Eregor showed up at Rhi's door on the morning of her birthday, early but not so early as to wake her. When she opened the door, he smiled brightly. "Breithl" sona, mo daor." There was a gift in his hands, the somewhat conical paper shape that usually meant a floral display.
"Flowers?" she asked with a grin, stepping aside to allow him in before closing the door behind them. "Did you grow them yourself"
"I did indeed." Pulling away the wrapping, he held up a glazed pot containing golden flowers with colors that shifted to a rosy pink at the tips. "Eos blossoms, named for that rose-fingered goddess of the dawn," he said with a smile. "They come from the 31st century, a little farming colony. I've been cultivating them to get just the right color of sunrise. Speaking of which....have you had breakfast yet?"
Rhi looked at him curiously. "I was about to make some. Did you want to join me?"
He glanced over his shoulder towards the kitchen, then back at Rhi with a grin. "Actually, it being your birthday and all, I wanted to treat you to something a little special." Holding out both hands to her, Eregor gave her a hopeful look. "If you'd like to join me, that is."
The young woman made a show of thinking it over before nodding, and she smiled as she took his hands. "Back to your tower?"
"Not exactly." Then the world rippled around the pair, a brief kaleidoscope of color beyond the shimmering sphere around them. When the effect stopped, seconds later, they were standing in a large room with windows all along two walls meeting in one corner. There were tables set up, and an open firepit crackled softly in the center. Crystalline orbs in the ceiling gave off a soft light, not much more than candlelight. It could've been a restaurant anywhere on Rhy'din, but for the complete lack of staff.
The display of stars outside those window-walls was testament to that as well. Even the clearest moons-free night in the emptiest part of Rhy'din could never match the starscape outside.
Taking Rhi gently by the arm, Eregor guided her to a table that was set up for two, with candles and two carafes—apple juice and orange juice—in the center. He pulled out a chair for her, and pushed it gently in once she had sat. "Enjoy the view, and I'll be right back." Stepping away, he turned and headed across the room to a door, vanishing behind it.
Moments later the door opened again, and he reappeared, pushing a cart laden with breakfast foods. "I've made all of your favorites....had to make a little time to order to have it ready for you, on top of making time for us to be here for....the show." He grinned but didn't explain further, simply serving up breakfast upon her plate. "I hope you like it!"
They sat and talked as they ate, sharing news and stories and jokes as friends and lovers are wont to do. There were moments when silence fell across the table, not the awkward silence when nobody knows what to say, but rather the gentle silence when no words are needed, only the touch of two hands together.
Finally, the meal done, Eregor collected the plates and wheeled everything back into the kitchen before returning to refill both of their glasses with juice. He didn't sit, though; instead, he held out a hand for Rhi, and when she rose, they walked over to the window-wall and looked out into a sky full of stars, with the dark mass of Rhy'din below. "Almost time for the show," he whispered softly.
"Show?"
"Just watch." They stood there in silence....and then a new light appeared, spreading like a sliver across the black. The bright sliver curved, and swelled as the sun rose above the world they both called home. As the dawn broke, a soft melody rose from unseen speakers, and Eregor slipped an arm around Rhi's shoulders, holding her close. He turned to face her, and leaned in to touch his lips to hers. "Happy birthday, sunbeam."
—————
The Moody Blues - Dawn Is A Feeling (the song that played)
"Flowers?" she asked with a grin, stepping aside to allow him in before closing the door behind them. "Did you grow them yourself"
"I did indeed." Pulling away the wrapping, he held up a glazed pot containing golden flowers with colors that shifted to a rosy pink at the tips. "Eos blossoms, named for that rose-fingered goddess of the dawn," he said with a smile. "They come from the 31st century, a little farming colony. I've been cultivating them to get just the right color of sunrise. Speaking of which....have you had breakfast yet?"
Rhi looked at him curiously. "I was about to make some. Did you want to join me?"
He glanced over his shoulder towards the kitchen, then back at Rhi with a grin. "Actually, it being your birthday and all, I wanted to treat you to something a little special." Holding out both hands to her, Eregor gave her a hopeful look. "If you'd like to join me, that is."
The young woman made a show of thinking it over before nodding, and she smiled as she took his hands. "Back to your tower?"
"Not exactly." Then the world rippled around the pair, a brief kaleidoscope of color beyond the shimmering sphere around them. When the effect stopped, seconds later, they were standing in a large room with windows all along two walls meeting in one corner. There were tables set up, and an open firepit crackled softly in the center. Crystalline orbs in the ceiling gave off a soft light, not much more than candlelight. It could've been a restaurant anywhere on Rhy'din, but for the complete lack of staff.
The display of stars outside those window-walls was testament to that as well. Even the clearest moons-free night in the emptiest part of Rhy'din could never match the starscape outside.
Taking Rhi gently by the arm, Eregor guided her to a table that was set up for two, with candles and two carafes—apple juice and orange juice—in the center. He pulled out a chair for her, and pushed it gently in once she had sat. "Enjoy the view, and I'll be right back." Stepping away, he turned and headed across the room to a door, vanishing behind it.
Moments later the door opened again, and he reappeared, pushing a cart laden with breakfast foods. "I've made all of your favorites....had to make a little time to order to have it ready for you, on top of making time for us to be here for....the show." He grinned but didn't explain further, simply serving up breakfast upon her plate. "I hope you like it!"
They sat and talked as they ate, sharing news and stories and jokes as friends and lovers are wont to do. There were moments when silence fell across the table, not the awkward silence when nobody knows what to say, but rather the gentle silence when no words are needed, only the touch of two hands together.
Finally, the meal done, Eregor collected the plates and wheeled everything back into the kitchen before returning to refill both of their glasses with juice. He didn't sit, though; instead, he held out a hand for Rhi, and when she rose, they walked over to the window-wall and looked out into a sky full of stars, with the dark mass of Rhy'din below. "Almost time for the show," he whispered softly.
"Show?"
"Just watch." They stood there in silence....and then a new light appeared, spreading like a sliver across the black. The bright sliver curved, and swelled as the sun rose above the world they both called home. As the dawn broke, a soft melody rose from unseen speakers, and Eregor slipped an arm around Rhi's shoulders, holding her close. He turned to face her, and leaned in to touch his lips to hers. "Happy birthday, sunbeam."
—————
The Moody Blues - Dawn Is A Feeling (the song that played)