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Quite a Change

Writers: Elaine, Emma
Date Posted: 5th October 2005

Characters: Toriat, Teseada
Description: Someone familiar interrupts Toriat while hes trying to bathe in private
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 8, day 14 of Turn 3


Teseada

Teseada

With Onnyth asleep, and this being a restday, Teseada had decided to go and take a long relaxing soak in the bathing pool. Training was hard work, but fun, and there was no way she was going to be without her dragon now.
Her choices would forever include Onnyth, there was no other way from now on.

With that thought in mind, she reached the bathing pools, and slipped out of her tunic. Easing into the water, she thought she was alone...

Toriat had snuck down to the bathing pools early that morning. Being a rest day many people were probably sleeping off the previous night, or still at breakfast. But it was a rare moment of privacy for the Journeymen, even after a few months at the weyr there were still some things he wasn't quite used to.

He had been relaxing for a little bit with his eyes closed when he heard a quiet, but audible splash. He opened his eyes, looking around for who it was, while grumbling under his breath "...can't get one moment alone can I?" He finally noticed who it was though.
**Teseada?** Toriat tried to stay in a corner, hiding almost, in an attempt to stop any impulses of ogling.

After stretching out, enjoying the delicious warmth of the water Teseada leaned out to grab a handful from the sweetsand she'd brought down with her. It felt good to scrub herself clean. Onnyth still needed to have meat cut for her, and even though she had a quick wash afterwards, sometimes she just felt as though the smell lingered for candlemarks. She began to form a lather with it, making a slight foam appear on the water as she washed.

Toriat's eyes kept drifting over towards Teseada. He had barely spoken to her since the hatching, it hadn't been the best time for him. But things were even more different with Teseada impressing Onnyth. As his mind wandered, he realized that he was probably causing himself even more problems hiding. Teseada would likely notice if he got out of the pool, and wonder why he didn't make his presence clear earlier.

Toriat stepped up in the water, making some obvious noise, and waved.
"Hello there stranger. Were you looking for some quiet time too?"

Startled momentarily, the girl looked for the person who had spoken.
"Toriat? No, not really quiet time, just a good soak."

"Teseada, you say that as if you don't recognize me, that hurts"
Toriat responded in mock worry as he began walking over. "Although, now I can see the light was a bit dimmer over there so I guess I can't blame you."

She smiled. "I just wasn't expecting many other people to be here, that's all." And she had picked a slightly different time than normal, hoping for a bit of privacy.

"Its ok," he grinned. "I was having the same thought too." He paused, thinking, then continued. "It is nice to run into you here, you know, when the pool isn't being plugged."

"It is," she had almost forgotten about that. Although she did wonder if he'd done it on purpose. After all, it did look awfully like a man's shirt that had been down there... But that thought was pushed aside. "Have you seen your sister and her green yet?"

"Yes I have." This was obviously something Toriat had mixed feelings about. She hadn't been happy that she couldn't find Toriat after the hatching. If he had seen her that night, Toriat knew it would have hurt too much. But within a few days he was ready to be supportive for his sister and dragon. "Viyanth is a little darling, I think the two will be well suited."

"I think so, she seems so nice."

"How are you doing, with impression." Toriat finally voiced the thought running in the back of his mind. "Quite a change isn't it?"

"A big change, and I had it in my head to give up this time as well,"
replied Teseada honestly. "I was all ready to ask Papa if I could go to the Technician Hall itself and study there to walk the tables if Onnyth hadn't chosen me."

"Tess," Toriat's voice sounded very disappointed. He knew he would have missed her. "Please don't tell a man two years your senior you were ready to give up. Plus," he followed up in a much more merry tone, "I'm chosing not to believe you, you're too stuborn to simply give up on something I think."

"Stubborn maybe," she grinned, liking the way he had shortened her name. "Determined to do something, possibly. Whether it's to get journeyrank knots, or find a dragon... Well here I am now."

