Walk in The Snow (Genet)

[Alsivor]

(A few days after the bulk of the Caminar left. Evening of the day Silvio's uncle re-camped outside the Weyr.)

He waited out by the Barracks as he so often did, only this time towards the end of the day, not the beginning. Sunset splashed the whiteness of the snow with gold and crimson and Silvio's feet stomped restlessly against the cold, hands delving deep into pockets for warmth. The Caminar tucked his nose down behind his scarf, preserving cheeks and mouth from the chill.

And he waited. Anquilith had to fall asleep sometime, didn't she? And he had news to share with Genet.

[Invisible]

When the Caminar had begun to leave Genet had been unable to keep from watching from afar. Every day she would strain her eyes whenever in the bowl to try to see if she could make out who was left. She knew Silvio would not leave without saying goodbye if he could, but what if his family did not let him? What if she did not know he was gone until the last of the wagons were out of the bowl?

Her anxiety had left Anquilith anxious as well and the two had been getting reprimanded the last couple days for not paying attention. H’gar may have known what was bothering her, but he wasn’t going to let her get away with letting it keep her from her studies. It was maddening not knowing and the last few nights the worried pair had spent most of the dark hours awake. Which made them sluggish getting up which just made the whole day horrid.

She knew what wagons to watch for having been to Aleda’s and making a point to find where their uncle’s was as well. It had been gone, but she held out hope he would still come say goodbye. He cared for her, she knew that. So, of course he wouldn’t just up and leave. Unless he had to. Stupid Caminar anyway. Anquilith was unsettled by the whole affair and it only made her madder at the situation. It wasn’t fair! Poor Anquilith.

When she couldn’t get either herself or her green settled down after dinner she gave up and grabbed the coat she’d acquired recently. It wasn’t much to look at, but it was a nice color and that was enough. The blue-green wool was warm and the buttons were carved into little flowers. She’d lucked out again in stores. Together with Anquilith she trudged outside into the cool evening.

[Alsivor]

Movement by the doorway drew Silvio's gaze and he sat up a little, unhunching shoulders, squinting through the fading light. It was her. Nice coat too. Not as nice as some of the ones his father made, but the lines were good. A part of his mind chuckled at him for how naturally that rapid-fire assessment of goods came and went. Then he lifted a hand to wave towards Genet's familiar figure. "Genet!" he called out and pushed up to his feet, moving to intercept her, head nodding out towards the now-very-empty Bowl.

As he neared he held out a hand to her and smiled. "Come walk with me? I've got good news."

[Invisible]

Her head was down and she walked with a hand on Anquilith trusting the green to keep her from falling into any sudden caverns that might open up underfoot. Or the like. Genet just wanted to get out for a bit because being inside was making her a bit crazy with all the noise and some rather unkind looks from some of the other weyrlings. They knew why she was down as well. How could they have missed the Caminar that stalked the barracks to visit with her?

He said he loved me. She said he said he loved me. I don’t know why he- Genet’s conversation with the dark green at her side stopped midsentence when she heard her name. Lifting her head she saw Silvio there with his hand out and she broke from Anquilith to race to him. His hand was left outstretched as instead she threw her arms around his neck and gave him an enthusiastic, if entirely inappropriate, kiss. When it ended she smiled at him, all bubbly cheer once more. “I knew you wouldn’t just leave. I knew it!” Her head turned to look at Anquilith as she told her I knew he wouldn’t just leave! Anquilith in all her half a turn old wisdom shared a distant, dusty laugh with her rider. I never doubted she said before ambling forward. It seems they would have company on their walk.

[Alsivor]

Momentary surprise washed over Silvio's face as his hand was ignored, but then he was falling back a step or two as Genet's arms flew around his neck. Laughing, he brought his arms up around her waist and swung her around, returning that kiss with matching inappropriate exuberance.

