Larede · · · maximize for best effect · · ·
stats :: candidate :: jr.weyrling :: sr.weyrling :: adult :: Beach Shards Weyr :: Quinalt Weyr :: Aprilrain

Larede bit her lip against the pain in her back as she raised the hoe and let it fall into the ground again. She hated hoeing more than anything. Seeding and driving the plow-runners and harvesting were hard, but overall enjoyable. Hoeing, however, was so monotonous that Larede was sure one of these days she'd fall asleep from boredom. On this particular day, the warm sun beat down on her back, making the usually unpleasant task even more so.

A large shadow passed over the fields, cooling Larede for a few moments. Shielding her eyes against the sun, Larede looked up to see a brown dragon flying in the direction of her father's holding and paused to watch him for a moment before returning to her hoeing. Many dragons came to bathe after a Fall in the quiet lake which Larede's father's hold bordered on, so they were not a rare sight. Why they chose to come here instead of bathing in the lake at Quinalt, Larede could only guess, but all were welcomed and most stopped by for a cup of klah afterwards.

Because of this, is was hardly a suprise when her mother hollered to her to come in and meet the dragonrider. Greatful for the distraction, Larede set her hoe down and sprinted to where her mother was standing, a look of disapproval on her face. "What now?" Larede asked exasperatedly.

"Running when there is no need to is not very lady-like," her mother scolded her. "A woman should walk when there is no need for haste. It is more feminine."

Larede rolled her eyes. "You are not going to let this go are you? It's not un-lady-like and I intend to jog, sprint, or walk whenever I so choose, not just when it happens to be "lady-like".

Her mother only shook her head sadly, and Larede celebrated silently that her mother was finally giving up on her most recent "lady-like" crusade. She supposed it was connected to the fact that she didn't have any significant relationship, and, though she was still young, her mother was already thinking of marrying her off.

When mother and daughter reached the main building of Lake Front Hold, there were already sounds of laughing and conversation coming from the large kitchen. Larede, curious to meet this latest visitor, politefully pushed a head of her mother and quickened her pace.

Larede's father, one of her uncles, her siblings, and a very handsome young man whom she assumed to be the dragonrider, were sitting around the table, chatting amiably. When Larede entered the room, her father looked up. "Speaking of which, here she is!" he thundered in his friendliest tone, beckoning for Larede to come over to the table.

Larede walked over and took a seat across from the brownrider. Yes, he was handsome indeed. She'd found, over the years, that all dragonmen were not, as rumor would have it, ruggedly handsome. But now and then one did come along who was. This brownrider was one of them. As Larede took stock of the brownrider, tuning out the conversation going on around her, their eyes met for a breif second before Larede, emberassed to have been caught staring, broke the glance.

"We get quite a few riders here," her father was saying. "Lots of them come over here to bathe their dragons after Falls."

The brownrider nodded. "It's a lot less crowded here than at Quinalt, so I thought I'd bring Maeleroth down here just to check it out."

"I'soas," ten-turn-old Rorial piped up, "why'd'ya need ta bathe your dragon after a fall?"

"Because the firestone makes their hide smell bad," I'soas explained, a grin twisting one side of his mouth.

Tuning out the conversation again, Larede mulled over what she knew of I'soas in her mind. Reasonably handsome, a brownrider from Quinalt, and tolerant of her little brothers, which meant he had to be a pretty tolerant person overall.

"Larede?" Larede was jerked back to the conversation by her mother's voice. "Would you please answer me?"

"I didn't hear you ask me anything," she replied levely, ignoring the snicker from her younger sister.

"I asked," Redea repeated, "whether or not you'd be willing to help me with dinner so that I'soas can stay."

"Alright," Larede replied, trying to sound nonchalant about it but, if her sister's snickers were anything to judge by, failing miserably.

"And since you find that so funny, Roima," Redea continued, "you get to help too."


At some point while the Redea and her daughters were cooking with the help of Paroi, a young drudge whom Redea had taken in, it was decided that this would be a family dinner. When Redea heard this, she let fly a string of curses to make a Seacrafter blush. Though they barely got it all done, the four managed to present the small crowd with a decent meal.

By the time Larede was able to sit down, the seat next to I'soas had been filled by her cousin, Kaparell, who was one turn her junior. The brownrider was politely responding to her attempts at conversation though not, she noticed, with much sincerity. The distinction was not lost on Kaparell, who eventually gave up on her quiet tablemate and turned to gossiping with Roima.

