This is a JP from Arle and Katrina

Day 10

Early morning

Cara’s jubilant bugle was being echoed all over the warren and clearly enough also by Eleanora’s bedmate. Barsel rolled to face her, his face suddenly splitting in a foolish grin to match her own. The dragon’s joy was infectious – and also their urgency. Grabbing the nearest clothing to hand, both riders bolted for the ledge and swooped down to the Hatching Cavern to support the laying Queen.

It wasn’t until she was standing watching the wonderous moment that Eleanora realized she’d only bothered to grab Barsel’s shirt.

Barsel's arm encircled her shoulders and gave Eleanora a tight squeeze. His bare chest pressed up against her cheek and he grinned down at her, "Aren't they grand!?"

They stared at awe as not one but two queens laid their eggs. When Merissa announced that all should come to the dining hall to celebrate Barsel, turned to face Eleanora, "Let's go, shall we?"

She smiled and shook her head, "You need your shirt back and I need my clothes!"

"Then back to my apartment!" He ushered her out, expertly steering them through the crowd.

They darted quickly back up to his apartment and Eleanora returned his shirt….but only after pulling on some of her own clothes. Feeling suddenly somewhat shy and awkward, she offered Barsel a quiet smile before dashing back to Cara for the flight down to the Dining Hall.

The party was going on full tilt when they arrived. Merissa's mother had again magically organized a group of her students to sing and play instruments, while the warrenfolk laughed, talked and ate. As much as they enjoyed the celebration in the Dining Hall, though, it was just not the place they both needed to be and it soon became obvious. "Care to go somewhere a little more..private?" Barsel suggested.

"I thought you'd never ask!" Eleanora jumped up from the chair she'd been occupying. Clearing away their dishes, they passed the beverages, and Barsel swiped a bottle. Eleanora raised an eyebrow, "Making it a habit are you?"

"What? Me?" The bottle had mysteriously disappeared, and he laughed, patting his shirt. "This is why I wear my shirts big."

“Good thing for me,” Eleanora murmured – thinking of how exposed she had been at the laying - with a flirtacious wink. The sudden boldness surprised her and she ducked her head – as much to avoid further conversation as hide her blush. Another part of her though roused to the embarrassment.

Dammit why shouldn’t she be daring? She’d been a good girl all her life and it hadn’t gotten her anywhere. Maybe it was time to stop being scared all the time. She slipped her arm through Barsel’s and smiled up at him. “So, what have you got in mind?”

"Somewhere to enjoy the sunrise and ...." Again he patted his shirt and winked. "And I know just the place!"

Aedris and Cara were waiting for them as they left the dining hall. In moments the dragons and their riders were circling the high plateau above the waterfall. The air was crisp and dew lay heavily on the grass. Where the dragons flapped to land, diamonds of dew drops flashed through the air, catching the early morning light. It was a perfect morning, with a promise of warming quickly.

The riders left trails through the wet grass as they made their way to some flat rocks, that had been favorite resting spots of dragonriders for generations.

Eleanora seated herself on the slightly damp rock, noting as she did the spot worn smooth through the years into a perfect seat. She smiled up at Barsel as he removed the bottle with a flourish and bowed floridly, presenting it to her. The tawny haired rider took a deep swig, hoping to calm the restlessness that had arisen in her.

“A marvelous idea,” she said to Barsel, her voice as always pitched low, creating a feeling of intimacy.

It was beautiful. The sun was just cresting the horizon, tinting the sky pink and bathing the clouds in light and color. The serenity of it only made Eleanora feel more restless though and she curled herself into a ball, trying to master the emotion.

"Not quite as nice a spot as the last....but this one has the added bonus of the waterfall." Barsel smiled.

Eleanora smiled back. Yes, the waterfall. Something about it called to her. She rose to her feet and strode to the very edge, peering down into the deep waters below. Way below. The sunrise caught some of the spray, making dazzling rainbows in the mist. “Bet its prettier down there with all the water and the sun making light pictures.”

"You think so? Why not go down and take a look? Better yet....why not just jump?" Barsel joined her and stared down into the inviting water below.

Eleanora raised an eyebrow at the challenge and stared back at the water. It was surely deep enough….. Why not jump, indeed?

<Hush, Cara, love. It’ll be fun.>

Stepping quickly out of her skirt, Eleanora grinned impishly at Barsel “Dare you to catch me,” she taunted, then pushed away from the edge.

Barsel gasped, "I didn't mean it!" But it was too late, as Eleanora took the plunge. There was nothing left for him to do but join her. Screwing up his courage, he leapt after her toward the deep pool below. The air whistled past him and he found himself yelling wildly as he fell.

{Barsel!?} Aedris took a few running steps and launched into the air, determined to catch his frighteningly stupid rider. Diving over the edge of the cliff, he only managed to get a snout full of spray as Barsel plunged into the water. A few seconds later he popped to the surface like a cork, only a few seconds after Eleanora had done so. The two burst into nervous yet exhilarated laughter.

