Dragongirl (33 page)

H’nez raised his hands, palms open in protest but the Istan rider shook his head, saying, “Every bronze dreams of a queen.”

“I have a queen,” H’nez replied quickly, then flushed and amended, “My Ginirth was lucky enough to fly Jeila’s Tolarth.”

“One of the youngest and strongest queens on Pern, I believe,” J’lantir said. “Weyrleader, indeed.”

T’mar coughed from his bed and J’lantir barked another laugh. “No offense meant, T’mar! There are Weyrs aplenty. One even now goes begging.”

“I’m Telgar now,” H’nez said.

“As are we all,” J’lantir agreed. “As are we all.”

For a long moment, no one spoke, savoring the force of the older rider’s declaration.

“I’d appreciate it, J’lantir, if you and the wingleaders could meet with me here after dinner,” T’mar said.

“This is going to be a night Fall,” Fiona spoke up, glancing at J’lantir and T’mar. “Have we coordinated with Nuella?”

“Worse,” Kindan added, “it spills over to High Reaches. They’ll be flying the darkest part.”

“Thread should arrive the seventh hour after noon,” H’nez said, casting an inquiring look toward Kindan, who nodded in agreement, “so we’ll have sun for the majority of our part of the Fall.”

“I haven’t had the honor yet of flying with Nuella,” J’lantir said. He caught the surprised look on H’nez’s face and correctly guessed that the other was not yet convinced of the utility of the watch-whers. “You should know that it was I, along with M’tal, who first discovered their true worth.”

“You flew Thread at night over Southern Boll, H’nez; do you still doubt their ability?” T’mar asked.

“It’s not that,” H’nez replied with a shake of his head. “We took a lot of casualties that night.”

“And we haven’t trained with them since,” T’mar said by way of agreement. He asked J’lantir, “Is there a chance to arrange training tonight?”

The bronze rider pursed his lips thoughtfully, then shook his head. “I think our riders are too tired. It was a strain to drill at all today; usually I prefer a day of rest prior to a Fall.”

“It was necessary with all the influx,” H’nez said.

“Oh, absolutely,” J’lantir agreed. “But we’re now all too tired to consider more drilling.”

“We’re not,” Lorana said, gesturing to Kindan. “We could coordinate with Nuella.”

“And you could talk to the watch-whers, too!” T’mar exclaimed enthusiastically. He glanced at Fiona, who flushed when she noticed his gaze and shook her head resignedly.

“It could work,” she said. “In fact, Lorana, why don’t you tell Sonia’s Lyrinth of your plan and offer to fly the full Fall?”

“At night?” H’nez exclaimed. “With no training?”

“Needs must,” Fiona told him. With a sly look toward Lorana and Kindan, she added, “Besides, your ability to coordinate will make you too valuable to risk fighting Thread directly.”

Kindan groaned in response but Lorana merely nodded serenely.

“We should leave after dark,” Kindan said. “Nuella and Nuellask won’t be awake before then.”

“I’m coming with you,” Fiona declared, her expression daring anyone to defy her.

“If,” T’mar responded slowly, his expression neutral, “Weyrwoman, you feel it in the best interests of Pern to disturb your queen’s rest before she has clutched, I will say nothing against it.”

“Good!” Fiona said. “Because Talenth says that she’s bored lying around all day and wants to get out while she still can!”

T
hey left with the last of the evening sun hovering on the horizon in the west. A light rain was falling and threatened to turn into a cold winter downpour.

The evening meal had been a spirited affair with riders from three Weyrs discovering their differences and similarities while the Telgar weyrfolk, grateful for the further infusion of strength, outdid themselves in making the new riders feel welcome and at home.

Fiona announced J’lantir’s position as fighting leader, which was greeted enthusiastically by all—except for a few grumbles from the older Fort riders, which died down as they considered the sensibleness of the decision.

Worries soon surfaced about fighting at night and were soothed by Fiona’s revelation of the mission to Nuella. It seemed that every one of the one hundred and eighty-five fit riders found a chance to pay respect to Lorana, each profoundly grateful for her sacrifice and deeply moved that she had chosen Telgar as her new Weyr. Fiona was surprised to hear murmurs of approval about herself, too, mostly in praise of her ability to attract the likes of Lorana and J’lantir to the Weyr.

“That’s as silly as a wherry bathing!” Fiona declared the first time she heard it from one of the older riders who should have known better.

