Happy New Year, you got an extra chapter because of Lezsa twisting my arm gently...
CHAPTER 8 Mathematics and Parents
Winter passed into spring and as the days lengthened towards summer, Mirrith's need for a bigger weyr became obvious. She grew bigger and stronger than her clutch mates; and R'gar, back to full health, permitted Mirrith and T'lan to join in some of the exercises being performed by older weyrlings. This caused a few grumbles from those who had Impressed at the same time as her, and from some of the more senior weyrlings who grumbled about working with a babe. Talana therefore kept herself to herself and concentrated on working hard and vindicating R'gar's decision. She was determined to please the weyrling master, who since his accident seemed even more given to black moods. At times he was unbending, even friendly towards her; at other times he seemed to erect a barrier. However, she made a couple of friends in a pair of brothers, Sh'len and T'ral, the sons of brown rider T'llen and Shiralla, Calla's cousin who worked under Keerana. The boys had Impressed a bronze and a brown dragon respectively, Tath and Firath. They were amused by the confusion that occasionally arose over the similarity between their father's name and T'lan's.
One person Talana could not get on with was the young Queen rider, Lirilly. Her Tamalenth was the only Queen to have hatched at High Reaches since the deaths of the two Queens, and Lirilly liked to think that the future of the Weyr was at least in part her responsibility. An egg-heavy Queen from Benden had been sent to lay at the devastated Weyr and the clutch had included a Queen egg, something rumour said sagely that Lessa had guessed and pandered to Ramoth's dislike of too many junior Queens at Benden. Search for candidates had been hasty and a little limited in choice, Lirilly coming in from a Hold in Fort via having travelled on the offchance to Benden when news of a mating flight had got about; and she had dominated the other candidates over her higher Rank than most possessed.
Lirilly also had private lessons from R'gar as Tamalenth was, like Mirrith, bigger and stronger than her clutch mates as queens tended to be; and she gave herself airs. Young for a Queen rider at just eighteen turns, and young for her age, Lirilly was resentful of the presence of a Green dragon in a Queen's weyr.
"You needn't get above yourself, young T'lan" she said loftily. "Your green is only there until she outgrows her strength and the Weyrleader realises she's nothing out of the usual. Unless" she added sarcastically "Her sexual appetite is as overdeveloped as her size and she outdoes even other greens in that"
"What, afraid she'll attract more bronzes than Tamalenth are you?" asked Talana cynically. "Don't worry – she's not interested in Orth. She thinks he's pompous." T'lan had a shrewd idea that Lirilly liked the idea of being the Weyrleader's mistress as much from the reason of power as from any personal attraction. Lirilly was left gasping at a loss for words as Talana turned on her heel and left her. The younger girl had no patience with those she considered fools, and Lirilly fell into this category. T'lan ignored her; and Lirilly's subsequent refusal to acknowledge T'lan's existence or address her directly and her little barbed remarks to no-one in particular were of little moment to the younger girl and if anything faintly amused her.
"Just like a girl" said Sh'len of Lirilly.
"Yes, they're all like that." Agreed T'ral
Talana laughed.
oOoOo
By the back end of the summer, Mirrith, at eight months old was as large as the hatchlings from the previous year's clutch. Knowing that insufficient size and strength on the part of the dragonet was an inadequate excuse to prevent T'lan flying, R'gar decided to teach the pair before they began badgering him about it. To do the boy justice, R'gar thought, he had nether made a fuss nor made any attempts on his own, unlike a couple of ill-considered brown riders of his clutch. However, R'gar had seen the wistful look in T'lan's eyes as dragons took off; and he summoned her and Mirrith. He told them his decision: and saw T'lan's brown eyes glow.
"I want you to be aware, however" said R'gar "Before I even let you try your wings, that this is an entirely different proposition from flying Laranth. He is mature and experienced. Mirrith is not." He glared at the half grown dragonet and she put her head on one side and regarded him with a half hurt, half coquettish look. R'gar firmly compressed his lips to hide a smile and delivered the important ultimatum. "You are NOT" he said "Under ANY circumstances to attempt to go between. Do you understand?"
