Splishy Splash

[E]

After the kiss broke, Amoare found herself not wanting to leave the encasement of muscle that now surrounded her. The words next spoken reminded Amoare of her previous goal.

She smiled sweetly at P’resh as she let her fingers play across his lower back, hoping to loosen him up to tell her. “So are you going to tell me what this surprise is?” she asked soft before rolling onto her tip-toes to kiss him gently.

[Memorie]

"No," he said back to her, just as sugary sweet and making the pitch of his voice higher. "You have to wait, m'dear," he told her, still using the wierd voice. His hands rose to play in her hair for bit. "How about a walk, to see the sights before dinner?" he said, returning his voice back to normal. "Or we could sit and talk. This is Amoare's Time."

Hearing the sound of a splash, he looked over to the lake to see Kaunth blowing bubbles. "What a dimglow," he said, joking. Kaunth deserved some time to himself after his extraordinary act of patince today. "He really likes you, you know," he told Amoare, thinking of how Kaunth's back now bore the remainder of the day's work. They were boh tired, and privately, P'resh kept thinking of his bed.

[E]

Smiling at P’resh, she answered “Let’s sit. It sounded like you had a long day with whatever it was you were doing.” Giving him a look that clearly said ‘I want to know, char-it’, Amoare walked to the edge of the water where many rocks sat warming in the sun.

Leaping from one to another, Amoare finally found a large, flat one that was to her liking. Large as a bed and a dark grey, Amoare knew it would be a warm one, even as the water lapped its edge. Sitting, she brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them as she waited for P’resh to join her.

“So why do you say Kaunth likes me?”

[Memorie]

"Gah," he said, knowing Kaunth was close enough to hear what she had said. "He has endured a lot today in your tribute," he told her, thinking of the scratches, yet another reason they had had to fly straight everywhere P'resh had taken Amoare. He absent-mindedly scratched Amoare's back, and pondered. She had never really said if she liked the sort of thing the present was. But it was a cute thing, so he wasn't too worried. He decided not to think about it anymore.

"So. What do you think of the Candidate Master?" P'resh asked. It was very interesting for him to know, since P'resh himself didn't think much of H'mei. His own personal thoughts were something along the lines of "foolish old codger."

[E]

Amoare was so puzzled over the statement of endurance that she didn’t even hear his question scant seconds later. A puzzled look on her face, she sat a moment crossing a few things off her list that she had thought it could be. Then she frowned. That left nothing on her list.

Her eyes coming back into focus as she came back to the present, she looked at P’resh a mixture of feelings on her face ranging from confusion to mischief. “Now listen here Bronzer. You’ve gone and completely confused me now. What HAVE you and Kaunth been doing today??” she asked, her voice half threatening and half demanding while still painted with curiosity.

She was completely lost.

[Memorie]

"Oh, but dear heart, I have told you what Kaunth and I were doing today," he said, feighning innocence. "We flew a few drills, went to the jungle, came home, took a nap, and practiced some more. Then you found us, and I've been with you ever since!" His eyes were open wide and his lips were pursed in mock-innocence. "I simply have no idea what you are talking about. Perhaps you've been in the sun too long?" he suggested, cover slipping and laughing.

We need to go soon, Kaunth told his rider. I need to hunt and sleep.

"Kaunth says we must leave soon, sweetroll. He's hungry and tired, as am I," P'resh said, kissing the girl's forehead.

[E]

“Oh no you don’t.” she said like a mother reprimanding a child. Putting her hand on his chest to stop him from getting up, she looked him square in the eyes. “Your going to tell me whether you like it or not.”

Amoare found herself unable to stop smiling even though she was attempting to be perfectly serious. Struggling for a straight face, she continued her gaze into his eyes perfectly ready to sit there as long as she had to.

[Memorie]

P'resh's eyes widened at her audacity. "Oh, little miss, I don't think you understand the brevity of our stay here. We've got to go!" He scooped her up in his arms. "Yes, I did it. We're leaving now. I'm hungry. Kaunth's hungry," he said, eyeballing her and grinning. "C'mon Kaunth!"

The dragon had been out of the water long enough to dry his back for them to sit on. P'resh walked over to him as the dragon half-flew, half-walked over to meet the couple. P'resh set Amoare down next to the dragon. "Now, would you rather go back to the Weyr kicking and screaming, or just get on Kaunth by yourself?" he asked. Kaunth dipped his front left shoulder politely.

[E]

Finding herself in the air before she had realized that he’d started something funny, she yelped in surprise. “Hey! Not fair!” she shouted as she tried to squirm in arms plenty large enough to hold her. Unable to touch the ground she had nothing to use as leverage and her attempts were in vain.

Finally set next to the dragon, she glared at them both. “I want you to know that I’m going for Kaunth. Not you.” she said with a voice the closest to bitterness that her kind soul would ever be able to muster, a bitterness that sounded like a joke.

Turning she smiled at Kaunth, “Thank You.” she said politely as he dipped his shoulder. Scrambling on without P’resh’s help this time, she sat down, purposely putting herself in the ‘back-seat’ to be difficult.

