Dancing The Night Away

Writers: AL, Kaysea
Date Posted: 7th August 2008

Characters: Irlani, J'gen, Gyta
Description: Irlani begins to teach J'gen and Gyta how to dance.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 11, day 11 of Turn 4

"All right, that's enough history for now." Irlani gathered everything together and put them away until tomorrow. Ravyan had been picked up not long before, but J'gen often worked times as a healer that other dragonriders didn't so he had yet to return. "Hm. Some time left before your father gets home." She clasped her hands before her, face crinkled in thought. Then a smile broke over her features. "I know. I shall teach you a dance or two."

Gyta stood back and looked up at her fostermother with a puzzled look on her face, her head tipped to the side. She lifted her hands in question, shrugging.

"What, you've never danced before?" Irlani moved forward and clasped the child's hands gently with her own. "Now that is a shame. My father was a wonderful dancer and he started teaching me almost as soon as I could walk."

Gyta couldn't remember ever dancing with anyone. She had moved to the music the harpers played occasionally down in the dining cavern in the evenings, but to dance with someone, never. She looked with enquiring eyes to Irlani, and swung her arms slowly, causing their clasped hands to sway.

Irlani grinned broadly. "There now, that's a start. But here, let's do something a bit more formal." The woman stepped forward and took up the child's hands. "When you dance with a partner, it's quite a bit different than by yourself."

Gyta followed Irlani's directions, watching and listening closely to each instruction. This was fun, more fun that sitting down listening to the harpers instructions, and much better than being able to hear her classmates whispering about her. The smile on her face grew gradually as the lesson continued.

"Don't look down at your feet." Irlani encourged, releasing her for a moment to tuck her hand under the girl's chin. "You should always look your partner in the eye. Don't forget to hold your skirt with your right hand." The older woman began to hum a soft tune, a waltz and led the child slowly around the room.

She lifted her head, her eyes meeting Irlani's, as she followed the woman's lead around the room. Pleased laughter bubbled up from deep within her as the dance finished. She was so proud of herself, and pleased with the way the lesson went.

"Very good!" Irlani praised the child, interrupting the tune. "Of course, there are all sorts of dances, but the waltz is a popular one.
You should teach it to your father."

Her laughter erupted at Irlani's suggestion. To think she could even attempt to teach her father to dance. He had never showed even a smidgin of interest in the music the harpers played, he was always too interested in the talk at the tables. She shook her head, her eyes twinkling in amusement.

"Well, that was a lovely sound, but you don't seem too certain about your father." Irlani chucked the girl's chin in amusement.

"Actually..." J'gen chimed in from the doorway, "I'd say she was pretty confident about me - and my lack of interest." he smirked. He held out his arms for his daughter and hugged her tightly in his embrace when she raced into his arms.

"Welcome home, J'gen." Irlani turned and made her way over to the dragonrider. "So you have no interest what so ever in dancing?"

"Not these days." he shook his head. "I've got two left feet, anyway, and was never much good. My partners always complained about how badly bruised their feet became after dancing with me."

"Well how about I promise not to complain?" Irlani moved forward and took both of J'gen's hands and tugged him back. "Come, let me see if I can teach those two left feet."

"What? Oh!!" he stumbled forward at her urging, a shocked and embarrassed look on his face, "Irlani, you don't know what you've gotten your feet into!" he exclaimed, stumbling forward again and treading heavily on her toes, he didn't miss the pained look that suddenly crossed her face. "Oh Shards - sorry!"

The expression lightened as laughter escaped and Irlani lifted one of J'gen's hands and placed it upon her waist. "It's all right. I tread upon my father's toes plenty of times as he was teaching me. It's to be expected." The hand slid up his arm and stopped at his shoulder while her other hand slid into his free one. "The waltz is a simple dance, but very elegant. Hopefully you'll catch on quickly."

"I hope so too, for the sake of your feet." he grinned down at her, "Besides, I'm sure you were much smaller than I am, when you tread upon your fathers feet."

