Page 75 of Ahelno
“She appears to be a quick study,” I said as I watched. “Much faster than Kashtinela and I when we were learning.”
Robnar turned to watch. “Agreed. Although, if I understand correctly, she is already well-trained in dancing and other musical arts. And I suspect you and Kashtinela, during your adolescence, were not very motivated to learn.”
I threw my head back and laughed. I could see why my Andie favored him. It was a good thing he was already mated, and I knew that he was no lover of females. “You have it right, Robnar. We were reluctant students. But Malvinok was an exacting taskmaster. We learned all the same.”
“It seems that your mate will be our equal in a short period of time,” he said as we observed her quick progress. She had already mastered the basic steps, and he was showing her the arm flourishes. “She’ll be ready to dance a quartet by the end of the evening.”
I hoped so. She was smiling, clearly enjoying herself, and moved with a lithe grace that made my heart ache. So beautiful, I thought. She did not have the stiff, awkward movements of a beginner student. She finished each arm movement and seamlessly moved into another. Her arms flowed like water. Her back arched gracefully as she became a flower in the wind. Then she stood straight and stomped, following Malvinok’s lead as she twirled around him. I remembered learning that stomp and twirl. It had taken me nearly a month to perfect my balance, so I didn’t flail like a baby bird. She, on the other hand, executed it flawlessly on her third attempt.
“Heavens, she is a vision,” Robnar whispered in awe. I was at a loss for words, so I merely nodded in agreement.
Andie
How I had missed dancing with a partner! I practiced ballet alone with the barre I had installed in my outdoor shed. I had recorded as many classics as I could remember on the piano King Akapa had given to me. It was a joy to use my body again, to practice technique, but it wasn’t the same as performinga routine with another person. Dancing wasn’t meant to be done alone.
Malvinok was a gifted teacher, and I could tell he was surprised at how quickly I picked up the steps for the grinolara, as I learned the dance was called. I had the basics down, although having two arms meant I could only do half the arm movements. He showed me how to step in and out of the center, facing a partner, then twirl around them to switch places while alternating arm sweeps. “Excellent, Andie,” Malvinok praised. “I have never had a student learn the grinolara so quickly.”
“I’m a dance and music student,” I said. “So I do have the advantage of training.”
“Indeed!” he said. “You have the basic movements. Now, the key to the grinolara is you must hold eye contact with your partner throughout the dance.”
“Ok,” I said, looking up at him. I stared into his dark eyes. He was smiling at me amicably. As I twirled around him, he gently reprimanded me. “No, Lumanela. You twist your head like this and this so that you do not break the eye contact.”
I held it through the next pass. “Yes, that is it! The grinolara is an intimate dance. Even if you dance a quartet, you hold the gaze of the partner across from you.”
“Got it,” I said. I had to admit, it was a bit uncomfortable. I wasn’t used to staring in someone’s eyes for so long without a break. But Malvonik was patient. He stopped me a few times to show me more advanced footwork, and to correct the angles of my arms. It was a bit awkward at times, since I was so much shorter than the Ptexari, but I made it through to the end.
“Outstanding!” he said. “Come, we shall dance the nextone all the way through for practice.” The next song started up, and we launched into the dance. To dance a full song, uninterrupted, with a partner, was bliss. I couldn’t stop smiling, even as I stared into Malvonik’s eyes and stomped and twirled around him. The grinolara was meant to be a dramatic display, but I couldn’t keep the pleasure off my face as I felt the freedom that only came from moving my body to music.
As it became clear that I was comfortable, Malvonik added more arm movements and leaned his body in closer. I knew he wasn’t flirting with me, but between the strong eye contact and closeness of our bodies, I started to get a bit flustered. “You see?” he said, his eyelids drooping a bit and his voice dropping lower. “The grinolara is an intimate dance. We do not touch as you humans do. But we flirt with our eyes, yes? We display our broad chests by spreading our arms. We lean in to build the tension. Many a male has misunderstood the intentions of a female simply because she is a gifted dancer. You will need to be careful of how freely you dance with others, Andie. Your body is graceful, your movements near perfection. It would be easy for a male to think you are interested in a different activity than dancing.”
No different than Earth, really,I thought.
The song ended, and I was smiling ear to ear. I saw Robnar and Dakleth approach. “Andie, you were delightful! I cannot believe how quickly you learned the grinolara,” Robnar enthused.
“Well, I have an excellent teacher,” I said, nodding towards Malvonik. His eyes shone with pleasure.
“She is a gifted pupil,” he responded.
“Are you ready for a quartet?” Robnar asked.
“She is,” Malvonik affirmed, before I had a chance to answer. He told me where to stand, and then positioned himself and Robnar to my sides, meaning that Dakleth was my partner. I swallowed as I looked over to him. He was an impressive specimen. Taller and broader than both Malvonik and Robnar, his muscled pectorals and abs positively gleamed from fresh oiling. He kept his wings folded neatly at his back. His crest was flared, and his eyes glowed a soft blue as he gazed at me and smiled at me gently. Then the music began, and his posture changed. He straightened, threw his arms out to the side and stomped, then spun once and stomped again, crouching towards me while keeping eye contact. I was so flustered I forgot to move.
“Andie, to the left,” Malvonik nudged me so I didn’t cause the whole quartet to collapse. Embarrassed, I stomped and twirled to the left, through the center of the circle as Dakleth spun to my right and we switched places. Then Malvonik and Robnar did the same. Dakleth and I stared at each other, ignoring them as they made their pass. Then we began in earnest. Dakleth was a predator, stalking me through each whirl, each pass. I, the prey, was trying to escape. My movements were lighter, more graceful, as I wove around Malvonik and Robnar, attempting to flee, while he followed, herding me towards the center. His arms tried to cage me in, and his eyes never wavered. I was able to elude him, but my eyes were caught in his gaze. He started breathing heavier as he scented me, his nostrils flaring as I passed within inches of him. My whole body flushed as his eyes conveyed his rising lust. I struggled to maintain eye contact as I felt my panties dampen, and I knew the moment he caught the scent. His eyes flared red, and a growl emanated from deep in his chestas I drew closer to Malvonik for a pass. He snapped his teeth at the other male, and we all stopped at the sudden display of aggression.
Malvonik drew back. Robnar’s wings flitted nervously. “Forgive me, Your Highness,” Malvonik said deferentially, tilting his head to the side to bare his throat. “I meant no offense.”
I stepped between them and pushed Dakleth back. “Stop it,” I said. He didn’t look at me, but continued to growl at Malvonik. He looked ready to pounce at any moment. Malvonik was trying to stay calm, but Robnar trembled and looked like he was about to faint. Other couples and quads around us drew away, sensing the commotion.
“Dakleth,” I said, “He didn’t do anything wrong.”
“MINE,” Dakleth snapped at Malvonik.
“Yes, your highness. She is yours.” Malvonik said nervously, trying his best to appear non-threatening.
“Hey!” I slapped Dakleth on the chest. “Stop being an idiot. He’s mated to a male. He’s not even interested in females. He isn’t challenging you.”
“Mine,” he repeated more softly, breaking his gaze from Malvonik and looking at me.
