Picnic in the Sun!

[E]

Amoare laughed at Tevern’s nonsense comment as she walked with a group of older candidates. He smiled at her, delighted that he could make her smile with is jokes. An idea came to his head and he elbowed a nearby boy. “Say, why don’t we go grab some rolls and wine from the kitchen? We can throw a picnic down the way.” he said winking toward Amoare and the other female candidate that was with them.

The other girl clapped her hands together, thrilled at the idea and the two boys ran off towards the lower caverns where they’d be able to sneak in the back way where the head cook wouldn’t see them. Amoare smiled with the other candidate as they continued walking down along the side of the bowl, shoes in hand and looking for a suitable place to sit in the summer sun.

[Memorie]

P'resh lay on the ground by edge of the bowl, relaxing in the warm sun. His muscles were still sore from all the activity they had endured four days ago. He twisted on the woven mat, attempting to become comfortable enough to fall asleep. His bronze dragon lay less than hlaf a dragonlength away, fully dozing in the hot midday sun. When he finally achieved the spot, he had ended with his legs crossed and his back down. Eyes closed, he dozed off and on, and his sundreams were filled with thoughts of Amoare. Unconsciously, he smiled as he thought of her dark hair, her light eyes, and her voice telling him how great he was.

He scratched his stomach and fell further into these dreams, the hot sun filling his chest and face with warmth.

[E]

Amoare laughed at Pleta’s comment about the two boys just as she noticed a familiar bronze body. “Say Pleta, would you like to meet a friend of mine?” she asked motioning toward the dozing dragon. “I bet Kaunth’s rider can’t be far.” Being on the wrong side of Kaunth, she couldn’t see P’resh for the mass of the dragon.

“You want me to meet a Bronze rider?!?!” Pleta asked, clearly surprised.

“Why not?” Amoare asked amused at her fellow candidates behavior. She giggled as Pleta agreed to the adventure and went to straightening her hair as they walked.

Walking up to the bronze, Amoare found him asleep and frowned. She had wanted to ask if he knew where P’resh was, but hadn’t wanted to wake him. That’s when she heard a familiar, soft sigh. Grinning at her friend, she motioned for her to be quite as she tip-toed around and over the dragons great tail.

There on the other side laid P’resh, comfortable as can be. Pleta immdently grabbed Amoare’s elbow pulling her closer. “I bet you a half a mark you’re too chicken to wake him.” Pleta whispered into her ear. Amoare smiled. “Your on.”

Walking over, Amoare kneeled down next to him and placed a hand lightly on his chest. “P’resh… Its time to wake up…” she said softly, hoping it’d wake him so she wouldn’t have to find ‘alternative’ ways to do it for her half-mark. Pleta just stood there with her mouth hanging open that Amoare would be so brave with a bronzer.

[Memorie]

Amoare's voice pulled P'resh back from dreams of her, and instead of opening his eyes, he threw his arms over her, pulling her from her kneeling position to sit next to him. Putting his head in her lap, he kept is eyes closed, completely missing the candidate Pleta watching the scene. "I was just thinking about you, love," he mumbled into her thigh, which was where his nose was faced. Still about half-asleep, he cuddled into her, now pushing the back of his head into her stomach. "What are you doing today?" he mumbled again.

You'll be interested to know that there is another girl close by, Kaunth informed him. P'resh almost didn't understand, but he shook his head and opened his eyes to see said girl watching closely.

"Char it all," he muttered, upset that someone had seen him acting so childish. He looked up at Amoare, grinning and dark eyes twinkling with sleepiness and laughter. "You did that on purpose," he said.

[E]

At P’resh’s movements, Pleta’s mouth had fallen even farther open as she found herself completely lost and confused at what was going on. At the same time she found P’resh’s behavior completely hilarious and couldn’t help but laughing uncontrollably after the first initial shock.

