Mnementh says F'lar wants to see you, Canth informed his rider. F'nor sighed and brushed back the lock that fell into his eyes. Brekke sleeps, the brown reassured him. I will not leave her.
"I know," F'nor replied. "Best get this over with." He bushed back Brekke's hair for the hundredth time, kissed her forehead and then left his seat at her bedside. Canth was curled on his couch, head extended towards the sleepingroom. F'nor paused on his way past to scratch his dragon's eyeridge and derived some brief comfort from the contact.
F'lar was drinking klah when F'nor entered the queen's weyr. He waved his brother to a seat.
"So what have you been up to without telling me, F'nor?" he asked, testily.
"Well, I was going to tell you about it," F'nor replied, sitting down and pouring himself some klah, "but you were so involved in your grub project I couldn't get a word in. I wanted to ask for your support."
"Support of what?"
"Well the Oldtimers can be so hidebound about traditions, I needed you to back me up when Canth flew Wirenth."
"Canth fly Wirenth!" F'lar exclaimed. "F'nor, he's a brown! There's a reason only bronze's fly queens."
"Because browns aren't strong enough: they'd exhaust themselves," F'nor leaned forward, his voice intense, "but Canth's as big as any of the Southern bronzes. And I wasn't about to let any of their riders abuse Brekke. Not when she was afraid to start with."
"Afraid? We can't have sexually inhibited weyrwomen, F'nor. She has to adapt."
F'nor was on his feet without any clear idea of getting there. "She was a far better weyrwoman than Kylara, and that one adapted fast enough!" he almost snarled at his brother.
"True," F'lar conceded, "but I still don't see why you had to risk Canth. Why are you so different to the bronze riders?"
"She chose me. And don't you dare get angry at Brekke because it was my idea."
F'lar seemed to buckle. "I'm not about to call Brekke to account for anything," he said, "not after what happened yesterday. Mnementh says you brought her here?"
F'nor nodded, sat down again and brushed his hand through his hair. "She's in my weyr. Canth says she's not always asleep but she won't respond to anything."
