As always I do not own Pern nor Anne McCaffery's characters. I own only my characters, a laptop and a few ideas. This is very much a segue – it also covers T'lan's growing understanding of how to apply observation and logic to problems. There are as yet no sophisticated mysteries – for one thing, Pern has not, for the main part, developed sophisticated crime. It's a learning experience. It also covers the arrival of new people, and those small events that affect later larger ones… I'm sorry it's not totally exciting but I hope you enjoy the daily doings at High Reaches Weyr and the few small excitements that impinge upon it! This runs from 6-01-2519 to 9-24-2520
CHAPTER 1 Reconciliations and Some Very Odd Happenings
"How could you Lirilly – how DARE you!" Weyrleader N'ton's voice cut like ice as he raged at the cowering Queenrider.
"Uh, could I put in my two marks worth Weyrleader N'ton?" The clear voice from the doorway was Talana's; and N'ton gritted his teeth, half expecting himself to receive vituperation from the girl Lirilly had attacked. To his total amazement, Talana walked forward and tucked a hand into Lirilly's arm. She said, "I mean, I know it was pretty reckless of Lirilly to undo her fighting straps to try to help me out with that patchy Thread, but honestly, don't you think the poor girl's been torturing herself enough with how she nearly killed both of us without you starting?"
N'ton stared, open-mouthed. This was not the story he'd heard.
"But she flamed you!"
"I bear no grudge for her being cackhanded."
"So – that's your story?" he sounded frankly sceptical.
Talana surveyed him calmly.
"Queen riders don't fight, Weyrleader. It's beneath their dignity. Lirilly, I was looking for you to help me out bathing the babies. Nice to meet you N'ton; see you around." She smiled sweetly at him and firmly steered the unprotesting Lirilly from the room. N'ton was left catching flies.
Safely in Talana's room, Lirilly leaned limply against the wall and shut her eyes. She was shaking.
"This is one more debt I owe you." She said. "Why – how can you be so forgiving?"
"Fardles, girl, we agreed to be friends. Besides it CANNOT be even whispered that Queenriders fight. It will bring the weyrs into disrepute and we've enough trouble as it is. Please Lirilly, don't start crying again, if you weep much more there's going to be a flood and I get seasick." She added as the older girl's eyes filled with tears. Lirilly sniffed and giggled a little hysterically. Then she said,
"It's quite a punishment in a way, really. You've implied that I was being rather brave – and I've got to live with knowing that if people praise me I'm a hypocrite." She grimaced, bitterly. "But I won't dare contradict them – now you've pointed out what I owe to the weyrs as well as through my own natural cowardice."
Talana put her arms around her.
"Self hate is silly, Lirilly. –Sorry, that wasn't meant to rhyme, must be the influence of the Harper Hall" - which raised a smile from her new friend "And helps neither you nor Tamalenth. Look, you've decided to start over – so you can live up to the story, can't you. You're no coward, whatever you say – you'd not have Impressed if you were because you'd not've been able to face Thread."
"That's different."
Talana snorted.
"No different. And speaking of which, I've managed to finagle us onto the ground crews if like me you've come to hate being cooped up during Fall.
"Haven't I just! I hate those shutters now!"
"We'll have to sneak out past Faylina of course, but she's busy doing the sort of inventory that takes forever. I overheard her telling Silvina that Master Oldive has mislaid some supplies of Fellis and wants them found, so we'll be fine!"
oOoOo
Talana was genuinely glad of Lirilly's help with her twin infant sons. Blasé as she had been to Pilgra about caring for her own baby, the plurality of her offspring were causing her some concern in the matter of being able to care for them. Talana hated the idea of fostering off the babies but was beginning to feel that it might become necessary. After all, there was rather a lot of her beloved Mirrith to care for – and the little Queen had not been oiled by her in days.
"But I love you" Mirrith comforted "And R'gar and Sagarra have oiled me and Tamalenth. And I think I am going to make a new friend." Talana sensed interest and curiosity from her weyrmate and wondered what she meant.
oOoOo
Mirrith and Tamalenth had taken up residence on the Dancing Square. The latter was rather a bad colour as a result of her rider's mental neglect, and Mirrith was a little concerned. However, Tamalenth was communicating again since Lirilly had emerged from herself; and the girls had promised to escape from Faylina that afternoon to spend time with their dragons. Meanwhile there was a diversion; from the archway of the Harper Hall, Mirrith was aware of being watched.
