6 Mirielle
Mirielle lay in bed for a minute or two every morning after she awoke wondering it her waking were part of her dream and she'd wake to find it all gone away! She had never believed that she could ever be so contented and happy!
Not that she had been in any way Unhappy before; but life as a Holdless trader's niece was quite tough, even at the best of times; and the abuses of Lord Aven, including the rape of her little sister Kaili, had put a strain on the whole family. It had been so wonderful to find that her beloved brother Daire, feared dead, had become Bronze Rider D're! And the hospitality of the Weyr extended to taking the tale of injustice on the Mulgan family before Lord Bargen!
Now, best of all, life had become unbelievably wonderful!
Kaili had been given the opportunity to grow up away from her family, and more important, away from the twins that had been the tangible result of Lord Aven's dubious gallantries; Mirielle for the first time in years did not feel the need to worry about and care for her little sister. In addition, and the most wonderful thing she could ever have imagined, she was a candidate, with the chance of Impressing a dragon friend. If there was anything more wonderful life could hold, Mirielle was not aware of it! She thought all dragons were wonderful, and had formed as close a friendship as any but a dragon's own rider could with Tamalenth, the Golden Queen Impressed to her beloved brother's weyrmate, L'rilly. L'rilly had been wonderful and had agreed to foster both Kaili's twins; and Mirielle had been glad to have the opportunity to repay her help by helping bathe and oil Tamalenth during the Queenrider's serious illness, during which time she formed so close a bond with the unhappy and worried Queen.
Mirielle did worry a little that, when other candidates arrived, they might misunderstand and resent her friendship with a Queenrider; but she was a sensible girl, and shrugged the thought off. After all, High Reaches was an informal sort of place. Either new candidates would accept that, and fit in; or they would not, and would not.
Mirielle's serene demeanour and naturally good manners could offend no-one; even Prisca, who despised her Holdless birth, gave her grudging respect. As other candidates began to arrive in anticipation of a clutch she found she could get on with just about all of them. Firmly she told herself that she would NOT take an interest in young Siselly; being a sensible girl, Mirielle realised that if she let the younger girl treat her like an elder sister, she would be lumbered with another Kaili. It sounded dreadful when she thought that to herself, as though she did not love her little sister; but she recognised the truth in L'rilly's summation that she should live for herself for a bit before she DID start resenting Kaili! Thus she treated Siselly with pleasantness, but distance.
Of the early candidates in, Katha was closest to Mirielle in age; Sibealle and Libethra were older. Libethra was not technically a candidate, but Mirielle was privy to the Weyrwomen's plans for her! Imbelline, with her quaint way of talking, seemed older than her turns and had besides a practical outlook on life that Mirielle found endearing. Shuba she could not understand at all; but as the girl spent all her leisure time with her lover Joana she had little need to be anything but polite.
And so high summer was reached; and even so far north and so high in the mountains it was close in the confines of the bowl, the very singing of the weesweets drowsy and unwilling. Children were fretful and snappish; and Mirielle was glad they were none of her responsibility! In such weather, Threadfall posed more of a risk, being neither frozen nor drowned, and liable to grow quickly if it reached the ground in the lush growth of the relatively brief northern summer. T'bor had been assiduous in sending out his people to the most remote cotholds carrying the grubs to deal with the menace on the ground as soon as Masterfarmer Andemon had bred new batches, but it would be the next Pass before they were seeded freely enough to have any real impact and prevent the need for Holders to walk sweep after the Fall was over. It was not a comfortable time; mentally or physically, for candidates spent much of their time bagging firestone and the gritty, grubby feeling added to the sweaty discomfort engendered by the heat. When not at her duties, Mirielle liked to change after bathing into a loose frock and sit outside in the shade with some sewing, watching the world go by.
