RCW: Perfection Of A Day (2/2)

Posted on Wed Oct 30th, 2024 @ 8:11pm by Jr Journeyman Halia & Brown Rider S'lei

Mission: 3531 AL
Location: River Cove Weyr
Timeline: MD 2 D2

S'lei listened to Halia play song after song. As much as he would love to be dancing with her he also enjoyed listening to her beautiful voice. He couldn’t help but be proud of her and love her even more.

The brown rider quietly made his way to where he would be out of the way of the dancers but still kept him close to Halia. He didn't want to be far from her when she finished.

Halia glanced around confused for a moment as she noticed the brown rider was nowhere to be seen. The master harper lay a hand on her shoulder and indicated she could leave for the evening as she had done morning classes with the weyrbrats before the flight had interrupted the day. Halla nodded at him and started to pack up her items to track down her mate. She glanced up and smiled as she realised he was waiting for her at the side of the stage. “It was six songs.” She teased softly as she reached him leaving her guitar on the stage to grab when they left.

S'lei stood quietly. He truly wasn't in a hurry as he loved listening to her sing. A smile touched his lips. “Six isn't too bad,” he laughed. “Does that mean you are free for a bit?”

“I am finished for the night. The masterharper believes in fairness thankfully and I have already had duties today.” Halia reminded him. Some of her younger colleagues did not have duties outside of performing on an evening so they would be there till late in their harper duties.

“Well I will have to thank him for letting me get you for the rest of the evening,” he smiled. S'lei was glad to have some time with her. “Are you hungry?”

Now that the Harper thought about it she was pretty hungry and it was still early in the evening they might be able to get something to eat. “Ravenous.” She admitted. “Someone made me miss lunch and dinner.” She teased holding out her hand to him.

“Now who would do such a thing?” He laughed, twining his fingers through hers. “Then it sounds like I need to fix that.” He led her toward the food table. The first thing was getting her fed.

“I wonder S’lei.” She laughed squeezing his hand as she led her through the riders and weyrfolk listening to the music. “You are being very attentive today?” She murmured as she grabbed a plate for him and then herself as she looked at the selection trying to work out what she was hungry for.

The brown rider just grinned impishly. He wasn't at all sorry for what he had done. “Is that a bad thing?” He asked, wondering if he had messed up somehow by accident. S'lei took the offered plate and looked for himself to see what there was.

“Great Faranth not at all.” Halia laughed. “I just… wondered what has brought it on.” She mused picking up some cheeses and bread deciding she would go with what she knew hoping it might help fill her stomach up quickly.

He shrugged a bit. “Think it's finally sinking through my thick skull how lucky I am to have met you,” he answered with a smile. He grabbed some bread of his own with a few little meat rolls and cheese.

Halia smiled and nodded at him as she weaved through the riders and sat at one of the tables in the curve of the cavern so they could talk without the music being too loud. “Only now sinking in huh?” She wondered grinning as she popped a piece of cheese in her mouth before Moni appeared to get his tithe of the meal. “I felt that at least a turn or so ago.”

S'lei followed her through the crowd until she sat down. He sat beside her, picking up a meat roll. “I am a big wherry brained,” he pointed out with a chuckle. “Not sure how you put up with me.”

Halai laughed. “You are easy on the eyes,” She answered easily before showing quiet as she watched him. He was very good looking but she put up with him because of his kindness and the fact he liked her for her. “What has brought these reflections on?” Had something changed?

He laughed. “You sure know how to make a guy feel good.” S'lei thought about her question for a moment. “All good that has changed,” he assured her. “Just realized after everything that has happened with Dragon Hold that we are lucky to still be here and together.”

Halia nodded. They were lucky to still be there but she also knew that Dragon Hold would never win because Pern needed the dragon riders. Eventually they would go too far and the Weyr, Crafters and Lord Holders would ban together as they had for each other threat to Pern. The people behind Dragon Hold were living in a dream before the thread returned and life changed again. “Very much together.” She assured smiling up at him. “But I never had a doubt around Dragon Hold and their ability to break us apart.” She admitted.

She did have a point. He never doubted that but he had seen so many lives nearly ruined that he was thankful for her everyday. “You are very right. They could not pull us apart. it just made me think.”

Halia smiled at S’lei and wiped the corner of his mouth with a chuckle. “Dragon Hold would never be the reason I left you. Silly men who think they can control the world and the women in their hold are the opposite of attractive to me. Now a woman coming in here calling me a homewrecker that…” She made a dramatically overactive face to prove it no longer affected her as it had at the time. “… was touch and go.”

He raised a brow as she wiped the corner of his mouth. S'lei cringed a bit. “Yeah that was a bad time,” he agreed. That never should have happened. How Halia still stayed with him was a mystery. That had been a very bad time.

“That was the worst time and we came through it so you are stuck with this Harper who protects her instruments like babes in arms and has a really bad habit of leaving books all over the weyr but loves you with all her heart which she thinks might make up for those quirks..” She reminded wrinkling her nose in his direction before she returned to her meal putting the butter on the bread and cheese on top. It was her favourite part of any meal and seeing she had barely eaten since breakfast it was a welcome meal.

“Well if you can put up with this dead glow of a brown rider who can act rashly sometimes but wants and needs you in his life then I think I can overlook your quirks,” he grinned. “And who loves you to the Red Star and back.” He certainly didn't want to think about life without her. She was his world. S'lei took a sip of the wine he had snagged for them on their way to the table.

Halia grinned and grabbed up her own mug of wine that he had poured for her. It was a bitter wine but it was perfect for the hot night after a Queen’s flight in the Weyr. She was growing more accustomed to the way the emotions ebbed and flowed in the Weyr and it was intense but she could not imagine being anywhere else if she was honest. 3 turns being there had changed her for the best.

It felt good to finally be in a good place with his mate. Happy and content. That was something he hadn't ever considered before. River Cove had certainly been a good change for him and Halia had completed his life. He smiled lovingly at his mate.

“You are all attentive and smiles today.” She chuckled as she sat back against the wall and smiled back trying to work out what was going on with him. Nothing had changed other than the Queen’s flight but that was nothing out of the ordinary in her opinion, fun for sure but she could not imagine it put that smile on his face. “I like you being happy like this though.”

S'lei shrugged a shoulder. “Guess I'm just in a really good mood,” he answered cheerily. he couldn't answer what had changed. He just knew he felt happy and more content then he ever had before.

Halia could not argue so she just saluted him with her mug simply and took a gulp. It was as simple as that to her. She just hoped it continued as she felt today was a perfect day.