A Walk on the Beach {Vl'kan}

[Zara]

The moonlight on the water was beautiful. Calm and cool. Her feet felt a little cold walking on the wet sand, but it felt nice between her toes. She didn't care that she was getting her feet dirty... or that she probably shouldn't be out this late and whatnot with her recent sickness. She loved the bay. It was beautiful... especially after sunset and once the moon hit the water.... It was like magic. At least she thought so.

She could feel Ama flying over her head and Trivol was not too far away diving into the water and coming back up with a small fish. Iirla sighed and ignored them. They'd become tired soon enough. Praesent, on the other hand, sat on Iirla shoulder, crooning softly and rubbing his little head against her cheek lovingly. "Praesent..." she said softly to the flitter, but couldn't help the giggle that came into her voice. Oh... This flitter was such a great addition to their little family.

She could feel Izanycorth sleeping in their weyr. She was getting so big... she was also really sleeping well these days.

Iirla ran a hand back over her hair, pushing it out of her face as she ran out into the tide, not caring that her skirt got wet. Her sandals, that she had been carrying a moment ago were back on the sands. Oh she would happily love to just run and enjoy herself here. But she felt like she had to be this dignified queenrider at all times. She was junior weyrwoman... She had to act with dignity.

She couldn't let them know how much she hated this position... and how she felt so unprepared... But whatever it was... Oh well.

The moonlight danced off her pale skin and her dark hair. The gleam in her eye was playful and light as she laughed, splashing in the water. Her white tunic was caught by the wind and flowed gently around her, pulling up to expose some of her stomach while her skirt did move, it was too wet to really flow at this point.

"Oh..." she said softly, spreading her arms and feeling the wind in her hair.

[Zero]

“Oh you don’t say?” A flurry of chirps and trills answered the mans question as a young red and orange huntyre hopped around on the sands beside where he was currently laying. The garnetrider smiled lightly at his little companion before he folded his arms behind his head and began to study the night sky. Another rigorous day of training had come and gone, though this was had been particularly eventful. An old brown had tried to steal the violent crimson dragons kill earlier that morning. Safe to say the encounter did not go pleasantly, for both riders or dragons.

Vl’kan sighed and closed his eyes. It felt like everything was piling up on him lately and Thormyth’s antics today had just been the icing on the cake. It was why he had left his devious companion back in their weyr while he had gone for a walk and how his walk had turned to a handful of candlemarks spent on the beach just trying to clear his head. Easier said then done when thoughts of her kept sliding into his thoughts and disrupting everything.

Groaning out loud, the Istan sat up with a squeak of annoyance from Starfire as he unintentionally sprayed her with a bit of sand. Stroking her under the chin, he mumbled a low apology before noticing a slight movement in the corner of his eye. Who else would be out here this late? Frowning, Vl’kan narrowed his eyes to peer through the darkness to try and see the figure clearly. When they eventually came into focus though, he wish he hadn’t even looked.

At first though his eyes had softened the moment he noticed it was her but just as quickly that moment of softness was gone. His jaw tightened, a scowl twisting his features as he looked around, scanning the shore to see if that little bronzer had tagged along as well. After all one wasn’t usually seen without the other. Well, there goes his night. So much for a little rest.

[Zara]

"Oh Faranth... I want to be free...." she said, seemingly talking to the sky. She walked further out into the waves, untilthe water was up to her waist. She kept herself up, though honestly, the further she walked into the waves, the harder it was. What was she doing? Well... She wasn't entirely sure herself. The water was cool as it pushed against her. The tide was slow and thus... not entirely dangerous.

Ama seemed to spot Vl'kan and made a b-line for him, hitting him full in the chest before sitting and chirping. She sent images of hte pretty big red dragon and curled up in his lap, giving a little yawn. She seemed to be taunting Starfire as well. Trivol was flying up around Iirla who had yet to notice the garnet rider was here on the beach.

She was caught then by a large wave which knocked her backwards. She came up a minute later, sputtering and laughing. Oh it was nice just to be a girl again. Just to enjoy the beach and the waves and the wind. She stood and walked, now positively soaked, back to where the sand was dryer and she had left a jacket, sitting down and pulling it around her shoulders. Praesent flew backto her again then and landed on her head, chirping softly.

