Pleasantly Suspicious

Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 7th May 2008

Characters: Larken, Ojisan
Description: Larken tries to talk her husband into taking a trip...
Location: Harper Hall
Date: month 9, day 22 of Turn 4
Notes: Follows "A Fervent Plan"

Larken had just hung the damp bathing towel over the bench to dry when she heard the door to the weyr open and then shut with a quiet click. Quickly she finished fastening her nightgown, drew on her robe, placed the wide-toothed comb on the dresser and went into the main room to greet her husband. "Evening, love," she smiled, coming close to give him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"Hmmm, now that is a wonderful way to be welcomed home," the harper smiled back as he wrapped an arm around her waist. "I'm sorry I was a little late. We were having so much trouble with the second movement."

"That's quite all right. Did you manage to get through it?"

"Not really," he admitted wearily. "But we'll get it. It will just take more time, that's all."

"Of course." Her expression conveyed her sympathy as she slipped from his light hold. "I had dinner brought up, though I'm afraid the roast has cooled." Larken gestured to the table filled with platters of bread, cheese, vegetables, tubers and slices of meat. "Why don't you change into something more comfortable and I'll get our plates ready?"
she threw an affectionate smile over her shoulder at him as she moved to shoo Pisky, who was perched on one of the chairs sniffing curiously, away. He walked into their bedroom and placed his gitar case carefully beside the door. "I'm sorry to have made you wait on dinner. You know you could have started without me," he called over his shoulder as he pulled on the ties to his tunic. She stuck her head around the corner of their bedroom and waved a half-eaten piece of bread at him, a rather impish smile lighting her eyes. "Already did." She'd been just as ravenous as M'tone after they'd loved....she hadn't been able to help herself from nibbling on the rolls until Ojisan came home.

He laughed quietly at the expression on her face. Ojisan delighted in coming home to her. It had seemed as though she had grown even more affectionate and playful since moving to the Weyr. She had always been kind and attentive towards him, but she seemed as though she were truly blossoming into a woman here, and it was such a source of joy for him. "Do you know what you reminded me of just then?" he asked, still pulling down his sleeveless tunic as he emerged from their room. "Do you remember when you were about nine or tens turns old and your father and I took you to that Gather at... oh I can't remember the Hold's name... but we took you to a Gather we were playing at, and your father had expressly told you could have no more sugar that day, but while we were playing on stage, I glanced over and saw you, with your face and hands dripping with jam from another bubbly pie. Oh you probably don't even remember. But I caught your eye and you gave me a smile very similar to that one. I just now remembered that."

Chuckling, she carefully draped her damp braid over one shoulder. "I don't remember, but that sure sounds like something I'd do. I couldn't get enough sweets when I was a girl--and I still can't!" She grinned at him as she sat down. "Though, I'm fairly sure I'm not as messy an eater now as I was then."

"Well, even if you were, you clean up so nicely," he said, lifting her chin so he could give her a proper kiss.

Months before, whenever Ojisan touched her after she'd been with M'tone, she had been afraid that he would somehow taste the brownrider on her, or sense that something was amiss. But he never showed any suspicion, and she'd stopped worrying...for the most part. She still took a long soak in the bathing pool before her husband came home--something she just couldn't stop herself from doing. Larken kissed him back, ignoring the familiar stab of guilt. She'd gotten good at ignoring it. "Thank you."

"So besides arranging this lovely meal, what did you get yourself up to today?" he asked as he always did as they sat down to a meal. Ojisan had always enjoyed hearing about her day, whether it was cleaning house or reading a book. It made him feel as though he were a part of it, even though he had missed most of it.

"It was such a nice day that I decided to go for a walk down to the beach. And I saw dolphins! Though they were farther out to sea. But there must have been at least six of them frolicking out there."

"Oh that's wonderful," he smiled as he put some meat and a slice of cheese on a piece of hearty bread. "Did you go swimming? I hear sometimes they come very close. Of course, I wouldn't want you to swim _too_ far out..."

M'tone would have encouraged her to swim as far out as she liked--after all, he'd argue, Encourth could always rescue her if she got swept away in a strong current. Shoving that thought down, she gave him a smile. "No, no swimming today. Perhaps next time. I just read on the beach--in the shade, of course." Which would explain why she didn't have much color suffused in her skin today.

"That's so nice. I wish I had more time for reading. It must have been nice and warm down there." Inside the Weyr, especially in these inner rooms, tended to stay a uniform temperature all year. He envied the harper which had been assigned weyrs on the cliff face with their outer ledges to pull in a warm breeze.

"Very much so." Spearing a tender slice of meat with her fork, she carefully bit into it, savoring the juicy flavor. "I love the weather here, Ojisan."

"I'm glad," he said, reaching over to give her hand a squeeze. "I do to. I wasn't sure at first, but it really is a wonderful place to live.
We're so lucky to have found a home here."

She nodded fervently, then grinned. "Has Terrisan gotten used to addressing his letters to you at the Harper Hall at Dolphin Cove _Weyr_?"

"I don't think its the _Weyr_ that worries him so much as it is the extra marks," Ojisan said, smiling at the thought of his only son. "He's just like his mother in that way."

Larken inclined her head. "How is he doing?"

"Hmmmm. I'm not exactly sure," he said thoughtfully. "I don't think I've heard from him in nearly three months. He's busy, I suppose."

She busied herself buttering another roll. "Have you thought of visiting him?" "Oh, well, I'd like to," he shrugged, refilling her glass of juice after pouring a bit more into his own. "But I just have so many rehearsals..."

"Surely you could take a personal day or two if you really wanted to? I'm sure there are more than enough Harpers willing to help you out. They all know how important family is."

"That's true." He pulled the peel off of a citron, his face becoming a bit more serious. "It would be nice to see him, but we're still so far from where we should be on that new piece."

"So get to a point where you feel more comfortable with the piece and where you stand concerning it." She smiled at him, offering him a roll.
"Then you won't feel guilty for leaving."

"Maybe," he nodded. "Maybe in the spring. After the snow breaks. It's hard to remember that it's actually winter in some places on Pern."

Larken snorted delicately. "It sure is. But you're right, love. It'll be better for you to travel, and better for Terrisan too, once the snow breaks."

He nodded and brushed the crumbs from his tunic. "Well, I'll think about it when it gets closer to spring then."

Hopefully he wouldn't wait that long. But at least the idea was there in his mind. "Want another tuber?"

"No, I think I'm stuffed," he groaned, leaning back in his chair and patting his belly happily. "It was delicious even if it was cold."

"Well, then." Smiling, she stretched as well, resting for a long moment in comfortable silence before rising to stand behind his chair. Leaning forward, she kissed him softly on the side of his neck. "I know you get sleepy after you eat, my love.....but hopefully you're not too sleepy yet?"

"Oh?" he asked, pleasantly suspicious.

She just smiled at him.

Last updated on the May 18th 2008

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Pleasantly Suspicious