The Sea and Beach

[Thilwen Nimlondiel]

R'lan just about choked. She would ask that question now.

What did I say? Ellorth inquired with a tone that was altogether too innocent.

"He said we should get a new weyr," R'lan replied, if he didn't dislike lying and wasn't so bad at it he might have attempted to get around the subject. However, the fact was that he did like Verenna that much, as Ellorth had correctly decided. R'lan looked over at Verenna, wondering how she would respond.  

[jc-jade]

Luckily for Verenna, (and possible R'lan, too, at that moment,) she was pretty dense about certain things. (She hadn't exactly had any practice in that area.) "Oh." Surprise colored her tone. "He doesn't like it?" Seeing the "caged animal look" creeping onto R'lan's face, she hastily added, "You don't have to answer that if you don't want. I was just curious. Go ahead and tell me to shut up sometimes if I ask the wrong questions. Changing the subject is always good too."

They had reached the boulders and pond, so she hopped up on a rock and tried to figure out which direction would provide the best view. In the back of her mind, she heard Baneth's laughter. The dragon knew what Ellorth had said, and knew the implication behind it. If R'lan didn't tell Verenna, then the green dragon would...eventually.  

[Thilwen Nimlondiel]

R'lan followed Verenna. "That's not quite what he meant. He was talking about becoming weyrmates," R'lan explained. He took in the scenery absently, watching Verenna in his peripheral vision.  

[jc-jade]

Then it clicked. Of course.

Verenna fell into the teasing mode that was her automatic responce to surprising situations. Giving him a sly look, Verenna turned to R'lan and said, (pretty innocently she thought,) "Well, could you please inform Ellorth that I prefer the view of your weyr to mine, since I somehow forgot that I preferred watching the moon at night over the sun rising...unless he was including me in that statement and wishes me to move as well." She paused. "But that was just Ellorth's thinking anyway. What of your own?"

She thought it was a pretty good reply, considering she hadn't thought that R'lan would ask her yet, never mind that in this case it was actually all Ellorth's fault. Baneth's feeling on the subject hadn't even entered her mind yet. She knew the green liked Ellorth.  

[Thilwen Nimlondiel]

"I don't think my weyr would quite be adequate for all four of us. Ellorth and I are pretty much in tune though," R'lan replied, somewhat surprised with his own forwardness. He pulled out the klah and poured a cup. "Want some?"  

[jc-jade]

"Mmmhmm." Verenna consented, absently, to having a cup. She was content with ending the conversation there, feeling no need to continue it at that moment. They would have time later. She slipped the blankets off her shoulders and put them in a pile on the rock, between her and R'lan. He could do with them as he wished.  

[Thilwen Nimlondiel]

R'lan handed her the cup of klah and poured himself some. He settled down on the rock and looked out at the setting sun. "You know before coming here I wouldn't have considered a weyrmate. I've seen couples turn on each other and I never wanted that to happen but..." R'lan glanced over at Verenna, "with you I don't feel worried."  

[jc-jade]

Verenna gratefully took the cup of steaming hot klah and slowly sipped some before responding. "Yes, you'll never have a problem." She grinned teasingly. "That's because I'll never say anything, which means we'll never have arguments." Sometimes her shy personality was an annoyance. With a person like R'lan, even though she cared deeply for him, it could come out at any moment. He needed to be aware of that.  

[Thilwen Nimlondiel]

R'lan turned to her, setting down his mug of klah. He gently took her chin and kissed her. "If we ever have a conflict I'm sure it won't be so important that it can tear us apart."  

[jc-jade]

She smiled gently up at him. "And if we do, the dragons will make sure we resolve it," she agreed. Scooting the blankets away from her a little, she (having sat down on the rock by now) moved a bit closer to R'lan and rested her head on his shoulders. Even sitting he was way taller than her.

With a small sigh, she tried not to dwell on his kiss. It had been her first; she wasn't sure if he knew that or not. But at the very least, it did confirm what he had been saying all along. He really did care for her.  

[Thilwen Nimlondiel]

R'lan wrapped one arm around her shoulders as he sipped his klah and watched the sun dip below the horizon.  

[jc-jade]

Verenna smiled faintly as she felt his arms wrap warmly around her.

Her smile grew larger as the moon began to rise, and shone its white light on their faces in the darkness. Everything was so peaceful. It would be hard to forget this night.

It was about a half hour later that she realized she was shivering from cold. "Where did those blankets go?" she muttered softly, having forgot, and couldn't see extremely far. They might have fallen off the rock for all she knew.  

[Thilwen Nimlondiel]

R'lan grabbed the blankets and wrapped them snugly around her. R'lan took her cup of klah and refilled it. "That'll help too."  

[jc-jade]

"Thanks," Verenna said, taking the klah and inhaling what steam it was still giving off. The sun had fully set now, and so the moon was the only light avaliable besides the stars. "Were you planning on heading back soon?" she asked R'lan. It was strange, but she wasn't even sure why she asked.  

[Thilwen Nimlondiel]

"When you are ready to return we can," R'lan replied with a smile. "I'm flexible."