Saria starts, and nearly turns around before she realizes that it's very unlikely T'rell *wouldn't* notice her, here. Even the sound of the ocean doesn't seem to cover up the rustle of her feet in the grasses on the hillside.

T'rell works the oil into Sejith's tail thoroughly, large paddle doing its job at slathering. "Hold still," he cautions, "Or you'll get sand all over."

Sejith is the one that spies Saria first, though. He shifts, head held high above the weyrwoman and despite his rider's complaints, his tail goes right down into the dust. "Shardit," T'rell sighs, replacing the paddle in the bucket before turning to see who the dragon wants him to look at. He stops -- uh, starts. "Saria," he identifies correctly. "Afternoon."

Brencia scrambles outside, holding a big red ball in between her two chubby hands, clinging desperately against the ball's attempts to fall right out of her fingers. "Play!" she demands as soon as she spots her father, not bothering to realize he's actually quite busy. "Play ball, daddy!"

Saria winces, knowing the frustration that tail-in-the-dust must have caused T'rell just then. "Oh.. sorry, T'rell," she stammers, feeling 18 again, and then with a quick flicker of her eyes, not enough to give away her lifemate's comments, she straightens her shoulders and stands up a bit taller. "I certainly didn't intend to startle you, either of you." Unbound hair is tossed over her shoulder.

T'rell salutes briefly, grabs a rag, wiping the worst of the excess oil off his hands and arms. "Hold on, kiddo," he grins to the small girl. "I'm just finishing up, but c'mere and meet Weyrwoman Saria," he beckons to her, glancing back up to the goldrider. "Don't worry about it, he just wants to know where Quarith is, that's all." He gives Sejith a tolerant smile as the bronze cranes his neck to look down the hill toward the beach.

Brencia shuffles over toward the weyrwoman and tilts her dirty little chin upwards, very much in the way her mother does when looking up to someone taller. "Helwo," she greet cheerfully, her little shoes scuffling in the dirt and sand beneath them as she waits not-quite-so-patiently for a playmate. "You play ball?" the ball is lifted, held as high as 'Cia's little arms can stretch, offering.

Saria had had thoughts of escape, but now proper etiquette and the presence of a child for whom a Weyrwoman should be a good example force her to plaster on a smile, her insides trembling despite her forcedly calm exterior expression. "Hello, dearie. What's your name?" She looks down at this little face and her stomach wrenches itself into a tight ball. This is what she wanted. Could have had, perhaps. But not as it is now, and has been all these years. She composes herself.

Saria smiles. "Tell me your name, first, sweetling, and then I'll play a little ball with you." (Oh, the easiest things can become one's torment if allowed!)

T'rell follows the toddler's steps almost overprotectively, bending down to murmur in Brencia's ear, "Can you salute, like we do?" Of course he's taught her that much. "That's what you do for Weyrwomen, like her."

"I 'cia," the toddler pronounces proudly, hugging the big red ball tightly to her chest. "Nice ta meetcha," is the valiant attempt made on the words she's been trained to say, the weyrwoman being offered a bright childish smile in return for the greeting. A nod is offered in response to her daddy's suggestion, and the ball is reliquinshed to his bigger hands with a whispered "hold please, daddy," before she stands up straight and tall, giving off an miniature version of a salute, if not quite as crisp as it should be.

Sejith ceases his search, settling down again in a semblance of smugness.

Saria swallows a lump in her throat, the desire to run overwhelming, as she watches the hesitant steps of T'rell's little one. Her plaster-smile forcibly brighter, she returns the salute, and then smiles, murmuring to T'rell ever so softly, ".. i didn't understand her name.."

Brencia relaxes, once again, into a bit of an 'at ease' position, but her hands are quickly outstretched, wanting the ball back in her chubby little fingers. "Ball please, daddy," she mumbles, dark eyes shifting from her father to Saria and back to her father, who, of course, has the cherished toy. "Red ball," she adds, just in case there is a confusion as to which ball he's holding, or perhaps she's just trying to show off her color knowledge to this new 'friend'.

T'rell hands the ball back to the girl with a grin. "Here you are. Brencia," he pronounces more clearly for Saria, stepping a short distance back to kneel again. "Throw it to me," he encourages cheerfully.

Brencia grips the ball in her hands, the toy being large enough to require both, and turns to face T'rell. With a mighty push and an unlady-like 'grunt', the ball flies forward, landing on the ground about three-quarters of the distance between father and daughter.

Saria shifts back and forth. "I.. er.. really ought to be going, T'rell," she says quietly, adding, "oh, what a nice throw, Brencia!" in a slightly more upbeat voice. "I... guess I'll find another time to speak with you."

T'rell reaches forward to pick up the ball. "It's okay," he insists to Saria, standing. "What did you need?" He's still got the ball; oops. He catches Brencia's eye, gently tossing it to bounce into her grasp.

Saria shakes her head. "I.. really can't, not here like this." Suddenly an awkward healer apprentice again, her mind races, she rubs sweaty palms against her thighs.

Brencia holds both of her arms up, waiting as the ball bounces toward her, closing her arms around it just in time for the ball to sink past them and bounce down the hill. "Ball!" she squeaks, running after it as quickly as her little legs can carry her.

Confusion plays on T'rell's expression. "I just need to clean up here, but I can meet with you in a half a candlemark," he volunteers, then calls sharply after the chasing child. "Bren, come back here now!" Overprotective indeed.

Saria swallows. "Another time, T'rell. I'm sure I'll see you again soon enough." A bitter sigh and she wheels, quickly seizing her escape.

Brencia shakes her head and continues to run, tumbling to the ground at the bottom of the hill as she trips over the very ball that she was trying to capture. As she tumbles to the sand, she wraps her arms around the ball, the usual tears not appearing as she's too preoccupied with the recapture. "Got it!" she exclaims, getting to her feet and heading back up the hill.

T'rell follows his daughter's path, catching up to her, though not soon enough to prevent the tumble. "I've told you not to go running off like that, 'cia. You might go tumbling all the way to the sea, and then the waves would run off with you!" Dire predictions indeed. "I lost a cousin that way once."

Brencia's lower lip quivers and she bats her eyes up at her father, "Sorry Daddy," she apologizes in her sweetest voice, holding up the ball for him to show that she'd caught it. "Got ball."

T'rell very nearly melts. "Indeed you did," he says simply, summoning his will. "But I'd rather have you than the ball." He dusts off her shirt and shorts, a cursory check for new scrapes.

Brencia wrinkles her nose as she's dusted off, and watches as T'rell looks her over, twisting her upper body this way and that as she's looked over. "No hurts, Daddy. Just *sand*."

"Sand we've got, haven't we? All over!" T'rell smiles as he tugs at a few of Brencia's curls, the sand in them shaking off onto the ball's red surface. "C'mon back up, kiddo, and promise me you won't go chasing off without me or mommy again?"

Brencia bobs her head up and down, shaking the curls out a bit more. "Pwomise, daddy, but it was just right *here*. I see Seji, not far." The fingers of one hand stretch up toward Sejith, pointing out the obvious.

T'rell takes Brencia's tiny hand in his, leading her on her own two feet back up the hillside. "Yes, but are we past where you're supposed to be?" he quizzes.

Brencia nods her head again, realizing she's in the wrong, but not willing to give up the fight. "But I *see* there." And seeing home is close enough, right? Well, maybe. "I pwomise daddy. I stay. You get ball next time. 'right?"

"Right." T'rell agrees firmly. "And you know where you're allowed." He's satisfied, and winks as he grins down at her. "Maybe Sejith'll play with us too, you think?"

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