"Yes R'gar." Talana nodded then her eyes twinkled. "I even promise to obey the restriction." R'gar gave her a repressive look. T'lan had acquired the habit of occasionally obeying instructions to the absolute letter and R'gar had not made up his mind if it was natural perversity or was intended to keep him on his toes. At least the boy had the grace to specify that he intended to obey as well as signifying his understanding. R'gar was glad that Mirrith's size meant that he could work T'lan hard. Leaders and loners needed to be kept occupied, and T'lan had gained a lot of confidence since first arriving dirty and shy so many months ago. It had surprised Talana to find herself able to lead the class when R'gar was ill; at first she had tried deferring to T'sellan as the only Bronze rider but more and more she made the decisions until she and T'sellan cemented a partnership. The addition to her circle of friends of Sh'len and T'ral gave a junta which led many of the older boys too.
oOoOo
Talana fixed the flying straps with great care, and checked them over under R'gar's watchful eye.
"Comfortable?" she asked Mirrith.
"Yes thank you." Replied Mirrith. "You are considerate, T'lan" her faceted eyes shone with love and T'lan was drawn for a moment into that shining rainbow before returning to the business in hand.
The take off was jerky.
"I'm sorry, I didn't compensate for your weight."
Talana assured her that it was quite all right and that she was doing fine. Exultantly she felt the rush of air from Mirrith's beating wings, the slipstream against her face and pulling at her clothes. Up – up Mirrith rose, higher with every beat of her wings. The ground was far below, R'gar dwindling in size, even Laranth looking as though he would fit into T'lan's palm. Mirrith executed a figure of eight around two of the seven spindles which stood black against the verdant foothills, the vegetation lush on volcanic ash plentifully watered by the runoff from the mountain. T'lan whooped happily.
"Laranth says we are to go down now" Mirrith remarked regretfully. "I could carry you all day. You are very light."
"If Laranth says we are to go down, we will go down." Talana said firmly
They spiralled gently down and landed without too much of a bump. Mirrith burbled happily to Laranth who listened indulgently. Talana's eyes shone.
"It's wonderful, R'gar! Far more than just being a passenger!" she cried. R'gar looked indulgent; T'lan continued, "Even riding Laranth I was a passenger but – oh, I've never known anything like it!" Affectionately she slipped her arm through his, jumping up and down in exhilaration. R'gar had started to smile; but then his face froze.
"It was adequate." Was all he said. The light went out of Talana's eyes. R'gar was always sparing in his praise and she knew the flight had not been perfect; but it was less the words than the flat tone in which they had been delivered that hurt. She had thought him pleased with her at first, smiling. Really, R'gar could be so difficult to understand – one minute his old self, reserved but kind; the next he would freeze her totally.
"I wish I knew what to do to please you." She said exasperated. "I know you're not as grouchy as you pretend, and shards, at least you used to talk to me even if it was to explain in exquisite detail what I was doing wrong. "
"Maybe I find a forbidding mien keeps some people out of my privacy." Said R'gar deliberately. T'lan recoiled as though he had struck her; and the look that was in his eyes came into hers too.
"I se." she said stiffly. "I am sorry to have intruded. Do you want us to fly again?"
He nodded, hating to hurt the child, telling himself it was for the best to keep the distance and avoid any involvement. His problems must not be visited on the weyrling. It was better to keep a very formal relationship. Talana meanwhile took off again, reassuring Mirrith that her eyes were watering because the wind was cold.
"Why I should care I don't know." She muttered to herself. "He can be grouchy and freeze himself between for all I care."
oOoOo
Deliberately T'lan avoided R'gar when her duties did not call her to lessons with him. She threw herself into the study of her book whenever she was not caring for Mirrith and Sagarra; and took to watching the building work that was going on to extend the living quarters near the kitchen area. Idly she watched a man with a sand tray and a measuring stick drew to scale the height and width of the roof where it was to lean against the cave, and prepare to measure the span.
"Why bother to draw it all out?" she asked, puzzled. "It's an easy enough calculation. If the height is five knots and the width is eight as you've marked, then the span is" – she calculated quickly – "about nine and a half knots, just under that I think."
The man snorted.
"Master builder, are you dragonboy?" he asked. Then he measured, started, and checked his measurement. "Just under nine and a half." He said slowly. "How did you come by that figure?"
"Easy." Said Talana. "The square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sums of the squares on the other two sides. That's five fives and eight eights, twenty five plus sixty four, that makes eighty nine. It's between nine nines and ten tens; and if I write it down I can get closer."