Mirielle was curious, therefore, when a Brown dragon flew in bearing the distinctive orange knots of Ista Weyr. In fact, most of the logicators paused briefly in whatever they were doing to assess the young man with the unaccustomed tan, bright clothing, and several packs slung on the broad back of his dragon. He was a good looking man, the suntan dark over probably naturally swarthy features, a crop of crisp curly black hair that escaped all unruly when he pulled off his flying cap, and large, expressive brown eyes, almond shaped but with the tiny wrinkles starting that speak of being regularly screwed up against bright sunlight.
The Brown Rider noticed Mirielle appraising him, and returned the compliment, flashing her a smile that displayed perfect white teeth.
Mirielle was not usually given to blushing; but she felt her cheeks warm, and she looked down her short nose at the Rider and the unmistakeable invitation in his eyes. Did he think she was available and easy?
Actually, she told herself, probably, yes. It was well known that many girls came to weyrs to enjoy the freedoms that they offered; and that included the sexual freedoms.
oOoOo
K'shon went jauntily in to see the Weyrleader of High Reaches Weyr, firmly suppressing nervousness. The pretty girl he had encountered was a boost, though she sure looked more strait-laced than he was accustomed to!
T'bor listened to K'shon's story and his reasons for transferring to High Reaches; and read the letter from D'ram that the young man had brought. He nodded.
"D'ram is, of course" said the Weyrleader "Quite naturally preoccupied by his Weyrwoman's ill health. It is not, perhaps a good time to have worried him with additional things."
"He is still Weyrleader" said K'shon. "I never asked him to DO anything; only to let me pick some volunteers and experiment. G'dened said it might take his mind of Fanna's condition."
T'bor did not sigh.
He had grown too used to T'lana and H'llon to even find this young man's ideas strange, let alone outrageous. He said,
"Go to Weyrwoodcrafter H'llon and ask for paper. Pick an empty weyr for yourself, there are a few unoccupied, and when you've settled in, write down ALL your ideas, with diagrams where applicable for different patterns. Have them on my desk as soon as you can. Threadfall tomorrow morning one hour before dawn; join H'llon's wing, it's an experimental wing, you'll have to run through his patterns with him." He nodded dismissal; and K'shon found himself meekly leaving.
He picked up his bags and grinned again at Mirielle.
"How'd you like to give me a hand unpacking and stay to help me settle in?" he said to her, taking her for a lower cavern woman almost certain to be flattered by the attentions of a Brown Rider.
He was disconcerted to be regarded steadily by a pair of piercing blue eyes.
"I trust, Brown Rider" said Mirielle in her soft Ruathan brogue "That you did not mean that suggestion as it sounded. For I'd be taking it as an insult so I would that ye'd be suggesting the use of me body for a temporary fit of bodily gratification for all of Pern like I was no more than a pot of klah t'be consumed."
K'shon was taken aback; but it was such an incongruous comment. He saw the funny side and laughed.
"I apologise, if you feel I've insulted you" he said. "I'm intrigued by the choice o comparison, though. I might have expected a girl to ask if I thought she was a loving wench – but a pot of klah?"
She shrugged.
"Sure and it's not like a loving wench at all. They, after all, sell a commodity and 'tis their bread. 'Tis not a commodity I'm prepared to but on sale at all, t'be sure" her brogue broadened "But I'm also not used t'being asked casually to donate it. 'Tis the casual attitude puts me in mind of askin' for klah."
K'shon was fascinated by the accent as well as the pretty face; and by her articulate reasoning.
"I see!" he said. "Well, I have apologised; can I modify the request to one of helping me get a weyr straight and my unpacking sorted?"
Mirielle considered.
"Very well, Brown Rider, I'd be glad to help in any way I can. Where will you be weyring? Did T'bor suggest anywhere?"
He grinned.
"That I don't know; the Weyrleader said, pick an unoccupied one."
"We've precious few of those….we've a good complement of riders, over three hundred and fifty and building."
K'shon whistled.
"That's pretty good, especially considering how High Reaches started short handed after, er, the change of leadership. How's that managed?"
"Conventional wisdom holds that it's down to the efforts of our fine Weyrlingmaster R'gar; sure, the joke amongst the Blooded is that they're almost overtrained. I, for one, would be happy to know I was so well trained that my actions were automatic."