The watcher was of adult human size – in fact rather larger, Mirrith thought, than average – but the thoughts that were so clear and bell like were like a child's. He was looking at the two Queen dragons with awe at their beauty – and not a trace of fear.
"Do you think I'm beautiful?" Mirrith knew she was vain, but enjoyed being admired.
"Big pretty talk to Camo?" The tone was astonished and gratified. Mirrith extended her neck to look at him. Tentatively he left the arch and came closer. "Big pretties hungry?" he asked, hopefully.
"Not hungry, no." Mirrith had hunted only a few days ago. "My shoulder itches though." She added hopefully; and Camo approached, beaming.
"Camo scratch Pretty's itch?" He asked; and Mirrith assented. She was soon humming in pleasure as the simple man scratched her shoulder and rubbed her sensitive eyebrow ridges the same as he did to Menolly's firelizards. Talana and Lirilly found him there, wide eyed with joy and wonder when they came out with a pail of oil. Seeing humans his face immediately became apprehensive.
"Camo stroke pretties" he said. "Pretties like it." He added with a touch of defiance.
"Yes, don't they!" grinned Talana. "Are you able to help us oil them?"
"Camo really help oil big pretties?" he needed confirmation; Talana wondered how often he'd been given disappointments in the past.
"If you don't mind, Camo." She said. "There's rather a lot of Dragon here to oil."
"Are you implying that I'm fat?" Mirrith sounded injured, playing her favourite game. Talana laughed,
"If the skin fits, wear it my sweet."
Lirilly whispered
"That's the Hall's dummy – do we really want him touching our dragons?"
"And Mirrith tells me his heart is as pure as a tiny child's. I guess that beats a lot of Holders we let go riding, huh?"
"I get your point." And Lirilly smiled at Camo tentatively.
"Camo help weyrwomen with big pretties" said Camo, firmly spreading oil. Talana looked at Tamalenth critically.
"I can see she's out of condition" Lirilly said crossly.
"I was just thinking that her tail was swollen." Said Talana thoughtfully. "She's gone and got herself constipated. Hey, Camo, do you know where to get a load of Purgative?"
"Purgative?" The half wit frowned, confused.
"Tamalenth's tummy hurts. She needs to clear it out."
"Oh, tummy medicine. Camo get tummy medicine. Plenty of that." He pulled a face. "No fellis right now, no, Master Oldive very cross. Camo get dragonsize tummy medicine!" And he lumbered off purposefully
"You" said Talana "Can jolly well administer it. I'm not getting covered in the stinking stuff for your dragon's comfort."
oOoOo
Talana was burping babies later reflecting on their similarities to dragonets – all sleep and feeding – when R'gar arrived with Lanelly as a surprise visitor. Talana flung herself on the older woman and hugged her for all the world like Sagarra. Lanelly hugged her back, and duly admired the babies.
"I wonder if they'll keep that dark red hair." She said "They're lovely Talana, so like both of you; and so clearly wanted by both of you too." Talana nodded her eyes swimming.
"Oh Lanelly, I do so want to ask your advice!" She said. R'gar took Sagarra firmly by the hand.
"C'mon, sweeting, let's go see if that Harper girl's around with her singing lizards, shall we?" He said, letting her lead him downstairs. Talana buried herself against Lanelly and Lanelly cuddled her as though she were a child.
"There there." She said. "Tell me all about it."
Talana wiped her eyes and sniffed, and grinned ruefully.
"I don't do that too often." She said.
"The better to have someone to do it with then." Comforted Lanelly. Talana sighed.
"I had such a shouting match with Pilgra." She sighed. "Over fostering my baby – I was so sure I could bring up a baby and do my duties. But two of them – and Lanelly, I get tired too quickly even kicking my heels here and I get so silly and weepy."
"Perfectly normal." Said Lanelly. "It usually happens after birthing."