"Go on" he said, pushing the sand tray over to her. Talana wrote quickly,
89 ^½^ (1 + 8/89 )^ ½^ = 9 x 1 + ( ½ x 8/89 ) = 9 x 1 8/178 = 9 x 1 1/20 [a/n the halves should be in superscript and were at first but this appears to have been eaten; raised to indicate 'to the power of a half' ie the square root. sorry my technical ability is not equal to making this clear on a permanent basis. hope the arrows make it more clear]
She said,
" A twentieth of eight is four tenths, so a twentieth of nine is only a little more, so you could say that the answer is nine and four tenths as near as spitting."
"Well scorch me." The journeyman builder was impressed. "But how'd you find out how to do that?" he asked.
"I, er, just read it somewhere." She said evasively. She had enjoyed being able to show off but now she was wondering if it had been such a good idea after all!
"I'll have to tell the Masterbuilder about this." The man said. "It's never been done this way before with square hippotummuses and all and I want to know how come dragonfolk have information of this kind and we don't. This could speed up work no end." Agitated, he decided to go see T'bor to find out why weyrlings knew craft secrets he did not!
oOoOo
The Weyrleader was tired after fighting Thread over Nabol and did not understand the fuss Journeyman Lorell was making.
"Look" he said "We have nothing of that sort in our archives, I'm sure. I don't know where the boy came across the information; but I'll ask my Weyrwoman. If there are any records on it she'll know." Drat the boy – it had to be T'lan – what now! He called Pilgra, whose job as senior weyrwoman it was to keep the records; and when she disclaimed any knowledge he sent for T'lan.
OoO
R'gar sent back the message that T'lan was aloft; and asked irritably if whatever it was could wait. Pilgra decided that the best thing to do was for her to take the matter in hand and go and explain the matter to R'gar. Thus when Talana returned to the ground she found them both waiting. Her mobile face reflected her mental review of what she might have done to incur someone's wrath; and finding her conscience clear she looked inquiringly at Pilgra.
"Well youngster" said R'gar, not unkindly, "I hear you've been teaching the Weyrbuilder how to do his job."
T'lan looked aghast
"Oh NO, sir! I only asked him why he didn't use equations instead of measuring but he didn't seem to know…." She narrowed her eyes "You're joshing me." She said accusingly as his eye met hers.
"A little. The point is.."
"The point is" put in Pilgra, "We would like to know just how you know this and he did not."
T'lan dismounted and quickly undid the flying straps.
"There was this manuscript you see…" she began
"Which manuscript?" asked Pilgra, quickly.
"The one I found…"
"Where?"
At this point R'gar interrupted.
"I think, Pilgra, you will get further with the lad if you let him tell his story in his own way and his own time." Talana threw him a grateful glance as Pilgra nodded.
"You're the only one allowed to bully your weyrlings, huh? Asked T'lan. Pilgra chuckled.
"Go on – T'lan. Tell us about this manuscript." She prompted.
Talana put her head on one side, gathering her thoughts.
"It began in Nabol Hold. I used to hide a lot in dark passageways." She paused, half expecting an interruption, then continued, "I found a passage behind a rock-fall. There was a room and it was lit with a bright light that did not flicker or go out." R'gar and Pilgra exchanged a look; they had both heard of the rooms at Benden Weyr but it seemed unlikely that anyone of T'lan's origins should have done so. The girl went on, "There were pictures on the walls and a table and this manuscript. They called it a book" she explained "It's a whole lot of sheets written on and stuck together."
"What good are they if they're stuck together?" wondered Pilgra, misunderstanding.
"Do you have this – book?" asked R'gar. Talana nodded. "Then go and get it!" he ordered.
"Wait!" exclaimed Pilgra. "I would rather examine it away from prying eyes. Who knows where all these dratted firelizards come from!" she gestured about at the usual fairs that flitted about the weyr.
"It's in my weyr." said Talana. "I know I should not have taken it, but I didn't think that Meron –Lord Meron – " she hastily amended as R'gar glared at her "- would make good use of it. Then I thought if I told anyone about it I'd end up never seeing it again before I had a chance to study and understand it. And it's so jolly interesting."
