Better Things

Writers: Avery, Yvonne
Date Posted: 1st May 2015

Characters: J'nus, Kapera
Description: Kapera and J'nus arrange to meet after Elleth's flight.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 12, day 12 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Elleth, Cyradis/Panitath, R'taran/Qharterioth

Kapera

Elleth rose. Kopth chased. And lost.

J'nus found himself pulled into one of the flight cots by a young woman with bright gold hair and a willing smile. Insensible with flight lust he followed, glad that at least one of them had chased and won.

Later, his partner dozed as J'nus carefully rolled out of bed to find his clothes. Gold flights were always draining since the gold dragons themselves were demanding and exacting. He dressed as quietly as he could, then gently pulled the sheets up over the woman who had dragged him off after the flight. She was pretty, with smooth tanned skin and a dusting of freckles across her nose. And he had no idea who she was. He left without waking her and hoped that she'd forgive him.

The bronzerider stumbled off to his weyr for a quick bath and a change of clothes. Kopth returned to his ledge while J'nus was in his weyr. }:She chose a brown,:{ the bronze said sulkily.

**Really? Who?**

}:Qharterioth. I am better than Qharterioth.:{ The dragon's unhappy rumble reverberated through the stone. }:Qharterioth forgets that it is bronzes who catch gold.:{

So R'taran was the lucky man whose dragon caught Elleth. J'nus would have to congratulate the brownrider the next time he saw him. Hopefully the clutch wouldn't suffer for it, especially since the last time Elleth flew she was
caught by a bronze who was barely old enough to chase. **You caught Riyanth last time she rose,** J'nus reminded his dragon.

}:And I should have caught Elleth too!:{

**You can't win every flight,** the bronzerider reminded his dragon, who was clearly in no mood to be reminded. But the thought of Riyanth inevitably brought up thoughts of her rider, and J'nus wondered if she was back at the Weyr yet. Or even if she'd want to see him. **Is Riyanth back?**

}:Yes.:{ The reply came after a brief pause.

**Will you ask if her rider would like to have dinner with me?** J'nus asked impulsively. He suddenly very much wanted to see the goldrider.

~*~

Waking up to Riyanth snarling her aggression at a competitor was unpleasant at best. Kapera had thrown riding pants and a loose tunic on and not even bothered to put straps on the gold. She'd had to fumble through her sleep-muzzed mind for a visual and so they'd wound up going back to Windswept.

At least there, she could get breakfast and reconnect with some old friends. The food was good, and seeing her old friends was surprisingly not as embarrassing as she'd been afraid it might be. Her heart was pounding unaccountably hard in her chest as she kept checking to see who won, hoping against hope it wasn't J'nus.

(Was that fair of her to think? Surely she should be cheering on his and Kopth proving themselves, a small logical corner in Kapera's mind thought. But Riyanth was furious about the young upstart stealing the Cove's bronzes attention away from her in general, and the idea of her own special bronze being stolen away was even more intolerable. That was bleeding over into her rider's feelings about the flight, and putting them both on edge.)

}:She has been caught.And it wasn't Kopth,:{ Riyanth added.

**Good.** The vicious level of satisfaction that curled through her was both of theirs.

}:Are we going back?:{ Riyanth wanted to see her bronzes again. The losers would have their ardor up and the gold wanted to see if she could reclaim their attention to her.

But Kapera disagreed. **Wing drills will be delayed, since Cyradis also had to leave. I think we have time to stay,** she reminded her gold.

But mindful of her gold's feelings, she didn't stay too long. Enough to finish her meal, pass a little more gossip about the new weyr along, bask in the compliments from people who were pleased her gold had risen again and rub it in the face of some of her detractors. So soon enough they were back to Dolphin Cove.

}:Kopth's rider wants to see you for evening meal,:{ Riyanth relayed.

**Tell Kopth that I would love to,** Kapera answered.

The gold peered over the edge of the ledge, looking for her favorite bronze. }:She says that dinner would be excellent. Perhaps you and I can go for a swim,:{ If that offer didn't cement his attention back to the better gold...

