arms slipped under hers into a cuddle rather than a restraint, "you
are plotting revenge on me? Is that really fair?"

"Is it fair to turn my son against me?" Aileyan asked, her breathing
still heavy after the laughing fit.

"You turned him against me first," U'kaiah pouted. "And that after I
had been so kind to you letting you sleep in this morning."

Aileyan just murmured and snuggled closer to him.

U'kaiah laid his cheek against her head, enjoying the warmth of her
skin, the smell of her hair mixed with that of the water, the breeze,
the sand, the sunshine... And the sudden shot of pain! He grabbed his
nose with a grown even as a dragon-sized sneeze could be heard.

}:He put something up my nose!:{ Kalamath whimpered, the pain filtering
through to his rider.

Aileyan turned to look. "Oh Ravyan!" she sighed.

"Something's stuck up there," U'kaiah said, tears starting to seep from
his eyes from the pain as he stumbled to his feet. It felt like his
sinuses were throbbing, though he knew it wasn't coming from him.

}:Get it out! Get it out,:{ the bronze whined, stamping his feet in
frustration. He was trying to blow the stick out, but it just seemed to
wedge it in further.

**It's all right, I'll get it,** U'kaiah assured him. "A little help
from your green might be nice," he whispered to Aileyan as he blinked
back tears enough that he could see where he was going.

**Kjarrie?**

}: On it. Kalamath-dear, let your rider help you, :{ Kjarliheth moved
closer, crooning comfortingly.

Aileyan croutched to scold his son. "Ravyan, you were a naughty now.
You're not allowed to thrust things into dragon's nose. Or anybody
else's nose, includings yours. Do you remember what happened when you stuck
a pea into your own nose?"

Ravyan nodded solemly. "It hurt."

"You just hurt Kalamath. Do you think you owe him an apology?" she kept
her tone stern. Ravyan hung his head and nodded miserably.

"Don't worry, I'll get it," U'kaiah said, still blinking from the pain
that filtered through his connection with his lifemate. He stood in
front of the big snout, peering in as far as he could. **Where is it?**

}:When I breathed in to sneeze, it got stuck further in,:{ the bronze
said helpfully. }:Uh oh...:{

**What?** his rider asked, looking up at one squinting, whirling eye.

}:I'm going to do it again!:{ And with that little warning, the bronze
gave another mighty sneeze, splattering U'kaiah with dragon snot.

Aileyan had to bit the insides of her cheek so not to laugh out loud or
to look amused. Laughing would only encourage Ravyan to more pranks,
besides, the bronze was in real pain.

U'kaiah was definitely not amused as he wiped the mucus from his face.
What was worse was that he knew what he had to do. "All right. Give me
a little more warning next time if you feel another sneeze coming on,"
he said as he took a step closer to the injured nostril.

}:I gave you as much warning as I had,:{ Kalamath protested.

**Hold still,** his rider said, trying to push down his irritation as he
slowly reached his arm into the giant nostril, feeling around for the
stick.

}:That tickles! I'm going to sneeze again!:{

**Hold it,** U'kaiah commanded, his arm in up to his elbow. "I think I
feel it."

}:Yes, yes, that's it!:{ The bronze was definitely relieved.

Carefully, U'kaiah wrapped his fingers around the stick and gently began
tilting it this way and that until it started to give way.

}:I want to sneeze!:{ the bronze cried, closing his eyes tight.

"Don't sneeze yet!" Finally it came lose and he was able to pull it
out. "Here it is," U'kaiah said, holding it up so Aileyan could see
that all was well. Kalamath could hold on no longer, and again, U'kaiah
was drenched in snot.

"I'm glad you got it out. Oh, dear, you need to wash yourself in the
ocean," Aileyan said, taking involuntary step backwards. She was not
going to touch him before he had cleaned up. "And someone owes Kalamath
an apology," she said sterny and gave Ravyan a little nudge.

"I'm sorry Kalamath, won't do it again," Ravyan murmured and hung his
head in remorse.

"Kalamath says it's all right," U'kaiah replied for the bronze after
spitting a few times into the sand.

}:I did not! That hurt!:{ Kalamath mentally grumbled.

**Be nice. You were trouble when you were barely out of the shell,
too.** He turned to Aileyan. "I think you and Ravyan better continue
the picnic without us. I should get him to the dragonhealers just to
make sure. And I really need a bath."

"All right," Aileyan said. She was disappointed that their fun picnic
was ruined like this.

U'kaiah knew she was disappointed. As little as she said with her
words, he had learned to read her eyes pretty well after all this time.
"Why don't you and Ravyan come over and use my bathing pool to wash the
sand off when you're done? We can have dinner together."

"Sounds good, we'll show up shortly," Aileyan flashed a smile and picked
up her little son. It was not actually what she wanted but with
children, things rarely went as planned. A lesson every mother had to learn
in some point.

Last updated on the November 26th 2012

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The Beach