"We're staying, Genet," he whispered into her ear. "We're staying. Aleda and me. A small group of us are camping down in the woods near the Weyr, but my uncle wants to stay through the winter to keep up his client base here." His arms tightened a little and he smiled at her broadly. "And I'd never just leave without telling you anything. Never."

[Invisible]

Genet couldn’t be sure what it was that made her shiver. Perhaps the cold air they stood in or the kiss they’d shared were it, but she thought instead it was the warmth of his words whispered into her ear. He was staying. There would be time to sort out how she felt. She could not deal with it right now! The words intoxicated her and she tugged his mouth to hers for another kiss. The weyrling might have continued along those lines except for the mental nudge from her green. This is probably not the best place for that, Genet.

The words made her laugh and take half a step back from Silvio. “Sorry. Lost my head.” Now she took his hand and began to walk away from the barracks entrance. Anquilith continued to tag along interested in watching her rider. “You’ll be here for Turn’s End,” she said delighted. “I have a new dress to wear and everything. You’ll come with me, right? H’gar can’t keep us confined all night. Surely he’ll let us out for the celebration. Come with me.”

[Alsivor]

Hey, kissing was good. Silvio could /definitely/ get into a kiss like that. So he did. When Genet broke away, he was breathless and for a moment confused then he laughed. "Yes, that makes two of us." Then he wound his gloved hand warmly around hers as they walked away from the Barracks into the gathering night. "I will. I can't think of a better way to spend Turn's End. Do you think he'll let you come down to our camp? There will be dancing and very good music and good things to eat, even if there are few of us staying."

He gave her hand a tug to pull her closer as they got farther away from the Barracks, aiming to slip his arm around her waist again. "And will Anquilith allow us to walk outside the Weyr a little? There's a spot I'd like to show you and the moons will be up soon."

[Invisible]

There was no objection to being pulled closer. Just to stay warm, of course. No less honest reason could exist for Genet to allow Silvio’s arm around her waist. “I would love to come to the camp!” she said with a bounce in her step. Genet really wanted to do it and so would just figure out a way. “I’m sure he won’t mind,” she answered so he wouldn’t worry. She’d sort something out like she always did.

Anquilith? Would you mind if I went out with him? You can come for our walk next time. Genet really hoped she wouldn’t mind, but was prepared for either way. Are you supposed to be going so far? I don’t want us to get in trouble. And she really did want to go with them because she had not been outside the bowl yet and there was so much she could explore.

Still it was cold out here and Anquilith considered her warm couch back at the barracks. Do not be gone long, Genet. If Baristath asks where you are I will tell him. Oh! Thank you! Thank you! Genet pulled away from Silvio to turn and move to where the dark green stood. Throwing her arms around the dragon’s neck she gave her a hug and rubbed above her eye. “You’re the best ever!” she told Anquilith out loud before turning back to Silvio. “She’s going to go back and warm up, but I promised next walk she could come with us, ok?”

[Alsivor]

"Oh! All right I uh -- actually meant that you could both come," Silvio said with a little awkwardness in his voice. He still wasn't used to having to consider Anquility as a sort of 'other person' here, though his understanding of dragons had grown much while he stayed at the Weyr and he knew now that they were more than just flying animals who breathed fire.

He waited while Genet went to the young green and he cleared his throat, nodded politely to the dragon. "Thank you, Anquilith. I -- appreciate the time with your rider." He felt a little idiotic talking to a dragon who might or might not understand him, but he figured being polite couldn't hurt as his arm encircled Genet's waist again.

[Invisible]

Anquilith had not counted on the cold when she’d first come out and decided it would be much better inside. Besides it was getting late and she would be sleepy soon. Best to let her rider have her time with the man she had chosen. Silvio got a considering look for his words. The green craned her neck forward and tilted her head from one side to the other. Then she turned and headed for the barracks. Politeness is good she told her rider who snickered behind her hand.