"Does it? I feel such an idiot. Will it get better? Will I be able to look after them properly?"
"It will pass dear, but if you want me to be totally honest?" - Talana nodded – "Then I'd say you'll need help."
Talana screwed up her face.
"I did so want to be a family." She said, rather bitterly. "What sort of woman am I if I can't care for my man's sons?"
"A busy one, child. But there's nothing to stop being part of a family – if you'll accept my help?"
"Oh Lanelly! I can't ask that of you! Your cot, your herb garden…"
"Kept a lonely woman busy. Only there'd be another of my grandchildren…"
Talana looked indignant.
"Did she abandon that poor little morsel on you?" She asked. Lanelly nodded.
"Marag lives with me now. I've not seen Sagally since she went to High Reaches." She sighed. "I often wonder where I went wrong; and I do wonder if I should have let her father spoil her when he came home from sea." Talana hugged her in return. Her fertile imagination was beginning to conceive an idea. After all, Lanelly was still a handsome woman, not too many babies to wear her out, and she was about the right age for R'cal if he should choose to extend his relationship with the family.
"I would be delighted to accept your generous offer, Lanelly" she said "If you are sure it is what you would like to do."
"Above all things, child. Now let me hold my step–grandsons."
oOoOo
Talana adroitly sent R'gar to help Lanelly move to the weyr before Threadfall. She had a suspicion that he'd veto her being part of the groundcrew; but she felt she'd go mad shut inside when her function was to be out fighting Thread. Lethargic as she felt, sleep eluded her as she was denied the high level of physical activity she was used to. Aided and abetted by Tyrin, who kept watch, the two Queen riders slipped out to join the ground crews. Talana's 'inner ear' picked up indignation at the idea of girls coming out to join them, and steered Lirilly towards the figure she recognised from description as Lord Groghe. The peppery but worthy Lord Holder never asked anything of underlings he was not prepared to undertake himself, and he was out with his rather unwilling fair of sons.
"Wait – that's my grandfather!" Whispered Lirilly.
"Exactly. Why don't you introduce us?"
"What are you up to?"
"Not letting that sour old purge-face send us back." Talana indicated the man with journeyman farmer knots who seemed to object to their presence.
Lord Groghe had noticed the girls.
"Ha! Lirilly! Haven't seen you since you Impressed. Congratulations. Honour on the family. Heard some rumours – see they're not true. If that's the other Rider girl."
Lirilly was rather taken aback by her Grandfather's joviality. His attitudes toward dragonriders were somewhat equivocal unless he was certain they were performing their duty to him as he discharged his to the weyr. She stammered through an introduction.
"T'lan, what?" His eyebrows performed an intricate dance measure.
"My Lord, it's a long story, but the dragons like it. And if the dragons like it, who knows but that it's not another lost custom? "Talana said. "High Reaches has had bad times; we need a few customs of our own to establish that we're more than just the Weyr that lost two queens."
"Ha! Well said, boy – ah, girl! So you're not flying today, eh?"
"We're still out of action after that accident that put us here Lord Groghe. We can heft flamethrowers but not hang onto fighting straps – or move fast enough to catch Thread up there."
"So you're joining us, eh? Excellent, excellent!"
The journeyman hurried over.
"My lord, it's time to send the ladies inside. It's going to start soon." He glanced nervously to the west where the hiss of the leading edge could just about be heard. Dragons from Fort Weyr were manning the skies, ready to sear the majority of the grey menace. Groghe grunted.
"Put 'em on left flank sweep, Torval, outside my idiot sons."
"My Lord…"
"Don't argue, Torval. These ladies ought to know more about sweeping Thread than you or I. Let 'em get on with it"
The journeyman and the Queenriders were all dismissed with a gesture; and the glowering man issued them with flamethrowers.
"I don't have no amerchoors in mah sweep." He growled irritably. Talana smiled, sweetly.
"Oh good. I hate working with incompetents." She said.
oOoOo
Talana looked critically at Lirilly as she hefted the flamethrower.
"What hand do you write with?" She asked, suddenly.
"Left. Why?"
"That's why you're so fardling cackhanded. Here, put it on the other way about."