“It isn’t,” Jeila chided her. “Think of how jealous Sonia must be.”

“Or Cisca,” Terin added from her place near F’jian. Strictly speaking, the displaced headwoman should not have been seated with the dragonriders, but the Telgar weyrfolk had learned to respect the youngster and had discovered that their new Weyrwoman tended to ignore such traditions in favor of the comfort and enjoyment of all.

“Or Tullea,” Fiona said in rueful agreement. “Of course, she probably saw Lorana as a threat.”

“Almost certainly,” Jeila said.

“Maybe Tullea will get better now that she’s not time-fuddled,” Fiona said, taking a long sip of
klah
herself and remembering M’tal’s comment. If she
was
time-fuddled like Tullea, then when would she be going back in time … and where?

“What?” Kindan asked, leaning across the table toward her, with a look of concern on his face.

Fiona shook her head, smoothing her expression. “Nothing.”

The harper’s lips tightened into a frown.

“It’s not important now,” Fiona assured him. Kindan gave her a look that reminded her that he knew her all too well and made it clear to her that he would pursue the topic later, she could be certain. “Finish your
klah
and let’s go.”

Grudgingly, Kindan did as she ordered and, with a glance at Lorana, rose from the table as soon as he’d finished his drink.

They were all still dressed in their riding gear, so it was only a matter of moments before they were airborne, circling the Star Stones before winking out
between
to the wherhold.

They arrived with the last of the light, circling down quickly to the landing just outside the stone hold. A bugle from the ground announced their arrival, followed quickly by Talenth’s warbled greeting in response.

Nuellask is awake
, Talenth relayed eagerly, diving so steeply that Fiona had to lean back and clutch her flying straps tightly.

Sorry!
Talenth said as she caught her rider’s flash of fear just before she pulled up into a perfect landing.

No, you’re not
, Fiona replied testily,
you’re showing off
.

Talenth answered with a chagrined silence.

Fiona relented and patted the golden neck hard before loosening her grip on her straps and sliding down Talenth’s foreleg to the ground below.
Off you go, have fun!

Talenth sauntered off, taking a quick leap to cup the evening air beneath her wings and glide slowly in the darkness. She was joined shortly after by Zirenth, who flew protectively at her side.

“Well, she’s enjoying herself!” Zenor’s deep voice exclaimed in the night air.

With a yelp of joy, Fiona raced to the sound of his voice and threw herself into his arms. “Zenor!”

“Hey, easy there!” the red-haired holder declared as he wrapped his arms around her. “You’re not as small as you once were and I’ve ten more Turns to my name.”

“Indeed you do,” Kindan said. “You’re practically gray with age.”

“Kindan!” Zenor exclaimed, unceremoniously dropping Fiona to race over to his lifelong friend. He paused long enough to pull Fiona back to her feet and along with him, adding, “So have you discovered the identity of your secret admirer?”

“I have,” Kindan said. He gestured toward Lorana on his other side. “And this is Lorana.”

“Ah?” Zenor said in surprise. “And …”

“It’s complicated,” Kindan said.

“Only to confused harpers,” Lorana said, reaching a hand forward to Zenor who shook it absently.

“Zirenth flew Talenth,” Fiona said by way of exclamation.

“But we’d heard that T’mar was injured.” A new voice, Nuella’s, joined in the conversation.

“He was,” Lorana said, turning toward the approaching woman who was led by a young girl who was easily recognizable as her daughter.

“Zirenth would have gone
between
except that Lorana and Kindan restrained him,” Fiona said.

“And you,” Lorana said. “It took the three of us.”

“The three of you?” Zenor said.

“And so when Zirenth flew Talenth … oh!” Nuella said, her expression brightening. “Then congratulations are due all around, aren’t they?”

“I think so,” Lorana said. She glanced at Kindan. “Some of us are still adjusting to the reality.”

“Shards, Kindan!” Zenor said, his eyes going wide. “Only you would have partnered with the two most amazing women on Pern!”

“Present company excluded, of course,” Kindan added with a half-bow toward Nuella.

“He bowed at you, Momma,” the girl said.

“I know, Nalla,” Nuella assured her daughter easily. “He learned manners at the Harper Hall.”

“He’s the one who gave you your first watch-wher, isn’t he?” Nalla asked.

“Yes, he did,” Nuella told her patiently. Only the adults heard the pain in her voice.

