Dinner Surprises

Writers: Clancey, Eimi, Emma
Date Posted: 17th December 2005

Characters: Daynar, Fieayz, Otrina, Anar, Jenned (NPC)
Description: Daynar holds a special dinner when his harper son visits. Meanwhile, Fieayz' gold flit rises...
Location: Smith Hall (NPC)
Date: month 8, day 22 of Turn 3

There had been some fuss made about dinner tonight. It seemed that one of Dayanr's sons was visiting. Not that Fieayz really was that interested, but apparently he was bringing a friend. Otrina hadn't stopped talking about it all day.

But at last she was ready to go down. Arva was asleep in a corner, her head curled under a wing, and Fie was loath to disturb her. She was sleeping so soundly.

Daynar had greeted his son, and his friend, from Harper Hall with the usual enthusiasm. Otrina had made certain dinner was going to be perfect, and he certainly hoped she'd picked up her mother's skill with such things, or he'd have her beaten until she did. The Hall must not suffer because he currently had no Lady to deal with such thing, and all of Pern knew that _he_ would never stoop to women's work.

As he made his way downstairs, he paused a moment to approve Otrina's attire. A faint nod, as he was still wroth with the girl over being caught in the Hall with one of his apprentices. Anar and his fellow journeyman were in the corner tuning instruments, and Daynar paused to speak to them quietly about singing after dinner, and receiving their agreement, made his way to the table.

Fieayz followed Otrina in. Her own clothing was simple, a dark coloured dress that made her look perhaps a turn or two older than she really was. But nothing too extreme, she'd learnt that much already.

Anar's eyes went wide and round as Fieayz appeared behind his sister. He leaned over to his friend, Jenned, from the Hall and whispered. "She's lovely, hmm? You entertain my sister.. and I, I will entertain her.." Anar remembered Fieayz from the dinner at the Vintner Hall.

Jenned's eyes too were drawn to the young woman in the dark dress. He gave her an friendly smile. The other girl was pretty, but something about that girl was... radiant. "Which one's your sister?" he whispered, seriously hoping Anar had been blessed with such a gorgeous sibling.

Anar reluctantly drew his eyes from Fieayz; she did seem radiant tonight, even in dark colors. His eyes found Otrina curtsying to their father and taking a seat. "There.. " the young journeyman pointed. "The blond." Otrina was indeed lovely. The one thing Daynar had found tolerable in having a daughter as his last child instead of another son was that she _was_ so lovely.

Blond hair framed a doll-like face with large brown eyes looking a little skittish in the shadow of her large father. She looked over at Anar and flashed him a surreptitious smile, though, and added one for his friend.

Shards, but she was beautiful too, especially when she smiled! Jenned began forming a small plan in his mind... "All right, I would be happy to sit next to your sister." And he would make sure to sit across from that other lovely young woman...

Dinner began as everyone took their seats, with Daynar looking with disapproval at the two young women being courted by the two young men. He was glad there were chaperones for these four, as they were certainly taking advantage of being the youngest of those gathered around the Smithhall table.

Anar smiled at Fieayz with a sidelong glance at his father. "Don't mind him. He's so grumpy felines don't even agitate him." He said it softly, so as to avoid the overly sharp ears of said Hallmaster.

"Only felines?" she teased gently.

Anar chuckled at that, though with a guarded look at his father. He
couldn't have _too_ much fun. "Probably not. I heard him cursing fire
lizards earlier this month." Anar said, without quite remembering that Fieayz had a flit, and a gold one at that.

Otrina joined Jenned at the table, also watching her father's face. He was still irate with her over the incident that hadn't been an incident in the halls, and she was feeling uncertain. Nonetheless, she smiled at her dinner partner. "Good evening to you. I'm Otrina. Anar is my brother. Is it fun at Harper Hall?" She finished with a wistful sigh, knowing no such future existed for her unless she married into it.

Daynar signaled the servants to start dinner, and raised his glass at just that time. "To sons returning home!" He said heartily, though his eyes were trained on his children. And his fosterling, making sure they behaved.

Fieayz smiled at both the young harpers, feeling that perhaps the evening would be more interesting. Maybe she could sneak off for a walk with Anar later, Papa still didn't know about that little event at the Vintner Hall. A little flirting never hurt...

As that thought went through her head, she suddenly felt more aware of something. She wasn't... Yes, Arva was awake, and broadcasting feelings of lust and desire. The gold went /between/ from her mistress' room, to outside the Hall, calling for males to join her.

A bronze blur flew out from behind of the instrument cases that had been left in the corner for after dinner entertainment. Jenned eyes followed the little creature that, with a shreik winked out of sight. The harper turned appologetic eyes to the Hallmaster, embarrased that his flit should inturrupt their dinner. "Forgive me sir. Coda is usually well behaved. I guess he is not accustomed to being away from the Harper Hall."

Fieayz gave Jenned a quick look, wondering if it was his bronze that Arva was sending her images of. The gold was looking over the males, preparing to follow her as she launched herself into the skies.

Jenned shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he tried to listen to the conversation politely, but there could be no doubt what his little bronze was up to. He looked away quickly when he caught Fieayz's eye.

Daynar glared furiously at the place where the fire lizard had disappeared from, and then he turned his glare on Jenned. "Fire lizards are a nuisance! They shouldn't be allowed near humans at all, never mind pets. See that he doesn't come back in this room, Journeyman." Daynar struggled with his temper because if was supposed to be a nice dinner, but shells! He _hated_ fire lizards and all the trouble they caused.