She spoke more like a Rider than a lower cavern woman and K'shon was beginning to wonder if he had put his foot in it up to the neck as D'ram was often heard to sigh was his wont.
"Er, look – can I ask you who you are?"
"F'sure. Me name's Mirielle and I'm a candidate for Segrith's clutch when she lays it."
"You've some assurance on you. I can see why they picked you on Search. Though if the clutch isn't laid yet, why are they Searching girls? You can't guarantee a Golden Queen egg."
Mirielle looked down her nose again.
"First off, I came t'be with kin, not on Search, initially; and it was suggested to me that I stand. Second, I'm planning on standing for a Green dragon anyway."
"Like Mirrim?" he was half scornful "Say, you're way too even tempered and nice to fly a Green!"
Mirielle laughed.
"And you have no tact at all, Brown Rider. Now suppose you tell me your name and why you're here if it's NOT to get the chance to chase our female Green Riders; and I'll take you to see Keerana about some basic furniture."
"Keerana?"
"Our Headwoman. Everyone, I mean EVERYONE defers to Keerana; she keeps the place running."
"I'll bear that in mind, Candidate Mirielle. My name's K'shon, and my move was suggested by my, uh, previous, Weyrleader."
Mirielle cocked up an eyebrow.
"Oh – you've got ideas they can't take?" she said.
"Sounds like you've heard it all before" K'shon was not sure if he was relieved or hurt.
"Let's just be sayin' that it constitutes another reason we have a full and effective complement; if someone had a new idea and it's a good one, we implement it" she grinned ruefully "Here's meself talking as though I'm a fully fledged Rider already! But me brother and his weyrmate bein' full of enthusisasm, it's hard not be carried away meself, for he's me best brother, and she's me dearest friend."
"And who are they?"
"Me brother's called D're; and he weyrs with L'rilly."
He blinked.
"You contract the names of your female Green Riders too?"
"And Gold. Savin' only Pilgra, for she's unique and 'twil not shorten f'ease in any case; and 'tis used everyone is to her name in full anyway."
"And what colours do your brother and his mate ride then?" he asked.
She regarded him steadily.
"why, does it make a difference to you?"
"Not to me, but it does most places. And by your manner, I'm wondering if they're Bronze and Gold."
"As it happens they are" she said "But it does not affect my manner, I hope, K'shon. I know, as a candidate, I am the lowest of the low; but that does not prevent my free autonomy over me own body, nor does it affect the fact that I have respect earned to meself for having skills outside of primping and whinin' as some candidates seem t'think is the proper way t'behave."
He chuckled.
"Great Shells, that's the truth with many of the girls! Do your skills by any chance include cleaning if one of your few spare weyrs is dirty?"
"Indeed it does; I said I'd help and that includes clearing out any accumulation of dust. I'll go get brushes and change into work clothes. I suggest that one" she pointed up "Right above the weyrling barracks. They're less popular for some reason, though the Harperweyr has taken over a good few of 'em. The one at the top there will get most sun for longest for your thin Ista blood."
oOoOo
The weyr Mirielle had suggested caught the last rays of the sun in summer and was rather hot at this time of the turn; though to someone used to the southern heat of Ista it was less noticeable.
"Not easy to keep it cool" K'shon remarked, not entirely satisfied having brought Mirielle and her cleaning equipment up to see it.
"Believe you me, Brown Rider K'shon, you'll be glad of it in the winter" she told him "And so will your dragon."
"Guth is already put out" he said.
"I'll bet" she started brushing with a will "This won't take long; it's only been empty since just after last Turnover, it was occupied by an elderly Oldtimer who liked the warmth….it's a swap really, 'cos he got fed up of joint ail and asked to go live out his last turns in Ista. So tell me, what ideas were so radical even D'ram threw you out? T'bor says he's a very practical man and he can't praise anyone much more highly."
K'shom was torn between pleasure at praise for his former Weyrleader and slightly hurt at the suggestion he'd been thrown out.
