The New Solare - 5. Chapter 5- Gallant Gonuret

"What is this horrendously familiar-looking thing," Ansar said dryly when Ruthed shoved the coppery rabbit into his face.

"Why, it's your new pet. The one that Sindri and I so lovingly picked out for you," Ruthed replied easily, a hint of mischief in his eyes.

"We should skin it and toss it in a stew," Ansar suggested coldly, but at Sindri's disapproving glare he sighed and took the rabbit into his arms, a blush forming across his nose and cheeks. "I was easy prey today 'cause I was all alone, thanks to you two." He whined. "Well, it was technically my fault," Ansar mumbled in a low voice as he subconsciously began to gently pet the rabbit in his arms. "I kind of wanted a little payback for the skirt flip incident, nothing too dangerous…"

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Ansar was tailing Kelius outside, trying to figure out how to get him back for what he did, when he lost track of him. "Hey, have you two seen Gallant Kinky pass by here?" He asked Ilohir and Madhal, who were both drinking some tea underneath a table with an umbrella.

"I believe he's gone out to the lake," Madhal replied with a half smirk.

"Try not to fight too much," Ilohir warned. "Gallant Sindri won't like it."

"Thanks," Ansar huffed as he quickly sprinted to catch up. Then, he saw him. Gallant Kinky was standing on the edge of a slope that was two feet above the water with his back completely open to attack. Perfect. He rushed forward and shoved him right into the lake. But, he didn't expect for Kelius to turn as he fell and grab him by the shoulders, throwing him off balance so that he fell on top of him. "Ack!" The last thing Ansar felt and heard was the splash of water that quickly surged up his nostrils and his mouth.

Kelius resurfaced, swimming in place and began to laugh. But, his laughter was cut short when he didn't see a brown head come back up for air. "Shit!" He cursed as he dived back down. After much struggling, the copper dragon managed to drag Ansar's limp body to shore. He was straddled over the beige dragon's form, getting ready to check if the smaller dragon was breathing, when Ansar began to cough up the water. "Birthed from a pure dragon's ass!" He hissed. "What in the cosmos were you thinking, playing around water when you don't even know how to swim?!"

As Ansar's vision cleared, he was able to see the wet, panting dragon hovering above him. The dragon's shirt was a light color because it damn near turned transparent while wet. Ansar never realized just how well-defined the red-eyed dragon was compared to him. "I'm sorry," He gasped, his yellow eyes quickly glancing into red and then turning away as he turned his head to look to the side. "I'm sorry."

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"And then he hefted me over his shoulder and carried me back to the fortress!" Ansar finished. "It was so humiliating…"

Sindri listened to the beige dragon's story, face palming himself after hearing it. "Just how was that nothing too dangerous? You nearly drowned!" He chastised before giving his friend a one-armed hug, as they both still held the rabbits. Desert dragons didn't swim; they did not need to learn out in the desert. "I'm just glad you're alright."

Ruthed shook his head in disbelief. "We're just lucky that Kelius knew how to swim too or else we would have all been in for a nasty surprise." He sighed, ruffling Ansar's curls as he walked past. "I think tonight feels like a good night to eat dinner in my room." He glanced over his shoulder at Sindri. "I'll have the kitchen staff send you yours, too, Sindri."

Ansar lifted an eyebrow as Ruthed walked away. "Since when are you two on a first name basis?" He asked suspiciously.

"Thank you. Good night," Sindri nodded towards Ruthed, waving him off. He looked at his friend and smiled. "Well, we're friends. I think that's appropriate, right?" He asked, hoping that Ansar caught the hint. He looked at the rabbit. "Got any ideas for names? I haven't a clue yet…"

Ansar smiled when Sindri labeled Ruthed as a friend. His nose scrunched up as he was reminded of the rabbit. "This one looks a little too much like Kelius to be worthy of an actual name. So, I'm just calling it Kinky Kit." He decided as he peered over at Sindri's pet. "Didn't the Astral Princess have white hair? Why don't you call him Astral?"

