Down by the sea... Well, river... (Cainith)

[Ivy]

Ivy's bare feet kissed the ground lightly with each step as she walked ahead of Cainith. Leading the larger man out to the weyr's beach, her hair and hips swayed with each step - and while she didn't bother looking behind her she guessed he was probably oogling her behind. Not that she really minded, she was pretty used to it, though most men seemed to oogle her chest more often.

As they reached their destination Ivy slowed and then finally stopped, plopping herself down on the sandy riverside beach. Looking up at him she couldn't help but recall her brief glimpse at his upper body back in the barracks. She had assumed most of his mass was just fat - especially since she met him in the kitchens. Certainly she could tell the man enjoyed eating - but there was definitely some muscle to him as well.

A shake of her head sent fiery red locks cascading down about her shoulders and she looked away from him and out to the water. It was dark but not completely dark, after all they could see each other and their surroundings, just not very clearly. Picking up a rock she tossed it into the river then spoke without looking to him, "You wanted to talk. I have duties to attend to in the morning, so please talk quickly."

[Aftershock]

Cainith could, in fact, not resist watching the curvy redhead's hips sway as she lead him to the beach, though his mind was mostly occupied as he thought of the exact way to approach the situation. As they reached their destination, Cainith slowly lowered himself to the ground next to Ivy, eyes following her as she threw the rock into the river.

As he dug up a stone the size of her head and casually threw it one-handed about 15 feet out, a giant *KER-PLUNK* announcing it's arrival into the river, he cleared his throat and began. "I will try to make this as quick as possible. Last week, in the kitchens, your reaction to me surprised me. All my life, people have usually seen me as either a monster to be feared, or a powerful tool to be used. You, however, were different... you spoke to me as Cainith the man rather than Cainith the giant. So, I could not help but notice the rapid change in your demeanor once I mentioned I was from Wasteland Weyr. To have you go from not judging me due to my size to suddenly judging me over my recent living situation set off a warning bell in my mind, so I figured something was off. As far as I was aware, though the takeover was likely not enjoyed, that Selenitas and Wasteland were integrated and working together. I've noticed tensions here and there, but I figured that was just from differing viewpoints between Northern and Southerner. From what the Wasteland riders told me when they returned and informed those at the Weyr that we were moving to Selenitas, the takeover was quick, but bloodless, so I don't understand what is wrong. If you could inform me as to what the problem is, I would greatly appreciate it, as the potential friendship..." At the last word, Cainith's eyes hinted that he saw potential for even more than that, but he said nothing as he continued without pause,"... I might have lost due to a possible misunderstanding would be terrible, as I don't exactly have a heap of friends to begin with." His final words were accompanied by a slight smirk, though it was obvious it was forced.

[Ivy]

Quiet as he spoke she didn't look at him, instead she focused on the river snaking by. When he was done speaking she turned her head slightly so she could glance over at him.

"I didn't take you for an idiot Cainith. No bloodshed? Really? You believed that? How long have you been here anyway? Surely you heard about what they did at the last hatching..." Her voice was bitter and hard - a tone she very rarely had use for. "They killed the hatchlings that were different... and one of the girls who'd just impressed, so her hatchling would between."

Looking away again, her face was set in a scowl. "I have a hard time believing you didn't know... or that you weren't involved."

[Aftershock]

Cainith looked a bit uncomfortable as she spoke, imply he was an idiot for believing that the takeover of Selenitas had no bloodshed. He supposed at the time he simply had no reason to question, or care, if it were otherwise, and so he had simply accepted it as truth and moved on. Now, thinking back to how differently things were handled in the North versus the South, having now experienced the south for a couple turns, he could understand how things might have gone down. He simply nodded when she referred to the culling of the dragon hatchlings at the last clutch, considering that happened often at Benden due to the drugs... but it was always done quickly and professionally, so the dragonlings didn't suffer, and most wouldn't last very long under the harsh Benden training anyway, so it was for the best, though a bit distasteful... being a "freak" himself, he didn't enjoy the fact that they were necessary, though from a logical standpoint he understood the need.