Pilgra looked guilty. Talana dived into the crevice behind Mirrith's couch which she had chosen as a hiding place and handed the book to R'gar. Pilgra stood on tiptoe to try and see as he monopolised the book, flicking through the pages.
"Do you understand any of this?" he asked suddenly. T'lan nodded.
"Most of it – at least as far as I've got. You can see my marker." She pointed. "Some of it seems pretty pointless, but sometimes you find out that you need another piece of information to make sense of it. Now I'm a good way through it things that seemed stupid come back to be useful."
"Is there other information as useful as this roof span calculation?"
"Oh yes, sir, and it's not just for roof spans. The hypotenuse law can be – " she stopped as R'gar held up a hand.
"You can teach me from the beginning another time, child." He said. "Pilgra, it would be a crime to take the book away, because if T'lan understands this wherryblether it's more than anyone else could do without a lot of work. This could be as useful in its own way as the distance viewer. I suggest that we take advantage of T'lan's understanding and his near hand to make a copy to show to others so we can't be accused of withholding anything. It would also be a fitting punishment for the boy on account of his light fingers."
Talana blushed furiously and dug her toe into the floor. R'gar said,
"Be easy, son. You were right in your assumptions about his lordship."
"Yes" agreed Pilgra, "but we can't let it be known that it was found at Nabol. Lord Meron would create a stink."
R'gar muttered something which sounded like 'he already does'. T'lan suggested,
"We could let it be known that I found it here poking around as weyrlings do, but the room was sealed by a rock-fall and I didn't say anything because I only just escaped and didn't want to get into trouble?" she grinned and put on a pathetic look. "That awful R'gar – he's so mean, I didn't dare tell him a thing, he'd have beaten me for sure!" she whined.
R'gar snorted and shook his fist at her, but his eye laughed; and she savoured the rare moment of camaraderie.
"You are becoming devious!" admired Pilgra. "Yes, that sounds convincing"
"Kind of you to say so" said R'gar dryly. "I do like to maintain my reputation."
Pilgra looked apprehensive.
"I only meant about finding it" she said appeasingly. "And, well, you are quite fierce…a weyrling might think…" she lost herself in half sentences as R'gar looked steadily at her. He turned as T'lan said,
"I have another idea." R'gar groaned
"What? Will the Weyr survive it?"
Talana tried to look repressive, but gave up and grinned at him.
"If there was any excuse to visit Nabol" she said "I could go back to the room while more important people kept the Lord Holder occupied. Then I could copy down the diagrams and patterns on the wall. I might understand them now!" her eyes glowed with excitement. "I'm sure I could still get through the hole!"
"Hole?" asked Pilgra.
"There was just a hole through the rock-fall. Well, actually I sort of encouraged it." She explained. "I've not grown all that much and I won't have to be careful of my arm this time."
R' gar ground his teeth audibly.
"I don't like to lake things from Holds in a sneaky fashion" said Pilgra "But…"
"Exactly." Agreed R'gar, "But. Meron –ah, Lord Meron, would withhold anything out of spite if he could." He glared at T'lan. "That's not for publication, boy."
"I didn't think any of it was, sir."
"Well, you've proved you can keep a secret." He said.
Pilgra thought, better than you realise, R'gar.
oOoOo
T'bor was puzzled as to who to send to Nabol. For himself, he doubted whether he could keep his temper for long enough with the man whose liaison with Kylara had brought about the deaths of two Queens and the loss of the Weyrwoman's reason. Pilgra had the cool and the common sense, but it was out of the question to send a woman. R'gar too was out of the question after the incident with Larnel. T'bor considered briefly sending his son, T'kil, but though he trusted the young man implicitly, he was unsure of his discretion. T'kil had disapproved of his mother's relationship with Meron and could not be totally relied upon to avoid crowing a little and dropping hints which might galvanise the Lord Holder into digging around in the depths of his hold. Most of the rest of his riders were young, many of them rash. Even L'gani, the wing second, was liable to lose his cool over the very mention of Nabol – T'bor recalled that he had been infatuated by Kylara – and was quite likely to tell Meron a few home truths in the blunt manner of his Seahold upbringing.
