round 9 R.Adm Turner & CAPT Waltas: Mutual Feelings

[+ Irina Pavlova]

((Tallesin Forest-Devi Providence, Til'ahn))

::Tyr and Toni materialized at the foot of a large forest. In spite of all the time he'd spent on Til'ahn, he had never really studied the geography, except to plan for tactical situations like a ground or air attack. Now, he fully appreciated the beauty of the planet he'd called home. The forest was composed of enormously tall trees, taller than the ones on Ba'ku, although he wondered if part of that was due to the regeneration of the cells in the trees. They were ever-young on Ba'ku, but the trees here seemed ancient by comparison. Time had scarred and bent them, leaving markers that bore witness to the passage of the years. He took a deep breath of the natural air, catching the scents of the forest and the creatures within. A deep contentment filled him -he was in his element. Turning a Ba'ku loose in a forest was like turning a child loose in a candy shop. His energy spiked, his interest became keen in everything around him, and his senses seemed to magnify.::

Turner: :: Hugging him, smiling:: Alone at last. . .

Waltas: :: Closing his eyes:: I'll give it ten minutes before someone contacts us or Hannibal tracks us down.

Turner:  :: Frowning:: Do you think I'm a dummy? I made sure that the transporter engineer had good cause to be discreet.

Waltas:  :: Smiling:: Good. I think that extra week of shore leave I gave him might have helped too.

Turner:  ::slipping her backpack onto her shoulders:: It will be dark in a few hours, so we best get started and find a place to make camp.

Waltas: :: Nodding, looking into the forest:: There's a clearing about a kilometer away judging from the tree dispersal. :: Kneeling:: The ground has a steady downward slope. We'll probably run into a stream or small lake near the clearing. :: He paused, looking at her expression:: What?

:: Toni had a flashback of her teen years, watching her father read the signs that the landscape provided. As a guide in the lower portion of the Appalachian Mountains, (Georgia and the Carolinas) he had taught her everything she knew about survival, and he'd always said that those skills would come in handy some day. And now, somehow, his words now had a clarity she could not deny.  

Turner: Nothing, you just reminded me of someone when you did that.

Waltas:  Ba'ku are natural rangers. What I can't see I can smell, and what I can't smell I'll either hear or track. Didn't you know you married an elf?

:: Immediately she envisioned the stereotyped short little man with pointy ears, nothing like the tall, well-built man that she married.
 
Turner: :: chuckling:: You must have had one helluva growth spurt somewhere along the way.

Waltas: :: He leaned in and kissed her:: I'll warn you..in an environment like this other aspect of our physiology are enhanced as well. :: He winked::

Turner: :: smiling teasingly:: Oh? Really? That'll be a nice enhancement for a delayed honeymoon.

Waltas: :: Moving forward, speaking over his shoulder and chuckling:: I was talking about strength and hearing, but it's interesting that's where your mind went. :: Grinning he quickly moved out of range before he was smacked::

:: She ran to catch up with him, swinging her fist at him, but missed. ::
 
Turner: :: laughing:: Okay big boy, sooner or later, you'll pay for that one.

:: They journeyed through the forest, with the light of the two suns playing through the branches of the trees. It was peaceful, and they found themselves walking not for speed but for enjoyment, slowing their pace, meandering, arm in arm and very much in love. It was beyond peaceful-beyond anything they'd hoped for - just hoping it would last. They were both Starfleet officers, and knew that duty had a way of poking its head in personal affairs at the most inconvenient of times. He'd taken no weapons with him, relying on Hannibal and the crew to protect them but at the same time to stay out of sight.::

:: Holding hands, they journeyed a little over a kilometer before the forest thinned a bit, revealing a small clearing and a large, crystal-blue lake nearby. A waterfall could be heard cascading downward nearby, and there were fish swimming in the water. Birds chirped in the trees and seemed to greet them, and a few land animals similar to squirrels chittered angrily at them from the branches above on their invasion.::

Waltas: This looks like a good spot to me.

Turner:  :: pleased with his choice:: It's perfect. :: searching for a better word to describe it.::  Magical.

Waltas:  I hear a waterfall nearby. Want to join me?

Turner: I'd love to.

:: They were both a little warm from their journey and the volleyball game earlier, and the thought of a mountain waterfall shower was enticing. Tyr led the way, letting his ears guide him, and the source of the lake's water was soon revealed an enormous waterfall cascaded down from high above a rocky outcropping. Tyr took no time in stripping off his shirt and shorts.::

Waltas: You coming with?

Turner: Great joy? :: already stripped, she took his hand:: If you're waiting on me, you're backing up.

:: They raced together and splashed into the end of the lake, moving to the waterfall. The water was cool but not overly cold and was intensely refreshing as it washed over his body. He turned to watch Toni for a moment, admiring her form and her grace -it was like a scene from a movie - the ones that always ended happily. He grew quiet, stepped toward her, wrapping his arms around her.::

Waltas: I love you.

Turner: :: whispering:: My feelings for you are mutual.

:: He kissed her softly, then the kiss deepened.::