Trivol spotted Ama and chirped, sending an image of someone else - not a particularly clear image - being there. Iirla stood and turned. She smiled warmly when she spotted the person in the dark, though it was difficult to make him out in the shadows. "Hi." She said, but made no move to move towards him. She had sand plastered to her body - her forehead, in her hair. She was definitely a mess.

But... it had been fun. She straightened her tunic, which stuck uncomfortably to her skin and turned half to the water and the moonlight that danced on it. She wanted to fly away across the water. "You ever wonder what it'd be like... just to be free...?" she siad in a half whisper. Right now... she didn't really know who she was talking to, but... she rather have an open conversation than... not. She sighed again. Praesent chirped and she laughed, reaching up to pet the little blue lovingly.

[Zero]

What…Is that… Oh no.. A heavy grunt exploded from his lungs as the kamikaze flit collided with his chest before seemingly making a home in his lap and curling up. The young Lord shook his head and rubbed tenderly at his chest as he stared curiously down at the flitter. “You sure are a strange one, huh?” Frowning down at the little female, he shrugged and reluctantly gave in and gently scratched her under the chin.

His attention wavered back to Iirla and the waves. He couldn’t help it. There was no sign of the dimglow yet, so that was a plus in his books at least. He had been about to get up and leave, just in case said dimglow was to make an appearance. Vl’kan wasn’t in the mood for a fight, not tonight at least. Suddenly she was speaking and his emerald gaze snapped to where she was currently standing. Was she…talking to him? Confused, he glanced around him, half expecting someone else to walk out of the shadows and answer the gold rider. Naturally no one appeared, but he still got the feeling she was speaking to him as if he were a stranger.

“Like you just drop everything, responsibilities, stress, expectations, and leave it all behind? Yeah, I think about that often enough.” He scoffed lowly, to himself, under his breath and absentmindedly rubbed Ama’s head again. Starfire wasn’t pleased and wiggled her wings at the flit, almost as if she were trying to shoo her out of Hers lap.

[Zara]

It was Vl'kan. She would never mistake his voice for anyone else's. "Vl'kan," she said, her voice taking on a particular soft tone. Something... special and gentle. She walked over to Vl'kan and sat next to him, pulling off a bracelet she was wearing and giving it to Starfire. "Here you go little one."

She reached over and gave Vl'kan an hug. "Would you leave with me if I decided to run, Vl'kan...?" she asked him softly, taking one of his hands in hers without thinking much about it. "I came out here to be alone... but... I'm glad I ran into you." She smiled again. She was still soaked. "I hope I didn't get you too wet...." She bit her lip and petted her own flitter who had taken up residence in Vl'kan's lap while Trivol landed on the sand near Starfire and looked at the shiny that His had given her, chirping. "She just gets prettier and perttier, doesn't she." She said, commenting on Starfire.

Iirla laid back on the beach next to him, just enjoying laying there. "Has Thormyth been working you hard again today....?"

She really did mean... she wanted to leave. "I don't feel like I see you enough, Vl'kan." It was true. She hardly seemed to see him anymore. Neither of them hardly seemed to see him ever again. and every time she did... he seemed to have gotten injured.

She just laid there looking up at the moon. It was so nice to just... relax here. Trivol cheeped and looked up at Vl'kan with interest.

Iirla propped herself up on one hand and looked at him. "Vl'kan...?" she didn't finish was she was going to say. She didn't have any idea what she wanted to say. Quite honestly...

[Zero]

Oh there was A SHINY! The minute the moonlight reflected off the bracelet, the red huntyre seemed to immediately forget about shooing the other female off Her’s lap and greedily launched herself at the offered jewelry. She wiggled her wings and snapped up the bracelet in her beak before sitting down comfortably in the sand, apparently intent to ignore the rest of them now that she had received something.

“…run away?” Vl’kan repeated, looking from where her hand had twined around his own, to her face. Oh he was definitely confused, as a flurry of unspoken emotions raged in his eyes. Something had to be on her mind for her to ask such a question. Either that or something had to have happened. Immediately an image of her bronzer flashed in his minds eye and for a moment his blood boiled, thinking that the boy had done something to upset the young goldrider.

