"Why do you say that?" Rinhe asked lightly. She was in front of the fire, munching on e'infal.

"Look at them!" Baura said, gesturing towards the receding couple. "They're always together, touching, talking... it's nauseating."

Rinhe shrugged. "They're happy; would you deny them that? Besides, they'll calm down soon enough." They'd better, because although Rinhe was trying to be patient, she privately agreed with Baura. Keisri and Rraiec were just too...everything.

Baura nodded and fell silent. He had a feeling that he possessed just the thing to temper Keisri's joy, but he wasn't sure he should mention it at the moment. Just today he'd received a message from his mother, informing him that his cousin Rali was going to visit him on her way back from seeing Xander's family. Although Keisri didn't know Rali at all, Baura suspected that the older man would be nervous about meeting someone related to another from his own world. At the very least, the presence of his lively cousin would disrupt the orderly flow of Keisri's life.

Then again, perhaps he could convince his teachers to accompany him back to Na'alha. He missed home, more than he let on. His parents, sister and Laio were very important to him. Baura was also greatly amused by all the scenarios he was imagining where Keisri and Laio met for the first time... Oh, he would so very much love to see that! Such thoughts helped drive away any lingering doubts he had about whether to tell Keisri about Rali's impending visit. It was better left a surprise.

"What are you thinking about?" Rinhe inquired. She'd spent the last few minutes watching Baura alternate between humor and worry, although humor seemed to be winning.

"Nothing," Baura murmured. "Nothing at all."

•••

Wesley watched as Rraiec prowled through the towering shelves of books in the library. The midnight-dark dalhari was searching intently for some archaic text on something or another. Wesley was a little bit tired; between teaching the ever-precocious Baura and wallbuilding, he'd had a long day. However, he was in no hurry to leave the nearly abandoned library, or his lover. Watching Rraiec amongst the books was a fine pastime. The young scholar studied the texts with a passionate intensity that made Wesley squirm. He'd felt those eyes bore into him in much the same way as Rraiec sought out new and inventive ways to make him moan with pleasure. And those hands... those lovely, soft hands. Wesley could easily live just to be touched by them. Pushing, soothing, arousing...

It was no hardship for Wesley to admit that he was completely addicted to Rraiec. He saw his lover in every part of his life; Wesley could not wake up without seeing some trace of Rraiec around him, nor could he instruct Baura or touch a wall without remembering some detail of his beloved. It was a good thing they spent their free time together, when Wesley could get his fill of the man. So many months had passed, but his ardor had yet to cool.

Rraiec finally found the text he'd been looking for, mis-shelved amongst all the other celebrations that littered the room. He returned to where Keisri was lounging, smiling at the sight of his drowsy lover stretched casually over a stone bench. In the fading light of the evening, Keisri's eyes stood out like two glowing jewels. Rraiec walked more quickly, suddenly wanting to be alone with his young lover.

"Did you find it?" Wesley asked sleepily, noting the heavy book in Rraiec's arms.

"Of course," Rraiec murmured, reaching out to help Wesley stand. "Perhaps you should get some rest, Keisri. You would not want to fall ill from exhaustion."

Wesley looked askance at Rraiec. "You wish for me to leave you alone this evening?" He asked carefully.

Rraiec smirked, knowing this game. "Of course I do. How can I be properly unfaithful if you are always around?" He replied, accenting his words with a touch of petulance. "The hold guards are most unhappy with you, Keisri. They say you dominate my time, never leaving me alone for my other suitors to come 'round."

Wesley barked his laughter. Their running joke regarding Rraiec's unfaithfulness had stemmed from a marvelous misunderstanding between some of the hold's guards. Two of the guards had been casually involved, when a third decided to lure one of them away. In the ensuing mess, one of the three confused youngsters had used Rraiec's name as a cover, drawing the scholar into their miasma. In the end, both Rraiec and Wesley had gotten many laughs out of the situation. Baura, too, had made the most of it, constantly referencing Rraiec's active social life whilst studying different cultures. "Come; the kitchens are waiting."

Rraiec and Wesley walked together through the halls, brushing against each other every few steps. Wesley knew they were acting like besotted adolescents, but he didn't care. He'd never been so warm, so contented. It was more than worth being the target of Baura and Rinhe's snickers.

"What are you thinking about now?" Rraiec asked Wesley as they entered Rraiec's quarters. Wesley carried in the food they'd gotten in the kitchens while Rraiec pulled the door shut and shelved the book he'd been carrying.

Wesley grinned. "Nothing, really. Would you like something to eat?" He asked, holding out a bowl of something stewed. Rraiec took the proffered food, knowing that his lover was up to something. They sat by the fire Wesley had started, eating in silence. Night fell outside, darkening the windows to inky pools of translucent glass. It was still warm out, being summer, but the fire was necessary. Occasionally Rraiec would toss some herbs into the fire, letting their perfume fill the room.

After a few minutes of simply watching the small fire he'd lit crackle and burn, Wesley got up to prepare for bed. He really was tired and needed some rest. While he started a fire in the bedroom and banked the one in the main room, Rraiec cleaned up after their meal and took care of some papers he needed for Baura's lessons.

Wesley was just about to crawl into the now-warmed bed when even warmer arms wrapped around him. Soft lips brushed against the nape of his neck. "Tired, Keisri?" Rraiec murmured, easing Wesley down onto the soft mattress, sliding the unresisting green body underneath the covers.

