|
|
Post by Tobias on Jun 24, 2010 20:34:02 GMT -5
Once the din of the throng of people had subsided amid the soothing sounds of rustling trees, Tobias searched for a place they could use. He found a fallen log and some stumps just up ahead. Guiding Chloe to the spot, he indicated she should sit.
"I thought you might prefer a spot of privacy. I know I'm more of a private type myself when I'm upset." Tobias sat on the log, elbows resting on his knees, hands dangling freely.
He reached up and removed the hat he had grown accustomed to wearing, made by this own hands.
"We haven't been formally introduced. Tobias. Hope that strap I made you is holding up." He fiddled with his hat a bit before sitting it on the log beside him.
"It's been a rough sevenday," he added, his voice growing a bit deeper and hoarser as he thought back over all that had happened. He had tried his best to not dwell on things in order to keep moving forward and so far it had worked. He'd been busy from near dawn till dusk each day and had hardly had time to ponder what was happening to their world. Yet, Tobias was worried, just as all the others were as well.
Tag Chloe
|
|
|
|
Post by Chloe and Alorath on Jun 24, 2010 21:52:04 GMT -5
He took care to make sure she wasn’t on public display and she appreciated that act more than he knew. She walked into the trees and away from the prying eyes and she thought she heard a giggle behind her that just made her close her eyes for a moment.
She stumbled over a root or something and almost fell before she caught herself and righted just shaking her head. She knew she was making a wonderful impression first crying all over him and then nearly falling on her face.
"I thought you might prefer a spot of privacy. I know I'm more of a private type myself when I'm upset."
When he found a place to sit she turned and looked at him. “Thank you” she said “for letting me cry all over you.” She chuckled. Twisting her fingers together she moved closer to the tall man. He seemed so very much more approachable when he wasn’t towering over her. He was a full forearm taller than she was, not that she really minded but sitting down… Suddenly he seemed quite… well… yummy.
”We haven’t been formally introduced. Tobias. Hope that strap I made you is holding up.” He paused and removed his hat. Her eyes following it to its resting place next to him. “It's been a rough sevenday,"
“Yes, very” she said and moved a little closer. “Do you know much about dragon riders?” She asked, just wanting to know if he realized how things worked in the Weyr. She was in arms reach and her dragon had roused a little from her dreams enough that she knew she was feeling the urge.
tag Tobias
|
|
|
|
Post by Tobias on Jun 25, 2010 12:32:18 GMT -5
Tobias glanced up, noting that she was closer than she had been.
“Do you know much about dragon riders?” He looked at her with a puzzled expression. He'd live on Pern for 39 Turns and worked with many a rider over the years, helping them perfect the art of working with the hide-straps and clothing. Though most riders, once shown the basics, worked on their leather for themselves, occasionally they needed more assistance.
"Well," he started to reply, his brows furrowed together, "I've worked with many riders. Is that what you mean? I've never really spent much time in the Weyrs, just small visits here and there when my services were needed. Is that what you mean?" Tobias wasn't really sure what she was getting at. His quizzically gaze stayed locked on hers, waiting to see if she would elaborate.
Tag Chloe
|
|
|
|
Post by Chloe and Alorath on Jun 25, 2010 12:53:27 GMT -5
"Well," he started to reply, his brows furrowed together, "I've worked with many riders. Is that what you mean? I've never really spent much time in the Weyrs, just small visits here and there when my services were needed. Is that what you mean?"
"Not altogether" she didn't really know how to start this discussion with someone from outside the Weyr. "It's just that we have a different way of looking at things." she really liked this guy he was kind and she didn't want to hurt him by skating over this issue.
"You know about queen flights" she said and took another step closer. "When dragons mate, it kind of spills over to other dragons and through them to their riders and the losers have to ease their frustrations." she was trying to say this as delicately as she possibly could.
"It just means that under a dragon's influence we do things that we might not do in other circumstances. It's just a fact of life in the Weyr and the dragon riders understand this. Not only that but queens aren't the only ones to rise."
