Chapter 4

The whole Weyr turned out to watch Lenner walk the high wire between two weyrs; Dukkar had asked to be the safety man with the dragon, more in resignation than enthusiasm. Dukkar did not doubt his son's ability to perform the feat; he just sometimes thought that the young man took showmanship too far! And while Fordel scolded, it was plain he adored his oldest grandson for his daring!

It was far from the other end that Lenner started, crossing the more risky area above land first, as it was in the centre that risk increased. Moreover as he grew fatigued too his muscles were more likely to betray him by cramping: for the distance was some 20 lengths. Several ropes had been expertly spliced together by seabred riders and they swore the splice would survive a gale at sea. Lenner was satisfied with the neat work, and was happy to trust his weight to it, thanking them for their care.

One of them grinned, his teeth very white in a weatherbeaten face. "Well lad, I have 20 marks riding on you doing this right," he said.

Lenner grinned back. "Then I'd better not let you down," he quipped. A rider with a slate was busy taking side bets in addition to Lenner's first wager. Dragonmen were keen gamblers.

oOoOo

The walk went well; but to Jessenia, watching keenly to make sure Preth kept the rope taut through his front paws and then under the weight of his body, it seemed to take an eternity. Sweat gathered on her forehead and upper lip and she dashed it away impatiently.

"He's doing well" said A'tar. "I confess, I'm impressed."

"He's good" said Jessenia, "and he's crossed the Igen river at Lemos main Hold before now, several turns ago, but he's never done a walk so far…"

"He'll make it" said A'tar "and I'll be glad to lose my money to him."

Thoughts flooded Jessenia's mind that A'tar had only to tell Preth to slacken the rope to win his bet by causing Lenner to fall; then she burned with shame at such thoughts. Dragonmen did not do such things.

"Preth says you think loudly" said A'tar quietly "And my thanks that you trust me. MOST dragonmen do not do such things; but when small numbers are presented to Impress, remember a dragon MUST Impress and can end up picking the least worst . . . if you're to be one of us you need to know that. I can't see it happening at Igen, or at High Reaches, and probably not at Benden. But there are a few rotten apples still."

Jessenia stared at him in consternation, noting that his handsome brown face was serious. Then she nodded. "Thank you for the warning, A'tar" she said. "I'll keep a watch out if I should end up in other Weyrs than you think totally safe . . .if rotten apples in one they could be in others, I guess.

A'tar nodded. "You're a pretty girl. If you impress a Green rather than a Queen, Blue and Brown Riders are going to want to know you for their dragons as much as for themselves. I'm not averse to getting to know you for that reason myself; but I'm going to be up front about it, and I'm not sure I'm in with much chance because I'm too old for you. I'm Turned 30."

"I appreciate your honesty, A'tar. I guess I'd look for someone my own age, but I'm not looking for anyone yet. I'd like to know you as a friend though, if that's not presumptuous of me."

He smiled. "Not at all, though if I'm seeing to weyrling chores, you'll take orders like anyone."

"Oh, I can take orders" said Jessenia cheerfully. "I'm one of the youngest, 'member? Oh, he wobbled!"

"Downer" said A'tar laconically. "Updrafts and downdrafts in the bowl. He's all right."

Lenner had regained balance from the unexpected downdraft, and continued on his way, arms outstretched. He looked relieved as he stepped off the rope onto the stone ledge of the weyr, however!

The applause was thunderous.

Jessenia boxed his ears and hugged him tightly, crying.

"There, sis!" He held her to him. "I never dreamed you'd worry about me."

"Fool!" said Jessenia. "Don't ever do that fool sort of trick again!"

He ruffled her short mop. "Well, depends on the wager. . . I'm glad it's over, though, my legs hurt something awful."

"Sit," Jessenia pointed to the floor, and started to massage the tortured muscles.

"Ten turns younger than me and bossy as me ma" Lenner complained to A'tal, groaning and cursing simultaneously.

"Born weyrwoman" said A'tal cheerfully. "Ready for the trip down to your triumph?"

"You bet" said Lenner.

"And here's my wager." A'tal handed over his handful of marks, which Lenner pocketed, grinning.

"And I'll tell granddad I already had my ears well boxed," he grinned at Jessenia. She rolled her eyes upwards at him, more as a matter of form than anything else.