"Well, you're certainly in a position to do something now. And trust me, I'm not one one knock being a Journeymen," He instinctively looked to his shoulder, but then laughed, because it was obviously still bare. "But your stubbornness, determination, whatever has afforded you an opportunity most people don't have."

"That's what Papa said," she replied. She shifted slightly in the water, reaching for another handful of the sweetsand. "He said he always knew I'd impress."

"do you need a hand there?" He blurted out. **dimglow!** he yelled at himself. **I should just keep my mouth shut**. "I mean, with your back, it sometimes can be hard to reach you know?"

"Umm..." she said at first, slightly startled by the offer. So long as it was just her back, he must be well aware of the prohibition on sexual relationships that junior weyrlings were under. "Please."

"Alright," he replied a little shakily, taking some of the sweetsand and working up a thick lather. **There is a layer of soap between my hands and her back** he told himself as he quick began to scrub across her shoulders. "Glad I can be of service," he said quietly before beginning a babbling spree. "Although, I'm much better at being of service with hides. But you know that, we talked about that before, although you really haven't seen any of my handiwork, except if I've worn something, or you see something on someone else, but how would you know its mine?" As his hands were going further down he finally pulled away. "MMmm, well uhhh perhaps you can handle the rest from there?"

"That's great, thank you," she replied after a moment. "So, erm, do you want me to return the favour?"

"Well," Toriat thought,**I should just say no** but he had to admit he wondered how Teseada's fingers would feel on his back. "Only if you don't mind. I could just scrub myself on the wall," he said with a smile, miming grating his back against the pool's wall.

"I'm sure I can do better than that, but just your back. Bathing is one thing, but anything more might hurt Onnyth, if she woke up..." She left the rest of the words unsaid. There was something about Toriat, but now was not the time or place to go and find that out.

"I'm sorry, sometimes I think my brain also decides to take a break on rest days." He smiled right at her and visibly moved back a bit. "I don't want to hurt Onnyth, even if Calyth wasn't sure to rip me asunder." **Cue subject change** "That little gold seems to have a boatload of personality."

"She does indeed. My father's blue is quite a character, but Onnyth...
She's demanding, impatient, wilful.... Dad says I remind him of me at the same age."

"Like dragon, like rider," he said, the age old adage flowing quickly off his tongue." He laughed a little, glad to be over the uncomfortable moment. **She talks about her dad quite a bit** Toriat noted. He found it strange, but, he had never been on good terms with his father. "Luckily for Pern they grow up faster then that. Imagine having to wait more then a decade for a weyrling to join the fighting wings?"

"That would be a scary thought," said Teseada through a grin as she moved closer to Toriat. "Would you like to meet her?"

"It would-," Toriat started, then stopped, and smiled conspiratorially.
"Hey, you aren't trying to get help with washing her, are you already?"

"Well now you come to mention it... But then she appreciates help, just so she can lord it over them. She'll have me tell you if you're not scrubbing hard enough, or vice versa. You might see Aryn there too."

Toriat did a sudden intake of breath. He actually didn't mind the idea of helping with dragon scrubbing. But how would it look if he was scrubing some other girls dragon before at least making an offer to Aryn? **Well, she never asked** he tried to rationalize to himself.
"Sure I'll submit myself to the task master."

"Then meet me tomorrow by the indoor lake. It's too cold outside at this time of the turn."

"Yes it would be a bit uncomfortable to play in the water outside," he nodded, blushing a bit. "I'll be there."

"I'll look forward to it."

Toriat was beginning to feel as if he had been in the water for too long. "Well, I'm gonna, head out," he said, pointing out of the pool.
"Good day, Teseada." With that he scrambled out of the pool, and quickly, but carefully, stepped about looking for a towel.

"And to you Toriat."

Last updated on the October 5th 2005


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All references to worlds and characters based on Anne McCaffrey's fiction are © Anne McCaffrey 1967, 2013, all rights reserved, and used by permission of the author. The Dragonriders of Pern© is registered U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, by Anne McCaffrey, used here with permission. Use or reproduction without a license is strictly prohibited.