However, when Ivy mentioned the girl being killed, Cainith started, his eyes opening wide. "A girl was killed? I was told they only culled the mutated dragonlings, as they do at Benden. I was told nothing of a murder!" Realizing he was unintentionally raising his voice, he forced himself quieter to avoid attention and continued, "I understand why they must slay the poor mutated dragonlings, though I do not enjoy it... as you can see, I'm a bit of a mutant myself, so I don't like the thought of mutants being 'culled', but at least it was always clean and efficient... as soon as the dragonling hatched, if it was mutated, it was slain immediately, before it had a chance to Impress or even open it's eyes. Quick, as painless as possible. But a child... who did this, and why? You must tell me, what happened at this hatching!?!" At this point, Cainith had slid towards Ivy, his tone becoming more and more distraught as the realization that he could have been lied to this entire time sunk in, and at his last sentence, he put his huge paws on Ivy's shoulders, staring into her eyes, his own eyes silently imploring her to tell him that she was joking, that he wasn't associated with murderers.

[Ivy]

"Before they impressed? Ha! Z'ves and his merry band of Wastelanders waited until after they'd impressed to do it. Probably to inflict even more pain and suffering on the Selenitas people." Her tone had softened a bit, she could see his eyes even in the dim light and she believed him when he said he didn't know. He'd even admitted to having very few friends, so it was unlikely he would have been told the truth - by Wastelanders, or heard much about it from people in Selenitas. Obviously he'd missed the hatching as well.

For a moment she felt bad, she hated telling him that the people he'd lived with were cold blooded killers and liars to boot. But he deserved to know. "Cainith... I'm sorry you had to find out this way. At least now you know why I reacted the way I did when you mentioned where you were from."

[Aftershock]

At her words, Cainith released her delicate shoulders and slumped back on his hindquarters. He was silent for a moment, a strange thing for the normally loud and boisterous man, and he almost seemed to shrink a bit as he stared out at the river for a minute or two, seeming to slowly digest all he'd been told.

Finally Cainith's expression hardened, and he began to speak, a low, dangerous rumble behind his voice. "I was never friends with any of the other Wastelanders. They merely saw me as a tool to be used, and I accepted that and used them as well, to escape my boring life at Benden, to get another chance at Impressing by joining Selenitas. It was probably the second that made me ignore the signs, not wanting my chance at Impressing at long last sullied by the ugly truth of what it cost those of Selenitas. I let myself believe their lies, not wanting to accept the monsters I had travelled the lands with for what they were, because I've always had to try so hard to not be seen as a monster myself."

Sighing deeply, he caught Ivy with a hard stare, saying, "Thank you for telling me this. I'd heard the rumblings that the other Wastelanders wish to train you Southerners how to fight, so as to take back Benden Weyr from J'lorin and his Fort sympathizers, and I quickly realized I don't want to go back. Here, I'm a Candidate again, able to have another chance to Impress... at Benden, I'd just be an aged-out giant again, only useful for physical labor and intimidation. At first I thought I could just stay here, let them all go back to Benden Weyr, but now that I know what they truly are..."

He glanced down, seeming to come to a decision, and looked back into Ivy's blue eyes, his own brown eyes alight with new purpose. "I want to truly be a part of Selenitas. I have no friends among the Wastelanders, and not being a rider, I have no real power or say, but most of them do trust me, even if it's only because they think me simple and easily manipulated. Let them continue to believe that, and I will do all I can to give you information on their plans, try to stop them from causing more unnecessary deaths." Pausing in his speech, his eyes became soft again as he asked, "If you'll have me?"

[Ivy]

While many wouldn't give Ivy the credit of being a good listener, she in fact was. Sitting there she didn't say a word, just nodded briefly while he spoke. Closing her eyes for a moment when she opened them back up she saw he was staring at her intently. "I don't know why you're asking me, I have no real pull with any of the riders outside of the bedroom at least. I'm sure if you went to Kaegan though..."