Lirilly obeyed, and her face lit up.
"Why, it feels much better!" She said. "I never thought to change it, the weyrlingmaster at Benden was so positive about how to hold it, then when I came to High Reaches to Impress I told R'gar I'd been taught what to do."
"We can work really well if you sweep left and I sweep right; we'll cover more." T'lan suggested, and Lirilly nodded, almost bubbling with enthusiasm.
oOoOo
The comparative lightness of Fall made the sweep seem easy to the girls, used to tackling Thread at a higher altitude. Even though most Thread had been charred by the time it reached the level of the Queens and their escorts there was still sufficient to make the groundsweep seem relatively easy. Talana was aware of muttering from some of the ground crew as she and Lirilly effortlessly covered a swathe about the size of that taken by four men; and the girls flamed all their Thread out of the air, unlike some of the men who let it fall to the ground before burning it. In fact some of Groghe's sons and fosterlings were behaving in a manner not merely inefficient, but downright irresponsible. They appeared to be treating it like a Gather, giggling and jostling each other. As a gout of Thread landed rather close, she actually heard one say,
"Oops! Well if it'd hit' I'd just have to flick Between!"
"To join your wits, I suppose" she muttered,
"EH?" Asked Lirilly. Talana passed on what she had heard. Lirilly tsk'd.
"Drunk?" she asked.
"Wouldn't be surprised. Uh-oh."
Talana breezed over to take out the wriggling mass of thread that was about to land on the young men that had evidently not seen it..
"I SAY!" Said one of them. "Look what you're doing, girlie. You shouldn't be out here."
One of the others made a suggestion as to where Talana should be and she burned.
"Fine. I shan't save your worthless tails next time." She said, returning to her sweep lane. The man who had spoken grabbed her by the shoulder and she swung faster than he could turn her to ram him in the guts with the but end of her flamethrower.
"Look to your sweep, wher-breath." She told him
"You'll regret that, lowborn."
"Not as much as you will if you miss Thread and it sears out what few brains you've got."
Some of them seemed to be sobered a little, and continued the sweep. Talana caught Lord Groghe's eye watching her and made a comical face, tutting at the sky to indicate amused frustration. Groghe grunted. She got the impression he was under few illusions about his numerous younger offspring.
oOoOo
Talana absently co-ordinated the firelizards that were out, and finished the sweep with a little gold queen on her shoulder chattering and swearing at the Thread as it passed over to become the responsibility of others. Talana found the little creature to have a superior intellect and had been having something akin to a conversation when Lord Groghe approached. The firelizard detached herself from Talana and flew to him, rubbing her headpoll affectionately against his cheek, chirping to him and explaining how helpful and good she was. The Lord Holder rubbed the little thing's eyebrows and she trilled ecstatically at him.
"See you've been seducing my firelizard, what, Hah?" he sounded fierce but Talana's inner ear told her that he was rather amused.
"I've not been that enamoured of them until recently, Lord Groghe" she confessed, "But Merga is so clever!"
Talana had no intention of flattery, but the way to Lord Groghe's heart certainly was through his Firelizard. He looked pleased.
"You talk to them, what? Like that girl Brekke talks to dragons?" he asked.
"Well I talk to dragons. And they're not so very different – though" she winked at him "I'm not sure I'd care to say that to some of the stuffier Bronzes!"
Groghe roared with laughter, and caressed little Merga. He looked impatient as one of his sons approached. Talana noted it was the one she'd hit, not the vacant eyed one.
"Father, that girl should be punished. She attacked me!" he whined.
"Saw what happened Benis. If you're stupid enough to attack a Weyrwoman, don't whine to me when she lets you off lightly." Groghe grunted irritably.
"She's wearing no knots!"
"Thread and Storm, boy, who else would burn Thread that well? I know you're a fool but I didn't realise you were defective!" He added to the girls, "Come up to the hold and wet your throats with me. I'll hear what really happened to hospitalise the pair of you."
Lirilly looked panicked, but T'lan smiled.
