Disclaimer: I don't own the world of Pern. I do, however own many of the characters in this story.

Be careful- gently give her your kiss,

'least forever her heart you miss

Chapter Three: Revelation on the Beach

As they burst out of the cold of between Olyira was once again conscious of the proximity of the Weyrlingmaster behind her. As did all back-seat riders, he held onto her wide riding belt. Vuith landed neatly on a bluff just above the sandy shore of the southern beach.

Swiftly Olyira undid the flying straps and opened her jacket. Up in the Weyr it was always rather cool; here she was unused to such intense heat. Behind her B'gaz shucked his riding gear as well, and the Nightrider could not resist a peak at him as she dismounted.

After piling all the materials they would not need in a pile with Vuith to guard them and packing all those things they did need, the two dragonriders set out onto the beach. It was warm, and they found themselves sweating under the sun, so eventually B'gaz suggested that there were ripe redfruit trees growing just up ahead.

They gratefully ate the moist fruit, then continued into the coming dusk. Just as the Weyrlingmaster turned to the young woman Olyira froze, and looked down. Distracted, B'gaz looked and inhaled sharply. In the near-night she had stepped onto just one egg in a clutch of fire-lizard eggs. She carefully lfted her foot, and gasped in sorrow to see the mess she had made of that one egg.

The pair found that the rest of the nest contained thirty-two eggs, all of them just hard enough to take back to the Weyr, and so they packed them cautiously into a sack brought for just that purpose and heaped dry, warm sand around them in the bag. B'gaz and Olyira then buried the sack in more sand, a ways off to the side of the clutch's former position, and spread out their things for the night.

In the morning, it was B'gaz who woke first. The blue rider lifted his head into the post-dawn light and them glanced at Olyira, who was still asleep with one hand outstretched onto the sack of lizard eggs. He smiled tenderly, then gently moved her hand of the bag and checked the sand. Lukily, the sand was still rather warm, as he had no warmer sand he replaced them.

A shadow crossed his face as he looked down at Olyira from his kleeling position beside her. Then, hesitantly, he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers, lightly enough so as not to disturb her. B'gaz drew back, and woke her properly.

There was no sign in him as to what he had done, and Olyira did not know.

000

By the time they were finished packing in new sand in with the eggs the sun was at high noon. They turned back with the sack of fire-lizard eggs and made their way to Vuith over the course of the day. When they came within sight of the lovely red dragon, her rider let her know that they were back.

The Nightdragon yawned and grumbled a little, but when they were properly dressed in wher-hide, they were sweating.

"We'll just drop this off with the Weyrleaders, and then come back to find more," said the slightly older dragonrider in Olyira's ear as Vuith leapt skyward.

After leaving the eggs to Weyrwoman Aeontellai and Weyrleader Th'nayoin the two humans and the dragon tried at another beach. B'gaz kept watching the red rider, and finally, as they were dismounting at the third beach, having had no success at the second even though they had spent a day and a half there, Olyira grew impatient.

"All right, B'gaz. What's the matter. You're watching me like a wherry hen and I'd like to know why," she said where they were both on the ground below Vuith. When the older dragonrider shook his head, she glared at him. B'gaz tried to turn away from her but she grabbed his arm, and held him.

"What is it," she demanded, staring into his eyes. He stared right back, and his expression was alien

"I can't…" he whispered, looking away finally. "Please, don't ask me to."

"What is it that you can't tell me?" Olyira glared at him, and grabbed his other arm; he made no move to stop her as she gripped his forearms. "What is it?"

Again they stared at each other, the blue rider's brown eyes enigmatic and elusive, the red rider's blue-gray eyes stubborn and determined.

Then, suddenly, he pulled his arms free, took her shoulders and pulled her to him. She struggled in surprise, and he crushed all the wind out of her as he held her in a kiss as fierce as if she were the rider of a green on a mating flight and his the blue that had flown her. Yet, somehow sweet, long, gentle and tender.

She went limp with shock, then closed her eyes and responded. It was a long time before she could do anything even after he slowly released her mouth.

"Oh," she said weakly, looking down and rubbing her lips with her fingers. The par knelt in the sand side by side as he kept one arm about her waist. For a while they just sat there. B'gaz looked at her, and hoped he had not destroyed any chance between them from a premature revelation of his feelings. After all, she was still young, and he was about eight Turns older.

And then, slowly, she turned towards him and looked into his eyes searching in them for something. Olyira leaned into his hold and rested her head on his shoulder, and B'gaz pulled her slightly closer to him and tilted his head to lean on hers.

Finally, she turned her head up to him and brushed her lips to his, and he responded gently this time, careful not to rush her until she was ready, in a long, sweet kiss. He did not want to hasten and destroy their relationship before it had even begun.