“We’re always training hard.” He replied simply, as if there could be no other possible answer. You could tell those who half-assed it in the training grounds and in the sky apart from those who worked till they were sore, battered, and yes, sometimes bloody. Vl’kan and his own companion stood firm on the side of train till your heart gives out. Those sessions usually resulted in the Istan being confined to his room for a day or two till he would walk again without tremendous amounts of pain and even then a trip to the infirmary for some numbweed was all that was needed before the pair were out in the field once more.

“Iirla…what’s gone on, what’s happened? Why’s your mind so enthralled with the idea of running away?” His voice was low, maybe even laced with a touch of concern, as even his eyes tried searching her face for any hint of the answer.

[Zara]

"Yes... run away..." She said softly, looking down at the sand where her hand rested. "I just..." she sighed and shook her head. She didn't know how to describe it

"Please don't kill yourself. That's all I ask." She gently put her hand on his face, her thumb stroking his face with a slight frown. "The one thing that I can say for how hard you train is that... you'll be the best rider ever." She smiled. She had a lot of confidence in him. "But I guess you haven't had a chance to work on your painting, have you?"

She leaned against him gently. Her thoughts elsewhere again. She bit her lip though at his question and looked at him. There was pain in her eyes. Pain and confusion. And... something that seemed like dread.

"I just... I can't..." She sighed and looked down at her hands. Ama chirped softly and Praesent rubbed himself against Iirla lovingly. Almost somethering hr with love.

Iirla laughed. "Praesent!" she said, grinning and laughing at the little flitter and gave him a gentle kiss. Her eyes were half closed as she sat with Vl'kan and with her flitters. She rested her head against his shoulder comfortably. Her bronze rider wasn't on her mind at the moment. Not right now. Other things were.

Izanycorth yawned and turned over in her sleep, making Iirla smile again. "She is not particularly happy right now.. But, at least she is sleeping better tonight." Her voice was soft and a bit... distant.

[Zero]

His heart stopped, sputtered, and for a second or so there he might have forgot to breath as her thumb lightly stroked his cheek. “Ah, well…no. I haven’t had a chance to paint or draw, anything, in a while actually. Don't really see myself having much time in the future either...” This couldn’t be right, none of this was happening. It had to all be a dream. That was the only explanation. A cruel twisted nightmarish dream. But there she was, leaning against him and through the dampness now soaking through his shirt, he could definitely feel the warmth from her body. So it was real after all.

Vl’kan smiled lightly as she leaned into him and he had to fight to keep his arm from sliding around her. The longer she stayed that close, the longer his heart had time to unthaw and melt a little. But why did it feel so wrong?! Sighing lowly to himself, he was already regretting what he about to say. “Iirla why…” Clearing his throat, he nervously ruffled his hair and tried again. “It’s no secret that the weyr knows you’re seeing D’rian; a fact he makes well known… So why…why this? Why now?”

After a moment he dropped his eyes from hers, finding it hard to hold her gaze anymore, even more so once she had laid her head on his shoulder, and picked a star off in the far distance to concentrate on until he got his answer.

[Zara]

"That's too bad... you are so good at it, Vl'kan..." She sighed. She really did regret the fact that he may never have time to draw or paint again and started to hum softly, which turned into a soft song that fell and rose.

And that was then he asked. "Because, Vl'kan... I..." She bit her lip. "I just.... It's so hard... Um... Well... Yes. You know all about S'bel and D'rian... And... all that... But... I... If I could have just seen you more... well... it... it might not be either of them that I had allowed to hold onto my heart..." She looked at him nervously, biting her lip. "I... I should go..." She stood slowly and gave him a parting smile. "You can keep that bracelet... for Starfire to play with."

She started to walk away, feeling a heaviness in her heart. She love D'rian and he adored her. She cared about him. He was so sweet and loving. But she didn't know if she could honestly say... she loved him... Could she?

She stopped a short distance away, looking at the moon. There was a certain shine to her eyes as a tear escaped her and slid down her cheek. It was just so much right now. She wasn't entirely sure what she wanted right now. She wanted to escape. She wanted to be free... but.... she couldn't. It was just a fact that she couldn't.

Ama chirped and looked up at Vl'kan from where she sat, sending him feeligns that pleaded with him to go after Hers. To make her feel better now. She crooned softly. And Praesent looked up from where he was now sitting on his knee and also sent feelings of much the same. His needed to be loved now. And His love just wasn't enough in this case...