Brothers DID need the occasional reproof.

oOoOo

The trip down left her gasping for leaving her belly below, but she enjoyed it, too!

"None of you folk seem scared of dragons," marvelled A'tar.

"What's to be afraid of," said Lenner laconically. "Dragons don't hurt people; people hurt people. Dragons save people"

"Preth says he wishes more people felt like you" sighed A'tar, shaking Lenner's hand. "Me, I'd be proud for you and your kin to call me friend."

"We'd be proud to have your friendship" said Lenner before he disappeared in a crowd of Riders thumping him on the back and congratulating him and paying up if they had wagers with him.

oOoOo

Fordel had private words with Lenner – not that it left him visibly chastened – and the troupe set up their equipment for a show. G'narish had invited them to stay a couple of sevendays to give a full demonstration of their skills, and it was appreciated. The Weyr fed well, and even practices attracted an audience of often knowledgeable people. Several weyrlings begged to join in, and Fordel told them to seek permission of the Weyrlingmaster.

Weyrlingmaster V'sheren came to see Fordel. He was quite a young Bronze Rider, but was seconded to teaching for the almost useless right arm he kept tucked in his belt, where Threadscore had cost him the use of it. Jessenia suspected the Bronze dragon with the bad limp was his, too.

The Weyrlingmaster nodded to Fordel. "My scamps have tried to cadge training for free," he said, "but the Weyr would pay you for your time to give them some basic lessons; anything that'd improve reactions and help them duck and dive might help 'em avoid this." He indicated his own arm. "And we prize general fitness in the Weyr." He grinned at Jessenia. "If this lass come to us for Impression, she could end up with a permanent job helping me out."

Fordel's eyebrows went up. "You take girls for Greens here?"

"We haven't yet . . . I understood that A'tar told her we are planning to."

Fordel glared at Jessenia.

Jessenia shrugged. "He said he'd talk to Weyrleader G'narish. There didn't seem any point choosing what weyr to go to unless the Weyrleader said it was all right," she said. "Igen's on our circuit. I'd as soon come here if they'd have me. Besides, if I DO Impress, it'd be nice to be one of the first in any one place," she added.

"The whole family are showmen," grunted Fordel. "Well, Weyrlingmaster, if you're happy for your lads to learn, I'm happy to teach them some basics – so long as they're clear that it takes a lifetime of training and conditioning to do what my family do, having been tumbling since they could walk and training seriously from about four turns. I'll have NO larking about and I'll thrash any lad who does anything dangerous, Dragonrider or no Dragonrider, for he'll risk his dragon too if he risks his own neck."

V'sheren nodded. "I approve your stipulations. . . I'll put the fear of Thread into them to obey you, kids being kids, and explain why. From tomorrow? And can we contract you to stay another sevenday after you planned?"

Fordel nodded. "Anything we can do for the Weyr we will; Dragonmen are our saviours," he said. "And if you give us our keep there'll be no charge for it; it's our pleasure and duty to do all we can for the Weyr."

"Then the pleasure is doubly ours to have you as guests," said V'sheren, holding out his hand to Fordel to seal the bargain. "And if you take no payment, then you will, I hope, accept favours in lieu – such as a lift to your next stop."

oOoOo

The weyrlings were more enthusiastic than apt at tumbling, but they could at least learn how to fall, and limber up to a level few would have believed possible! Older riders too asked permission to join in, seeing real benefit; and Jessenia overheard a scrap of conversation that went a long way to explain why suddenly Dragonriders should try new things. For one rider said to another:

"People laugh at High Reaches for being eccentric, but they've never lost a weyrling since they took on eccentricity, and their safety record is fantastic – I'm willing to be eccentric if it saves my life or one of my sons."

As there were often visiting riders with the dark blue strand of High Reaches, it looked as though the two Weyrs were exchanging ideas, and that Igen liked what High Reaches was doing!

oOoOo

G'narish also asked to speak to all but the youngest three acrobats. "I'll be blunt and to the point" he said, as his smiling, pretty Weyrwoman passed over klah and cakes. "I've been speaking with T'bor; High Reaches has a reputation for, er, nosiness, and they were shocked to find there are Holdless children who have no kin and are uncared for without having committed any crime."

"Like Piaz and his siblings" said Jessenia.