T'bor sighed. Benden would have to know in any case; he would delegate this delicate matter to F'lar, who positively thrived on intrigue and trouble. Just like young T'lan, he thought, grinning wryly. F'lar had been much the same at that age – half cock-sure, half worrying about the future of the world. He could probably have run the Weyr when F'lon got himself killed. Scorch it, T'lan even looks like F'lar, he thought in amusement, save for the colouring and a more delicate jawline. Delicate, but just as stubborn!
T'bor sighed and asked Orth to bespeak Mnementh.
oOoOo
Mnementh landed in the Bowl of High Reaches in a cloud of dust. The early autumn was hot; and even so high up, F'lar was quick to divest himself of his flying cap and heavy wherhide jacket. Only weyrlings stirred in the heat of the day and F'lar cursed mildly that he had changed into a thicker tunic for the cooler evening Benden time. Whilst it was naturally cooler high in the mountains, the bowl of the weyr made a natural suntrap and was sheltered from cooling breezes.
F'lar paused to listen to two youngsters playing.
"You can't let Laydith chew firestone." K'len was saying "Because queens don't. It's no good arguing, Sagarra, because weyrwomen have to do what they're told."
F'lar grinned. The little girl stamped her foot.
"I bet Lessa doesn't!" she declared. "And T'lan says that Pilgra gets her own way by being com – comp – er, agreeable and saying 'yes, T'bor' before she does what she likes!"
oOoOo
F'lar solemnly regarded the diminutive red head standing before him in T'bor's office.
"So you're the lad who's been causing all the trouble."
"I didn't CAUSE trouble" said T'lan with dignity "- at least, not on purpose. It just happens to me." She studied the lean, dark Weyrleader closely, interested by R'gar's comments on their likeness. F'lar, amused by the scrutiny, asked,
"Well, boy, are you satisfied, or are you going to have me sent back?"
Talana flushed.
"I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean…"
"I doubt you ever do." Said F'lar, dryly. "And I prefer 'F'lar' to 'sir'." He added, "as to the business in hand, I have had a quick look at your – book, you say it's called, and what little I comprehend is very interesting. Whilst I dislike the concept of using underhand methods, the ah – situation appears to warrant it and seems to suggest that your plan be implemented as soon as possible."
"You mean" guessed Talana "Lord Meron would raise obstacles if you did it any other way; and as he's quite likely to drop dead at any moment it's best to get on with things in case his successor is even worse."
"You put it in a nutshell." Grinned F'lar.
"The child is quick witted" remarked Mnementh F'lar continued,
"You can find the place again?"
"Yes sir – I mean F'lar. I can make an excuse to leave or misbehave and get sent away and go straight there."
"You can't of course go on Mirrith."
"No F'lar. I've been thinking about my identity – and I could easily pass for quite a little boy for example."
Pilgra grinned wickedly.
"You could dress as a girl and pretend to be F'lar's lover."
"At Nabol?" T'lan scoffed. "As well I might pretend to be a loving wench and declare my services at a gather! I can't ride dragonback if my backside's pinched black and blue."
"He's right" said F'lar, casting a puzzled look at Pilgra: the irrepressible little weyrwoman was trying to control a fit of the giggles. "Besides, if anyone discovered the deception, things might be awkward." Whatever was wrong with the woman? He thought as Pilgra had another spasm of unrepentant giggles. T'lan scowled at her.
R'gar said,
"Why not just suggest that he's your son? He looks enough like you and I daresay you have a few floating around."
"Good thinking." Said F'lar. "Yes there is a resemblance, isn't there?"
oOoOo
Lord Meron of Nabol stared haughtily at F'lar.
"What business of Benden Weyr is it whether I have chosen my heir yet?" he asked, curling his lip. F'lar replied, keeping his voice pleasant,
"I was merely concerned for your health, Lord Meron. After all it might be stressful to have to choose at the last minute as it were."
"Can't wait to get me into my grave, eh? Well I tell you dragonman, I've a while to go yet." His eyes glittered with hate. "Who's that whelp you've got with you?" He asked.
"This is my son." F'lar replied evenly. "Now he's old enough I thought he should start meeting people. Greet Lord Meron, Talan."
Talana smiled brightly.
"Hullo Lord Meron." She said.
Meron grunted.
"Knew a girl with your colour hair." He said. "Her mother'd been to Benden once. Her man said she died – but maybe she returned there!" He leered at F'lar. Talan raised her eyebrows in well simulated surprise.