~*~

The day dragged. Goldflights had a way of disrupting the Weyr, even long after the rising dragon was caught and their riders had returned to their usual routines. Drills were perfunctory and sloppier than usual, but thankfully they ended on schedule. J'nus landed Kopth near the entrance to the kitchens and had them pack a basket of soft bread, cold meats and soft cheeses, grapes and apples. He included a jug of water flavoured with slices of lemon and a small bottle of wine, just in case Kapera wanted it, and a pair of hot bubblies that could cool while they ate.

Once he was back in his weyr, he left the picnic basket in a shaded spot on Kopth's ledge before hopping into his pool for a quick, post-drill rinse. **Want to let Riyanth and her rider know that they're welcome here?**

}:Yes!:{ Time had smoothed Kopth's disappointment, and he was now more than ready to turn his attention to his preferred gold.

Riyanth dropped off of her ledge to fall towards the ground, then snapped out her wings. She took a brief flight around the weyrbowl, diving low enough to spook the herds, before arcing her way to the ledge with Kopth on it. After all, she had to make her display.

**Someone's a showoff,** Kapera thought with amusement. But she couldn't throw stones when she was as well.

She'd had her own soak, and then she'd taken the time to anoint herself perfectly. Her hair was braided, the silver ribbon tied loose enough that her hair could be unbound easily. She wore a deep green gown of thin and silky fabric that flowed after the waist but clung to her top, not quite cut like a sleeping gown for the privacy of the bedroom, but certainly not the kind to be worn out in public. And yet here she was, walking through the halls of the weyr to knock on J'nus' door.

He opened it almost immediately and sucked in his breath when he saw her, momentarily speechless. The desires ignited by the goldflight that morning had been banked throughout the long morning roared back to life. She was so beautiful, the green of her gown making her skin and eyes glow as the fabric teased his imagination with the shape of her body. And she was at _his_ door, coming to see an old man like him. "Kapera, come in."

"Riyanth told me you wanted to have dinner," she said with a smile.

"Yes." He collected himself and stepped aside, holding the door so that she could enter. "Yes-- thank you for joining me. Nothing fancy, just a cold dinner. But I thought it was preferable to the dining caverns this evening." The
dining caverns, which would be echoingly loud with news of Elleth's flight.

"I always appreciate a quiet moment with you," she told him.

"You're too kind." He smiled briefly, allowing himself to be charmed as he shut the door behind her. "Please, make yourself at home. Hopefully your day has been good?"

"Spent some time with some friends at Windswept," she said casually. "You?"

"Kopth lost, so it was drills as usual. Kopth wasn't particularly happy about it," he added dryly. "But he stopped pouting soon after Riyanth got back. Thank you for that."

"I'm glad to know she's a good influence on _someone_," she said with a laugh. "If there hadn't been drills, we would have given you coordinates and suggested a place to meet up. Maybe we'll prearrange something for Panitath's."

"I'd like that. Kopth? Maybe not so much." His dragon's ambition was stronger than J'nus', but the older bronzerider was more pragmatic. And the prize at the end was uncertain... as much as he liked the Weyrwoman, the goldrider in his weyr was offering a sure thing. "Are you hungry?"

"You can meet me afterwards. Find a warm spot to pass the time and the loss. With the Weyrwoman's flight, we won't have drills for the rest of the day," she teased.

"Very true!" Unlike today, when they'd drilled when everyone was distracted. Thankfully N'vanik hadn't made them do flaming drills. "I wouldn't mind spending all day with you."

She smiled at that. "A whole day just to us...I'd love it." She could certainly think of ways to pass that time. The thought reminded her of the sensations from earlier, and she considered his offer of food.

"I could eat..." she allowed. But she took two steps closer to him, looking into his eyes with a light in hers that indicated there were other thoughts going on.

She was close enough that he could smell the perfume the goldrider wore. J'nus lifted his hands and ran them down her arms, her skin soft beneath his calloused fingers. "You sure you're hungry?"

Her skin prickled at his touch. "The meal will keep, won't it?"

He kissed her instead of answering. The meal could wait.

Last updated on the May 8th 2015

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