"Indeed," Rraiec said, looking down at the hold. "La'iv is not a region I have traveled to before. Its architecture is... different."

"Very," Wesley agreed. And it was; there were certain similarities between Na'alha and Ke'reo Der--the dalhari were universally known for preferring sweeping height and intricate stonework. However, the similarities ended there.

Ke'reo Der had been built with one thing in mind--spirituality. The entire hold was constructed to reflect and intensify the singular purpose of its residents. Wesley wouldn't say the hold was forbidding, but it had a certain... stillness about it. The stone used in its construction was various shades of cool colors, all blending in with the evening sky and the surrounding mountains. Wesley could perch on a spire and feel how the world spun around him, or sit on one of his walls and let the rain pour down, melting him into the rocks.

Na'alha, however, was not still. Vibrant colors, particularly blue, jumped out of the landscape, inviting the eye to dance from place to place. Instead of painstakingly symmetrical construction, each building had its own design, spires of different heights, unique platforms and whimsical patterns.

"Come on!" Baura said, urging them forward. Wesley smiled at his young charge, who was obviously excited about being home. The paler dalhari rode ahead, chattering excitedly with Dawn and Rali.

"Ah, youth?" Rraiec inquired, guessing Wesley's thoughts.

Wesley smiled weakly. "I am not much older than they are, you know."

Rraiec grinned. "Prove it."

Wesley was about to ask Rraiec what he was talking about when the blue dalhari nudged his ifnan into a brisk gallop. "How does this prove anything?" Wesley shouted as he followed suit, rushing by Xander and the other siv. He tried to look serious, but it was difficult--the childish game was fun. They raced by Baura, Rali and Dawn, leaving their traveling companions in a cloud of dust.

"What was that about?" Hainien asked Xander as they watched Wesley and Rraiec gallop towards Na'alha.

Xander shrugged. "I have no idea, Hainien. Maybe they're playing or something."

•••

Rraiec pulled up a short distance from the hold gates, leading his now-tired ifnan off to the side of the road. Wesley joined him a moment later, laughing as he tumbled to the ground. "What prompted you to do that?" The green dalhari asked as Rraiec sat down next to him.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," Rraiec replied lightly. "You were beginning to worry about what will happen when we meet Baura's family, and I know all too well what happens when you get nervous."

Wesley scowled. "Right," He muttered. "So you took it upon yourself to distract me?"

"It worked, didn't it?" Rraiec inquired, leaning closer to Wesley. "Keisri, I don't want you miserable. We can always leave, you know."

Wesley let the warmth from Rraiec's body seep into his. "No, I'll be fine," He insisted. "Besides, it is far past time I learned how to control myself."

Soft lips brushed Wesley's cheek. "Hmm," Rraiec murmured. "I'd rather you let me learn how to control you."

Wesley quivered. "Would you now?" Slender fingers caressed his neck, teasing him with the most gentle of touches.

"Oh, yes," Rraiec breathed. "To watch you writhe and moan..."

"You do realize that Baura is just behind us?" Wesley asked desperately, striving for a few shreds of composure. Oh, Rraiec was in for it, just as soon as Wesley found the opportunity.

Rraiec sighed and drew away. He stood up, reaching a hand down to help Wesley up. "You would be the one to mention that," He complained as Wesley stood.

"I simply thou--" Wesley's commentary was cut off as Rraiec shoved him against one of the ifnan, kissing him roughly. When Rraiec let Wesley go, the green dalhari drew in a deep draught of air, breathing raggedly.

"Ah, yes. And here is Baura now," Rraiec said brightly, mounting his ifnan. "Shall we join them?"

Xander watched curiously as a flushed Wesley got back on his ifnan and joined them. Well, he thought that Wesley was flushed. Xander wasn't entirely sure if green dalhari got greener or not when they flushed.

"Can we go now?" Mai'zi asked as her ifnan shuffled around. "We're almost to the gate."

•••

"Del, shouldn't you be at the forge?" Gaha inquired as her daughter wandered into the main hall.

"I would be, except that someone took it upon themselves to let the furnaces go cold," Del growled, settling down next to the fire. She accepted a sweetcake from Gaha and laid back, watching the flames. "I went to see Laio, but he's up to his elbows in prhang dung."

"Why?" Gaha inquired, surprised. "I thought the herders and the weavers worked out that particular issue."

"That was before a flock took ill on the north pasture," Del replied. "I'll be lucky to see him before next week."

"Ah, perhaps you should--" Gaha's voice faded as a rowdy group of what looked like dalhari and siv poured into the hall. "Baura?" She called out. Del stood quickly, turning towards the noise.

"Baura? Where?" Del murmured. Then she spotted Rali. "Rali!" A pair of dalhari broke from the group, hurtling towards Del and Gaha. The two elder dalhari caught their respective children, tumbling down onto the cushions below them.

Xander saw Wesley's frown and turned to explain. "That's the standard family greeting. Del knocks her father Waei over, Rali takes down Laio and Del, and Baura will tackle anyone he can find. It's kinda funny to watch."

"So long as you don't get caught up in it," Wesley commented, watching his student and a dignified-looking elder sit on the floor.

"Oh, you wouldn't mind so much if it was Rraiec," Dawn murmured. When Wesley looked sharply at her, she just smirked. "Well?"

Wesley grimaced, but said nothing. They reached the fireplace, where Gaha and Del had managed to get their children to stand up. "Greetings," Gaha said formally. Then she smiled and reached for Xander. "I see you have brought us more new friends," She continued warmly.

Xander smiled. "These are Baura's teachers, Keisri and Rraiec," He explained. "They make him sit quietly and read."

Gaha's eyes widened. "How?" She frowned. "You don't hurt him, do you?"