"We'd be honoured, Lord Groghe; I the more because your granddaughter saved me from Thread by searing it out. Though I must not be too long away from my babes; this is the time they sleep but they'll be hungry soon. I think they're as voracious as dragonets or hatchling firelizards!"
oOoOo
Talana spun Lord Groghe a highly coloured and obviously purple tale about her own fatness and clumsiness and Lirilly's vain attempts on a tubby Tamalenth to keep up - culminating in a miscalculation. The story was sufficiently outrageous in the telling to keep the Lord Holder chuckling, but it had the ring of truth. Talana had borrowed heavily on the knowledge of how Luruth had seared Laranth and substituted their own situation.
"So you see, Lord Groghe," she finished, "Though L'rilly and I didn't see eye to eye before this, it's had the positive effect of making us friends, secure in the knowledge that we're both dragonriders and we both do what we can to sear Thread. Even if that means running nose first into each other in over-enthusiastic form two hundred lengths up!"
"L'rilly, is it?" he said as he finished laughing.
"For sure, my Lord – we'd both like to work together again now we've had a chance to grow up, and we've asked T'bor if he can arrange it." Actually, Talana had spoken to Orth, who had said doubtfully that he'd mention it; but T'lan had no doubt that T'bor would capitulate. He knew her well enough to realise she never did anything without reason. He might just require some persuasion; and Talana had also been chatting with Segrith. "High Reaches might as well retain its reputation for being different. We are no-one's poor relations!" She tossed back the mane of flame red hair that had grown quite long during her pregnancy and looked proudly at him.
"Ha – Hum! Have you any idea, young woman, how much like F'lar of Benden you look?"
"Yes, my lord. However I try not to remind Lessa of that too often." She replied with equanimity. And that should settle any rumours of queens fighting, she thought. And protect Lirilly from any vindictiveness at Fort Weyr where they might well guess the truth. Groghe was not noted for his reticence, and whilst something might be said about partiality towards his eldest grandchild, he was known to be the first to complain about transgressions on the part of dragonriders. And with fairness, having been Beholden to T'ron and Mardra!
oOoOo
The shriek split the air and startled the sleeping Merga off Lord Groghe's arm scolding into the air. . Running steps brought news to the comfortable anteroom off the spectacularly carved Great Hall.
"My Lord! My Lord!" the woman almost fell into the room.
"What's going on?" Groghe asked testily, grimacing fiercely.
"My lord – it's Lord Tasker – he's dead." She blurted out, then buried her face in her apron moaning more, Talana thought, from shock than grief.
"Dead? Pull yourself together woman. How can he be dead? He was fine half an hour ago. Or as fine" he muttered to himself "as he ever is." He shook the weeping woman gently to bring her out of her hysteria. "Come Jayka, tell me."
"Oh my lord, I seen it, I seen it all." She wept. "Coming across the yard I was and I seen him up on the window ledge. Called out that he could fly and out he jumps! He's out there - and he's dead!"
Listening to this recital, Lord Groghe whitened under his normal ruddy complexion. He turned on his heel and ran towards the Hall entrance. T'lan and Lirilly exchanged looks; then they followed.
oOoOo
What was left of the youth lay spread on the hard forecourt. There was no doubt that he was dead. Faces looked out of the windows, and knots of people had gathered staring at the spectacle. Groghe made an inarticulate noise and stood staring at the mess that had been his son. Talana spoke up, using the carrying tones she used to direct weyrlings in practice.
"That'll do with the idle spectacle .You there" she pointed at one of the onlookers "Go and get Master Oldive."
"Be'ant it a bit late for He?" asked the man. Talana quelled him with a look and he hastened away. She continued, "you four there, two blankets, one to cover his face and one to use as a stretcher. As for the rest of you gapejaws, if you're still here after I've counted ten, there's two queen dragons who could use mucking out."
Talana did not bother to mention that dragons, when healthy, evacuated Between; the threat was sufficient and faces miraculously disappeared from windows. She turned to Lord Groghe.
"My lord, I thought Master Oldive should come, because I saw Lord Tasker behaving strangely earlier. I thought then he was drunk, but it doesn't seem right; and if there's any illness causing irrational behaviour, we ought to find out about it to quarantine."
The Lord Holder stared at her, barely comprehending what she was saying; then he nodded.