Anar's cheeks colored for a second as his father yelled, and he looked sideways at his sister. They were both used to their father's blustering. "Sorry Jenned.." he whispered, then said softly to Fieayz. "I'm glad your little gold did not come down with you or she'd be banished too."

His friend caught only one word of what he said - "gold". Jenned looked at Fieayz questioningly. Was it _her_ flit his bronze was chasing?

"I think she may be the cause of the fuss," said Fieayz softly. "I think she's definitely awake now, and outside." A smile crossed her face, "She's enjoying herself, I know that."

Jenned disguised a chuckle as as cough as glanced up at the young woman. His Coda seemed to be enjoying himself too. He smiled at her knowingly.

Fieayz took a bite of her dinner, she could sense that Arva was close to making her choice. With another glance at the journeyman, she wondered if he knew it was his bronze that Arva seemed to be encouraging.

Yes, the journeyman knew. He smiled politely at whatever it was Otrina was saying and reached for his wine glass. In one long sip he drained half it's contents. Shards but the room was getting hot.

Discreetly Fieayz fanned herself, a part of her mind following Arva. She jumped slightly, knocking her glass, as she realised that Arva had settled on a mate.

Jenned cleared his throat simultaneously, knowing that it was his Coda that had caught her gold in that moment. He tried to pay attention to his dinner partner but his eyes kept wandering back towards Fieayz. Did she know it was his? Was her pounding like his was?

Fieayz couldn't resist a smile. Arva was broadcasting feelings of satisfaction and happiness, she glanced over at Jenned, wondering if he knew.

When he met her eye with a glance of his own, he smiled and gave her a little wink, feeling rather smug and pleased with himself, and his little lifemate.

It was quite an effort then, to turn her attention back to Anar. Part of her wanted, as she had last time, to take advantage of the feelings, and find a willing partner. But dinner was not the time or place to do that. And not a formal dinner such as this. Maybe later one of these nice harpers could be persuaded to go for a walk?

Anar was watching Fieayz with interest. "Are you quite alright? You seem .. distracted.. " The young man was slightly put off that he was not as charming as he had thought he was. He glanced at Jenned inquiringly. There was something going on.

Otrina was quietly eating dinner, sliding glances at her father every now and then. Daynar appeared to not be too adverse to her chatter with Anar's friend, so she turned back to him only to find he was looking at Fieayz. Frowning slightly, she reached for her wine without looking and knocked it flying.

The clatter was kind of loud in the stillness of a quiet dinner and Daynar speared his youngest with a glare. "Otrina! Can't you mind y our manners for one evening?" He called a drudge to get it cleaned up and quickly, glancing down further at the young people, who all seemed to be getting along, or so it seemed. If he only knew just _how_ well!

Otrina's cheeks were burning, and she lowered her head, not saying anything to Jenned or even her brother.

Forcing her concentration back to the table, Fieayz looked over to Otrina. "You okay?" she asked.

The clatter and reproach brought Jenned's attention back to his dinner partner and he leaned over to whisper encouragingly in her ear, but his eyes couldn't help but glance back at Fieayz. Their flits had finished their business, he was sure, but it didn't mean all the feelings of the flight had completely abated.

Otrina nodded slightly to Fieayz. Her whisper was barely heard. "Aye, I am alright. It is normal, for him." A faint sigh escaped.

Anar's eyes were dancing between Fieayz and Jenned. There was something going on there for sure. He was about to say something sharp, when his father stood up, finished with dinner. That was the signal that they all could leave, though Anar and Jenned were bound to play something after dinner. "We'll have some music now." The Hallmaster said firmly, not sure he liked all the goings on between the younglings, even if he didn't know what they _were_ precisely.

"Can you play some dance music?" asked Fieayz.

"Sure," Jenned grinned, "but who would you dance with if _we_ are occupied?" He titled his head towards the Hallmaster questioningly and gave her a teasing grin.

The Hallmaster in question frowned at all the young folk. "Play!" He said commandingly, narrowing his eyes at the pairs that had been trying to form all around him. His Hall was not for match-making! Grumbling to himself, he went to lean against the wall.

Otrina lowered her head under her father's disdainful gaze, and decided she needed to be excused. Without even a word to Jenned, whom she'd found interesting but was clearly more interested in Fieayz, the young girl left the dining hall with as much speed as propriety demanded.

Fieayz remained a while longer, watching the harpers, listening to their

music. She wondered what it would be like to make music with him, the one who's bronze had caught her Arva, wondering if his skill with instruments was an indicator of skill elsewhere...

Anar began to play at the front of the room, his father's watchful eyes
making him extra careful. The sharding man took all the fun out of
everything, he did.

Daynar leaned in his spot, glowering at the young folk for quite a while, listening to his son play. One last glance to Anar then to the doorway that Otrina had vanished through, and then back to Fieayz who had seemed so interested in Anar's young friend. His foot tapped idly for a moment, then he mental too left. He knew they would get up to no good behind his back, so he made a note to come back and check on them later.

The Hall immediately felt lighter for lack of the grumbling Hallmaster, and that was the signal for everyone to relax and enjoy the music, or leave if they were so inclined.

Last updated on the December 17th 2005

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Dinner Surprises