She looked at her hands. "Greens rise. They don't clutch but they do rise and that causes the same dragonlust. It can't been controlled by a riders will, and they pick their riders for a certain… willingness."
By now she stood quite close, and almost eye to eye with the tanner he was so tall. "I like you very much." she said quite simply.
Tag Tobias
|
|
|
|
Post by Tobias on Jun 25, 2010 20:44:50 GMT -5
Tobias watched her, his eyes following the tiny movements of her body. He listened intently, hardly moving as Chloe spoke. He had known that true Weyrlife was very different than life in Hold and Craft, and much of what she said did not surprise him. He had, after all, worked around many dragonriders over the years.
His eyes gazed into hers, now just a short distance from him.
I like you very much.
Tobias was not one to take things lightly. He had seldom engaged in long-term relations with anyone. Letting his craftwork overtake much of his daily life. He had always figured there would be a time for both, but the recent events made him realize that perhaps he had been living too much into the future and not enough in the present.
"I have one question for you." He said, his hand reaching up to gently take hers and edge her a step closer. "If things work out right, does all this talk of dragonlust mean you wouldn't be able to return to me." Tobias wasn't completely sure how he felt about knowing what her rider status meant, but he was not opposed. Hadn't he not wanted the total complications of having a mate to demand his time away from perfecting his craft all these years?
His other hand reached up and took her other. "I find myself intrigued by you Chloe, rider of a green dragon. With so many others available to you, you are interested in me?" It was a combination of a statement and a question. Tobias shifted enough to allow her to be able to walk directly up to him if she so chose. He waited for her answer. Perhaps it was the events of recent times, perhaps it was an aching loneliness he hadn't realized he felt, perhaps it was a deeper connection with the almost raven-haired beauty. Whatever it was, Tobias couldn't deny the attraction he too felt.
Tag Chloe
|
|
|
|
Post by Chloe and Alorath on Jun 25, 2010 21:30:01 GMT -5
She felt like he was really listening to her and that was a new thing. Alorath listened to her but most men didn’t especially dragonriders. They did their job and did it well protecting Hold and Weyr as was their mission. But they didn’t listen, not to women like her.
She was fairly certain they listened to a Weyrwoman but that would never be her lot. She didn’t bemoan her fate, far from it. It was just a reality of her life yet here he was, changing things.
"I have one question for you. If things work out right, does all this talk of dragonlust mean you wouldn't be able to return to me."
She smiled a little bit of a watery smile, “Um no… it means. Well usually men don’t want greenriders back again. It means, I still need to do what my kind was designed to do… it would have no effect on how I felt about… you. I would still come back, if you wanted me.”
She wasn’t looking at his eyes, she couldn’t really. Even though he’d captured her other hand in his large ones. She watched his obviously skilled fingers move on her hands, savoring the gentle touch.
"I find myself intrigued by you Chloe, rider of a green dragon. With so many others available to you, you are interested in me?"
“Alorath, her name is Alorath” she moved closer after he shifted his seat and now she was very close it was quite hard to avoid the pair of blue eyes looking so intently at her. She knew she felt something different from him than she did with other dragonriders. He was the kind that would stay in one place and raise a family and she was probably intruding.
“You’re different, I’m not sure why exactly. You see me.” She didn’t really know how to explain more than that. “I’m sorry,” she said “I’m sure you have a life and I’m intruding.”
Tag Tobias
|
|
|
|
Post by Tobias on Jun 25, 2010 21:46:01 GMT -5
"Alorath is a beautiful name," Tobias murmured as his thumbs brushed over the backs of her hands.
“You’re different, I’m not sure why exactly. You see me.” She didn’t really know how to explain more than that. “I’m sorry,” she said “I’m sure you have a life and I’m intruding.”
"Don't apologize, Chloe. I am glad we are here, now. What life are you intruding on?" For a moment, Tobias's voice seemed to catch. "The life we knew is gone." It was a hard realization, one he had avoided. The friends he had in the Hall and throughout Pern. Had any survived.