"It wasn't like that!" he sounded injured. "He – he's a little testy right now. Fanna's ill, you know." Mirielle nodded; the Oldtimer Weyrwoman had been showing signs of illness for a while, and everyone was very sorry for her and for D'ram, for they were, as T'bor put it, the best face of the Oldtimers. Mirielle suspected that he had forgotten that his own Weyrwoman Pilgra was also an Oldtimer! K'shon added, "I just had some ideas about some wings flying a slightly different pattern and with flamethrowers as well as the dragons flaming."
She nodded.
"To, well not double, but to increase efficiency. I can only think of one objection anyone might have to that."
"What's that?" he almost snapped.
"Well, as I understand it, dragons talk to each other constantly in Fall in their minds; and they know where each other is, and so flaming accidents are rare. Queens are few in number, so they're less likely to flame each other. With larger numbers of Riders holding flamethrowers, I'm thinkin' the statistical likelihood of an accident increases exponentially with every extra Rider" she was pleased that she had remembered T'lana's technical terms for the last sentence.
"But Riders sense exactly where dragons are too!" he said.
"K'shon, do explain that ye've a rare gift when you tell the rest" said Mirielle "For I've heard enough of people soundin' off about things to know that YOU might know; but most people don't."
He stared.
"They don't?"
"You've never mentioned it, right, because you assumed it was part of Impressing?"
He nodded.
"I bet ye knew when dragons came from Between before you Impressed."
"Of course."
"Huh, no of course about it. It's a gift. Like H'llon senses Thread and heavy weather and T'lana talks to all dragons…lots of Riders have gifts but it don't stand to reason they're all the same."
He looked crestfallen.
"Then my ideas are useless" he said.
"Not necessarily" said Mirielle. "If the leading edge Riders used flamethrowers the nature of being at the front would decrease the risk of accidents, because even in wedge they'd be flaming outwards."
He nodded eagerly.
"Or if people were at staggered heights in lines it could work!" he almost shouted.
Mirielle grinned.
"Why not ask H'llon for some paper to draw it up and write it out? T'bor's willing to try most new ideas if they've a good sound basis and have been thought properly through; once clever people like R'gar, T'lana and L'gani have discussed it and pulled it apart."
"I guess T'bor's very unusual, isn't he?"
"I guess it's what comes of being self confident. He doesn't have to doubt himself – or his people. He's proud to have unusual folk here" explained Mirielle. "T'lana says he used to get a little uptight before he got used to her, but by the time H'llon arrived he figured that by comparison she was quite conservative."
"There are stories here!"
She shot him a look.
"Aye, and if you're to be one of us you're entitled to be hearing them. Guth, I'll trouble you to move your tail."
The Brown dragon looked startled; but meekly moved his tail for Mirielle to sweep dust off the ledge.
"He's not used to non Riders addressing him" said K'shon.
"Dear me, what a singularly boring lot of non Riders you must have been associating with, Guth" said Mirielle calmly. "You'll find it very different here."
"Apparently" murmured K'shon.
"Now, K'shon, if you feel like klah and rolls, we can go to the eating cavern and I'll tell you those stories" said Mirielle brightly "And after he's dropped us Guth can come back here to bask or go hunting as he chooses."
T'bor asked Pilgra if anyone had taken pity on and seen to the comforts of that overexcited young Rider from Ista. She grinned.
"I saw Mirielle take him in hand" she volunteered. T'bor looked relieved.
"Ah, yes. Mirielle. Steady girl, that. Seemed to be settling, did he?"
"She took him to see Keerana first and Hllon second. Last I saw they were arguing over something he was drawing out and D're and l'rilly had dropped in to add comment."
T'bor smiled happily.
"Then his ideas are as good as sorted one way or another" he said. "L'rilly's still a little, ah, volatile, but D're has a good head on him."
