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"Now where did you say you were from?" Ahote looked up from where he was concentrating on seeing how close he could get his hand to the holder's daughter's leg without her slapping him. "Taralez Hold," Ahote replied smoothly, as if Taralez really were his home. In truth, it was the home of his aunt and uncle on his mother's side, but he wasn't about to tell anyone where he really came from. "Taralez..." the holder thought for a second. "Oh, I remember Taralez! Wonderful little hold, very warm in the summer, if I recall." Ahote nodded. "Very wonderful." The holder's wife started chattering about their visit to Taralez and Ahote let his mind and hand wander again, this time getting a sly grin and a blush from the holder's daughter. That was progress from the angry glare she'd given him at the beginning of the evening meal. "So what takes you so far from home?" the holder asked, cutting of wife before everyone at the table fell asleep out of boredom. "And so far from warmth. Taralez is a much more hospitable place than our cold corner of the continent." Ahote shrugged and gave the question the same answer he'd given it countless times over the past five turns. "I just wanted to get out for a little while, see something new instead of the things I'd been seeing all my life." The holder nodded sympathetically. "I know what you mean. When I was a young man, I went on trips all over the continent, just about scared my parents to death every time I'd dissapear." This made Ahote think of his own mother, a topic he tried to avoid thinking about. She probably thought he was dead by now, like his father. "I'm sure if my parents were alive, they'd be worried too." The holder's wife made a little sound of sympathy in her throat. "I'm sorry," she said after a few moments. "I didn't know..." Ahote smiled weakly. "It's okay, you couldn't have known. Besides, they died when I was very little, and my foster-mother certainly wouldn't have cared if I'd gone missing." Ahote noted that this drew a look of pity and sympathy from the young woman beside him, exactly as it was intended to do. If things kept going as they were, he would not be spending the night in guest quarters. After the evening meal, the holder's daughter, Taeigan, as she introduced herself, invited him for a walk. Ahote gladly agreed to go, though he made a show of being slightly reluctant to and allowed her to flirt until she "convinced" him to go with her. "You don't really come from Taralez, do you Ahote?" Taeigan asked, leaning her head against Ahote's shoulder as they walked. Ahote tried not to show his shock at being found out. "Well, maybe I do and then again, maybe I don't. Don't you like a man with a little bit of mystery to him?" Taeigan chuckled and nodded. "I suppose I do. It adds a certain... something. I don't much care where you came from," she purred, her voice suddenly low and silky, "I'm just glad that you found your way here." Ahote grinned and bent down to steal a kiss. "Isn't that a bit irresponsible of you?" he teased, trying to sound stern. "Jumping into bed with someone when you don't even know where he comes from." "Who said anything about jumping into bed?" Taeigan protested, but the blush that warmed her cheeks and the tone of her voice told Ahote that she wouldn't mind if they did. Of course, Ahote had known from the start Taeigan would be easy to bed. He'd been flirting with holder girls since the first hold he stumbled into the night of his father's death. They were all the same: all a man had to do was flirt and flatter and they were ready to hop into bed. "You know you want me," he teased, stealing another, longer kiss. "I'm all yours." Taeigan smiled invitingly. "Maybe I do, and, then again, maybe I don't." "Mmm, she's got brains to go with those looks," Ahote chuckled. "And I thought they only made holder girls one way or the other." "Learn something new everyday, don't you?" Taeigan chuckled, though she sounded a bit angry. Ahote made a mental note never to use that phrase again. Taeigan's mother saved Ahote from any further mishaps by calling them back inside. Taeigan rolled her eyes. "We could stay out longer, if we wanted to. She won't come after us." "Mmm... I'm a bit tired though and I'd prefer a warm bed," Ahote replied. "Would you care to make it warmer?" Taeigan blushed but smiled. "Perhaps." "Taeigan!" her mother bellowed again, "Get your little hind-end back in here! There's supposed to be a storm tonight and I don't want you getting sick." As soon as the words left the woman's lips, Ahote felt a strong breeze on his neck and the sky above him darkened. "Oh!" Taeigan exclaimed. "Look Ahote! It's a dragon!" You are a long way from home, Ahote, a very familiar woman's voice told him. Your mother thinks you are dead. Your father would want you to be at home. Your sister misses you. "What? Who said that?" Ahote demanded, whirling to see who had spoken. He eyes settled on the dragon, a green, her eyes whirling gently. A woman jumped from her back and ran towards him. As she got closer, he could see that it was Arlateema. Not the Arlateema he remembered, though. She looked like she was sixteen. "Ahote!" Arlateema exclaimed, running towards him. "But you're... what in Faranth's name are you doing here?" Ahote took a step back. "Don't come any closer," he told her, trembling. "I can't bear it." Memories of his father came flooding back, bringing the guilt he tried so hard to supress with them. "Ahote?" Arlateema stopped in her tracks, looking very worried. "Ahote what's wrong? Why have you been gone for so long?" Ahote didn't answer. He was already running. He could see the dim outline of the stable and he ran towards it. Kesevo's stall was the first one, so it took very little time to get her saddled. She didn't resist at all, understanding that they had to leave. Now. He vaulted to her back, dug his heels in, and they were speeding away of the rocky terrain surrounding the hold. Don't leave, you need to go home, Arlateema's green told him. Arlateema misses you so very much. Don't leave like this. Go home. Ahote tried to block out the green's voice and urged Kesevo to go faster. The little mare did, and the sped away, leaving Taeigan, the hold, Arlateema, and her green far behind. Kesevo ran for what could have been hours at a pace which would have had most horses on their knees after a few minutes. With every hoofbeat, Ahote was taking himself further and further from the memories. He couldn't bare the guilt. If Arlateema or his mother ever found out the real reason why his father was dead... Ahote shuddered and urged Kesevo to go faster. When the outline of a Weyr, he couldn't tell which one and was too tired to care, came into view, Ahote urged Kesevo toward it, hoping that this wasn't Arlateema's Weyr. Kesevo went forward boldy, she'd never been afraid of dragons for some reason. They rode right into the weyrbowl, where Ahote rolled off Kesevo's and collapsed on the dusty floor. |