A Night Away

Writers: Heather, Suzee
Date Posted: 29th March 2019

Characters: Zathris, Benani, N'call
Description: Lady and Lord attend the DFW Hatching
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 10, day 8 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentioned: Saibra, Ninori

Zathris

Benani

N'call

"Benani, the dragon's here," Zathris called as he caught sight of the
bronze dragon landing from the window. He turned and grabbed the
heavier coat that he would wear for the trip over his finely tailored
Gather-style clothing. The young Lord Holder had never enjoyed
dressing too fancy, but he'd been told that the new clothes he was
wearing for the evening would be complimentary of what his wife was
planning on wearing. In his opinion, Benani could make a tuber sack
look amazing, so he was interested to see what the "new dress" looked
like.

"Coming," she called and swept into the room. Her dress was high
waisted and fell in soft waves to the floor. It was an amber colored
silk shot through with gold embroidery in small floral shapes. The
overdress was a deep brown velvet that covered her dress but only came
together with a jeweled pin under her bosom. Her hair was swept up and
clasped with another jeweled pin. Amber and cherry beads draped around
her neck and from her ears. "Oh you look nice," she smiled.

Zathris had to pry his tongue from the roof of his mouth. How did his
wife manage to look so stunning? He'd thought, over the Turns, that
the kicked-in-the-gut feeling would eventually fade, but there were
still moments, like this, when it hit him all over again how beautiful
she was.

"Not half as nice as you," he replied, taking her hand and pressing
his lips to her knuckles.

"Thank you, darling," she smiled and squeezed his fingers. Her maid
walked by with a bag of her things since they were staying at the Weyr
overnight this time. "Is your bag ready too?"

"Yes, you know how lightly I pack," he grinned at the tiny bag that
belonged to him that held only what he would need for the night and
next day. "Shall we?" he asked, offering Benani his arm.

"Of course," she placed her hand on his elbow and moved with him
toward the entrance.

Outside a huge bronze waited to take them to the Weyr. N'call stepped
forward and took their bags to load them into the nets. "Sir, if you'd
like to mount I'll hand the Lady up to you."

"Thank you," Zathris nodded to the bronzerider. He recognized him as
the one that had brought Ninori back to Amber Hills from the Weyr
screaming and in a panic. The Lord Holder was just grateful that the
experience with Ninori hadn't discouraged the bronzerider from
returning and offering he and his Lady transport.

Even though he was a grown man, there was some small part of Zathris
that had to briefly imagine what it would have been like to be a
dragonrider as he settled into his place on the bronzerider's
neckridge and then reached down for Benani.

She held her dress with one hand and allowed the rider and her husband
to help her up into her seat. "This is exciting," she smiled as she
settled.

N'call smiled and checked their staps before belting in. "Here we go,"
he said and the big bronze leaped into the air. Soon they were
circling down into the busy weyrbowl.

Zathris never tired of the experience of flying, even when his stomach
had fled up to his throat on the descent into the Weyr.

"Thank you for transport," the Lord Holder said, extending his hand
again to the bronzerider once they were all on the ground.

"Yes," Benani said, "Thank you Lord N'call," she smiled.

N'call nodded and returned the Lady's smile then he shook hands with
the Lord holder. "My pleasure," he said. "I believe that drudge is
waiting to escort you to your seats."

A young man stepped up and bowed. "This way," he turned and led them
into the cavern.

The inside of the Hatching Cavern was beautiful, Zathris thought, with
the ledges lined with the forms of dragons, and the stands filled with
spectators. It felt intimate, he thought, with the way the lighting
seemed to center on the Sands and the eggs. Then his eyes fell on the
queen dragon. The sheer size of the gold dragons never ceased to amaze
him.

"Here are your seats," the drudge said, directing them to two seats
near the front.

"Thank you," Zathris nodded to the boy as he escorted Benani to her
seat and then sat beside her. "This is always exciting, isn't it?"

"It is," she grinned and slipped her hand into his. "I always feel so
lucky to be invited, and riding a dragon is thrilling." She wasn't
going to even try to compare it to a runner because it was so very
different.

He reached over and took her hand, twining their fingers together, as
he took in her beautiful features. It felt good to be away from Amber
Hills. For a moment they could be Zathris and Benani, a man and wife
in love, not "Lord" and "Lady" or two loving parents, but just
themselves.

She smiled and squeezed his fingers as the hatching started.

--

It was unlike any Hatching Zathris had ever witnessed in person.
Seeing the large beasts in the air fighting Thread, it was easy to
think them invincible, so to see a young one die on the Sands.... As a
Lord Holder it made Zathris more likely to agree to Searchriders when
they came to Amber Hills looking for Candidates. As a man who had been
around livestock and runnerbeasts for most of his life, however,
Zathris knew that life and death was a thin balance with newborns.
He'd seen mares deliver a perfectly fine looking foal only to lose it
in those hours afterwards.

"From what I have seen of the other women here," he murmured for
Benani's ears only as he escorted her into the Dining Cavern, "I am
most certainly escorting the prettiest woman in the Weyr tonight."

Her smile sparkled back at him. "I love you too," she said. Her
fingers tightened on his arm. "Poor Saibra," she said after they'd
greeted the Weyrleaders. "Did you see her eyes?" The Weyrwoman had
looked grief-stricken even though she'd smiled and chatted with them.
Benani knew what it was to put on that kind of face even in the midst
of turmoil. She'd had to do it more than once. "We should send her a
special gift when we get home. Maybe a lovely Amber pendant."

"I think that sounds like a wonderful idea." He laid his hand over her
fingers on his arm. Since being Lord Holder, Zathris couldn't complain
about any of the Dragonsfall Weyrleaders that he'd had to work with,
so it seemed only fitting to offer condolences. Some holders may not
see things clearly, but in Zathris' estimation, a loss for the Weyr
was a loss for the Hold, and vice versa. They depended upon one
another.

After partaking in the Hatching Feast, and working up a sweat in a few
of the Weyr's lively dances, Zathris put his arm around Benani's waist
and murmured, "Let's find our room."

"Are you planning on taking advantage of me My Lord?" She smiled and
followed his lead out of the room.

"That's exactly what I'm planning on doing," he said in a teasing
growl, hand slipping a little lower on her back than would have been
considered appropriate but they were alone in the cool night air.

"Oh good," she replied with almost a feline purr. "Then let's find our room."

Last updated on the April 4th 2019

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A Night Away