K'shon was inclined to try to treat L'rilly and D're with formal deference; and had received some funny looks. Before long, however, he became aware that the good natured banter around him seemed independent of relative rank; and he began to relax. He was beginning to realise that Mirielle had truly meant what she said about how attitude being nothing to do with her relatives - but with her relative ability!
H'llon too joined them and was drawn enthusiastically into the discussion, but rapidly and reluctantly brought the cogitations to a close.
"For I'm on a different errand, K'shon" he said. "You've been assigned to fly in my wing, because you're ready to take on new ideas, and we work closely with L'gani's wing, because I was his Wingsecond for a while and we know how each other thinks. I want you to meet the others and L'gani and talk through the way we fly formations."
H'llon liked Weyrsecond L'gani and had been glad to have had the chance to fly as his second to learn the ropes; his own radical ideas had recently been implemented by T'bor to have a protective wing of strong dragons with high stamina but relatively manoeuvrability to cover dragons arriving and leaving, such as weyrlings bringing firestone – the time of greatest risk in the life of any dragonrider – and the half way change of the weaker Green dragons. So far the protective wing had been so successful, that with the good numbers of dragons, T'bor was considering another of H'llon's suggestions of changing in whole wings so that Fall was flown to its end by fresh dragons. L'gani had supported H'llon's ideas and was also a keen amateur woodcrafter, a skill learned building boats in the seahold where he had been born. He had helped H'llon to hand pick his team, currently just ten strong. Not all the riders were as suitable as H'llon had hoped, or entirely happy in their roles, so he hoped that this new and enthusiastic Istan would prove more suitable! K'len and R'bret were keen on the idea, but H'llon knew they would both be happier in a regular wing. Z'nil and L'zayn, clutchmates of H'llon, were more than happy, and as twins seemed to have an almost telepathic bond, that helped tremendously; Z'kan, not officially there at all, was his wingsecond, tremendously proud of his daughter's weyrmate. R'cal was good to try anything new; and M'kel was also a believer in H'llon's ideas. The final members at the moment were S'net and S'negen, also brothers and able to work with a close bond, and at H'llon's insistence their lover B'kas had been moved into the female wing as more protected, that they could better keep their minds on the dangerous task in hand without worrying about him.
K'shon was overwhelmed by the cheerful welcome he received; and was, to say the least, impressed by the complexity of the High Reaches formations; he had thought Mirielle to be exaggerating a little when she suggested how careful flamethrower wielding Riders would have to be in formation changes, but now he saw them demonstrated, by diagram and by walking formation, he saw that if anything she had understated the case! It was a graceful and complex dance that the riders performed to get the best cover for those below!
"It must be hard to co-ordinate" he said.
L'gani, explaining standard formations, nodded.
"If we didn't have T'lana directing it'd be risky indeed" he said. "But like Lessa and Brekke, she speaks to all dragons."
"And Siriwenne will be directing more when she's old enough to Impress" reminded H'llon "And she already volunteered to merge with the dragons of my wing to let them know when weyrlings go Between here so they're expecting them. It's how we can be so complex."
"And the poor child not even given a chance to grow up!" laughed L'gani.
"She volunteered; she likes being part of the patterns" said H'llon equably. "I told her to tell me if it was too much of a strain, and T'lana's watching her. Any nightmares and she's off the duty."
"By the by" said L'gani "As well as your new ideas – T'bor gave me the gist of what you said – have you any talents lurking we need to know about? H'llon was with us ages before he admitted to sensing Thread and bad weather and it took our T'lana a whole turn before anyone knew she could talk to dragons. By which time she'd borrowed Laranth and given T'bor several grey hairs when R'gar was ill….these talented idiots don't think it important enough to mention."
K'shon shuffled.
"Well I can tell good candidates, but most can I guess…and Mirielle seemed to think it important that I know exactly where other dragons are, she reckoned it wasn't common to all…." He saw the interest in the faces of the others "So she's right? It is unusual?" he pulled a face. "No wonder everyone thought I was insane to suggest carrying flamethrowers as well as flaming. It would be riskier if people didn't know exactly where everyone else was."