The seat across from I'soas, however, had not been filled yet, and Larede slid into it, noting gleefully that the brownrider's eyes quickly flicked up from his meal to note her arrival. Perhaps he had noticed her existence after all.

I'soas, it seemed, had more than just noticed her. More than once, their eyes met over the table when she caught him looking at her. He would always give a quick, apologetic smile and shrug then turn back to his meal. Their hands also brushed more than once as they both reached for the same food or seasoning, prompting another little half-smile from I'soas.

The meal seemed to drag on forever. Kaparell, noticing that her less-attractive cousin was having more luck than she, tried to strike up conversation with the brownrider again but was once again put off by his short, polite replies. After the meal, Kaparell tried again, this time being all but insulted by the brownrider's haste to get away from her.

"He's not biting, I see," Larede remarked, watching I'soas laugh over some joke her father had just told.

"I suppose you think he'll take your lure?" Kaparell retorted, turning incredulous blue eyes on her cousin. "If he refuses me, he must not like women."

"Aren't we modest," Larede chided. She could think of a million reasons why a man might refuse Kaparell, her ego being foremost on the list.

Kaparell gave her a look of annoyance before sweeping past, making a point of brushing I'soas, who made as obvious a point of completely ignoring her.

Larede stood watching I'soas for a few more minutes before chiding herself for obsessing over him and retreating to the kitchen to help Paroi with the dishes.

"The brownrider likes you," Paroi observed.

Larede gave the plate she was grappling with one last scrub before replying. "Oh, I don't think so. Dragonmen can be flirts too."

"Flirt or not, he definetly refused Kaparell and spend more of his meal staring at you than eating," Paroi chuckled. "He likes you alright."

"Oh come on Paroi," Larede scoffed. "What attraction could a small holder's daughter hold for a Dragonrider?"

"It wouldn't make any difference if you were a lowly drudge like me," Paroi informed her. "He'd still like you."

"You're not just a lowly drudge, Paroi," Larede assured her friend, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze beneath the soap suds. "You're just another holder here."

Paroi smiled. "Whatever you say. The point is that the brownrider likes you, and you'd be smart to persue him as well, 'else you'll end up with some dimglow of a holder boy."

"He does not," Larede insisted and emphasized her words by putting the plate down on the basin counter a little harder than she'd meant to.

"Larede?" Larede turned to see I'soas standing there, looking a bit uncomfortable.

"Need something?" Larede replied shakily, wanting to reach out and pull Paroi back as the drudge quickly slunk from the room.

"Actually," he grinned and walked over to join her at the sink. "I wanted to help wash dishes."

"Really, I don't need help. Besides, you're a guest," Larede stammered as the brownrider snatched the plate from her hands and began to scrub vigorously at it.

Giving up, Larede grabbed a mug and began scrubbing. As they worked, the two chatted companionably, as if they had known eachother all their lives. They made short work of the dishes and Larede smiled as she examined their work. "Congratulations I'soas, you have conquered a pile of dishes."

"For the first and last time," I'soas muttered, rubbing cold hands on his trouser legs.

Larede suddenly realized that she was also cold and shivered slightly. "Cold?" I'soas asked, moving closer and wrapping strong arms around her.

"Not anymore," Larede replied, wondering how this would look if one of her parents were to walk in at this moment. She yawned hugely. "Tired, though. I ought to be getting to bed. Shall I show you the guest quarters?"

"I suppose," I'soas replied, relenquishing Larede, who suddenly felt cold again. "Maeleroth's not getting up and I don't think I could ride right now."

Larede started up the stairs that led to the second level of the hold and the holding family and guest quarters. She showed I'soas where the bathing room was and then left for her own quarters.

No sooner had she closed the door than someone knocked on it. She opened it and smiled when she saw I'soas standing there, stripped down to his under-trousers. "What do you need now?"

"It's lonely over there," I'soas replied, stepping closer and cupping Larede's chin in his hand. "And cold."

"I suppose you want to come in here?" Larede suggested, grinning up at the brownrider.

I'soas shrugged. "That might work," he replied with a grin much like Larede's.

"You're like a needy puppy," Larede told him, but allowed him in, closing the door behind him.


When Larede awoke the next morning...