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Despite it all, Cesa smiled. True it was a rather sappy thing to say and that T'rel's examples of what he would do for her were both rather odd. Swallowing a whole tuber sounded simply painful and as far as the lines went she was rather certain he didn't quite grasp their purpose now. "I'll be sure to save my day where I can ask for a day when you really deserve it." She'd never ask him, it'd be silly, but sometimes the greenrider just liked to let her friend fret a little bit.

Following T'rel in the dance, Cesa had to wonder why this was his plan for drying off. The way she saw it, being this close wouldn't really help all that much. Never mind that they weren't really moving fast enough to cause themselves to dry. T'rel had been acting a little strangely that day, but anytime Cesa came close to finding out why he would suddenly change the subject or run off. For that reason, she'd let him do what he wanted if it served some purpose for him. Maybe she'd even find out what that reason was.

"I've told you before; there is nothing between me and R'cen." Cesa didn't know why T'rel seemed so unwilling to let that idea go. She'd assume that perhaps it was because he wanted her to get with him or thought she liked him that way and was teasing her. She would have assumed that, were in not for the fact that T'rel always seemed irritated when the other man was mentioned. Perhaps he was just being protective, not that R'cen was really a thread. "And no, I'm not seeing someone at Benden." Would she have come back if she had been? Maybe. She would have liked to come home, but could she really ask someone else to leave their home so she could be at hers?

T'rel's humming was unexpected, but once she recognised the tune she smiled all the brighter. She wasn't all that surprised that her friend of several turns would know her favourite song, but that he would think of it now was sweet. "And who are they? They do know my favourite song after all," she whispered back. Half expecting T'rel to come up with some other creature from stories to explain the humming. Perhaps it was the seadragons.

Cesa clicked her tongue and shook her head at T'rel's verdict. She may not have had any interest in R'cen that way, but she wouldn't deny he was a nice man. "He's never done anything to you." Had he? She liked to think she would have known if there was some feud between the two of them, that at least one of them would have mentioned it to her. Mecesa had no idea where she would stand in it, there were both her friends, she'd known T'rel longer and did enjoy spending time with him more, but R'cen was still one of her friends and Cesa never enjoyed loosing a friend.

Ah, of course it was the trundlebugs. Those singing trundlebugs native to this island that didn't appear anywhere else. "Oh, the poor babies." Cesa tried to look sympathetic as it coloured her voice. It was hard to feel sorry for an animal that she was fairly sure didn't exist, even if they did have terrible singing voices. Perhaps all they needed was a good teacher, not that Cesa was one to do that. "Maybe you should teach them to sing," she suggested, smiling slightly at the thought of T'rel orchestrating the creatures.

It's funny how fast the mind can rush through thoughts. And idea can be created in the fraction of a second, a string of reasoning that would take minutes to explain springing to life in a heartbeat. In the time it took Cesa to let out a startled little squeak as T'rel's lips touched hers, her brain was already well on it's way. It first response; to freeze. Freeze and ask questions. Cesa's body tensed for a moment as thoughts and questions raced through her mind. What was happening? Why was this happening? What was T'rel doing?

Wait, her mind slowed for a moment as the tension ebbed from her body. This was T'rel. And that- that was okay. Her eyes slipped shut as her panic subsided. Cesa even had time to lean into T'rel for a second before he jerked back. Then reality returned and what she had just done came slamming into her. Dark blue eyes flickered open and she was left simply staring at T'rel for a moment. Oh Faranth, what had she done? Only scant seconds had passed, but her mind had been racing, much like her heart was now as coloured crept into her face.

Her gaze fled T'rel's, although with him so close there was nowhere really to look at wasn't at him. So she settled for down, she could handle looking at chest and feet, those were much easier than whatever judgement was in his face. What had she done? Surely it had been an accident or just a random spur of the moment thing, her natural reaction should have been to pull away. Maybe get angry at him or laugh it off as him being a dimglow. Kissing him back was not the appropriate reaction. What was she going to do? She could come up with some excuse, but would he believe her.

"Yeah... Maybe we should." Okay, she had agree, now why wasn't she moving? All she had to do was move away from him and start walking in the direction of the cave, it was that simple. So why wasn't she doing it? Instead she found herself daring to look back up at him. Apparently unable to resist knowing what would be shown there. Disgust? Shame? Anger maybe? He had apologised, but what did that really mean? Was he sorry he had done it? Sorry it happened? Or sorry that she had been foolish enough to react?