"Do what you must." His voice was ragged. "He wasn't a bad boy you know – not like some of 'em. Easily led. Not a bad boy." He turned on his heel and walked into the hold, his shoulders bowed.
"Will the Lady Holder look after him?" Talana asked Lirilly. Lirilly nodded.
"If not Lady Benoria then one of his subsidary ladies will. He has a succession of ladies each younger and louder than the last. How do you think he's bred so many children over such a stretch of years?"
"Certainly isn't pure thoughts." Grunted T'lan as she waited for master Oldive.
oOoOo
Master Oldive was not best pleased to see Talana.
"What do you think you're doing out here, young woman?" He asked.
"Rate me later, Master Oldive. I'm concerned that there might be some illness here – for why should a healthy young man scarcely an adult declare that he could fly, and leap from a window – a young man who earlier had spoken about going Between?" She said, pulling back the cover from young Lord Tasker's body. Master Oldive pulled up short.
"Great Shells!" he exclaimed. "I was told he had fallen, that life was extinct – but" he tutted at the shattered remains, then got down to business. He sniffed the bleeding mouth. "No alcohol" he said. "Well, I must study the body."
"I could help." Talana volunteered.
"What do you know of the healing arts?"
"Master Oldive, I know more about dragon healing; but I've an insatiable curiosity about everything."
He smiled a little.
"Very well. I can't really spare anyone else anyway. Go feed your younglings and then scrub up and join me." He thought to himself that at least then he would know exactly where his most troublesome patient was!
Talana ran off to see to the twins. Lirilly shuddered.
"T'lan, how could you?"
"There's something that I'm missing. Something I've seen or heard today that's nagging me. But we need to check there's no disease. I've no desire to emulate Moreta."
Master Oldive had laid out an awesome array of knives and saws at the side of the stripped body of the young man by the time Talana had satisfied the appetites of her sons. She swallowed hard.
"Nothing to fear from the dead." Grunted the Masterhealer.
"I'm not afraid of that." She said with dignity. "I'm afraid of being squeamish when there's time to think. Generally when you're sewing dragons and riders back together you're too busy keeping them alive to throw up at the smells."
He smiled grimly.
"All I need you to do is pass me knives. I'm going to examine his guts in case he's picked up some kind of poisoning. Records do mention strange behaviour related to poisoning by a fungus on grains, and that could also risk the whole hold."
T'lan watched with some interest as Master Oldive slit open the boy's abdomen. She bent over to see better; then straightened in surprise.
"Did I just smell what I thought I smelled?" She asked him. He bent down to sniff.
"Yes." He said grimly. "And that solves another mystery. Though it should not have that effect." He tutted to himself deep in thought.
"Tell me," asked T'lan, "Have you ever had a brewing of fellis that went wrong, gave bad dreams?"
He stared at her.
"Yes – yes, last year."
"Who was involved?"
"Only one journeyman – rather a lazy fellow, who was careless in the distillation process."
"Let me have his name."
"Wenner. But the stuff was thrown out."
"But he knows what happened to it. If he experimented and those young fools at the hold used it like alcohol to combat fear in Threadfall…"
"Were you out in Threadfall?" he asked sternly, diverted from his examination.
"Of course. Drives me crazy being indoors and it upsets the boys. Left 'em with Silvina who's calmer than me even indoors. I hate being shut in."
"We – ell; if you chafe at it half as much as Journeyman Menolly does, it wouldn't help the babes."
"Quite so. I thought if you didn't mind, I'd go up the hall and see if I can confirm any of my wild guesswork."
"Just remember that you're still my patient and I'll not have my handiwork damaged." He said.
oOoOo
Talana put on a formal tunic to go to the hold with the intricate triangular junior weyrwoman's knot at the shoulder, the dark blue of High Reaches Weyr entwined with gold to indicate her dragon's colour, since the same complex knot indicated a wingleader. Talana reflected that the style of the knots was reflected in much of the carven stonework she had seen in Fort Hold, intricate patterns surrounding doors and windows. She sought out the other lad who had been acting strangely, a fosterling from Telgar. She came straight to the point.
"How much did Wenner charge for the stuff?" she asked bluntly.
