Time Can Heal Old Wounds

Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 4th November 2005

Characters: Gaiya, Ar'lis
Description: Gaiya learns a little more about Ar'lis's past
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 8, day 26 of Turn 3

Gaiya smiled as her eyes began to flutter open lazily. She snuggled down a little further into the soft pillows of Ar'lis' bed. For once she actually was just _sleeping_ on it, and it was nice and comfortable and warm... The bronzerider had gone to feed his great hulking beast, and as fond as she was of Zylarth and his rider, she just wasn't in the mood to watch him rip into the flesh of a terrified animal. Not after spending all day with children...

She was just thinking that she would probably have at least another quarter-candlemark to rest her eyes when she heard the sound of dragon and rider on the ledge. Heaving a great sigh she stretched her arms out above her, trying to straighten tired muscles that had relaxed into their sleeping position. She finally gave up and wrapped them around the pillow instead.

As her fingers slipped between the pillows, however, they became entangled in something. They wrapped themselves around the ensnaring cloth and brought it out to see. Blinking a couple times Gaiya's tired brain could comprehend two things: first, they were a pair of ladies panties, and second, they were not hers... She stiffled a giggle as the bronzerider strode into the room.

"And what's the look for, sweetheart?" Ar'lis asked as he began to strip off his tunic. There was no sharding _way_ he was going anywhere else this evening, not with his bed looking so warm and inviting, not to mention the young woman who was just as warm and inviting lying _in_ it...

"I know these aren't mine," she said holding up the red lacy panties for the bronzerider to see, "and I don't _think_ they are yours... Do these look familiar?"

He stared at them as if he had never seen them before. Then the realization dawned on him. "Uh, yes. Yes, those look familiar. Yes, love, I'll take those now..." **Syntara... Yes, those are hers...**
He moved closer and reached out to all but snatch them away from her fingers.

Gaiya saw his move and quickly rolled over, taking the under garments with her. She held them as far from him as she could. "Red and lacey. Hmmm... I think I have nothing quite so fine as these... And she seems rather fit... A dragonrider's perhaps?"

"Perhaps." He crawled onto the bed, slowly advancing towards her, his shirt sliding forgotten to the floor. "Now be a good girl and hand them over, hmm?"

She grinned at him, loving to watch the way his shoulder muscles moved as he crawled towards her. "Why, have they some sentimental value to them?"

"Surely you don't want to _keep_ them," he grinned as he lunged, trapping her between his arms, moving swiftly so his knees straddled her hips. "Are you gonna be a good girl and hand them over to me? Or are you gonna be,"
he brought his lips close to her ear and breathed huskily, "_bad_, hmm?"

Gaiya cringed slightly as his breath tickled her ear so nicely. She tucked her hand beneath the pillow under her head, panties clutched tightly in her fist. Nipping at his neck lightly she asked in an equally low voice, "And what are you gonna do with them? Wear them?"

He pulled back and gave her a boyish grin. "If that's what turns you on, love, then sure."

She raised her eyebrows, almost ready to accept his proposal. After all, what could be funnier than watching Ar'lis parade around his weyr in lacey red women's panties! But instead she decided to go right for the throat. "So, whose are they, Ar'lis?"

He just smiled at her. "You already told me yourself whose they are. A dragonrider's." He ran his hands up her sides, along the undersides of her arms, up to her her wrists.

Gaiya could tell he was trying to distract her. It was almost working... "Someone you know well? Or just an evening thing?"

His fingers closed over her wrists lightly. "You could say that I know her pretty well..." Ar'lis lowered his head to brush his lips along her collarbones.

She bit her lower lip lightly so as not to give in to him so easily. "Someone you care for?" she asked breathlessly.

He raised his head to look down into her face. "I don't bring a woman to my bed if I _don't_ care for her, Gaiya," he told her quietly.

Gaiya reached up to gently trace her fingers along his cheek. "Ar'lis, you know so much about me, but all I know about you is that you can climb trees, have two sons you don't see and have a propensity for baked goods. I just want to know _more_..." **... so I can know if this is really what I _want_...**

Ar'lis moved off her, releasing her wrists as he laid down on his back. "Like what, Gaiya?"

"I don't know," she muttered as she turned on her side to look at him. "Have you ever been weyrmated before?"

He shook his head. "Almost, once."

She settled down next to him, draping an arm across his stomach and laying her head into his shoulder. "What happened?"

Shards, he'd never spoken about this with anyone. It was just one of those things he hardly ever thought about anymore, but when he did... He swallowed, running his fingers lightly up and down her arm. "She wanted to, love. She wanted it so much, but we were both young...young and foolish. I wasn't ready to commit to only her...and we both said things...and I regret them to this day." His voice had gone quiet, and he closed his eyes.

"Where is she now?" she asked gently.

"Dolphin Cove Weyr."

Gaiya propped herself up on her elbow and looked down at him. She smiled softly at him, reaching up to lightly brush the hair back from his forehead. "Maybe someday will have a chance to say the things you wanted to say. Time can heal old wounds." After all, she had finally been able to make a sort of peace with K'mai. A turn ago she would have thought that impossible.

"Maybe..." he murmured, brushing her cheek with the back of his finger. But he didn't want to think of her now, not with Gaiya here... Then his smile turned into a small grin. "And how have you come to be so knowledgeable at such an age, hmm?" His fingers moved into her hair. Had time healed an old wound in her?

"Another time, perhaps..." she leaned in to give him a soft kiss, with the potential to turn into so much more.

Last updated on the November 4th 2005

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Time Can Heal Old Wounds