A Pleasant Kidnapping

Writers: Avery, Eimi
Date Posted: 12th October 2007

Characters: Gilsha, Ishek
Description: Gilsha kidnaps a very important person...
Location: Garnet Valley Hold
Date: month 6, day 21 of Turn 4

The greenrider peeked her head unannounced into the Lord Holder's office door. "All right, I made time to come all this way just to see you.
Are you going to make time for me now?"

"I did tell you I would." Ishek assured her, standing up from behind his desk. "It's good to see you again."

"Isn't it though?" Gilsha was never one to suffer platitudes. "Come on, I have a jacket for your downstairs if you don't already have one."

"A jacket?" Ishek inquired. "Why would I need a jacket for a social call?"

"Because I'm kidnapping you, Lord Warder, sir," she grinned, throwing a sack onto his desk. "Here, change into these. You would be way to obvious in your own clothes and I doubt you want your people's tongues wagging about their Lord running off with one of those moraless dragonriders."

This was mysterious. A change of clothes, a flying jacket, and a greenrider taking him off. Yes, this would seem quite scandalous, he thought. If Penryn could see him, he'd probably find that more shocking than his drinking! He took the sack, but hesitated. "Are you so sure they'll fit?" he wondered.

"No, but you won't be wearing them long," she replied with a wink. "I'm taking you to the ocean."

Her first comment sounded a bit raunchy, but he relaxed at her explanation. "I see." he answered. "In that cas, I'll only be a moment."
He took the sack and headed to the nearest refresher to change himself.

When he returned, he was amused. Yimas had decided to come inside and curl up on the middle of his desk. The brown was regarding Gilsha with gently whirling eyes. "That's Yimas." he said. "The lazy one I mentioned."

"I guessed," the greenrider nodded. A handsom little fellow, but certainly no dragon. "Well, they seem to fit all right. In fact, I'd say they suit you, Senior Journeyman Farmer Ishek," she grinned, pointing at the new knots on his shoulder. "I thought it added a little something to the illusion."

Ishek looked at the knots- he hadn't even considered those. He couldn't help but laugh. "They are appropriate." he remarked. Had he not been a Lord, or even his brother's Steward, he would have liked to have been a simple farmer. A life as a crafter...and yet, he never could have chosen that.

"It seemed to suit you," she nodded, tossing him a hat. "Put this on and then we can go. Pali's waiting for us in the courtyard."

Ishek couldn't help but be excited. This was going to be interesting, exciting- completely out of the norm. He wasn't going to have to be the Lord- he could just be himself, adventurous, relaxed. He liked this idea.

"Hmmm, yes I think we need to hurry. The faster we can get you downstairs the sooner you can take that ridiculous monstrosity off your head." He really was an amusing sight.

Ishek decided he really didn't want to know what the hat looked like.
"Lead the way to your dragon, my lady." he said, preparing to follow her. After all, if he was just a farmer, he wouldn't be expected to know his way around.

~*~

**Land gently, love. This man is more accustomed to riding runner than dragons, I'd wager.**

The green was very careful to backwing daintily, kicking up as little sand as possible as she lowered herself slowly to the ground.
**Beautifully done,** Gilsha said lovingly as she pat her lifemates neck. She unhooked the straps and slipped off the side of Pali's neck in one fluid movement. "Are you all right?"

"Very right!" Ishek declared happily. He'd ridden adragonback before a few times, but always on bronzes due to his rank. Riding a green was more intimate, more visceral. There was a greater feeling of flight on a smaller dragon. "That was fun."

"Good! I wasn't sure how much experience you'd had. Some tend to feel a little ill on the smaller dragons, being that they fly slightly faster and feel each dip in the air currents a bit stronger." He had handled himself well. She was impressed.

"I've only ridden bronzes. I think flying a green was more fun, actually, precisely because you can feel it more."

"Well, we agree on that," Gilsha smiled as she pulled off her wherhide jacket and her top. She had thought to be modest enough to wear a bathing suit. He was a holder after all. "You might want to at least take off a layer or two. You're in Istan territory now."

"Istan? The North? I've never been there before." This was truly exciting! He noticed she was removing her jacket and glanced over. She looked rather nice in that bathing suit... He turned away and took off his own top. "It is rather warm."

"Well, Gilsha chucled, "this place isn't exactly known for its autumn folliage."

"True." He looked at her again, then away and at the water. "This was a brilliant idea." He wondered where she'd come up with the idea to kidnap him away to somewhere pleasant. It was like fulfilling a need he hadn't known he'd had.

"I've been known to have a few," she shrugged modestly. "Now do you intend to stand there and stare at the water? Or are you going to get your toes wet?"

"I'll swim." The water was too inviting to pass up. "Though I think perhaps I'd like to get more than just my toes wet." That declared, he walked to the water and slowly paced in, letting himself get used to it until he stood knee-deep.

Gilsha shook her head. That man was much too cautious, she decided. It was time she rectified that. The greenrider took a running start and launched herself at the Lord Holders back, excersing a twisting manuever she had learned in self-defense training in the hopes of knocking the man off his balance and into the water.

Ishek couldn't help but yelp as he went into the water. It was warm, but thoroughly unexpected. He spluttered and surfaced, turning to face the greenrider. "I was going to go in on my own." he protested. It had been well-done, though. Quite well done.

"Then you should get _in_ already," the greenrider laughed, blowing wet strands of hair out of her face.

"I think you took care of that." he said, before starting to swim, making sure he still could. He hadn't actually swum, properly, since becoming Lord. "This place is lovely." he said, looking up at the sky and around. Good day, warm water, nice company.

Gilsha nodded, standing up to her waist in water and placing her hands on her hips, making a three-sixty turn. "Yes. I haven't been here for a while. It was one of my favorite spots."

"I can certainly see why. Who would want to be in rock warrens, even lovely ones, if they could go to places like this?" Ishek sometimes thought he was happiest in nature.

"Certainly not me. Pali and I spent many a happy night right here on this beach, under the stars." Shards, those had been happy times.
Before they had been conscripted and life began to revolve around the coming Thread.

"It sounds like a wonderful life. I've spent a few nights under the stars myself. Do you miss that freedom?"

"Every sharding day," she sighed as she leaned back into the water and allowed her body to float atop the waves. "I understand we are needed to fight Thread. But if I was going to lose my life, I would have liked for it to be on my own terms."

"Duty can be restrictive." he agreed, thinking of his own. "Were you ever involved in any dangerous activities?" he wondered.

"Other than riding a flaming dragon into Threadfall?" The greenrider laughed softly as she spread her arms wide and closed her eyes. "I'm afraid I haven't known you nearly long enough to discuss that."

Hmm. It sounded like she had led an interesting life. "If you ever choose to discuss it, I would be interested in hearing it. If I may be bold, you don't look like someone who would engage in anything questionable."

"Then why do you even bring it up?"

"I'm curious about you. You look one way, behave another. You're a contradiction. You're chained but a free soul. You're...compelling."

"And you're afraid there might be something questionable in my past that might pop up and change your opinion of me?" she asked, cracking an eye open to peek at him.

Thinking about that, he had to agree. "I do wonder." he said.

"Well, if that's the case I definitely won't tell. I wouldn't want to ruin your good opinion of me so soon." She turned over onto her stomach and began paddling out a little furth to catch a larger wave.

So there might be something... Rather than push her, Ishek simply swam out after her. Why worry about it right now? "For today, let's just swim." he said aloud. He should respect her privacy- everyone could keep secrets.

Last updated on the October 14th 2007

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

A Pleasant Kidnapping