The sentence trailed off into the night as she diverted her gaze back to the river. She understood what he meant about people thinking less of him - assuming he was simple minded and easy to manipulate... after all that's how most probably viewed her. How many turns had she spent in the Weyr bedding random dragonriders in hopes to be Searched? When really she could have stood anytime since she was in Selenitas - nice of them to never mention that until after one of the Greens declared she should be a Candidate. Idly she wondered if the Green had really felt she was worthy of Impressing - certainly she had her doubts since she'd been left on the sands without a dragon at Millieth's last clutch - or if her rider had implored her dragon to "search" Ivy to keep her out of her Blue weyrmate's bed. Ah yes, she was all too familiar with being used - though she was used for her body in a different way than he was.

A soft sigh finally sounded from the young woman as she looked over at Cainith again, "I'm sorry for the way I reacted after we met. It was unfair of me to not talk to you and just assume you're like the others."

Reaching out she gently touched his large hand with her much smaller one and offered a soft smile. "I should have known better. After all, everything about you is so different compared to anyone else I've met."

[Aftershock]

At Ivy's words, Cainith's expression became questioning. "Kaegan, you say? The Senior Weyrwoman? She's Impressed to Millieth, though... considering I'm just a Candidate, and especially that I'm a Wastelander, especially now that I know what the other Wastelanders did to her bondmate's clutch..." He trailed off, letting his words imply what he thought his chances of her agreeing to see him was.

After Ivy's apology, Cainith smiled sadly. "I thank you, but no apology is necessary... you knew I wasn't involved in those actions as much as I knew those actions had even occurred as they had. Simply a sad fact of reality, a fact that I again thank you for correcting." As her small hand rested on his large one, Cainith suddenly felt a warmth spread through him from the contact, though he wasn't sure why, and his large grin returned to his face at last. In response to her last statement, he responded, "I definately have met no one else quite like myself, I do admit. Though I imagine the Weyr would have trouble support more than one of someone with my appetite." At this, he bellowed with laughter, his normal spirits returning to him, though there was still a dark knot of resentment within him now from the knowledge Ivy had imparted upon him.

[Ivy]

Ivy smile widened as he gave a laugh, "Aye, I'm surprised the headwoman hasn't banned you from the kitchens."

Toes wriggled in the soft sand of the riverside beach and she shivered a bit, the cool breeze coming off the water causing goosebumps along her bare arms. Scooting a bit closer to Cainith she looked up at him, "I can't speak for Kaegan, I don't know if she'd be willing to see you or not. Can't hurt to try though, can it?"

Eros appeared overhead and landed on Ivy's bent knee. Chirruping he flashed her a blurry image of a dragonrider headed their way - it was one of the Wasteland riders. An eyebrow arched in the Blue's direction, surprised he was actually being helpful (for almost the first time in his life). Before she could thank him the firelizard disappeared between. "According to Eros we have company coming."

Her voice was soft and low, not wanting the rider to hear her. It wasn't as if they were doing anything wrong - at least nothing that was obvious. Still, it may seem a bit suspicious. Two candidates talking in hushed tones away from everyone else at night? Thinking quickly as she heard the rider's soft steps growing nearer she leaned up, wrapped an arm around Cainith's neck and kissed him - deeply. Sure they may get in trouble for being out here, but at least the rider would assume they just came out here to fool around.

[Aftershock]

Continuing to laugh with Ivy, Cainith felt his good spirits return, if not in full force. At Ivy's suggestion that he at least try to arrange a meeting with the headwoman, he responded, "I suppose that's true. Though I do not know if I could do so without alerting H'nes... who is one person I definately do not want to hear what I wish to discuss with her..."