Wesley pretended to think. "I've found that the threat of extended sessions discussion wallbuilding is enough to make him obedient."

Del's head whipped around. "You sound like Laio!"

Xander saw Wesley's expression change from humor to horror, so the siv moved to intervene. "He's from our world, Del. Laio--Spike--never knew him, though. Just Dawn and I."

Wesley squirmed under all the sudden attention. "Then you are doubly welcome here," Gaha murmured. "For you have traveled a long way, indeed."

"Thank you," Wesley said, grateful that any questions these new dalhari were sure to have hadn't come immediately. "Na'alha is a beautiful hold. Are all the holds in La'iv so colorfully appointed?"

Gaha smiled. "More or less. We have a generous supply of colored stone here. Farther west, there is a greater influence of Scal Ysdra's architecture. Here, though, as well as in the north, the holds are pure La'iv."

"So..." Del began, eyeing Dawn and her daughter appraisingly. "When is your bonding?"

Wesley nearly fell over laughing at Dawn and Rali's twin expressions of frustration.

•••

"I told you that you'd pay," Wesley growled as the door to their quarters closed. Rraiec had just enough time to turn around before Wesley tackled him, sending them both to the floor. The blue dalhari screamed delightedly as mischievous fingers dug into his ribs, tickling him unmercifully.

"Wait!" Rraiec gasped, reaching for Wesley's hands. "I see you aren't overly taxed by the visit?"

Wesley shook his head, diving in to nuzzle Rraiec's neck. "Gaha and Del are lovely people," He murmured.

"You're just happy to have a place to hide away," Rraiec commented. "Well, that and a chance to get away from our constantly chattering companions." Wesley's lips were distracting him, as were his lover's attempts to free his hands.

"No, I am frustrated," Wesley muttered, twisting to get loose from Rraiec's grasp. He attacked the darker dalhari's clothes, unlacing them with dedicated speed.

"Frustrated?" Rraiec echoed, squirming to help Wesley's efforts.

Wesley gritted his teeth. "How long did it take us to get here, Rraiec? How long have we been apart?"

Rraiec thought. While dalhari tended to give each other quite a bit of privacy while traveling, siv preferred to stick close together. As a result, the entire journey had been spent in tense separation, touching but not touching. "Far too long?" Rraiec said, reaching for Wesley's robes.

As soon as Wesley reached skin, he flipped Rraiec over, dragging sharp fingernails down his lover's sensitive back. Rraiec shuddered as Wesley suckled briefly on the silky skin between his wings, letting his fangs just barely graze against that soft flesh.

"Keisri..." Rraiec moaned pleadingly, sliding backward against the younger dalhari. Fingers clenched desperately around the cushions beneath them, the first sheen of sweat rising, Wesley found his dark lover irresistible.

Twin cries echoed through the room as Wesley sank into Rraiec's willing body, giving the lovers the connection they so craved. The green dalhari rolled his hips, relishing the way Rraiec keened and bucked against him.

"Please," Rraiec whispered, his arms shaking from holding himself up. "Keisri, don't..."

"Tease?" Wesley finished breathlessly. He thrust forward, hard, making Rraiec moan. As he moved faster, Wesley let one hand fall underneath Rraiec's body, reaching for his lover's straining erection.

Rraiec let the rush of ecstasy push him to the floor. He had the presence of mind to pull back his wings just as Wesley collapsed next to him in a gasping, boneless heap.

"So..." Rraiec began slowly, trying to catch his breath.

"Yes?" Wesley murmured sleepily.

"Should we start a fire?"

•••

"Wesley?" Spike repeated, staring at the floor. "Er..."

"He was a Watcher in Sunnydale, back when we were in high school," Xander explained. "You never met him."

"No, I didn't," The pale dalhari replied. "And you dragged him along?"

Rali shrugged. "He's one of Baura's teachers, and Baura needs to continue his lessons." She didn't mind Wesley's presence; it might take some of the pressure off her and Iriya. If one more person asked her when she and the musician were getting bonded...

"Have you decided when you--"

Rali interrupted her father with a curt look. "No, we haven't decided when we're getting bonded, and it's none of your business! Why can't we just decide that on our own?"

"Will be escorting Baura back to Ke'reo Der, or is this visit to be an extended on?" Spike finished lightly, barely containing his smirk.

Rali rolled her eyes and collapsed onto the floor. "You did that on purpose," She accused, glaring up at her father.

"I spent the entire day immersed in diseased prhang excrement," Spike shot back. "I think I'm allowed a bit of leeway."

Dawn and Del laughed at Rali's expression. "And people wonder why I didn't follow you into the dyeshop," Rali muttered, shaking her head.

"Ah, yes, you-who-complain-about-your-students," Dawn commented, joining Rali on the cushions. "You never shut up about them!"

"Del, help!" Rali cried out. "They're ganging up on me!"

Del looked down at her daughter. "What do you want me to do? You leave home once and bring back Iriya. Then you leave again and bring back three dalhari and five siv. If we let you go again, who knows what you'll show up with!"

Rali just buried herself underneath a mountain of cushions and groaned.

Dawn stared over at her lover. "Laio? Del? I think we broke her."

"Nah," Spike said, waving his hand at the mound that was his daughter. "Tickle her behind her knees and you'll see. She's not broken, just...bent out of shape."

Dawn grinned evilly and dove after Rali. Del and Spike watched on as their daughter and Dawn very entertainingly wrestled in front of the fire.

"A solid week of avoiding prhang says they're bonded before winter," Spike whispered.

"Not fair," Del countered. "You'd avoid the prhang anyway. A new liow says it's before autumn."

"Deal," Spike said firmly, grinning down at his unsuspecting daughter. With Xander and Baura back, Rali didn't have a chance.