“She approves of your manners,” Genet explains with a grin. “She likes you well enough,” she added then to be sure he understood that Anquilith would not interfere overly much in their relationship. At least the way things stood now. “So, where is this spot you want to show me?” she asked as she slid her own arm around his waist for now. “It’s not too far?” was asked as her eyes slid sidewise to regard him with an impish gleam. “If we’re gone for too long I’ll get awfully cold.” Hard to get too cold playing with fire like she was, but Genet was ever a risk taker.

[Alsivor]

The dragon's regard was a little unsettling, but Silvio stood firm under the weight of Anquilith's gaze. The snickering drew a sidelong look towards Genet though, the Caminar's brows lifting until her explanation made him laugh. "Well then, I'm glad my mother taught me to be polite to dragons," he answered and relief painted his features at her next statement. "Good, it'd be awful if she didn't like me," he noted with a brief crinkle of his brows as his arm cuddled Genet close against his side. "Well you know, far enough that we'll be mostly out of sight," Silvio replied, his tone gradually matching that gleam in her eyes. "And I'm sure we could find some good ways to warm up if we get /too/ cold," he answered further, grinning broadly.

Playing with fire often leads to dangerous sparks.

[Invisible]

Playing by the rules was dreadfully dull though and Genet would rather risk getting burned than be dull. “Ok then,” she told him with a slow grin. “The first second I get too cold I’ll be sure you know.” It was too easy alone in the darkness to fall into a pattern that was old for her even if he didn’t remember. Too easy to forget the dragon stretched out in the warmth of the barracks would object to what it was she teased over. She was silent for awhile as they walked and then added as if the thought had only just occurred to her, “I’m so lucky to have you to keep me warm.” The words were wholly innocent, but the tone she used to deliver them was anything but. These last months had made her crazy with memories of what had now not transpired and she was beginning to think she ought to make him crazy to. No matter the risk.

[Alsivor]

On the went across the Bowl, feet crunching on snow as Silvio led the way out through tunnels and on the other side into the wild woods that clustered on the slopes around the Weyr. He walked away from the Caminar camp, sheltered by a fold of the hills, sitting in its clearing where smoke showed the fires burning both in the big pit and in the little braziers within wagons. Telgar was too cold for an outdoor camp, so most would be cleaving to the wagons for sleep through the winter.

"Oh will you?" Silvio teased Genet back, eyes twinkling. "And just what will you expect from me to keep the chill of the night away?" He leaned in close, lips brushing against her hairline fondly. "We're both lucky," he murmured softly and swallowed hard at the way she spoke. Silvio's arm tightened around Genet as they climbed a little slope and passed under trees, shortly finding another little clearing with a rock wall behind it and the dramatic prospect of a narrow frozen fall of water gleaming in the rising moonlight for a potential distraction.

[Invisible]

Telgar was too cold for walking out at night too, but here they were walking out at night together. Luckily they had each other to keep warm. And just how would they do that? Genet wasn’t dumb enough to offer any exact suggestions. What she was dumb enough to do was let his mouth brush against her no matter how innocent the spot it touched might be. She was also dumb enough to bump his hip with hers just as she murmured, “Oh, I am sure you can think of something warm enough.”

Not that Genet needed more distractions. Ok, she needed a distraction from what she was thinking and the frozen fall was good at that. She came to an abrupt stop and stared as she was taken in by the sight. “It’s so beautiful,” she says in an awed tone.

[Alsivor]

That hip bump only made Silvio smile and sent his hand wandering improperly low, even over her coat to rest atop the opposite hip, instead of 'friendly' around her waist.

The waterfall produced precisely the reaction he'd hoped for though and he grinned widely, shifted around behind the weyrling and slid his arm around to her front, meaning to draw her back against him lightly as he bent his head down to her ear again. "It's got nothing on you," he told her and lifted his hand to draw her hair aside to drop a kiss down to the line of her jaw, another as far down as the collar of her coat allowed.