"T-two marks a dose." He quavered. She noticed he did not question the name she used, nor query what 'stuff' she meant. He was very shaken and still under the influence of the fellis-based narcotic.
"Two marks? And you paid?"
"He didn't ask that much at first. But when he put the price up and we didn't pay we got ill."
"Well, laddy, I'm afraid you'll just have to be ill until that pernicious stuff works its way out of your system. I suggest hot baths and purgatives." She added.
oOoOo
Armed with information, Talana went to see Lord Groghe. He listened in silence as she explained that Fellis had been systematically disappearing, and treated in a different way than usual had been responsible indirectly for his son's death. As she finished her narrative he beckoned forward a couple of his people.
"Go to Master Oldive and ask him to attend; and ask him to place one Journeyman Wenner in your custody."
They bowed and left. Groghe silently stroked Merga and Talana was not sure whether to leave quietly or stay. She looked toward the door.
"Oh do sit down, weyrwoman" Groghe said irritably. "I need you testimony for one thing. You're a clever little thing for all that you're pretty."
Talana digested that, trying to find a connection between lack of beauty and abundance of brain. She failed; but smiled at him anyway. There's a soft centre under that gruff exterior, she thought; and I imagine the successive ladies he takes are very happy with him. He probably spoils them rotten in private and shouts at them in public. Her musings were interrupted by the arrival of Master Oldive and the two holders. Oldive came directly to the point.
"I'm afraid, Lord Groghe that Wenner cannot be brought to justice."
"Cannot? What do you mean, cannot?" The Lord Holder was angry; the veins on his forehead stood out purple.
"He has left the hold." Master Oldive spoke in a precise way. "According to the other journeymen, he began to show signs of agitation when the news of the dramatic death of Lord Tasker started spreading; one of them saw him packing half an hour later. He's been gone over an hour."
Lord Groghe stood up, his hands clenched.
"He must be hunted down!"
"Lord Groghe?" Talana spoke up.
"YES?" He swung round so quickly Merga was dislodged, and she fluttered at him, ticking him off with angry trills and chitters.
"This is a menace to all Pern if it should become widely known. I could bespeak Lioth and ask the riders to help hunt him."
"Do it, Weyrwoman T'lan." He growled.
oOoOo
N'ton was not too happy with the idea of hunting down a criminal; and it took sometime for Talana to explain the danger. She sighed for T'bor, who might be abrasive but at least he had a grasp of unpleasant realities. N'ton was fine, upright and honourable and cautious of the feelings of the holders. Which was why of course he'd been chosen to replace T'ron. The idea of using dragons to catch criminals definitely did not appeal to him. Nor, as she pointed out, did it appeal to T'lan.
"The knowledge – the improper knowledge – this man has can be seen as akin to a plague" she explained. We'd not hesitate to intervene in a plague.
N'ton grumbled; but agreed to look and send word for the Lord holder's men to follow on runner-beasts. However, the question was academic; for Wenner disappeared as surely as if he had been devoured by Thread, which Lord Groghe devoutly hoped might yet happen.
oOoOo
T'lan had only just got back to her room when R'gar arrived to spend a surreptitious night.
"After all" he said, "You must have had a pretty boring day."
Talana agreed that his arrival ALWAYS livened things up!
May I make the point now that I think the knots drawn in the Dragonlover's Guide to Pern are seriously disappointing and boring. Bearing in mind the rich and vibrant cultures that made up the original settlers, I should have thought that the knots are based on Celtic knotwork. My idea is that Weyr knots are based on the triangular knot, Hold Knots on the figure of eight/true lover's knot and Craft on the knot that loops through an 'e' shape. The higher one is within any of the three, the more complexity in the structure of the knot. I will also introduce the idea of adding tassels to an apprentice knot to indicate seniority. For images of celtic knots, Google for images of 'celtic knots'. I found one image too of a tapestry of two dragons with knotwork around them, which I can see being part of the furnishings in any Hold or Weyr; I'm sorry I can't illustrate my stories the way I do the ones I print out for personal consumption. I'm not sufficiently computer savvy to put knots between scenes rather than script. Working on it.