It's Beautiful and So Are You (Part 1 of 2)

Writers: AL, Ames
Date Posted: 17th February 2013

Characters: Meledei, T'nom
Description: Meledei and T'nom go out seeking some adventure, and T'nom feels things for Meledei
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 12, day 7 of Turn 6

T'nom

"We should go somewhere." Meledei lay upon the boulder, hands laced
behind her head and watching the clouds lazily pass. "I haven't left
the Weyr in forever. Do you want to go somewhere?" Her head rocked to
the side so she could look up at the young bronzerider, eyebrows
arched. "Unless, of course, you'd rather stick around here."

"Nah," T'nom replied tossing some dirt into the air from beside her.
"No need to stay here on such a nice day. I'm game to go anywhere.
Have something in mind or do you just want to see where we end up?"

"Nothing in particular in mind." Meledei tightened her core and sat
up. "I was talking with R'enh yesterday and mentioned how I hadn't
gone anywhere for a while. I guess I'm feeling a little cooped up."
Even though the Weyr was huge and she could go outside, she did like
to travel from time to time.

"Well then, let's go someplace different." **Taldeth, come. We're
going away for a bit.** The bronze dragon took flight from the ridge
he had been sunning on and started to make his way to the pair.

Standing, T'nom reached a hand down to Meledei. "C'mon then, let's see
where the wind takes us."

Meledei's fingers clasped T'nom's and she stood. "Sounds good to me.
You want to lead or shall I?"

Elleth arched her way down and settled next to the bronze, then butted
him playfully.

T'nom paused for a moment when her hand clasped his. He had to force
himself to release his breath. Thoughts and memories of of the past
seemed to well up inside him. He'd hidden his feelings for Meledei
well, or so he'd hoped. Yet, why was it that a sudden moment, every
now and again, seemed to trigger his feelings once more.

Pulling himself away from his thoughts, hoping she hadn't noticed the
pause, he replied. "I'll lead. I'm sure we can find somewhere
interesting to spend our day."

"We should grab some food. That way we won't have to come back so
soon." When was the last time she'd gone outside the Weyr? It'd been
long enough Meledei couldn't think of it off hand. "Give me a few -
you might want to get your riding gear too" She turned and sprinted
away to disappear inside the Weyr proper. She didn't linger, though,
and returned quickly, laden with a basket. People had always been
nice and accommodating to her, but even more so since she had
Impressed Elleth. "All right." Her jacket was flung over her other
arm and she tossed it over Elleth's leg while she secured the basket.

T'nom gathered her gear as she suggested and was waiting with Taldeth
when she returned. "Let's go!" he declared, mounting Taldeth and
taking flight.

}:You look lovely today, Elleth:{ Taldeth praised the gold dragon. He
enjoyed her company when they were together just as his rider did.

Elleth purred much like a feline and stretched, her golden hide
gleaming in the sun. }:Thank you.:{ The tip of her tail twitched
happily and lowered herself down so her rider to mount.

They flew for some time just enjoying the the wind and air around
them. }:Mine wants to know if yours wants to head towards the water or
trees?:{ Taldeth asked Elleth.

Elleth passed along the question and there was a moment before Meledei
replied. }:Mine says we are near water all the time. Let us go toward
the trees.:{ Be different, explore something they wouldn't normally
explore.

T'nom liked this idea. He did often fly over the trees, but not while
truly exploring. Those trips were simply meant to check for Thread.
Taldeth flew as close to Elleth as he could without causing them to
touch.

The day was nice, the weather warm. T'nom glanced over towards Meledei
and Elleth and smiled. Being with Meledei always made him smile.

His eyes, however, caught sight of something he'd never noticed
before. Was that a cave? He veered towards it without even thinking.
Then had Taldeth relay the message that he's spotted an unusual cave.
}:Mine would like to check out a new cave:{

Elleth passed along a message of affirmation and then angled to follow
the bronze toward the dark spot that could only be a cave. **This
should be interesting.** Meledei peered down at the place that T'nom
had found, her curiousity piqued.

It didn't take long for them to find a spot to land, though it wasn't
as close to the cave as T'nom would have liked. The dragons were too
large to get any closer. Sliding off Taldeth's back he waited for
Meledei to join him, anxious to explore something new.

Meledei slid her jacket off then folded it before she placed it inside
one of the packs on her riding straps. She peered up at the sky which
still had a few clouds but brilliant with Rukbat's light, making them
gleam the purest white. Her eyes drifted down to the cave and she
looked over at her friend, a half smile playing over her lips. "You
didn't happen to bring a glow, did you?"

"Er," T'nom grinned as he looked at her. "I thought you were packing
all the things we'd need!" He chuckled a bit. "Now what are we going
to do?"

"Well, I have flint. Come on, we can make a torch." It wasn't that
difficult. Meledei paced the area and found a thick, sturdy branch
that had fallen from a tree. Vines were procured which she then
wrapped around one end. "This should work. Here, make too more, I
don't want it to burn out in the middle of exploring - and we don't
know how deep it is."