"Give the little guy a chance at least," Sindri pleaded with a laugh as he petted 'Kinky Kit' in sympathy. He then remembered the story of the Astral Princess. "Hey, you're right...I like that. Astral it is." He smiled, petting his rabbit.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll take care of him," Ansar conceded, a little smile tugging at his lips. "Thanks, by the way." As the words came out of his mouth, he realized that he had yet to thank Kelius for saving his life, though it was partially his own fault for dragging him into the water.

"Don't mention it."

"You should go eat and get some rest." Ansar pointed out. "Tomorrow's your last date, and then you have to start thinking about who you're going to narrow it down to for the next day."

Hearing his friend's suggestion, Sindri nodded. He felt the butterflies in his stomach flutter around; it was the part that he was most nervous about. "Yeah, running around with Ruthed has tired me out a bit. I'll see you in the morning." With that, the two dragons saw each other off to their rooms before eating dinner and turning in for the night.

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The next morning, Gonuret was ready with a large basket prepared for his day with Gallant Sindri. His roommate seemed to go through mood swings every other day. Though he had accepted the fact that Kelius was a viable contender for Sindri's affections, there were days that Kelius seemed frustrated over other things. The auburn-haired dragon fretted over Sindri's dates, but at times he seemed too distracted to be able to even hold a decent conversation. Neither of them wished to have Sindri worry about their disagreements, so they did their best to stay out of each other's way.

Gonuret had been looking forward to this day for two weeks. The first week was the week that he had been chosen as a Gallant from his tribe. His people knew that females didn't sway him and that the males in their tribe did not fully interest him beyond friendship. But, he was still surprised when the cosmos chose him to court the new Solare. Since then, he promised himself that he would try his best to win over his heart, whether he was chosen or not.

The gardens of the fortress truly encompassed a magnificent private park. Acres of flowering trees, bushes, and ponds were segmented so that every other section had an open field of green grass. Gonuret felt it would be a lovely spot for a picnic…in the shades of the flowering trees with nothing but the sound of trickling water and exotic birds to take over any awkward silences. At the very least, he hoped that Sindri enjoyed a peaceful break while on their date.

He was the first to stand when Sindri entered the room for breakfast. He gave him a gentle smile as the blonde sat across from him. "I hope you had a good night's sleep, Gallant Sindri." He greeted. "We will be walking for a while today."

Sindri had somehow managed to sleep rather peacefully, despite the stress that would be on him later on that day. He sat down across from Gonuret, glad to see everyone seemed to be getting along for the time being. He turned his attention to the white-haired dragon across from him and smiled a little. "I did, thank you. I'm looking forward to today." Though, he wondered why they would be walking for a while. "Did everyone else sleep alright?"

There were some murmurs of agreement and a weak groan from Ansar on Sindri's left. The beige dragon had little to no sleep the previous night, though his pet Kinky Kit certainly slept like a rock. He figured it was due to a guilty conscience. Kelius seemed to avoid looking at anyone at the moment, simply focusing on eating his fill. Ansar stabbed at his breakfast half-heartedly.

Sindri noticed how some of the Gallants were a little too quiet. His best guess was that the nerves were hitting some of them hard, just like him. He had some ideas as to why Ansar and Kelius were so quiet though, considering what the brunette had told him the night before.

When they finished eating, Gonuret led Sindri outside and through a small maze that housed a water fountain. "For our destination, I thought it would be best to take the most scenic route. It starts through this maze."

"I just hope you're better at navigating a maze than I am," Sindri replied as he laughed a little nervously and followed him. He wondered what the basket was for. His webbed ears turned towards the sound of the water from the fountain. He was becoming anxious to see what lied beyond the maze.

When they emerged through the maze, they came along a path full of flowering trees and bushes of all kinds and colors. The gardens were rich with oxygen, and the trees provided shade from the sun. Gonuret took his time, allowing Sindri to explore as they continued along the path. "The scents of all the different flowers perfume the air in a light, unique blend." He commented. "The perfumers at the market would stop at nothing to retrieve any samples of this place."