"Yes," Wesley admitted, turning to reach for Rraiec. "But not that tired," He amended, bringing his lover tight against him. "Never too tired," Wesley murmured.

Rraiec ghosted his lips over Wesley's, shuddering as Wesley ran strong hands over his back and wings. Questing fingers dug into the skin just underneath one wing and Rraiec jerked forward, delving deeply into Wesley's mouth. Their tongues tangled fiercely, then softly, alternating between battles and poetry. Wesley gripped Rraiec's back tightly as he rolled over, pulling the blue dalhari on top of him. Legs slid, caught, and rearranged themselves.

Wesley moaned softly as Rraiec slid a hand between his thighs, teasing his sensitive skin. One finger tested his readiness, finding Wesley moist and ready. Rraiec pushed himself inside his lover, raptly watching Wesley's face twitch with pleasure. Flickering firelight accented Wesley's face, darkening his already flushed skin even as it lightened his eyes.

One of the many things Wesley was infinitely grateful for was the peculiarities of his dalhari physiology. The often annoying details of sex went away with his changeover; dalhari bodies were built for a wider range of activities than were human ones. As a result, his and Rraiec's coupling was painless and comparatively uncomplicated. It was also mind-alteringly good, but Wesley suspected that was because they were in love.

Sweat-slickened skin slapped and slid as they strained together in a quiet, gasping symphony, moving seamlessly from together to apart and back to together again, falling into sleep as easily as water flowing into the sea.

•••

"Is Baura acting... oddly?" Wesley asked Rraiec as they met in the great hall. "Just this morning he was... pacing. In the kitchens, no less."

Rraiec shrugged. "He has been a bit off lately, but it's normal for him." He'd also noticed Baura's slightly erratic behavior, but he tended to blame that on the student's youthful personality.

While his teachers were talking about him, Baura was pacing the roads just outside the hold. Rali was going to arrive today; the letter he'd received from her had confirmed it. He was so excited he could barely control himself; his wings fluttered nervously as he ducked in and out of the surrounding trees. Rali would bring news of Xander, Saelen and Pairdra, as well as her rather amusing commentary about life in Na'alha. Just thinking about her arrival made Baura more homesick than he'd been in ages. Everyone, his instructors included, seemed to think that he didn't suffer from that particular disease. They were so very wrong. He simply hid the symptoms in work and outside reading.

Just when Baura had about decided to get a mount from the stables and ride down the road to find them, a group of ifnan rounded a bend in the road. His excitement was short-lived, though, because unless Rali had joined up with a group, and that was unlikely, there were far too many people in that mass of ifnan to be what he was waiting for. He leaned against a tree and watched as they drew closer.

A bright purple head caught his attention. He'd never seen a dalhari out of his family line with hair that color; it had to be Rali! Beside her was another dalhari, this one with hair the color of a flaming sunset and warm, sunrise skin. The other travelers were siv, and as soon as he got a good look at them, Baura cursed his own stupidity.

Xander had brought his family along.

"Rali-madaliel!" Baura cried, stepping away from the tree. Rali brought her ifnan up short, halting their procession.

"Baura?" Rali replied questioningly. "Baura!" She leapt off her mount and ran to meet him in the roadway.

Baura hugged Rali closely, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. As always, his niece was a vibrant, shining presence, warming whoever she touched. "Who's this?" Baura inquired, whispering in Rali's ear.

While they embraced, Xander guided the ifnan off the road, clearing the path for anyone who might also be traveling to Ke'reo Der. Mai'zi and Hainien waited with Pairdra and Saelen, while Dawn remained as close to Xander as possible. She'd only heard stories about Baura, the uncle of her lover. Everyone said nice things about him, though.

"This is Iriya-salvidiiene," Rali announced to Baura. "And you already know Xander's family."

Baura nodded respectfully to the siv family, and then turned to Dawn. "Greetings," He murmured. "So, when are you and Rali getting bonded?"

Xander nearly fell off his ifnan, he was laughing so hard. After a moment, everyone else, even Dawn, joined in. "Why don't we get to the hold proper?" Rali suggested. "It's been a very long day."

•••

Baura showed the travelers to the stables, easing the way through the holding's guards. Xander and his family were ecstatic to be off the ifnan, finally able to rid themselves of the animals. The siv family had gotten used to traveling by them after several long journeys, but they didn't like the mode of transport. At least they'd find the hold itself nice, with its many good climbing surfaces. From that perspective, Ke'reo Der was even better than Na'alha; many places in the religious sanctuary were perfect for siv.

"So...how often does yimkia show up in the local cuisine?" Dawn asked Baura as they finished caring for their mounts.

Baura frowned. "Er, it's here, I suppose, but not as much as in Na'alha. There's more paz grain grown here, but we can find yimkia if you want it."

Rali laughed. "Don't bother, Baura. She *hates* yimkia."

"I don't hate it," Dawn argued. "It's just not my favorite."

"Ignore them," Saelen told Baura. "They've been bickering over yimkia for weeks."

The young student shook his head. Yeah, Rali had this one wrapped around her finger. From the looks of things, though, his niece was just as firmly caught. "Why don't we get you all to the guest quarters? It may take a few minutes to prepare something for all of you."