"But listen!" H'llon was excited "If there are other people with the same skill, it makes sense to include them in the protective wing and train them to use flamethrowers too! I'll make enquiries…."
"You do that, H'llon" said L'gani, equably. "Now, back to formations…."
oOoOo
Mirielle was with the other steady candidates and flightless weyrlings passing out firestone predawn; and K'shon gave her a grin. She gave him a good luck 'thumbs up' in time honoured fashion. Despite his unflattering assumption about her willingness to be a casual lover at their first meeting, Mirielle found she rather liked this cheerful, enthusiastic Brown Rider!
Most riders had family or friends to greet them on return; K'shon was expecting a lonely homecoming, stiff and stinking. He dared hope, however; and was delighted to find Mirielle waited with three mugs of klah, and offered him one. The others were for L'rilly and D're. D're and Esruth were still at the stage of carrying firestone back and forth; for Esruth had not achieved his full growth yet, and still got tired flying from the growing he was doing. K'shon would have wondered about a man of D're's age and maturity on so young a dragon had not his story been one of those Mirielle had told, by way of explanation of the reputation High Reaches had for oddities.
D're had been an oddity K'shom was very glad to be in the position to help to protect in H'llon's wing; and he had learned a great deal more respect for the big Wingleader. He had wondered if the protective wing would be a soft option; but it had been anything but, requiring constant vigilance and concentration. And if whole wings were to be swapped in and out, it would comprise some of the few riders who would fly the entire of Fall. It had been, however, pure showmanship to protect the arriving Telgar Weyr wings when they took up the task on the borders of Crom; and it must have been galling indeed for the arrogant-looking young Wingleader to know he was indebted to one of the High Reaches eccentricities when he emerged right under a gout of Thread that H'llon's Melth had neatly seared with a beautiful economy of flame. H'llon, a frequent attendee at Fandarel's ideas exchange was equally obsessed by efficiency as the Mastersmith, and insisted that his wing's dragons learn to expel just enough and no more.
Meantime, K'shon gratefully took the proffered mug of klah from Mirielle and grinned a tired grin at her.
"Right now, I have to say, that's a far more welcome thing than a roll in the furs with anyone!" he teased.
She grinned back; and it moved her from pretty to truly lovely, her chestnut hair glowing in the early morning sun. He looked at her seriously.
"There seem to be a lot of – well, outside, I'd call them 'old married couples" he said.
"Why do you think we can cope with so many female riders?" she asked. "Stable relationships mean less bitching; less bitching means a lower level of irritability for the dragon when she's ready to rise, because there are less undercurrents, meaning less irritability in Riders of proddy dragons; and it's all good."
He nodded.
"Mirielle, I'd like to get to know you better" he said "As a Brown Rider, of course, I'd have no chance at a Queen – only Canth has ever been big enough. Which tends to lead to a, er, casual attitude in Brown Riders particularly. But under the circumstances…."
"I've not Impressed" she warned. "I may not."
"With your brother Impressing a Bronze and your lack of fear, not to say almost cavalier attitude towards dragons?" he scoffed.
"Oh! That's just because I helped with Tamalenth when L'rilly was ill. Tamalenth's inclined to go broody and sulk when things aren't going very well; you have to jolly her along a bit" explained Mirielle. "Unlike L'rilly who wears all her emotions on the outside, Tamalenth takes it all within. So much for dragons being like their Riders; they're a clear case of opposites attract."
He chuckled.
"But you'd not manage that if they scared you."
She stared.
"Whyever would you think I'd ever be scared? Dragons are wonderful!"
"That's what I mean. Your attitude. You belong with a dragon, you know."
She frowned.
"But K'shon, if I don't Impress and we've got close, it could be difficult. And part of me's saying that it's not so sure I am that I want to be wooed just on the offchance I have a dragon to satisfy Guth. What about bein' wooed for just me own sweet self?"
He sipped his klah thoughtfully.