Now that was something T'nom could handle. He quickly got to work
creating the other torches. He glanced towards the cave, wondering
what they would find inside. His pulse raced at the thought of
adventure and the unknown. This was _exactly_ what they needed today.

"All ready here. Let's light the first one and then explore," He said
with an excited grin on his face.

"Think four will be enough?" Meledei grinned and took two of them. After
all, it wouldn't be fair for him to carry them all. She set her two on the
ground while she struck the flint to light one of T'nom's, then picked it
all. "All right, here we go! Off into the great unknown." Then, with
T'nom by her side, she slipped into the cave.

It wasn't completely dark right inside. After all, the mouth was wide
enough to allow a good amount of light so that the entrance was fairly
bright and further in, the shadows were miled. They had gone a good
dragonlength before the shadows got deep enough to truly need additional
light. "Think we might find treasure?"

He was always amazed at her adventurous ways. He chuckled as she eagerly
took the lead and led them inside. T'nom was enjoying the chance to be
beside Meledei, until that is, the cave paths got narrower and they had to
take turns in front. Since his torch was lit, he took the lead.

"I doubt there's treasure in here," he replied, ever practical, "but
perhaps we will find something worthwhile." Soon they came to a fork in the
paths. One was tall and narrow the other was shorter, but wide. "Your
choice," he said waving the torch first towards one side then to the other,
"do we squeeze in that side or crawl in this side?"

"I didn't _really_ think there would be, but it's fun to pretend." Even
though there wasn't, they were still on a treasure hunt of sorts - a hunt
for adventure, and they were having one! She paused when T'nom did and
considered the two options. "I don't want to crawl. Doing so with a torch
sounds difficult and I'd rather not either of us get singed."

"Well then, the other way it is!" T'nom moved towards the small opening. He
had to turn sideways as it wasn't shoulder-width apart. With the torch in
front of him, he slithered along the wall a ways until the tunnel got a bit
narrower. "It's getting smaller. I'm not sure I'll fit." He paused and
slide back towards Meledei for a moment. "Here can you take the torch for a
moment." It wasn't easy but he got it around to his other hand without
singing himself. "I think I'd best take off these extra layers if I'm going
to squeeze through there." He began removing his jacket. It was cool in the
cave, but he wouldn't want to get stuck.

"Eating too many bubblies, huh?" Meledei giggled and reached for his
jacket with her free hand. "I can hold it. Just don't force it - I'd
rather go the other way than get you wedged in so tight we have to starve
you just to get you out."

He paused at that thought. "I'll stop if I start feeling stuck." **I
hope.** Moving forward, T'nom wiggled a bit into the smaller opening. For a
moment he thought he was going to be stuck, and then "Humpf," he almost
fell out the other side. "I'm good," he said sounding a bit breathless.
"Hand me the torch and things so you can get through."

"Question is, can you get back?" Meledei passed the jacket first, then the
torch. She was of a smaller frame than the young man and slipped passed
easily. "You should lay off the bubblies." She jabbed again as she poked
him in the stomach, a gleam in her eye that was caught by the dancing light
of the torch. "Shall we keep going?"

T'nom couldn't help but notice how the light seemed to flicker in Meledei's
hair. He found himself having strange thoughts about kissing her and had to
shake his head to clear them and focus on what she'd just said.

"Yes, I do, think we should continue. I surely don't want to go back that
way quite yet," he joked, patting his stomach for emphasis. He realized
suddenly that he could see Meledei better now that they'd entered this
chamber.

"There's light coming from somewhere else. It's brighter in here than it
was just back there," he was looking around, trying to pinpoint which way
to go that would lead them toward the light.

"Hey, I hear something." Meledei half whispered when they had moved toward
the lightening shadows a bit. She cocked her head and if she had been a
feline, her ears would have surely twitched. "Just up ahead." What was it?
It was too difficult to tell. At the moment it sounded
almost like a
constant hush, as if an invisible woman were trying to shush her baby to
sleep. "Let's keep going."

T'nom had heard it too. Curious, he continued, trying to placed the strange
sound that seemed to wash over them and grow louder the closer they got to
the light.

He paused when he saw the light was coming through a crevice just a bit
down from where they were. They would have to slide down the side of the
cliff wall to reach the opening. He turned to Meledei, "You up for this?"
He grinned, anxious to see what they would find once they got down there.
The sound was so loud he could hardly hear himself think.

"The question is, are you?" Meledei peered over the side. It wasn't too
bad, a little steep, but she'd gone down steeper hills in the snows when
she had visited other places that actually got the stuff. She eyed the
angle, then sat down and swung her legs in front of her. "Tally ho and all
that, right?" Her eyes twinkled as she gazed up at him, just before
pushing forward to begin the slide.

Last updated on the March 7th 2013

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It's Beautiful and So Are You (Part 1 of 2)