The apricot dragon had a smile of wonder on his face as he took in the gardens. "I've only ever dreamed that a place such as this existed." He admitted as he gently touched one of the flowers. When he heard Gonuret's comment, he frowned. The apricot dragon could see why perfumers would want samples of the gardens, but if it affected the land itself…"They can't reach it, can they? It'd be a shame if something happened to this place."

Gonuret smiled when he heard the concern in Sindri's voice. He was right in thinking that the apricot dragon had a deep respect for nature. "Solare Vitara made a compromise with them. The staff took the seeds of each flower and formed a small greenhouse where they are sold to the perfumers." He explained. "But, to capture the scent of such a place would be impossible. No fragrance can match true nature." When they approached the patch of green that Gonuret had previously found, he set the basket down and spread a quilt onto the grass.

"That's good to hear," Sindri said, sighing in relief as a small smile formed on his face again. He stopped along with Gonuret at the clearing and watched him as he spread out the quilt. "What's in the basket?" He asked as he sat down. He was becoming rather curious.

As Gonuret sat beside Sindri, he finally revealed the contents of the basket. Containers of fruit salads (without bananas), sandwiches, and even chocolate almond bark were placed onto the quilt. With them, he pulled out a glass pitcher of juice, napkins that were arranged into the form of a flower, and two cups. "High on the mountains, we had a beautiful view of more than one of the biome segments. But, they were too far to explore fully. Beautiful gardens such as these are as new to me as they are to you. I thought that it would be nice to enjoy it together."

"I hope you didn't go to too much trouble with all of this," Sindri said. "Though I greatly appreciate it." Gonuret had packed many of his favorites, or at least, the favorites that could be packed up for a picnic. The blonde smiled. "I'm delighted you thought of this. I've been wanting to look around more areas like this, though I've wanted to see snow, too. There's a lot of it where you're from, correct?"

"Yes. I invite you to come to see my home biome one day if you wish to see it with your own eyes," Gonuret suggested. "Though, during winter, I'm sure that one of the biomes closest to the fortress would do..." He added when he recalled how the Solare would live primarily in the fortress unless it were important to vacate it for an emergency. He reached out to take one of Sindri's hands in his own. "How have you been coping with all of this? It must have been rather jarring to have been chosen as a Gallant, let alone as the new Solare."

Sindri felt his cheeks turn slightly pink when Gonuret took his hand into his own. No one had really asked how he been dealing with this except for Ansar, now that he thought about it. "Honestly, choosing a lifemate is the part that has me more nervous than anything right now. I only have a few days to pick the person I want to be with for the rest of my life...Not only that, but they have to be someone that can fill the position of the Lunare well." His smile became a sad one. "And I miss my mother as well...but, I know I'll see her again one day." Sindri squeezed the pale dragon's hand and looked at him. "How about you? I know some of the others are already homesick. Are you doing alright?"

And, just like that, the gentle squeeze of Sindri's hand and the sight of those orange eyes full of concern for him...they caused all sorts of havoc to Gonuret's heart. What would Gallant Sindri say if he told him that, right now, it was his proximity that was causing him more grief than the homesickness? "Like you, I'm more worried about your decision..." He offered a hesitant smile. "That you'll be able to choose someone that will make you happy. The Lunare won't be the only one there to help, there are also the Sentains, most of whom are wise. And Solare Vitara will be amongst them, as well, when she takes on her role as Sentain."

"That's true...but, it's still a rather big decision. I'm so afraid I'll regret my decision. I've never really found interest in anyone before, so I don't know how exactly I'd feel, I guess? I don't really know how to explain it," Sindri responded, ending the statement with a nervous laugh. "Anyway, enough about that. Let's eat. I'd rather that this food not go to waste."

Gonuret didn't think that Sindri would truly regret his decision. All of the Gallants were different, but any one of them would make a decent Lunare, from what he had seen. "Agreed." He said as he handed him a plate and poured juice into his cup. As he ate and heard the distant birds chirping, he felt himself relax more and more. He only hoped that some of the relaxation bled into the apricot dragon as well. "What is the highest you've ever climbed to glide back down with your wings?"