"That I was, but I'm tougher than I look." Irlani returned J'gen's grin with one of her own, eyes dancing with laughter. "Come, I'll lead. We'll try it this way and if it doesn't work, we'll try another way." She began humming and with gentle presure began to guide the dragonrider to a slow, gentle three-four time.

Gyta sat back on the settle and watched the pair glide and stumble around the room as her father learned the dance steps she had mastered a short time before. A smile split her face, she hadn't been this happy in such a long time - it was almost as if her mother were there in the room with them. When they had finished the dance, she sat back and clapped loudly, and laughed at the expression on her fathers face.

"You know, it helps if you look at me instead of your feet." Irlani suggested gently before turning a smile to Gyta. "And you should give your father at least one dance."

"How can I look at you and dance at the same time?" he asked, a puzzled expression on his face. "If I look at you, then I can't see where I'm putting my feet, and you'll end up with even worse damage to your feet."

It was something that had to be shown, that couldn't be told. Irlani took J'gen's hand again and drew him back into an embrace. "Look at my eyes." Her voice was soft, but commanding and her eyes gripped his, locking them in on hers. "Focus on me, on my body, the way it moves. Feel the beat within you, keep your steps light. Move with me, then move me.
You're the leader, so lead. Guide me and I will follow and the rest will fall into place."

He tried to take in her words, but she had lost him somewhere between her instruction to look into her eyes and focusing on her body. "Oh, um..." it had been turns since he had felt this embarrassed with a woman. He felt like a young apprentice again, with the first girl he had ever kissed, this wasn't right - feeling the way he did about Gyta's fostermother. "I..umm... look, maybe ..." he had been about to pull away from her, and forget the whole thing, but she began to sway with him, and he found himself following for a few moments, before he got the hang of leading. He had a hard time keeping eye contact with her, fearing you would know exactly what his thoughts were.

"Look at me, J'gen." Amusement tinged Irlani's voice. "I don't bite.
Look at me and you'll truly be dancing with me. I'm not a statue, but your dance partner."

He dragged his eye back to hers, flicking from one eye to the other.
This was the problem with only having one eye, never knowing which eye to focus on when meeting someone elses gaze, especially whent that someone was up so close to you. He met her eyes, his blue looking intently into her brown - so different from Syrita, but so....

Once more, he dragged his gaze away and immediately trod on her toe.
"Oh shards, Irlani. I'm sorry." he stopped dancing, and tried to pull away.

"It's okay J'gen." Irlani wasn't able to hide the wince, but she laughed softly at his reaction. "It's okay." She held on to his hands, letting him pull back a little, but not completely. Her own hands held on gently to his. "Practise makes perfect. So, I have some homework for you."

"Ho...homework?" he couldn't help but laugh. "I haven't had homework since I was a child."

"Well now you do. And it's Gyta's homework too." Irlani turned her laughing eyes to the child. "You are both to practise this dance at least once a day from here on out, even rest days. You hear?"

Gyta nodded eagerly, her father less so. Both wore smiles, J'gen's carrying to his one remaining eye. "Okay, I promise." he capitulated, "But you do realise it will mean I have to take Gyta to the healers more often?" he chuckled.

"I'm sure she'll be fine." Irlani realised she was holding on to J'gen's hands still and slowly released him. She hovered close, eyes transfixed upon him for one breathless moment more before she glided back. "Well...I should go."

"Tomorrow?" J'gen smiled softly, loath to release her. He was feeling more and more comfortable in her company, at times wishing she wasn't just there for Gyta's sake, then feeling bad for thinking that way. She had been so good for Gyta - he shouldn't wish for anything more than they already had -
should he?

"Tomorrow," Came the whispered reply and with a smile to Gyta, then another one to J'gen, Irlani turned and made her way out of the weyr. Once the door was closed she leaned against. Something was stirring within and she wasn't sure what to make of it. With a shake of her head, the foster mother straightened, then made her way down the hall. Food. Dinner was needed, then a nice long bath, then bed. She was tired, more so than usual. Perhaps all that dancing. Yes. Perhaps.

Last updated on the August 16th 2008

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Dancing The Night Away