[Zero]

He sat there almost dumbly after she spoke, for what seemed like forever as he tried to wrap his mind around everything he had just heard. So it was his fault for the way things had turned out? Is that what was going on here? For a moment his confusion faded and the beginnings of a scowl tugged at the corner of his mouth. Angrily he tore his eyes from her and instead looked back to his lap where not one, but two, of her flits now sat looking at him expectedly. His hand rose with the intent to swat at them and chase them off but a similar memory of his father danced in front of his eyes and he quickly allowed his hand to fall to the ground beside him.

“Sorry..” He mumbled sadly to the two ‘lizards, disgusted with himself at what he almost did. Glancing to Iirla, he gently shooed the two flits off his lap and forced himself to his feet with a muffled groan and a wince. “Seen more of me?” Vl’kan spoke up at last as he slowly began to close the distance she had just strived to place between them. “I was always around, you just never did notice. For Faranath’s sake, we’re just down the hall from you.”

“But I suppose that’s how things are supposed to go. The gold gets her bronzer.” His jaw tightened a bit and it was clear he was starting to get a little worked up by now. “C’mon you and I both know no matter what Thormyth thinks of himself he’s always going to be a sub-king and I’m going to be an Istan. I’m actually surprised that after all this mess with Southern I wasn’t left out in the wild! It seems to be a trend here, look down on anyone who isn’t born and bred Trelis! …and if one day you happened to be that Istan’s weyrmate?” Vl’kan sighed and shook his head as he stared down at his sand covered boots, unable to watch the tears in her eyes any longer. “They’d never trust me or Thor…”

[Zara]

Ama and Trivol took off towards theirs and flying around her, close to her face. She stopped and watched them for a moment. And then Vl'kan was closing the distance between them.

"Didn't notice?! Didn't notice?! Do you have any idea how painful it has been for me to watch you be so close and yet so far away?" She bit her lip again in a way that was nearly painful. "I watched you every day and I wanted to be closer to you. But I didn't know how. Because... I feel one way about you and... I..." She sighed and shook her head and looked at him, her eyes soft. Then it was sub-kings, bronzers, and what other people thought. What the Weyr thought.

"Do you think I care about what THEY think, Vl'kan! Really? I'd teach them differently! Who cares about Kings and sub-kings and what not." She didn't even bother to hold back anymore as she threw herself at him, locking her lips to his. "No it isn't your fault. It's the expectations of a Weyr's fault, Vl'kan. I'm trying to do what they want me to! Don't you get it!?" Her words were a fierce whisper. "I would trust you... I would always trust you. I do trust you Vl'kan... with my life."

"I want to run away because.... I don't want to do what they expect anymore. I don't want to choose who they think I should choose. I don't want to worry about leading a Weyr some day. I just..." She stopped there and, without a second thought pushed herself into his arms, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her lips forcefully to his. Why did this have to be complicated. "Why can't you be my weyrmate some day, Vl'kan... Why can't you and I..." She sighed and looked down, her hands held in front of her vulnerably. She had just... just made herself entirely vulnerable and, in essence revealed herself to him. Now what would he do. She shouldn't have yelled at him...

[Zero]

Ah yes. The floodgates were open now! He should have expected this really. However, the moment she began to raise her voice his eyes darkened and narrowed and his jaw set. Oh, if it was a battle of wills she wanted then it was a battle of wills she was going to get! He sucked in a lungful of air as he got ready to begin his counter attack/argument. But…hold on, wait a minute… Did she just kiss me?!

Blinking like an idiot, that stockpile of air left his lungs like a deflated balloon but before he could even get a word in she was off again on another tangent leaving him to wonder what just happened. Did she really kiss him? Or for that matter, what were they even talking about again? He blinked again and ran a hand across his face as she continued to speak.

Then another lull in the argument came and Vl’kan readied himself to quickly interject. Oh he wasn’t going to be interrupted this time. But there she was again, pulling so close against him that he could already feel the dampness from her clothes soaking into his own but he didn’t care. She had poured her heart out to him, kissed him, and still was waiting for him to say something…anything.

Clearing his throat he looked away for a moment in a brief attempt to gather his thoughts. “Iirla, I ah…” He fumbled over his words, and pride, and stubbornness, before eventually he took her hands in his own and lifted his green eyes to meet hers. “If you don’t care I don’t care and if anyone has a problem they can take it up with Thor.” He smiled tiredly. “Either that or we can just run away…”