Presents

Writers: AL, Avery
Date Posted: 29th April 2009

Characters: Ishek, Briata
Description: Briata and Ishek give each other belated wedding presents.
Location: Garnet Valley Hold
Date: month 2, day 1 of Turn 5

Briata

"Briata?" Ishek called as he stood at the door to their quarters. "Can you get the door for me, please?" The pot he was holding behind his back made it hard to get a door.

It took a moment, but Briata did come to the door. Actually, the door seemed to open by itself for the girl didn't appear when it opened. Ishek didn't see her until he stepped inside and the door closed behind her. She stood there, towel tucked around her, hair dripping wet. "Sorry! I was bathing!" The girl danced away, cheeks flushed as if in embarrassment, or perhaps from the warmth of the water and hurried back toward the bathing room.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know you were." Ishek said, politely looking away. "I have something for you." he added, heading towards the table and setting it down. "It can, of course, wait."

"For me?" Briata popped her head around the door, still clutching the towel. "You got something for me?"

Ishek nodded. "Yes, for you. It's a belated wedding gift."

For a moment, Briata seemed to forget that she was wet and clad only in a towel. She emerged once more from the bathing room and looked at the pot. "That? You didn't have to get anything for me..."

"No, but I _wanted_ to." he assured her.

"What is it?" The pot was odd, nothing she'd seen before. Not that Briata could recall. She leaned over to peer around it, as if looking for any engravings. Water dripped from her wet hair and pooled onto the table.

Ishek just smiled and watched her explore the outside. "Keep looking." he encouraged. He figured she'd take off the lid soon enough, and he didn't want to spoil the surprise.

He figured correctly. Seeing nothing particularly special on the outer part of the pot, Briata plucked the top from where it rested, then took a sharp intake of breath. "Oh Ishek!"

"Do you like it?" he asked hopefully.

"Oh yes! I just never expected it." It was perfect, so tiny too. Briata had never seen an egg and had never imagined that they would be so small.

"Well, we did talk about them."

"This is true." Briata agreed, still staring at the tiny object. "I just didn't think you'd actually get me one. Oh Ishek, it's almost too much!"

"I'm so glad it makes you happy." he told her.

"But I haven't finished yours yet." Briata knew the egg needed to stay warm, so she covered the pot.

"Finished?" he asked.

"Ah...just a moment." Briata seemed to realise the sort of state she was in and made a hasty retreat back to the bathing room. She emerged a moment more, robe wrapped around her body, hair in a towel. She moved over to the trunk in which she stored some of her things, though it really wasn't necessary. The girl knelt before it and lifted the top. From within, she withdrew a tunic of a deep blue hue. Over the collar Briata had embroidered a design of orange and yellow knots, sunrises and sunsets that twisted and wound the entire width of the collar. More of those intricate knots adorned the shoulders and stretched down the arms. Another set was being woven near the hem of the tunic. The design wasn't quite finished, a patch toward the side glaringly empty of the decorations. "I was hoping to have it done by now, but I kept changing my mind."

"Oh, it's beautiful!" Ishek said approvingly. "What were you changing your mind about?"

"The design and the colours." Briata lowered the tunic into her lap and fingered the embroidery. "I wanted something that would be pretty but not too feminine either."

"I love the colors." he assured her. "I think it's a lovely tunic."

"It's an unfinished tunic." Briata stated regretfully. "I guess I got caught up in all the preparations then getting settled in...I thought I'd have more time. I had wanted to give this to you on our wedding night. I should have it finished by next sevenday, though."

"I don't mind waiting. It looks like both of our presents took a little extra time, but at least we have them, yes?"

"Yes." Briata carefully folded up the tunic and put it back in her trunk. "I'm glad you like it. I wanted you to like it."

"I think I like this better than any other kind of gift, because it's handcrafted." he said honestly.

"Well I didn't make the tunic." Briata admitted with a small smile. "I would have, except I couldn't get your size before I got here and that would have taken me even longer. I am glad you like it though. Or, at least, you're pretending to like it."

"You're making it unique, and that's special." he said, moving to her, wrapping his arms around her, and kissing her cheek. "And I swear I'm not pretending. It's something of yourself, and that's precious."

"And you're sweet." Briata leaned into him, enjoying his embrace. "And the egg is lovely. I can't wait to see what hatches! How long until it does?"

"Between one and a half to two sevendays."

"How exciting? Can you tell the colour?" Briata twisted a bit to look at the pot though she didn't release her hold upon Ishek. "I've never seen an egg at all so I have no idea."

"It's not always sure. This one is actually the largest egg that was available, and..." He decided just to tell her. "The handler thinks it's a gold."

"A gold!" Briata's eyes widened and she looked back at the pot. "Do you think it really is?"

"I don't know. I don't remember what the eggs look like." He'd gotten Shama hers only a day before it hatched, and it had been over a decade ago.

"I guess we'll wait and see." A firelizard egg and possibly a gold one at that! Briata could scarcely believe it. "How do we keep it warm?"

"Well, the sand needs to be kept warm in the fire. The Hold kitchens have another pot of sand they're suspending over the fire. Keep testing the sand with your finger and when it seems cold, go down there and transfer the egg. Then they'll warm up this pot."

"I was about to say, I think we'd burn to a crisp if we had a fire in here right now." Briata hadn't relished the thought of of keeping a fire during the Summer. "I'll do that then. Oh Ishek, thank you! No matter what the colour, I love it!"

He hugged her again. "I'm so glad. You and Yimas get on so well, I was sure you'd like the idea."

"I'll have to try hard not to keep opening it to look at it." Briata giggled, returning the gesture. "I do hope you didn't go to too much trouble to get it for me though."

Ishek shook his head. "It really wasn't. There are a few gold firelizard owners in the territory, all I had to do was ask to find out who clutched."

"Good. I would hate for you to go to too much trouble." Briata stood on her tiptoes and planted a kiss upon his lips.

"Even if I had, you'd be worth it."

Briata smiled and hugged Ishek again. It was nice to hear those words. She'd had so many doubts as of late, but it felt good to hear him say that. Maybe he was getting used to her. Maybe things were improving. She hoped so.

Last updated on the May 10th 2009

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Presents