Amoare had been completely surprised by his sudden movement, but couldn’t help but smile at him as he snuggled closer to her. “I’m having a picnic with some friends.” she said softly answering his question. Hearing his muttered curse, she couldn’t help it any longer. Leaning down she kissed his forhead. “Well it was worth half a mark.” she said now looking at Pleta expectantly holding out her hand.

Pleta fished out the promised half-mark and handed it over. “Pleta this crazy bronzer is Wingsecond P’resh, rider of Bronze Kaunth. P’resh his is candidate Pleta.” she finally said as a formal introduction.

[Memorie]

"Ugh," he told her as she kissed his forehead. Gingerly, he lifted his head form Amoare's lap to look at the girl, squinting his eyes against the sun. "A half-mark for my embarrassment? Bitran odds, I tell you," he said, smiling to take the bite out of his words. There was a chance that neither of them knew even what Bitra was, much less a Bitran odd. Standing up, he decided to be nicer to her friend than he originally intended. He stick out his hand for her to shake it.

That would behoove you, the great bronze said. He had been awoken and seriously doubted his abilities to go back to sleep. He lifted his head, eyes whirling gently at the girl in a blue and green contentedness. The sun felt good on his shiny hide, and he had just recieved a bath that morning. He had even managed to forget about the blasted kitten in the weyr, who was growing larger all the time.

"Hmm, a picnic? With friends? Those would be candidate friends, no doubt," he said, eyeing her, and wondering if that candidate boy who so obviously liked her would be there.

[E]

Pleta accepted his hand after a moments hesitation and shook it with a large grin on her face. “I’ve heard of Bitra and its odds before. My granddad used that saying a lot.” she said with a smile.

Amoare was lost and her face showed it as she too climbed to her feet. “Whats a Bitra?” she asked thoroughly puzzled. Seeing Kaunth’s bronze head raise up to look at them she smiled. “Good Day Kaunth. I didn’t wake you did I?”

Hearing the question about the picnic she nodded. “Yeah. Pleta, Terevn, Colten and I.” she said simply, finding nothing wrong with the people involved.

[Memorie]

"Good to hear there's at least one candidate around this Weyr with any sense," he told Pleta. Meanwhile, Kaunth looked at Amoare when she addressed him.

Yes, but don't worry. I needed to get up and hunt anyway, he told her, well pleased that she felt comfortable enough with him to talk to him. Not many candidates did, and he usually didn't bother to speak to them. P'resh smiled as he overheard their conversation.

"Terevn? Isn't he that boy who has fond feelings for you?" P'resh asked, never one to mince words. It wasn't that he didn't trust Amoare, it was that he did not like this boy, and only because he had expressed a liking for Amoare. "Where do you plan on eating?" he asked. "I can go get mats for your picnic, if you don't already have them," he offered.

[E]

Pleta smiled at P’resh’s comment, turning a slight shade of pink. She knew a handsome rider when she seen one, and she couldn’t wait till she impressed and could have a real chance with them.

Amoare smiled at Kaunth, happy she hadn’t inconvienced him. Her smile quickly faded, however, when she heard the bronzers comment about Tevern. Turning to him she frowned, “Who ever said he liked me?” she asked completely lost once again. Pleta slapped her forehead and ran her hand slowly down her face.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed Amoare! I swear you are denser than a firestone!” she exclaimed loudly at her. Amoare continued to frown but didn’t have time to reply back as Pleta took over the conversation, just as she was good at.

“Mats would be wonderful, Wingsecond P’resh.” she said with a smile and batting her eyelashes flirtingly. She wouldn’t pass up the chance to try at a bronzer, and if she could get him to eat with them… all the better. Colten would live.

[Memorie]

P'resh gave Pleta and odd smile, knowing that she was flirting with him, as well versed as he was in the devices and mannerisms of women. "Okay," he said, looking at Amoare and ignoring Pleta now. "I'll be back soon, love," he said, kissing Amoare's forehead. He strode off to the lower caverns to speak with the headwoman, whom he was now on good terms with, about more mats.

When he returned, his muscular arms were full of mats of varying thickness. He set them down near to Kaunth, waiting for Amoare's company to return and still largely ignoring Pleta.