"Was it only one girl you knew then, Lord Meron? Why your reputation lies!"
There was a gasp at this studied insolence. F'lar noticed a tightness in T'lan's voice below the flippant tone, saw her fists clench. He grabbed her by the shoulders apparently in anger to swing her out of the way of Meron's raised hand.
"Talan! You are obviously not old enough to be trusted!" Their eyes met and he conveyed approval. "If you can do nothing but repeat the gossip of idle fools you had better go and play until I have finished here!" Talana ducked away quickly and F'lar turned back to the spluttering Meron.
"My son is apt to listen to and repeat things he should not." It was not quite an apology; nor was it quite an insult. F'lar did not wait for Meron to come up with any rejoinder, but continued smoothly, "The main reason for my visit, Lord Meron, is because a minor, but irritating complaint affecting fire lizards has been reported and as you have several about the hold…" he indicated a fair of them chittering amongst themselves, observing Mnementh from a safe distance. To convince Meron that he was being checked up on as a possible source of a minor epidemic was easy, and gave the Lord Holder something to complain and insult F'lar about; and Meron felt that he had gained a moral victory over the Benden Weyrleader by showing him how healthy all the local firelizards were. He positively purred as he dripped poisonous suggestions as to the origins of the mysterious complaint; and F'lar was certain he would never suspect a second ulterior motive for the visit believing he had already uncovered one.
oOoOo
Talana reached the hold's lower levels without difficulty. F'lar had chosen the time well when all the drudges were in the kitchen preparing the evening repast. It would be sweltering in there, thought T'lan, glad to be out of it. The smell of roasting wherries made her mouth water and she realised she had been too excited to eat much at midday. Not, she reflected, that the food here was a patch on Keerana's; and there'd be plenty of leftovers when she got home.
It was not long before T'lan found her way to the rock fall. She experienced a moment's fear when wriggling through the hole for it seemed smaller; and she found herself stuck against one of the larger rocks. Forcing herself to be calm and breathe easily she realised that it was not simply that she had filled out since she had last been there. The extra layers of clothes were what caused the main problem, since she had kept on her heavy wherhide jacket to conceal the sheets of drawing hide. Gently she drew the sheets out of her jacket and pushed them ahead. The thickness of several hides made all the difference, and she was then able to squirm through. Soon T'lan was hard at work in the room of the ancients copying as fast as she accurately could.
oOoOo
The trip to Nabol brought back memories to Talana that she would rather have subdued. She was silent on the trip back, beyond thanking Mnementh, and telling F'lar she had been successful. F'lar asked,
"Are you all right?"
"Yes thank you, I'm fine."
"You seemed rather as though half of you was left between."
"It's nothing, F'lar." She said firmly. "I used to live there. It's nice to be coming home. That's all."
"Do you know the girl Lord Meron was talking about?" asked F'lar, curiously. "My mother had red hair." He added absently.
Talana shrugged.
"The man I called father had a foster daughter. He sold her to Meron. End of story." She said shortly.
"What happened to her?"
"What would you do if you were in Meron's clutches? " Talana hedged, then saw F'lar's expression, and added "She fled. Meron never found her; and she never returned to the man she had called father."
"She was your twin." F'lar made it a statement; T'lan did not contradict him.
"She lives; she is free."
"What was your mother's name?"
"Zayli. She died some years ago."
"I am sorry to hear it. I remember Zayli." He smiled. "It appears that I may have inadvertently told the truth to Lord Meron; It could be possible that you are my son, but you'd have to be about sixteen."
"I am sixteen. And nearly a half!" said Talana indignantly. She might be more equivocal about her age at High Reaches; but somehow one did not hedge to THE Weyrleader.
"Well well. I hope you understand" he cleared his throat, "I'm not sure I'd care to tell Lessa."
"I can be discrete." She said. "It's enough to know I have a sire I can be proud of. Not a snivelling coward like Sarel"
"It's never easy to face a lord's wrath" said F'lar, diplomatically.
"Would you sell your daughter – for any reason?"
"No." said F'lar.
I invented 'wherryblether' as an alternative to such as balderdash; hope y'all like it!
To any mathematical purist i know the sign should be 'approximately equals' not 'equals' but the transfer renders the sign as so sorry! at least i figured out how to insert subscript and superscript!