Fordel cuffed her. "Speak when you're spoken to!" he said.

G'narish turned to Jessenia. "Tell me more," he said. "I know of a lad called Piaz, I wonder if he's the same boy?"

"He and his siblings mudlarked at the Lemos bridge" said Jessenia. "The Riverfolk said they got taken in by a smith-trained lady."

G'narish nodded. "Ah, yes, the Lady Petrilla. It is the same lad that I know of. She's an agent of High Reaches: they take in orphans in unfortunate circumstances because the Holds do NOT fulfil all their duty to such orphans!" He frowned. "We've a couple of boys we'll bring in under pretext of Search, eight and nine turns old, brothers who could not keep up their cot when their parents died and no-one ready to help them. . . They've been thieving and mudlarking and now we're planning on extending High Reaches' work here, Lady Petrilla has sent us word of them."

"Yes, there are unfortunates," said Fordel. "If they make themselves useful fetching and carrying we feed them; but we don't make so much we can take on makeweights: if you take on one, you take on all."

Weyrwoman Nadira smiled. "Credit to you for feeding them some make-work" she said in her silvery voice. "We were hoping that you would keep an eye out for such needy children – and elderlies thrown out for being unproductive, as I believe happens – and let us know. High Reaches offers a bounty; and we should do the same of course, and pay the keep if you bring any to us."

"I'll take no bounty for helping someone to stick by the Charter" said Fordel stiffly. "But remuneration for expenses would be gratefully accepted."

"No insult was intended" said Nadira hastily, "but you might spread the word of a bounty for GENUINE orphans – we will not take a happy view of kidnap – for those of less scrupulous duty than yourselves."

Fordel nodded, mollified. "We chose Holdlessness" he said. It was plainly implied in his tone that though he held pride in that choice that he recognised that there were those who did not so choose.

"As do many," said G'narish. "And some with less thought of their duty to support the Weyr as an accompaniment to their Right of protection than you have, good Fordel. And we are happy to protect all and protect their Right not to live in a Hold or Hall. You are, in effect, a crafthall that travels; and in my opinion you should hold title of Master Acrobat for you are assuredly a Master of your skill."

Fordel tried not to look pleased, and failed.

G'narish went on, "but as you know there are those who do NOT choose to be Holdless. For some it is a punishment; and perhaps they deserve the degradation of many Holdless Caverns and a precarious existence. But when they have children, is that right or fair? Or when children lose the right to Hold a cot and the nearest Hold will not take them in? Or even a family like your own, say, when its adults die of some disaster or disease? It is those young people, bereft of support through no wish or desire of their own that we would wish to aid. If they choose a Holdless life when they are of an age to make up their own minds THAT is their choice and their Right. But we would see the victims of society cared for and, if talented, apprenticed appropriately; and, if suitable, also put to egg.

Fordel sniffed. "Kin and neighbours are SUPPOSED to do that," he said. "Aye, Weyrleader, you're right; it's not just the more feckless Holders that ignore their duties. And some youngsters run away from the grudging duty of hard or cruel relations . . . you'd count them?"

"Indeed yes . . . you've anyone in mind?"

Fordel shook his head. "Not right now. There was a lad forced to drudge and beaten, ran away to join us. He was no acrobat, but we took him to the Riverfolk . . . he's doing well with them. Don't say there won't be others, though."

"I trust your judgement to send on any you find," said G'narish. "I hope you'll accept the gift of a firelizard egg and training to use to send messages?"

Fordel looked for a moment as though he were about to refuse, then relaxed and nodded his head.

"It'll make sending messages easier," he said.

"You could train it to join in the acrobatics too" said Lenner eagerly. "Like that fair that was joining in and squabbled over Jess' hoops."

"Aye, well, if it can be TRAINED" said Fordel.

"Oh, they train up very well," said Nadira, petting her own little gold lizard. "The fair who were flying over the hoop didn't understand what it was for when Jessenia tossed it up; they just thought it was a game for them. You'd soon devise tricks for the little creature, I'm sure!"

"Aye, well, maybe." Fordel would not comment himself – but Jessenia knew he was thinking hard!

It was a trustworthy position to be agents for the Weyr; and she knew her crusty grandfather was moved at having that trust placed in him, and by the Weyrleader himself!