Well that was an idea. "How can I teach them? I don't know the first thing about singing." She knew how to hum and how to follow the words of the songs she knew, that was about it. "Well, maybe I'll have to go and listen to them underwater, just to see if they are good." These creatures were certainly taking on a defined image today. They lived under the water, not necessarily in the sea, were small and they couldn't sing. Although they possibly could while underwater.

Well, that was that then. Just a silly mistake better left forgotten. T'rel was sweet, to hold her hand after what she had done. At least it seemed like they could still be friends. At least for today anyway. Cesa couldn't blame him for just wanting to put it behind him and pretend it hadn't happened. It had been a dimglowed spur of the moment action, he probably hadn't even been thinking. It was her fault really to let him dance that close with her. Really it wasn't appropriate for someone in his situation to be doing something like that. Cesa didn't have to worry about that, but that didn't mean she was self-centered enough to pretend T'rel didn't either. It wasn't only them involved.

Cesa didn't say anything to T'rel as they walked, choosing to stay ever so slightly behind him. Enough that catching her gaze by accident would be impossible. She didn't say anything to him either, just silently followed. What could she say? Should she apologise? It sounded like he just wanted to ignore it. She could give her friend that. Keep her mouth shut and pretend it never happened. It was in the past. But the past can hurt.

It was as though T'rel's words weren't reaching her or, more accurately, they were reaching and just not registering. Cesa would nod occasionally as though she were, but only a small amount was managing to beat its way through. It felt as though he mind were busy, but whenever Cesa tried to focus on any kind of thought it was just out of reach. She placidly followed after the bronzerider, not really giving any solid responses and keeping her eyes on the grass in front of her. There was a part of her that really just wanted to call it quits right there, head back to Yodith and forget everything that had transpired. That was probably for the best.

She felt, more than saw, her walking partner slow. A quiet sigh escaped her before she had a chance to stop it. She glanced at T'rel, managing to pick up what he was saying easily enough. He was right, it was beautiful here, the island was a lovely little place. And there it was. Let's keep it a secret. That was all she needed really as confirmation. Don't tell anyone. Pretend it didn't happen. Head back to the Weyr and don't talk to anyone about what happened here. Don't even mention the place. The message was clear enough and she really understood what he meant and why he wanted to keep things that way. Luckily, Cesa was good with not telling. She'd do what he wanted, making the final decision as she once again returned her eyes to the ground.

She didn't have much time alone with her thoughts before they came to a stop at the mouth of the cave. Cesa looked up at it, hearing T'rel's comment about it being small. She didn't know all that much about whers and how big a space they needed to live in. She awarded T'rel a ghost of a smile for his joke, terrible though it was, before she seemed to think of something and looked elsewhere again. At the idea they were being watched, she instantly questioned Yodith.

His bronze it just is, Mine. The green dragon wrapped her rider in love and support, always with her, often silently. She sought to soothe her Cesa's frayed emotions, but was unhappy to admit that this was actually an issue that she knew little about. As a dragon, she did not have to deal with this sort of complication. Regardless, she would stay by her chosen and fight her corner no matter what. At Zelith's contact the dragon, still lounging comfortably in soft grass and sunlight, let out a soft huff at his idea. Naturally right was I. Stretching out in the field, Yodith seemed content just where she was. Do that I would, why? Comfortable I am, here.

Oh, why did he have to do this? Couldn't they just ignore it? He was the one that so clearly regretted it, so couldn't he leave her shame unpoked for the time being. Although Cesa had been willing to listen to what T'rel had to say, he was her friend she owed him that much, the first words he spoke had her jerking her hand away as if touching him had burned her. The greenrider gave T'rel an incredulous look. What was that meant to mean? She couldn't handle that it had been a stupid mistake, but honestly? That was his point? What was a kiss between friends? Did T'rel make a habit of kissing all his friends? Just to see what happened? Cesa knew she'd been gone a fair while and she hadn't really had much time to spend with him since he got back since she was a rider now and him Weyrlingmaster, but this was a big change for to have gone through.

"I don't want to talk about it." She sure as between didn't want to talk about it now. Before maybe. To give some excuse, find out what had triggered the random moment. Now, however, she was in no such mood. She at that moment felt like just walking off and leaving him there. The problem was that T'rel would only follow her if she headed back to Yodith and she had no doubt he'd be able to keep up if she just walked aimlessly into the forest. That left a single option, looking away from the bronzerider, Cesa walked straight forward and into the mouth of the cave. Let a wher come stalking toward her, she wasn't in any mood to tolerate that either.