[E]

Pleta instantly recognized a man ignoring her and put a pout on her lips as she watched him walk toward the kitchens. Amoare had smiled when the bronzer had kissed her and she kept it as she looked at Pleta. “Whats that pout for?” she asked, almost certain she already knew the answer.

“You’ve already got him hooked. I don’t even have a chance.” she complained and Amoare laughed.

“Well if its any constellation to you, I don’t have a clue how I did it.” she said with a smile. Pleta rolled her eyes. Noticing the Bronzer returning, she smiled at him, loosing it instantly as he successfully ignored her again.

“Fine. I’ll got back to Colten.” she whispered to Amoare who giggled at her friend before spotting the boys coming out of the lower caverns, food and bottles in hand. Pointing them out to Pleta she smiled and nudged her before walking over to P’resh. Taking the mats he had set down, she began to lay them out in a semi-circle before sitting next to P’resh.

[Memorie]

P'resh watched as Amoare sat next to him. "Am I to be apart of this festivity as well?" he asked, grinning because he had quite successfully thrown Pleta out of the way, though he did not think by any means that she would leave him alone. Females never did catch a hint from him very well.

I'm going to go eat as well, Kaunth told him.

No! Please don't leave me here! I'm almost ten turns older than any of these kids! P'resh pleaded.

That is not my problem, Kaunth told him, and he spread his wings and headed for the hunting ground. P'resh's jaw hung open.

"So much for that unconditional love and strength of bond," he muttered. He realized that he really had no choice but to eat with Amoare's friends, though he'd rather go pick up another feline than do it. He pasted a smile on his face and sat down next to Amoare.

[E]

Amoare laughed at P’resh, “Well you did supply the mat, so it would only be fair if we shared.” she said simply. Seeing the boys join them she smiled. “P’resh, these are Tevern and Colten. Boys, this is P’resh.” she said as she accepted the rolls they handed over from their stuffed arms.

Colten raised an eyebrow to Tevern and Tevern could only frown as she sat down on the other side of Amoare. This wasn’t the way he had planned their picnic… “So we have sweet rolls and meat rolls… tried to get some pies, but they were right in front of the cook so…” Colten said cheerfully. His smile suddenly frowned into a suspicious look as he glanced at P’resh. “Say… Your not going to tattle like a weyrbrat are you?” he said forgetting his manors.

Amoare frowned at her friend and Pleta smirked. Pleta was rather pleased that her man was brave enough to challenge a bronzer so. She knew he’d ride bronze for sure!

[Memorie]

P'resh's easy smile quickly turned into a snarl. "Why? Conscience got you down? Do you feel like you deserve to be told on?" he said, more than asking. "Speaking of weyrbrats, I know a nine turn old you could probably take lessons from, child." P'resh placed an emphasis on the last word. "Tevern, it is a pleasure to make your aquaintance," he said, though his tone reflected otherwise. Knowing as he did right then that the battle for Amoare's affection was on, he snaked an arm around Amoare's side. Turning to whisper in her ear, he asked, "Are you sure you want me here, Amoare? It would seem that I have not made a particularly grand impression upon your friends."

[E]

Amoare’s day was instantly shattered at Colten’s remark and her frown deepened at P’resh’s reply. While she couldn’t blame either one, she hadn’t thought such bitter words would come so quickly. Now what would she do? She didn’t want P’resh to leave and yet she didn’t want to leave her friends either.

She watched as Colten’s eyes flared at P’resh’s words and she gave him a pleading gaze. Feeling the bronzer’s arm wrap around her, she listened to him intently and sighed, a sigh Tevern picked up easily.

“Colten hold your tongue! Is that how you’d treat a bronze rider? And Amoare’s friend none the less.” he said hoping to gain even a smile from the gold candidate. He received his reward.

“I don’t want you to go P’resh, but if you think it’d be for the best I’ll go with you.” Amoare said glancing over at Colten again. Everyone instantly protested and she ignored them. She’d leave it up to the one she loved.