Sindri took a deep breath before slowly letting it out to try and calm himself. It seemed to help. He ate some of the fruit salad first. He had taken another bite when Gonuret had asked his question. He swallowed and thought. "Well…there aren't many high places I was allowed to go to...so, probably off of mine or Ansar's house, sadly." He laughed a bit at the memory. "You know, whenever I visit your biome I'll have to make sure to bundle up. If I've been a bit cold here, I'd probably freeze my tail off there."

"You might make it a longer distance from one of the biggest trees here in the garden," Gonuret suggested. "I could be your view point in the distance, not that I would mind if you fell on me. On the contrary, it would be an honor to catch you..." When the blonde spoke of the cold, Gonuret shook his head. "I would make sure to keep you warm...ah, that is, with the right clothing." He added with a slight blush.

"You might have to help me climb up. I'm not very experienced climbing up a tree, after all," Sindri reminded with a small smile. He blushed when he heard that he would catch him. The blush only deepened upon hearing Gonuret say that he would keep him warm. Though, when he spoke of clothing, he felt rather silly for what he had thought that the dragon truly meant! "R-right, of course." He agreed as he laughed nervously. The two of them ate for a bit until Sindri began to stare off at something. It looked like something moving around in the grass, but, it was too far off to tell what it was from where they were sitting.

When the apricot dragon stared off into the distance, Gonuret frowned. "What are you looking at?"

Sindri snapped out of it and returned his attention to Gonuret. "Ah, sorry, I meant no disrespect. I just see something moving over there, but I can't tell what it is…" He answered. He hoped that the slate-eyed dragon didn't think that he was bored, he was just curious about what was moving around. "I'm going to check it out, hold on." He walked over to where the movement was. A smile formed on his face. It was a small baby bird! It looked like it couldn't even fly yet. "Did you fall out of your nest somewhere, little guy?" He asked aloud as the bird chirped at him. "Gonuret, come look. Oh, and bring the spare napkins over, please?"

Gonuret brought over the spare napkins as he peered down at what had garnered the blonde's attention. He immediately looked all around the remote area, finding the bird's nest to be on one of the lower branches of the tree above them. "Here, carefully pick him up using the napkins," He said as he began to climb the tree effortlessly. He sat on the base of the branch that was below the nest and half dangled from it, keeping one hand on the branch and the other reaching down. "Pass it over to me, and I will place it in its nest."

"Sorry, I really didn't mean to get distracted on our date…" Sindri apologized, hoping that he didn't offend the other. But, he followed Gonuret's instructions without question, carefully getting the bird with the napkins. It didn't seem to panic much if at all, something he was thankful for. He then gaped as Gonuret rapidly climbed the tree. "T-that's amazing!" Though, he blushed when he saw the dragon's shirt sliding down, showing his abs. Sindri spaced out for a moment as he stared before he began shaking his head. "Right! Here, be careful," He said as he carefully handed the bird over to him.

The sky blue dragon carefully cupped the bird in his hand and lifted himself back up to a sitting position. He then precariously balanced onto the branch on his feet and reached out to place the tiny bird back onto its nest. Gonuret waited for a moment in case the fledgling tried to leave the nest again, but when he simply heard it chirp, he smiled. He then dropped to his hands in order to swing off the branch and onto the ground, wiping his hands together to get rid of any remaining residue of bark.

"I wish I could climb like that. You make it all look so easy," Sindri commented in awe at the other dragon as he came over to him.

As the two of them headed back to their picnic spot, they caught sight of the fledgling's mother landing on the nest. "That's a relief," He admitted as he gazed at them. "I never got to know my mother. She passed away when I was very young."

Sindri had smiled warmly upon seeing the mother bird, feeling relieved. But, his attention settled back on Gonuret, and he felt his heart ache to hear such a thing, but he knew how he felt. "I'm very sorry about that...I can relate. My father was buried alive in an excavation when I was barely a toddler." He confessed as a small smile began to tug at his lips. "I can see your mother being very pretty."

