Picking Up Where We Left Off.
Tawny
There she was, still in the entrancing clothing she'd worn earlier in
the day. Smile morphing into a grin, he came up behind her...a
respectable distance, though he'd rather be quite a bit closer. "Ah,
Kora, my dear....how may I be of assistance?"
While still covered in grease smelling like the meal that V'tor had
recently enjoyed Kora's dark eyes turned up towards him her nose
wrinkling slightly, "Unless you plan on cleaning the grease trap we're
about done."
Dropping the rag she was using on the cooking grate, Kora slowly began
to rise to her feet. Her back ached, her hands were raw, and she felt
as if she had been rolled in herdbeast grease. "I'd love a bath, and a
massage, and if I'm still not asleep perhaps some rich meaty stew,"
she teased as she wiped her hands against her apron.
He snapped, his attention focused on the nearest warm body. It
happened to be that of a weyrbrat. "Oi. Boy. Why don't you finish
up here, so Kora can rest a bit? What is that look for? You only
have clean up duty! Your barracks call will be the same as the rest
of the candidates...."
He shook his head. "Come with me..." There was a hidden twinkle in
his eye behind the stern front. A gentle hand that looked more fierce
than the touch actually was slid up the back of her neck, discreetly
working on the knots there, as he gently propelled her toward his
weyr. "You may wash while we speak of a few things." he made it
sound condescending, almost lascivious...what most knew him for here
anyway.
"I'm so glad for your permission," she retorted as he led her from the
kitchens by the look on his face the heat she had caused earlier was
still running through him a mile a minute. Unfortunately, the way she
currently felt, the minute she laid down she would be sound asleep.
Brushing her hair out of her face she slowed her pace until she could
lean on him once they were out of the high traffic areas. Most had
retreated to the outside courtyard they had set up to enjoy the
cooling breezes from the coast. "You don't want to go outside tonight
do you?" she inquired with a grin?
"I have a surprise for you...." he murmured in her ear as they walked
down the corridor toward his weyr. "A nice hot bath...and a
surprise...." He watched her out of the corner of his eye, in a
suddenly good mood. On the way back from seeing Nerys to her own
weyr, he'd checked and Kora's surprise had been waiting there, guarded
quite regally by Yedrath. "I'll order us some proper supper...." he
said, kissing the top of her head, as he steered them through his
door.
"Why would you do such a thing?" She inquired a giggle escaping her.
It wasn't her birthing day after all or was it? She couldn't tell the
days apart anymore, perhaps she had forgotten. Either way the surprise
seemed utterly enticing. "I would of just been happy with a bath," she
said as they entered she immediate began shucking her dirty clothing
once more. While she wasn't overly pleased with V'tor's promotion his
new quarters did have perks including the nice warm bathing pool that
she didn't have to share with anyone. "Aren't you going to join me?"
He was already halfway to the pool, pulling his shirt loose as he
went. "It has been sixteen Turns to the day since I was formally
introduced to you. You were fourteen, and thought I was a cad..." He
grinned, shucking off his pants and slid into the pool.
"A candid fool?" Kora inquired as she leaned in to place several
kisses upon his lips before dipping down into the warm water allowing
it to rise to her chest. The warmth was so sinfully delectable she
doubted she would be able to make it to the bed alone. "Wasn't this
worth the wait?"
"Hmm....of course...." he pulled her tight against his chest, burying
his face in her neck. "How do you manage it every day, my love?" he
murmured softly. Pulling her more securely into his lap, he stretched
for a washing cloth and soap sand, liberally coating it before
starting to scrub at her shoulders, sure of how tense they would be.
"I've been talking with certain people, and we've determined that
certain people..." he grinned, kissing her neck, "would benefit from a
looser schedule. Sure a few more assistants might be needed, but the
idea of a rotating shift could help everyone get some proper rest on a
regular basis..." He winked at her.
"Mmmn. Have you been poisoning people?" Kora said and then paused for
a brief moment as she thought what he was suggesting. "She won't be
involved would she?" Kora paused tensing slightly at the thought.
"Mmmm. She told me to take care of it. A word to Leila and it will
be done. Just a matter of the schedule, and that is all."
He dug the heels of his hands into the muscles covering her shoulder
blades. Grimacing, he worked on smoothing out the knots there. "You
thoroughly need a vacation..."
"I'll take one, when you get one," Kora teased thinking about just
what a vacation truly was. It was a thing that a Lord Holder or a
Master of a Craft took on occasion. And everyone said that Ista was
paradise. "And where would we go?" she teased as she eased into him
her muscles becoming looser beneath his finger tips, "To sea for a few
days?"
"It could be arranged...." he mused.. Complications could easily
arise from explaining an absence of both the Weyrleader and the
Headwoman's Assistant on the same ship, at the same time...alone. The
rumors that would fly (and be correct), and what could be done about
the delicate balance with Nerys in the first place.
"It was tempting. Time away. But Kora knew him better than that.
"Ah for simpler days..." he sighed, pulling her close again. "She
won't disturb us again tonight..." he murmured hotly against her bare
skin.
"Promise?" she murmured as she turned in his arms wrapping herself
about him, her finger tips caressing from his side to his neck. "I've
heard that one before," she murmured as she leaned down to kiss the
front of his neck. She would love to spend the rest of the night in
this tub with him safe and warm. Her muscles becoming lax.
He grinned, "I promise....we'll find a way."
V'tor could feel the tension seeping out of her. "Ready for your
surprise? Or do you want to soak some more?" He teased.
"Do I have to get out?" She whined him like a child languishing at the
warmth of the water. She still had to wash her hair before she could
leave the pool, but she really didn't want too. If she could she'd
find a way to sleep in the bathing pool. "If you insist," she teased
as she allowed herself to slip under water wetting her hair, and
caressing V'tor's legs and nether regions before surfacing again.