Cainith grunted in surprise as the voluptuous redhead leaned forward to kiss him deeply, her arms wending their way around his thick neck. The warmth from the touch of her hand on his was nothing compared to this, the heat travelling through his lips and down his chest like a tingly balm. His mind floated freely for a moment as the kiss hit home, but then he regained his mind and realized the danger... not only were they both out past curfew, but it was a Wasteland rider, and considering they were out in the middle of nowhere, Cainith's worry that they might have been overheard spurred him to action.

Not bothering (or perhaps more not wishing) to break the kiss, Cainith gathered the young woman into his arms, surging to his feet and lifting her with him as a man would lift a small child. Crouching to reduce his enormous profile as much as possible, his long strides ate up the distance as he sprinted towards the nearest cover, attempting to find firm ground where there was no sand to make deep footprints from his massive weight. Finally finding a stone outcropping of the cliff, he stomped hard to dislodge the telltale sand from his boots, then moved down the cliff face to hopefully lose anyone who might try to track him. Reaching the cliff itself, Cainith reluctantly broke the kiss (if Ivy hadn't already), and grunted, "Hold on tight, and trust me," before placing strong fingers onto the rough stone of the cliff face and beginning to pull himself, and Ivy, up the wall.

[Ivy]

They were kissing.

They were kissing and moving.

They were kissing and moving and now on a cliff.

Was Cainith out of his mind?! Eyes went wide and when he finally pulled away from the kiss - apparently she hadn't thought to herself, the realization brought a blush to her cheeks - she scowled. She would have swatted him if she felt safe letting go, which she didn't at this point and time. "What are you doing?" She practically hissed out at him in a quiet voice.

What was he doing? They could have just pretended to make out on the beach. Regardless of who it was coming up the beach towards them, they would have likely been scolded a bit and sent back to the barracks. No harm there. But now, now the giant man was climbing a sharding cliff with Ivy clinging to him. Talk about over-reacting much?

Eros appeared again next to them, hovering in the air and chirruping quietly. His tone was a harsh one, and seemed to be directed at Cainith rather than Ivy. What did that man thing think he was doing? He had better not drop his slave girl! He had only warned her someone was coming so she'd leave the beach and come back to rub him with oil like she did every night. How could she have forgotten him? It was the giant man's fault, obviously. Though now he was also chittering at Ivy, scolding her for missing his nightly oil rub-down. Honestly, did she want the Blue to get a dry hide?

Chittering done - since it seemed he was mostly being ignored and Ivy was glaring at him - he disappeared once more. Like he always does. Appear to remind Ivy she's neglecting his needs then disappear. Ivy looked away from the empty space that Eros had just occupied and looked back up at Cainith. "Where are we going?!"

[Aftershock]

"Hiding," came Cainith's quickly whispered response. Moving from handhold to foothold, his climbing ability not lost from his time growing up in the Mining Crafthall, he quickly and easily scaled the small cliff, his sure hands and strong grip allowing him to climb as surely as a crawlie. Reaching an outcropping, he clambered up quickly and ducked into a small cave... so small, he directed Ivy to enter the cave first, then squeezed in behind her, mostly blocking the entrance with his bulk.

Barely able to see the pale woman from what little moonlight snuck past his hulking form in the cave mouth, he turned to Ivy and said, "I apologize for my quick action, but I would not want to risk your Candidate status for being outside after curfew, especially when it was my request that brought you out. Also, with the information you gave me, the fact that the rider was a Wastelander made me not wish to risk a confrontation if he somehow happened to overhear my words... at least, not while you were around. I would not want you to get hurt..." As he trailed off, one massive hand reached out to place itself on Ivy's leg... or at least he hoped it was her leg, since he couldn't see her very well in the dark.

[Ivy]

"I don't intend to spend the night in this cave Cainith..." Her voice was soft, and she blushed in the dark when his massive hand lighted upon her thigh.

Eros. Please bring me a glow?