The cold water had hit Eleanora like a fist and she’d burst through the surface knowing she was going to have some serious bruises, but oh, was it worth it. She pushed her hair off her face, gasping from both the shock and the rush of the jump. With a whoop, she splashed Barsel. “Now THAT was a rush,” she cried.

Barsel let out a yell of his own and splashed her back. In moments the air was filled with laughter and sprays of water, as their battle raged. Barsel ducked under the water, grabbed Eleanora's legs and tugged her under. They both came up sputtering. He made sure her eyes had cleared before he offered another challenge, "Race you to the shore!" Then he took off in quick, powerful strokes toward the beach -- only to be pulled up short as he felt hands grab his ankles and drag him under. When he surfaced, Eleanora had outdistanced him by a length.

Eleanora grinned fiercely as she raced forward. She’d always been a good swimmer, but Barsel was quickly making up the distance her trick had gained her. She darted briefly sideways to avoid him grasping her own ankles, but he merely skimmed past her declining the trick in order to take the lead. Pushing herself as hard as she knew how, Eleanora caught up and they reached the shore nearly simultaneously, collapsing on the sand, panting and giggling.

Rolling onto their backs, they lay there until they'd caught their breath. Barsel levered himself up onto his elbow and smiled down at the surprising young woman. "That was a close one." His eyes flashed mischievously, "You ever been behind the falls?"

Eleanora couldn’t hear the teasing challenge in Barsel’s voice, but she could read it easily in his twinkling eyes. Her brow furrowed briefly in thought as she tried to figure out what challenge there might be behind the falls. She shook her head, both in answer and to chase away the thoughts. Who cared what challenge? She’d just try it and see. “Got something to show me there?”

"Umm....yeah. It's a bit tricky to get to, think you can handle a short hike?" At her nod, Barsel led the way around the edge of the lake. There was a well worn trail leading to the waterfall. Barsel grinned as he saw the look of surprise on Eleanora's face as it looked as if he passed through the falls. It was only a thin sheet of water that hid a slippery path into a cave. He reached his hand out for hers, and they turned a corner into total darkness. Pausing here, Barsel reached down into a corner. He found the oil lamps that had been left there. Striking a spark, he lit a lamp and smiled back at the startled courier. "Come on!"

He led the way further into the cavern. They passed a flimsy piece of cloth on the ground, which Eleanora stopped to scoop up. Her eyes opened wider as she held out a pair of lady's underthings with a questioning look to Barsel.

He laughed, "They aren't mine!" He continued leading her on. As they came around another turn, the cavern opened up. A platform of smooth rock stretched before them, with various blankets scattered about, that looked as if they'd been left from several picnics. The walls were painted with some interesting pictures of people together and alone, in various .... poses.

Eleanora’s eyes traveled about the small cavern, resting for several moments on one particularly.. clear piece of painting. Feeling the flush rise across her face – as well as elsewhere - the shocked courier attempted to find some sense of sophistication to carry her through. She lifted her chin proudly and turned to Barsel, raising an eyebrow as she attempted a light tone. “And did you do this?”

Too late, she realized that hadn’t come out quite the way she’d intended it.

Barsel's eyes widened as he stared at the picture that Eleanora had been contemplating. "Uh.. not yet. But I certainly am willing to give it a try!"

Barsel’s discomfiture was enough to spark Eleanora’s confidence. She glanced back to the picutre, absorbing its details and smiled slowly. Her hands went to the buttons on her shirt and she moved to stand in front of the painting so Barsel could get a clear view of both it and her. She let her gaze trail downward and then slowly back up the length of the dark haired rider’s body, even as she finished unbuttoning her shirt. “Ready and willing.. but are you able, Barsel?”

He sucked in his breath, as he watched Eleanora's hands unfasten one after another of the buttons. He felt a warmth flow over him. "Oh yes...." His own shirt vanished in a flash, and he stepped forward to embrace this beauty who continued to surprise him.

Eleanora let her shirt drop to the ground and slid her hands with agonizing slowness up the smooth planes of Barsel’s chest, over his shoulders and to rest at the back of his neck. Her heart was pounding with a rush nearly as good as the jump from the cliff and she smiled, letting the heady emotion carry her away. With a slight pressure on the back of Barsel’s neck she pulled him close for a kiss, whispering, “Show me.”

There was a reason those blankets had been left in the cave, and Barsel and Eleanora soon took advantage of them. Replicating the pose depicted in the painting wasn't as hard as it might have seemed and the nervous giggles that accompanied the start of the attempt quickly dissolved into sighs and moans.

____________________

Submitted by:

Arle aka Barsel and Aedris

and

Katrina aka Eleanora and Cara