"My condolences as well," The white-haired dragon replied upon hearing about the death of Sindri's father. When he had suggested that his mother was pretty, a small smirk formed on his face. "Why do you think that? Could it be that you think I'm pretty in tangent?"

Sindri felt a blush rising to his face. The white-haired dragon's smirk didn't help any. "I just picture someone in my head, and I think she's pretty," He replied, trying to defend himself. But, he was certain that his blush gave him away. He really wasn't sure how to act around others when he was on a date. He had never even been on dates or been interested in anyone until all of this happened! "Besides, I thought being called pretty wasn't something a guy would smirk about," He finished with a small laugh, sticking his tongue out at Gonuret.

A playful laugh fell from Gonuret's lips when the apricot dragon became flustered. "It is something to smirk about when someone as gorgeous as you pays someone like me such a compliment. I'm truly flattered." He admitted as he reached out his hand to thread his fingers through the blonde's own.

Sindri felt his cheeks become even warmer at the dragon's words and the fact they were now holding hands. "Anyway, I'm curious as to how you learned to climb so well. You made it look so easy earlier." He asked as he tried to change the subject. "Think you could teach me?"

"It certainly isn't as easy as it looks," Gonuret warned as he stood back up, pulling Gallant Sindri up with him through their joined hands. "But, I will definitely help you learn. Let's find a tree that isn't currently occupied with a family." He instructed as they walked. He made sure not to let go of his hand all the while. "To start, we'll need to find a tree with branches that are low to the ground. Like that one." He pointed at a thick tree with low branches that were almost the same width as the trunk. He quickly hefted himself onto the lowest branch into a sitting position and held out his hand for Sindri to take. "Use my arm as leverage. Don't worry. I'll make sure you won't get hurt, so don't be afraid to slip."

Sindri smiled a little as Gonuret continued to hold his hand as they searched for a tree for them to climb. He watched as the sky blue dragon climbed up on the lowest branch before he held out his hand. He did as the other suggested, doing his best to get himself up on the branch. He did slide a few times, but he eventually got himself up there. "At the rate, we're going, I hope you're a patient teacher…" Sindri said with a chuckle.

"But, you're determined to learn, that's what's important," Gonuret replied as the apricot dragon sat beside him. "Take a look at the view." He redirected as they gazed out at the sunny sky. Since the tree was settled on a hill, they were able to see most of the garden at a higher angle as the rays of the sun fell on the trees and bushes. "Every time I look into your eyes, they remind me of the rich colors of a sunset." He confessed as his slate grey eyes settled onto Sindri's. His hand reached up as if it had a will of its own to cup the side of the blonde's face. The urge to kiss the apricot dragon beside him rose within him, but he ended up simply resting their foreheads together with a sigh. "As much as I would like to stay here longer with you, we should head back before the other Gallants cry foul. It wouldn't do for me to have had more time than they have." He nimbly hopped off the branch and reached up to lift the blonde's hips as he helped him down. "I would like very much to see a sunset with you one day."

"You're right." Sindri agreed, turning his attention to the view. It was a beautiful scene. His eyes widened when Gonuret drew closer to him. His heart started pounding, but they simply rested their foreheads together. He nodded in agreement with the other before getting off the branch with the other's help. "I'd like that very much. I had a very good time today, by the way." He said as he helped him pack up the picnic basket. He was glad to see that the food did not go to waste. They ended up eating just about all of it.

"I enjoyed my time with you today as well," Gonuret agreed as he picked up the basket.

"Oh, I never got to ask," Sindri remembered as he straightened back up. "What do you look for in a lifemate, Gallant Gonuret?"

Gonuret's face formed a serious expression. "Before today, I might have answered with 'someone like you.'" He explained. "But, after spending more time with you, I realized that there isn't anyone like you." He reached out to take Sindri's hand once again. "What do I look for in a lifemate? My eyes see only you."

Hearing that answer, Sindri felt his heart skip a beat as his cheeks became red. He smiled a little. "That's a huge honor, thank you." The way Gonuret felt would also make his decision either that much easier or that much tougher.