“It’s good to see you again,” Fiona said, rushing forward to hug Nuella and discovering, in surprise, that she was taller than the wher-handler.

“I was hoping you’d come tonight,” Nuella said in agreement.

“She had Sula lay out some dainties,” Nalla declared eagerly.

“Sula’s dainties?” Kindan asked. He turned to Lorana and Fiona, saying, “You really have to try Sula’s dainties.”

“I have,” Fiona reminded him. She added to Lorana, “Remind me to see if we can pry the recipe from her.”

“That good?” Lorana asked.

“That
good,” Kindan agreed, gesturing them forward.

“We’re here to talk about the Threadfall tomorrow,” Fiona said as they made their way into the hold.

Nuella nodded. “So I’d guessed.”

Quickly, Fiona brought them up to date with the news.

“J’lantir?” Nuella exclaimed in delight when Fiona mentioned his arrival. She gave Fiona an approving look, then turned to Kindan, saying, “She certainly has a way of attracting the best, doesn’t she?”

“She does,” Kindan said when he recalled that Nuella could not see his nod.

“See?” Lorana said triumphantly to Fiona. “Everyone notices.”

Fiona blushed in embarrassment.

Seated in the comfort of Nuella’s quarters, even as Sula distracted Nalla and the younger Zelar, Lorana explained her plan to Nuella.

“You can speak to any dragon?” Zenor said, his eyes going wide with surprise as he absorbed the notion.

“She can feel them, too,” Kindan told his old friend, with a dour look.

“Oh,” Zenor said, his face falling. “That could be … must have been … painful.”

Lorana nodded in response.

“What’s important now,” Fiona said, with a sympathetic look toward her friend, “is that Lorana has offered to coordinate between dragons and watch-whers.”

“Can you speak with the watch-whers, too?” Nuella asked.

In response, Lorana grew still with the inward look of one communing mentally. A moment later she looked up and smiled even as a surprised squawk echoed in from the night air. “Yes, I think I can!”

“Yes, you can,” Nuella agreed, adding wistfully, “Nuellask says she’s never heard a voice like yours before.”

“You don’t suppose you could teach Nuella …?” Fiona asked hopefully.

Lorana shook her head. “I wouldn’t know where to begin,” she replied, frowning as she glanced thoughtfully at Fiona, “but maybe you could.”

“Me?”

“Why not?” Zenor said. “You’re full of surprises

“Fiona grumbled irritatedly.

“You can hear my thoughts,” Lorana reminded her.

“And you could plant images in my mind,” Nuella added hopefully.

Fiona shook her head. “Anyone could do that,” she told Nuella, turning to Lorana and adding, “And you taught me how to hear your thoughts. I’m nothing special.”

“I’m not so sure,” Nuella and Lorana said in unison.

“And I agree,” Zenor said. “But Thread will not wait. Perhaps we should consider the issue at hand.”

“I suppose,” Nuella said, still wistful with the thought of communicating more closely with her watch-wher. She shook herself, dismissing the thought from her mind. “So you are here to coordinate on tomorrow’s Fall.”

“Indeed,” Kindan said. “Given that Lorana can talk with any dragon—”

“Or watch-wher,” Fiona added.

“Or watch-wher,” Kindan accepted the correction with a nod, continuing, “we think it’d be best if we coordinated through her.”

“Aren’t the next four Falls all night Falls?” Zenor asked, nodding toward Nuella. “That’s what we’ve heard here.”

Lorana and Fiona glanced expectantly toward Kindan, who frowned in thought, his lips moving silently. After a moment he nodded, saying, “Telgar, Fort, and High Reaches twice.”

“High Reaches flies tomorrow,” Fiona said.

“It does, but the sun sets later there so the Fall will last from mid-afternoon to late evening there,” Kindan told her.

“Up to the twenty-first hour,” Nuella agreed. “And then their next one actually starts the day before—on the twenty-third, falling through into the twenty-fourth.”

“For some reason,” Zenor said with a droll grin toward Kindan, “the Threadfall charts are all based on Benden time.”

Kindan shrugged and grinned in response.

“It’s only natural,” Nuella said. “That’s where you were posted.”

“You know,” Zenor said, stroking his chin, “if you and Lorana are going to fly this first night Fall, it might make sense for you to fly all of them.”

Fiona gasped in surprise.

“It makes sense,” Zenor told her. “Lorana can speak to any dragon. Her coordination will help save lives—dragon and watch-wher alike.”