In his slow, easy fashion, Tobias hands moved towards her hips as his eyes, now a deeper shade of blue with the emotions he so often held back, looked up to meet hers. "I don't know what tomorrow may hold, maybe there won't be a tomorrow," Tobias had to blink a bit rapidly at that nearly heart-wrenching thought, but as he reached a hand up to brush his knuckles against her cheek, he added softly, "I don't want to be alone tonight. Stay with me."
Tag Chloe
|
|
|
|
Post by Chloe and Alorath on Jun 25, 2010 22:28:05 GMT -5
His touch was electrifying even if he was just holding her hands. No one had ever touched her like that. She found she liked it.. a lot.
"Don't apologize, Chloe. I am glad we are here, now. What life are you intruding on? The life we knew is gone."
She looked into his eyes, feeling his hands on hers and feeling it’s effects. His eyes darkened with a familiar look, a look she didn’t fail to recognize. Desire floated between them almost a touchable thing.
His big hands shifted to her hips. "I don't know what tomorrow may hold, maybe there won't be a tomorrow, I don't want to be alone tonight. Stay with me."
She knew she didn’t really have to say anything as her arms went around his neck and her lips tasted his. But she pulled back enough to say “That was yes” before she went back for another taste.
Tag Tobias
|
|
|
|
Post by Tobias on Jun 26, 2010 15:39:57 GMT -5
As the sun seemed to glimmer down through the foilage, Tobias stirred. Shifting slightly on the hard-packed earth, he felt the warmth of Chloe beside.
"Morning Chloe," he murmured into her hair with a smile on his face. It had been a wonderful night, one Tobias knew he would not forget for a long, long time. Chloe had helped him rekindle the feeling of life that had been slowing draining away after the devastation. With a sweet kissed pressed into her hair, Tobias rolled away and was soon ready to face a day of whatever would come.
Offering her his hand, he helped Chloe to rise and waited for her to adjust her clothing. Taking her hand in his massive scarred and color-stained paws, he looked into her eyes.
"Thank you, Chloe. That was beautiful, just as you are." Then, Tobias leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead before touching his lips to hers. When he pulled back his eyes seemed to glimmer with remembrance. "I would like to spend more time with you, if you would like that." He added, tucking her arm into his, preparing to walk back to the camp with her at his side.
Tag Chloe
|
|
|
|
Post by Chloe and Alorath on Jun 26, 2010 16:04:31 GMT -5
She looked up at the gentle giant and smiled a completely genuine smile. He’d given her more than just himself in the night.
"Thank you, Chloe. That was beautiful, just as you are."
Her hand reached out to take his hand as he lifted her up then she went on tiptoe to lift her face for a kiss.
“Finally you are awake! I've been calling and calling.” came the petulant voice of her Alorath and she bit her lips. "I"m sorry my love, but I met a lovely man last night.
"I would like to spend more time with you, if you would like that."
She smiled and said “I would like that…” she said “but we’ll have to make sure to stay nearer Alorath” she said with a chuckle and pointed out of the woods where a green body could be made out through the trees.
“We have work this morning but I’ll be back to collect you for the next island hop. We can set up our camp together. I don’t have to do it often but am a fairly decent cook.”
She smiled up at him her hand still on his chest. “We’ll get together later… promise.” She said then trotted off toward the green dragon.
End Chloe
|
|
|
|
Post by Tobias on Jun 26, 2010 18:09:57 GMT -5
Tobias watched her retreating back, a smile playing on his lips.
"I'll look forward to it, Chloe," he murmured, his gaze flicking over to the green giant that stood at the edge of the forest. He wondered how much the dragon knew of what had gone on between them. How exactly did that bond work? That was a question he would have to ask her in the future. For it sounded as though they would have a future together. If she could accept him the way he was, he could accept her for herself and all that entailed, dragon and all.
End Tobias
|
|