"I see what you mean. Like, I hate rich girls making eyes at me just because I'm 'the Brown Rider'. But you attract me. And I like talking with you. I suppose the thing that concerns ME is if there's a Golden egg and you become a Queenrider; and I'm left out of the best loving of your life."
She grinned at him.
"Oh, there's no chance of that! Zaira will have any Queen egg there is, we all know THAT! Besides" she was sober "This is all very – rapid. It – it makes me a little nervous. I know R'cal and A'ira took one look at each other and ended up weyrmates from that moment, but that sort of suddenness is not for me."
"You're aware of me though, aren't you?"
She nodded.
"Very much so. But I don't want to spoil anything by rushing it."
"You mean we should wait until after Hatching? To see if you're wrong about this Zaira? To see if you Impress? What?"
She shook her head.
"If I should Impress a Queen – which is highly unlikely, for I'm not sure if I could handle the responsibility – it would make no difference to who I weyred with. Isn't that a part of Weyr attitudes? That dragonlust is accepted and not necessarily a part of daily life?"
"Well, yes…."
"Of course, Y'lara boxed M'kel's ears when Breeneth caught Tanath not his Vorth, but it didn't split them; and Guth looks Benden bred. And Segrith's an Oldtimer Queen. If there was, and if I did, he'd just have to go into training like Camnath did" she gurgled with laughter and told him the story of R'cal and A'ira.
"So…what is it that you are saying?" he asked.
"I'm saying" she said firmly "That I really want to know you better; to become friends first before thinking about being lovers. I want to go to Gathers with you; take time off with you, let Guth get to know me so if I do Impress and we're of the same mind, he's used to the idea of us all four being together. I'll mend your clothes for you, bring you klah after Fall and you can take me on trips. And we'll see how it goes – nothing set in stone. Then if we do get on each other's nerves we can part, no big deal. Is that fair?"
"It's fair" he said, dropping a kiss lightly on her hair. She was a tall girl, but K'shon was almost as tall as H'llon if not built on such Herculean lines!
"You are a smelly object" she said cheerfully. "Go and bathe; then go to the teaching cavern. I heard H''llon rumbling about rehearsing some new pattern."
"Yes, Weyrwoman" he mocked gently.
K'shon was in something of a turmoil; Mirielle affected him more than any other woman he had known; and being both handsome and a Brown Rider, he had known plenty, mostly carnally. Perhaps it was because she was NOT ready to fall into his furs when he crooked a finger, he thought. And here, to weyr with somebody seemed to be a really serious commitment, even more than in other weyrs. And if his attraction was no more than pique, then it was better to find that out then have an acrimonious parting. He had a strong feeling that acrimonious partings would be frowned on as disharmonious!
H'llon had set out the teaching dragons in the teaching cavern. The dragons were meticulously carved all to the proper scales, colour to colour, and stained appropriately. It was a small point of pride that the dragons representing his own wing were to true scale, not general size scale and were recognisable facially. Each carven dragon had a small hole in its belly which could be set on a rod with a base so that relative heights could be represented. H'llon had initially started this project to help R'gar teach the female riders in the female wing to demonstrate the height difference between them and the main Flights above; but it had proved so useful the wingleaders often used the models to experiment with different formations, overseen by the watchful R'gar. It was another aid that had contributed to the complexity of the formations! R'gar used it too, with youngsters learning their first formations, especially in bad weather when walking the formations outside was difficult or impossible – nobody could walk formation in a howling blizzard for example!
K'shon heaved a deep sigh of satisfaction.
High Reaches actually had a niche for a maverick like him!
And maybe the comfort of a good woman besides!
From what he had seen, almost any one of the female Green Riders would have made quite adequate Queen Riders in any other Weyr, and better ones than some he had met. Mirielle was certainly, to his mind, well worthy of a Queen. And what he liked most about her, he reflected, was that she was prepared to be candid, not hide her feelings in coy giggles and denials. And she had a sense of humour. And she was practical. And she was fardling pretty too, almost an added bonus! And…there were lots of ands, thought K'shon; in fact, he might even be in love!