More Than Willing...

Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 20th August 2006

Characters: Larken, M'tone
Description: Larken helps M'tone wash Encourth, and comes very close to giving in to her desire
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 13, day 16 of Turn 3

Larken lightly bit her lower lip as she shaded her eyes against the sunlight, looking for M'tone. Where was he? Certainly he had to be here? He hadn't been in the dining cavern, or even his weyr--she'd knocked.
Flushing, she turned to the right. She couldn't believe that she'd actually gone and searched for him--_hunted_ him would be a more fitting phrase!

Ah. Was that him? Yes, it was--he was atop his gorgeous brown dragon, scrubbing at the huge neck.

Taking in a deep breath, she kicked her shame for "hunting" him away. It didn't matter now, did it? She was here now...and so was he. What harm could there be in wanting companionship? **Oh, Larken... You're just trying to justify it...**

With a toss of her hair, she ignored that whisper of conscience and ran down the shore, kicking up sand as she went. Pausing at the lake's edge, she shaded her eyes again and looked out to him, hoping he'd see her.

The brownrider continued to scrub until he could feel someone's eyes on him. Lifting his head, he noticed a familiar woman standing on the beach, just watching him. He couldn't help the goofy grin as he slid down Encourth's side and waded through the shallows to meet her. "Good evening, Larken. I was just scrubbing my beast."

"Need help?" she asked with a smile.

His eyebrows raised in surprise. "Oh, sure!" Considering how reluctant she had been to just _step_ in the water before, he was happily surprised by her offer. "Have you ever bathed a dragon before?"

She shook her head. "Never. Is there...like a trick to it or something?"

"Yes. Its called a brush," he chuckled as he walked over to his blanket. "You can use this one."

Blushing, she followed him, unlacing her over-shirt and pulling it over her head to reveal her bathing suit. As she dropped it to his blanket, she firmly told herself that there was no need to get flustered about him seeing her like this again. No need at all. "That's a huge brush..."

"Why thank you," he replied with a rougish grin. "You want to hold it?"

Larken paused. Blinked a couple times at him, keeping her eyes trained on his face only. Then her cheeks flushed anew--a darker red this time. Her mouth worked, but no sound came out, and she wordlessly extended her hand to take the _scrubbing_ brush from him.

"Sorry, maybe that was a bit much," the brownrider admitted with an apologetic smile. "Come on, this way," he said reaching down to take the hand not holding the infamous brush. "You can scrub along here. Encourth, lift your wing a bit, please."

Swallowing her embarrassment--after all, he _had_ apologized for that...remark--she let him guide her hand to his dragon's hide. Gently she stroked it, admiring the way the brown color shone in the light. "Right beneath his wing, then?" she asked, glancing up at M'tone.

"Uh huh. Just scrub away. Don't worry, its not possible to scrub too hard, just too soft. I'll be right here," he said moving down a couple steps towards the tail.

Larken went to work silently, and she wondered--briefly--what it'd be like to bonded to a creature as magnificent as Encourth. She couldn't imagine flying Thread--just the thought of herself up there in the danger made her mouth go dry. But...if it had been an Interval... "What's Impression like?" she asked softly, moving further down towards the brownrider.

"It's... hard to describe, Larken. It's like..." He thought about it a moment. "It's like falling in love in an instant. Not romatic love, or even parent to child love. It's like falling in love with the most perfect creature on Pern, and knowing that they have just fallen in love with you right back. It's... exhilerating, and intoxicating... I don't know, it probably doesn't make much sense unless you've experienced it."

"Sometimes I wish I could have."

"Well, you can still _ride_ on a dragon, you know," M'tone reminded her.

Larken glanced over at him, a slight smile curving her lips. "You mean your dragon."

"Well, he is available, and _more_ that willing," the brownrider grinned.

"I'm sure he is," she grinned back, sliding her fingers down Encourth's smooth hide. "And his rider too, no doubt?"

"He might be," M'tone said with an indifferent shrug, though he inched his way closer to the young woman. "Aren't you even curious what it would be like? To fly?"

Her eyes flickered to the huge expanse of the brown's wings. "Yes... I'm curious. Maybe...maybe even more than curious..."

"Maybe curious enough to try flying? Just a little?" he asked, reaching up to scrub the spot she couldn't reach just for the excuse to brush against her.

"Mmmm..." She reached up to just below where he was washing, her bare arm briefly sliding against his. A slight blush rose in her cheeks at the contact, but she didn't pull away. "Ojisan wants me to go with him, M'tone." Again, her arm slid against his.

"If you want to fly with both of us, I can accept that," he murmured. They both know they were not talking about just flying anymore.

Her heart quickened, and she made the mistake of looking up at him instead of keeping her eyes trained on the hide she was supposed to be scrubbing. And she couldn't look away no matter how hard she tried to as she tried to search for something to say...some witty reply to deflect the intensity of his...remark. "M'tone..." Faranth--that had come out all wrong. It was more of a plead...a longing tone. They shouldn't come this close to the fire again...they shouldn't...they were already so close as it was.

"You know I would take you any time you asked me. I would ask for nothing in return. I just... I want to fly with you, Larken. So much it hurts sometimes." Shards, he just wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her, but he had promised... "But I will do nothing you don't want me to do. It's your choice."

**Get out of the water,** a voice whispered in her ear. **Get away from here while you can...before you do something rash...** Larken couldn't find her voice. The brush dropped from her fingers to float on the water, and she moved, her fingers coming up to brush against his arm...traveling to his wrist. She looked down as her fingers linked with his.

He took the silent invitation and stepped closer, his body brushing against hers. The brownrider leaned down to whisper in her ear as his thumb caressed hers. "I will do nothing you don't want me too..."
**And everything you do...**

She turned her head towards him, her dark lashes fluttering against his skin before she looked up at him again. Her heart gave a hard thump as he moved a little closer, his finger still stroking hers. **Get out of the water...** But that whisper of sense was so soft--too soft. Larken could hardly hear it above the other voice murmuring, **Jump. Jump over. You're so close... Just one more step...**

Just as her lips parted to whisper to him, a whoop of laughter sounded from their right, soon followed by other giggling voices and vigorous splashing.

Children.

Flushing, Larken took a step back.

M'tone's eyes flashed briefly with obvious disappointment, but he quickly covered it over with a smile. It had, at least, been encouraging. "Encourth is getting impatient for his bath," he said, trying to relieve the inevitable tension that would follow.

"We should finish washing him then," she murmured, glancing at him as she retrieved the discarded brush from the water. "I'll help you with his flank?" Larken couldn't help the regret that welled in her. A part of her was ashamed for it, but another part of her wasn't. And that part of her wanted to pick up where they had left off.

And when he looked back at her and smiled, she knew she just couldn't deny that part of herself.

Last updated on the August 20th 2006

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