It is that, Yodith said thoughtfully. The green's eyes were open and she was pointed unerringly in Cesa's direction. She could feel her rider moving deeper into the dark. She had hoped her rider's feelings would not manifest this way. Her Cesa only managed to hurt herself more when this was the channel her upset took.

It seemed like T'rel was having some trouble putting together what he actually wanted to say and she couldn't really say she was surprised by it all that much either. He had seemed surprised that she didn't want to talk about it though. Who had he been around recently? Apparently people who decided they wanted to talk about things immediately after it was made clear they should ignore it and pretend it never happened?

Cesa let out her breath with an irritated and exasperated tone. What was the point if asking if she wanted to talk about it if he was just going to ignore her answer and push forward what he wanted anyway? In the cave it was easy enough to hear their footsteps and notice T'rel speed up his pace. She really didn't want him walking beside her like everything was alright at that moment. "Talk about what exactly?" she bit out as she clenched her fists and sped up herself.

She wasn't even going to touch on that rift comment.

Of course he didn't understand. He didn't understand the concept of not wanting to talk about it, why should he understand anything else she was saying or doing? Even walking away didn't seem to work. Was it that hard to grasp that maybe she didn't want to talk about it? Didn't want to meticulously pick of the humiliating details of what she had been stupid enough to let happen and how much of a idiot she had been to respond the way she had?

For a while, she didn't understand T'rel either. He kept stopping and starting and it made it ridiculously difficult to follow what he was saying, if in fact he was saying anything coherent at all. Hearing him speak she slowed ever so slightly. He had only meant the island itself? She thought about it as she continued to walk, never slowing enough to actually stop. His second correction however did not seem to reach her as effectively. What did he even mean by her doubted anyone had had a friend like her? It made no sense. She was friends with other people and there were other people like her.

Still, at least she was now assured he didn't go kissing his friends every day. Even her mind was sarcastic as she resumed her quick pace. It was so much easier to be angry and just mentally rant that to slow down and actually let things in. Because then she'd have to listen to what he said, whatever pathetic excuses he gave and Cesa knew she would accept them because she was just that easy to win over. Just because she wanted to believe they were real. T'rel was right on one thing though, he had just made things worse.

She didn't look toward him when he sped up to catch up with her, Cesa had no plans of acknowledging it. As far as she was concerned, the less said the better. Even when he began to speak she didn't give much of a reaction, although in the dimly lit cave it would be difficult to tell. At his idea of returning to the Weyr, Cesa gave a stiff nod. "Probably for the best." It was really. Clearly something was going on inside T'rel's head and if his action had been any indication, it was that she was not the person he needed to be discussing it with. He should probably stick to talking to a male about whatever it was.

The greenrider was torn. Part of her wanted to be apart from T'rel, as far away as she could get so she could crawl into a hole and mope for several sevendays. If she was lucky then Zelith would infect T'rel with his memory and he would forget it ever happened. Then again, T'rel had made it clear it didn't mean anything, so he'd probably end up forgetting about it anyway. Best give herself a few sevendays in hiding anyway. And yet there was the want to stay around him. She didn't really want to talk to him about it, but she wanted things to revert. To go back to the moment and change what she had done. She should have jumped back, laughed awkwardly and made some pathetic joke about him having been on the wine while alone in his weyr. Then she could believably pretend it was nothing. That way they would still be happy, they would still be able to laugh with each other. Be scrambling around the inside of this cave instead of walking in somber silence.

Hearing the out of pattern scuff, Cesa turned just in time to see T'rel hit the ground in the dim light. "T'rel! Are you alright?" Falling in caves hurt, she knew she'd been in enough cove caves to have done it. It was as though instantly everything that had happened earlier was pushed to the back of her mind. She could go back to worrying herself too much later. He attempted to stand and Cesa was instantly beside him, blocking the rider from getting up as he sank back into sitting position. The woman knelt beside her friend, concerned eyes fixed on his pained face in the dark. Cesa wasn't a healer, they taught basic first aid in Weyrling lessons and she really hoped that would be enough. "Where does it hurt?" Her voice was infinitely gentle, a new kind of worry chasing away her anger and sadness.