Midnight Swims

Writers: Chelle, Jelena
Date Posted: 29th July 2014

Characters: Rhosyn, Eioval
Description: Not able to sleep, the Weyrwoman slips off to the water and is caught.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 7, day 24 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: N'vanik, Nisheyl, Hygalia

It was no secret that she was having a hard time sleeping. Rhosyn hated the
empty weyr. Of course Orlaith's presence nearby kept her
from leaving since her dragon meant security, but it was so hard just to lie
there and pray sleep would overtake her. Rolling over, she woke
her dragon and the two of them quietly slipped out. Rhosyn climbed up atop
the queen and nestled behind a neckridge without straps. She
didn't have a stitch on but she didn't care if anyone saw her in the
darkness.

The gold quietly headed out of the Weyr and to the beach, on her forelegs.
It wasn't exactly quick going but she made good time. Depositing
her rider on the sand, she went into the water with her. When she
disappeared under the waves, all one could see was her whirling blue eyes,
keeping careful watch.

Rhosyn sighed and took in the waves as they pressed against her body. The
water was cool and it helped. There was very little moonlight
but she didn't need it anyway. Her toes squished in the sand as she dipped
her head under and back up.

**Talk about thrilling** Eioval thought to himself as he saw Orlaith slip a
very naked Weyrwoman into the water, remembering their last
conversation quite well. Not keen on being caught peeping at the Weyrwoman,
he coughed loudly.

She heard the noise and turned. Rhosyn wasn't afraid. After all, she had a
lot of dragon right behind her and Orlaith hissed, letting whoever
it was know that rather quickly if they didn't already. "Who's there?" It
was a public beach, though she had expected to be alone at such a time
in the night. Then again, in a Weyr, that wasn't always true. Her eyes
couldn't see that well in the dark, so she switched to Orlaith's and saw a
form, trying to pick it out.

"It's Eioval, Ma'am, sorry for disturbing you." Well, technically she was
the one disturbing him, as he'd been sitting by the water long before she
and Orlaith had arrived, but it didn't seem like a very nice thing to point
out.

She didn't want to move. The water was relaxing. Sighing, Rhosyn shrugged.
The harper was harmless, after all. "I suppose it was too much to
think I was the only one that couldn't sleep." Continuing her swim, she
moved towards her dragon and grabbed onto Orlaith's tail, using it as a
float.

"Oh, I'm sure I could sleep if I wanted to. But on a night like this?" he
gestured at the darkness above River Bluff Weyr, the stars and the moons
and the vague silhouette of a guard dragon. "Who would want to?"

So he was out here by choice. She frowned, wishing she had that luxury.
"Maybe people who have to be up at dawn in order to care for their dragons
and lead a wing meeting." It wasn't a rebuke, it was just an echo of what
she was feeling. She didn't resent Orlaith or her duties but things seemed
so hard lately after going back to full duty.

"Ah yes, there's that," Eioval said with an understanding smile. "Forgive
the silly little harper, I lead a relatively care-free life. So what is
keeping our noble Weyrwoman from her well-deserved rest?"

"Wouldn't she like to know?" She sighed and swam a little, feeling her
muscles easing up and her body cooling off. "Sometimes I just lie
there...and nothing happens."

"Ah yes, turned a bit insomniac, have you?" Eioval nodded in the dark.
"Anything on your mind especially?"

"So many things. There's the fact that Hygalia abandoned her Weyr. And
N'vanik abandoning me. And wondering if Nisheyl will be okay when she gets
older. And....so many other things." She didn't like worrying so much over
everything, but lately it was all she seemed to do. Where did the happy
Rhosyn go-she asked herself almost daily.

"Ahh yes, worrying about your child I cannot reproach you for. It's the
privilege of parenthood. But trust me when I say they have a tendency to
land on their feet." He paused for a moment, thinking. "On the abandonment issue, I
can guarantee you there will be a day that you'll say you've become a
better person because of it. People leaving our lives often prove themselves
totally miss-able."

"He was the only man I ever loved." **Why am I admitting this to some
harper?** She sighed and messed around in the water a bit more before coming
closer to the shallows. "So, I don't think I'll do that again."

"Well, who says you have to?" Eioval shrugged in the dark. "There's no rule
that says everyone should fall in love with someone. And maybe if you do
end up falling in love again, you won't mind so much anymore."

"Oh no...I make my own rules. And I'm done with it. It took me thirty turns
to do it the first time. There will be no second." Her tone was hard and
Rhosyn's fury made her body go a little rigid. She tried to calm down as she felt
Orlaith coming out of the water. The gold dragon waited for her. The
Weyrwoman, not caring a bit, slipped out under the darkness and walked onto the sand before
climbing up her dragon again. It was a slippery affair but once she managed
it, she was barely noticeable with the way Orlaith folded her wingsails around
her. "Good eve to you harper. Maybe now I will get some sleep."

"I hope so, Weyrwoman. Rest well," Eioval said as he watched Orlaith take
Rhosyn away. She was a peculiar one, their Weyrwoman. Peculiar indeed.

Last updated on the July 29th 2014

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Midnight Swims