He chuckled as she surfaced, "You have that look on your face
again....I've missed something have I?" He caught her close, and
scrutinized her.
"Can't I have it in the pool?" she said she leaned up for a kiss
curling about him. "And then you lavish me some more?" She murmured as
she trailed her kisses to his neck and finally chewing his earlobe.
"Just this once?"
V'tor kissed her back soundly. "Maybe a bit more time in the
pool...." He buried his face in her hair, still soaking wet.
Scooping up a handful of the soapsand, he started working it into her
hair. "Your wish is my command..." He chuckled softly.
"I feel like a Lady Holder," she teased laughing at the feeling of his
fingers running through the long tangles of her hair. "Some of the
girls said that the Lady of Ista received a present from the healer
craft. Some kind of special soapsand but for your hair." She added
idly as she felt him brush her neck. Taking a moment to drop below the
water again she rose and settled herself in his lap. "I'm sure the
Weyrleader could get some. Don't want your perfect hair to become a
mess now do you?"
"Of course not...." he said archly, teasing. Brushing her hair back
from her face, he tilted his head slightly. "What am I to do with
you?"
"Love me and spoil me like no other lady before?" She teased as she
gave him a playful kiss resisting a yawn that fought it's way to the
surface. She was so relaxed and so content and yet with all the
playful energy that kept rising she was beginning to feel sleepy.
Taking his hands and stretching them out on top of her own she grinned
to herself staring at his fingers. "You could have been a harper," her
head lulled against his shoulder.
"Hmm...I think I would scandalize any harper..." he chuckled. He
wrapped his arms around her gently. He couldn't help but think if
some dragon had found her one day...things might have been easier.
"Ready to get out?" She asked allowing his hands to drop drawing
herself away from him to stand. She was already beginning to fall
asleep just laying there.
"I suppose..." he mused, enjoying the view. "I forbid you to fall
asleep before you've seen your surprise..."
"I wish you good luck trying," It took her a few tries to pull herself
out of the warm water onto the low rock shelf where she rested for a
moment allowing her swollen feet and ankles to dangle in the water a
brief moment longer, "I could sleep right here quite easily."
"Well, milady...." a rather mischievous grin spread across his face,
as he slipped out of the bathing pool. He stepped around her,
snatching up a few thick towels, and draped one around her shoulders.
The other at hand got tied around his waist. Simple enough... "Shall
we?"
Slowly rising to her feet she wrapped the towel about herself looking
up at him with a funny look. She loved when he treated her like this.
It made her forget frequently of her place and imagining for a change
to be in her mother's shoes. Being able to have any man or person at
her beck and call, being able to sleep as late as she wants and eat
and drink what she wants. Oh and the clothing that woman had. Lifting
her chin slightly a large grin covering her face, she took a few steps
toward the bathing chamber's door, the cool breeze cooling her as she
went to turn the corner. His weyr always seemed to get the best air
way as well.
Yedrath peeked into the weyr, nosetip under the curtain separating his
couch from V'tor's weyr. The box which held Kora's gift sat on a
short table next to the door, unwrapped, but tied with simple
string. V'tor scooped it up off the table. Gingerly he handed the
pristine package to her. "I hope, very much, that it suits you..."
he stifled a quirk of a smile, eyes searching her face.
Excitement lit her features as she handled the box that V'tor had
given her. Shifting her bathing sheet about her she settled to the
soft rush mattress and grinning an almost childish grin as she opened
it. Immediately her hands were assaulted by the most beautiful
delicate material she had ever handled, her eyes beginning to sting
with tears as she ran her hands down the smooth folds of rose. "Oh,"
she murmured almost breathless as her fingers caught the edge of a
necklace tucked to the bottom, her hands focusing on removing it
carefully as it would dissolve in her finger tips. "V'tor," she
breathed, her gaze lifting to meet his as she caught the tears at the
corners of her eyes. Her mother had occasionally given her presents of
this manner, but nothing close to this degree. She was almost sure the
woman would have a coronary if she knew the gift he bestowed on her.
V'tor sat next to her, sinking into the overstuffed mattress.
Wrapping his arms around Kora's waist, he smiled, looking down at it.
"I had to. It is completely perfect for you." He kissed her neck
softly.
"You didn't....you shouldn't of," She couldn't find the words to express
the mix of emotions that welled in her. She didn't get to gathers as
often as many would like, and that was one of the few times that she
could wear such an elaborate gown without fear of dirtying in. "I love
it, " she finally found the proper words to express the inner emotions
as she leaned in to kiss him.
"Now to find you a Gather to make everyone envy you...." That would
be the interesting part. And planning this getaway.... Capturing her
face in his hands, he kissed her hungrily. The incident earlier in
the day had left him quite on the spot to hide his feelings and ignore
her, as most ranking men might in the Weyr. Something he'd long since
learned around Nerys.
Returning the kiss her fingers allowed the necklace to slip numbly
from her finger tips right back into the box. It took her a moment or
two to remove herself long enough to set the box upon the floor,
before she rejoined his kiss. The tension and frustration of their
earlier meetings abrupt end finally filtering through her again as she
returned his longing kiss. It had been roughly a week now since they
had been able long enough to sleep away. V'tor busy with his duties
and the result of the hatching, while she having to re-inventory the
cavern and prepare the list of necessaries for the headwoman to
present to the Weyrwoman. This was the last time she allowed him to
stray from her too much as he had a habit of causing heart feelings
amongst the other women. "V'tor," she whispered to his lips as her
hands passed down his exposed back and chest.
(Fade to Black)