From the first day he'd appeared at the Healer Hall, it had been hard for Lirris not to notice him. Though he had the manners of a drudge, his body had not been designed for drudgery. Tall and undeniably handsome, it was obvious he was meant for a higher place in the world. The girls of the Healer Hall were suddenly competing for a drudge, but the drudge had his own ideas.
Right from the start, to Lirris' suprise and pleasure, he was always lingering at her place at the table for a while after he served her. Had any other drudge done this, Lirris would have smiled and nodded the drudge along. Drudges were not supposed to hover. But when Benaret chose to stand a few moments longer than he should have, Lirris just enjoyed having him there.
Within a few months of his arrival, the competition was all over. Benaret and Lirris were known to the Hall's entire teenage population to be a couple and very few tried to change that. The only people in the Hall who didn't know about the pair were Lirris' parents, Masterhealer Rainsorl and Headwoman Laise. If they had found out, of course, Benaret and Lirris would be over. Both Rainsorl and Laise had made it very clear that Lirris was not to consort with, much less love, the drudges.
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Lirris nearly jumped a handspan off the floor as someone clapped their hands over her eyes. Wait, she knew those hands very well. "Benaret!" she squealed, whirling around.
Benaret grinned. "How'd you know it was me?" he asked, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her towards him.
"Because no one else can walk through a hall so sharding quietly," Lirris replied, snuggling into his embrace. "You're warm. How long have you been following me?"
"Not very long," Benaret replied. "But I've been missing you all sevenday. I don't know if I can stand it, Lir, your parents are so protective! I didn't even manage to steal a single kiss this sevenday!"
Lirris grinned and, standing on her tip-toes, planted a light kiss on his lips. "Well, that problem solved, and my parents are solving the first problem themselves, they're leaving today to look at a break out of some disease, so we'll be free for a sevenday at the least."
"What do they have against drudges anyway?" Benaret wondered sadly. "I love you so much Lir, but I hate having to be so sharding secretive about it. I wish we could be out in the open, not having to hide all the time."
"I don't know, but I've got to live by it until I'm old enough to leave, and then we can do whatever we want," Lirris replied. "I can't stand this secrecy either, but it's the only way right now. It won't be too long."
"Another day is too long," Benaret sighed, wrapping his arms around Lirris. "And you may have another turn before you're considered an adult, but I'm nineteen, and most male drudges my age have sired at least one kid by now."
They stood there for a moment, feeling lost yet enjoying the warmth of eachother in the cold hallway. Lirris wished it could be like this always, that they could be seen like this anywhere in the Hall. But of course her parents would never allow that. "I should go now," she said, breaking the silence.
Benaret nodded and slid his arms from around Lirris. "They'll wonder where you are if you don't show up soon. When will they be gone?"
Lirris suddenly felt very cold, and very alone inspite of the fact that Benaret was right there. "They'll be gone by the evening meal. I'll find you afterwards. Are you serving tonight?"
Benaret grinned, though Lirris noted that his grin was a bit weak. "I'll brave your mother's wrath to request it." He bent down and gave her one more kiss before whirling around and going back the way he had come.
Lirris watched him until he was around a corner. She was so lucky to have found him, now she would just have to figure out how to keep him. With those thoughts lingering in her mind, she started towards her father's study.
The time until the evening meal was filled with plenty of things that should have made the time go quickly. She had lessons with various senior journeymen and women to finish up her junior journeywoman training and then duty in the hall's main infirmary. But even while she was caring for the patients she still thought about Benaret. It was a dangerous thing for a healer's mind to be elsewhere while she healed, but Lirris couldn't help it. No matter what she thoguht of, it always led to him.
During the evening meal, Lirris followed him constantly with her eyes, no matter what he was doing, only half listening to the usual gossip at her table. "Hey Lirris," she tuned back in at the sound of her friend Gilla's voice. "A bunch of us are going swimming tonight. Wanna come?"
"Not unless Benaret's there skinny-dipping," someone snickered. Lirris blushed and studied her plate.
"Just because Lirris got him and not you doesn't mean you have to pout about it so much, Jiraye," Gilla snapped.
"So are you coming or not?" Lainil asked, dismissing Gilla and Jiraye with a sigh. They had been very good friends until Jiraye had stolen Gilla's most recent man and now they were always ready with a snappy comment for eachother.
"Actually," Lirris admitted, "I think I'm going to spend the night with Benaret, my parents are going to be gone and... well, you know."
"Well he could come swimming too," Gilla suggested. "Tell us Lir, is he as buff as they say? I mean, you should know..."
"Well duh Gilla, all drudges are buff," Koralys agreed, grinning when Lirris shot an angry glare her way.
"Stuff it," Lirris told them. "I'm spending a night alone with Benaret, something I haven't been able to do in a long time because of my parents, and swimming isn't part of it."
"What? Sweet, innocent little Lirris is actually going to bed down with someone after knowing him for only what, two turns now?" Gilla asked in suprise, face innocent.
"I didn't say that," Lirris protested but smiled. "We just might find our way there after a while... But don't any of you start a rumor that we did! All rumors eventually make it to my mother."
"She's going to figure it out if you get pregnant," the ever-cautious Lurrie warned. Lurrie had kept Lirris' little group from doing many stupid things since they'd known her, but Lirris was cautious when it came to some things, too.
"That's why I've been adding a certain herb to my klah every morning for the past sevenday," Lirris nodded. "Can't take the chance."
Gilla made a face. "You plan too much, Lir. Why don't you two just come swimming with us? The beach at night is the perfect place to get a bit... friendlier."
"You would know," Jiraye scoffed. Gilla glared at her for a moment and then turned back to Lirris.
"I guess we could..." Lirris agreed tentatively. "But Benaret might not want to, so we might not be there but if he wants to we'll come."
After her parents left, Lirris went looking for Benaret...