Ivy did her best to reach out to her Blue, but she knew it was unlikely he'd come. He'd helped out once tonight, it was doubtful he'd come to her aid again - ever. So she settled down, sitting on a rocky ledge in the small cave and getting comfortable. As comfortable as she could at least being in a cramped cave with very little light, who knew what kind of crawlies might be in there, oh and with someone she only barely knew squeezed in fairly close. Lovely night this was turning out to be.

Despite her cramped surroundings, and the fact she had thought she'd be back in the barracks and sleeping by now, she found herself thinking of the kiss she and the older man had just shared. Surprisingly enough he was quite a good kisser, though his beard did tickle a bit. Cheeks flushed even more as she lingered on how it felt to have his facial hair brushing against her chin and cheeks. How his large, soft lips had felt against hers...

A few silent moments passed and she glanced to his form, not that she could make out his feature since he was blocking most of the moonlight. "I... I want to apologize for kissing you like that. We hardly know each other... I was just attempting to make it look like we were out here for a different reason."

[Aftershock]

Cainith sat with Ivy for a few silent minutes, appreciating the fact that she did not seem to do anything to dislodge his hand from her thigh(?). Unknown to her, of course, his mind was also dwelling on the kiss... despite his bravado, confidence, and apparent virility due to his size and amount of hair, he actually had little experience with romance... from the age he began being interested in women, he was in the woman-free Mining Crafthall, and afterwards in Benden Weyr, he was a simple Candidate, not a rider, so had very few female callers... and those who did were only interested in him as an oddity, wanting to see if he matched size below the waist with the rest of his body... and when they discovered he did, they often ran away in fear. The gentle, sudden, yet insistent kiss of the buxom redhead made his mind float, and he was beginning to think he was even falling for the young woman.

Stirring himself from his reverie at Ivy's words, he flushed a bit himself, mollified that he had been thinking about that very kiss not moments ago, though with the darkness he was sure she could not see his blush. Clearing his throat a bit to make sure he removed any signs of embarrasment from his voice, he replied, "Oh, no need to apologize. It was certainly unexpected, and your plan could very well have worked, I was just unwilling to take chances once I heard the words 'Wasteland rider'. As for barely knowing each other... well, now that you don't seem to hate me, perhaps we can correct that particular oversight?" Grinning in the darkness, he mustered his courage and asked, "Perhaps after lessons tomorrow, we could share a meal? The food I cook is not fancy, but it is filling, and I've had no complaints as to it's taste, even from myself." With his last words, he laughed quietly, realizing they were still hiding.

After a few more moments, Cainith leaned out from their temporary shelter, and scanned the beach and cliffs from his higher vantage point. Spotting no sign of anyone, he said, "Looks like the coast is clear," and pried himself free from the cave entrance, extending a hand in to Ivy. Helping the young woman out of the cave, he turned around so his back faced her, crouching low. "Unless you'd like to climb yourself, climb on, and I'll carry you back to the barracks. Don't worry, I'm well practiced at climbing, so if you start to slip, just say so and I'll stop and grab you with one of my hands so you can readjust. You're a small girl, so your weight is negligible to me."

[Ivy]

Wriggling her toes against the rock - not that he could see them in the darkness - she chuckled a bit, "I suppose I should let you carry me. Bare feet probably aren't going to grip well on the rocks."

When he moved away from the mouth of the cave she slipped out and stretched as best she could without falling off the shallow ledge, "Though I don't think I'm small... you're just really large."

Rocking up onto her tip toes she put her arms around his neck and scurried up his back. Thighs pressed against his sides as she did her best to keep herself secure to his back. Her head peeked over his shoulder, some of her red hair brushing against his cheek and neck. Smiling she said softly, "I'd love to get to know you Cainith. Dinner sounds lovely."

He was much different than the men she normally 'dated' (and by dating let's be honest, she usually skipped dinner and went straight to bed with them). But he seemed nice enough, and since he wasn't like the other Northerners who'd invaded Selenitas... she felt she could trust him. She certainly was right now anyway, with her life even as he prepared to climb down with her on his back. Hopefully he was as strong and skilled a climber as he said he was.