[Memorie]

"Ooh, flame it all, I get to eat. Does that just burn you up?" he asked, not a bit influenced by her tone. He knew that once he got her to his weyr, she'd forgive him just as quickly as she had been angry at him. Watching her climb into the second spot, he grinned. "And I get to have your arms around my waist? This is the best trouble I've ever been in!" he exclaimed. He climbed up in front of her, not giving her an option to make him "suffer" more by moving to the first spot. He turned to make sure she was strapped in, and strapped himself in. "Okay, Kaunth, we're ready," he said, and the dragon's muscles bunched as he launched them all into the air.

Can we go between home? Kaunth asked, sounding like he already knew the answer.

"I'm afraid we can't, Kaunth," P'resh replied. He would have liked to get there faster himself, but he was still concerned about the scratches in Kaunth's hide. And no one was dressed for between. They were flying straight, rising up the mountain to the Weyr.

[E]

Hearing him continue to pick on her as if she’d made no impact at all with her words, Amoare found herself beginning to be flustered. Thankful he was in front of her where he couldn’t see, she put her hands on his stomach, silently rejoicing in the feel of his muscles and at the same time wishing she could find another way to hold him just to spite his ‘punishment’.

Finding no way around it, she let her head fall against her back as she closed her eyes. There just didn’t seem a way around it; She’d have to wait to find out whatever it was he was hiding. Twisting her head, she left it resting on his back as she watched the scenery go by.

It didn’t take long before she found herself looking at the bowl. As soon as she felt Kaunth land, she sat up straight and began fumbling with the straps, unsure of what needed to be done to unlatch the hides as she had been more concerned watching him put them on, not taking them off.

[Memorie]

When he felt her head lay against his back, he knew that he had won the battle for now. He sighed in contentment, and they flew on upwards.

When they landed, and she began to fiddle with the straps, he twisted quickly. "You have to be careful," he told her. "These straps are old and have a way of pinching your skin in them," he said, demonstrating the proper way to undo them. "Then you pull this back through here, and you're out." He turned, undid his own straps, and took the whole kit-n-caboodle off of Kaunth. It wouldn't do for him to have to deal with straps while hunting. "Okay, Kaunth, you know that it is rare that I don't watch you hunt, so you'll have to excuse me. And don't gorge yourself," he added, warningly. "It becomes hard for you to fly when your stomach is bulging."

Yes, yes. You had just better not show her the present before I get there, he told his rider. P'resh relayed the message to Amoare and laughed.

"Shall we, m'dear?" he asked, offering his arm and hoping that she wasn't still angry.

[E]

Amoare listened to the explanation of the straps, trying to remember each step for later use. Once free of the straps, she slid down to the ground again and watched as P’resh released Kaunth from the straps as well. Hearing what Kaunth had said, she pursed her lips and remained quiet.

Seeing his offered arm, she rolled her eyes and placed her hand its crook. “Oh if I must accompany you.” A teasing note was in her voice as she finally accepted the fact that she’d not be able to win against him. Not today anyways. Letting him lead her toward the hall, she caught the aroma in the air and found her mouth watering.

[Memorie]

P'resh was well-pleased when she did take his arm, and he lef them into the hall and, realizing they were not in proper clothes, straight past the dining hall and up to the candidate weyrs. "Hurry and rinse yourself and change, and I'll right back down. Fortunatly, we left the lake in time to have about fifteen minutes before they actually begin to serve dinner." He kissed her and took off at a run. He had a great deal more space to cover than she did.

He arrived at the weyr to find the present still okay, and grabbed a rag. Wiping down his grimy face and washing his hands, he stepped back to make sure his appearance was presentable. P'resh through on a dark green tunic and black pants, and changed into his other set of boots. Kaunth, now fully sated, flew into the weyr only to find P'resh making a mad dash for him. "Just one more ride, Kaunth, please!" P'resh yelled.

Okay, the dragon replied, too full to resist. He took P'resh back down to the bowl, depositing the rider as close to the cave opening as possible.

"Thanks!" P'resh yelled, running for the Candidate barracks as fast as his legs would take him. When he arrived, he went into the commons room, where he found several other candidates. Grinding his teeth, he asked one of the girls if Amoare was almost ready.

"I think so," she replied. The candidate master appeared.

"H'mei," the bronzer said, fully aware of the oddities of a wingsecond standing in the candidates' commons room.

"P'resh," H'mei replied, rolling his eyes. He left the room, and P'resh fervently hoped Amoare would hurry.

[E]

Amoare found herself surprised to be lead past the hall, but realization dawned on her before an explanation was said and she was thankful for it. Entering the girls part of the barracks, she found her chest and opened it, frowning at the few cloths she had. ‘Ah well.’ she thought as she pulled out a cream colored tunic that was too large for her.

Pulling it over her head, she undressed beneath it so she wouldn’t have to retreat to another room as there were girls still in this one. Undergarments replaced with dry ones, she pulled on a dry pair of slacks and pulled the drawstring tight before rummaging for a belt to hold the shirt closer to her waist.

Finished she walked toward the common room only to pass by a looking glass. Frowning as she seen herself, she paused and turned this way and that. The cloths couldn’t be helped, but her hair was a mess. Going back to her chest, she pulled out a fine-toothed comb and dragged it thru the now-dry hair, she flattened the worst of it out.

Making it to the commons area on her second try, she found P’resh waiting there. “Sorry.” she muttered, suddenly aware of the others in the room. “How long were you waiting?”