Sorry Amere Mortal; I'd ended up accidentally posting two chapters yesterday or I might have given in and posted this one with chapter 9. Apologies to everyone else grinding their teeth over the cliffhanger...
Chapter 10
"What's the matter?" the Brown Rider asked again "Has anything happened to T'kul? Tell me girl!" he fought to sit up in agitation.
"Oh shards" said Varalie "Um…..when did you last live in High Reaches? 'cos if as I'm guessing it was in the last Pass and you're one of the people who came forward to help, you, er, sort of missed your venue and lots has happened since."
"I need to know!" he demanded.
"No, actually you don't" said Varalie "And I'll tell you why; we need to know if you got back from NOW to THEN when you should have, and even if you're here now elsewhere in two places at the same time or have ever been because if you are, you don't ought to know what might be your future then but if you aren't, or weren't then you haven't and I can tell you."
He stared at her as he unravelled that.
"Shards I almost followed that; which really argues for my wits being addled."
"Good" said Varalie ignoring the implied insult "My name's Varalie" she added crisply. He was young, not much older than her and she had no intention of letting him try to push her around.
T'rin came up behind her, having heard Varalie's explanation.
"She's right, Brown Rider, we have to have your name so we can check the records to see if you came through fifteen turns ago when you should have done."
"Say what? Fifteen turns?"
"To the day" said T'rin. "What's your name and your dragon's?"
"I'm T'thar. I ride Rinth."
T'rin had a slightly blank look for a moment.
"Ah the joys of having a foster mother who can speak to all dragons" he grinned.
"Lessa of Benden is your foster mother?" T'thar asked.
"No! Oh, no, my foster mother is T'lana of High Reaches" said T'rin "There's more than one weyrwoman with that skill you know….ah, they've dug out the records….well, it looks like you don't have to worry about getting your timing right, T'thar, for you're on the roll of honour of those who set out but never emerged from Between. Trust T'lana to think of checking that first!"
T'thar looked shocked.
"I hope that doesn't mean he's supposed to go back and get lost" said Varalie.
"Don't complicate matters you horrible scrub" said T'rin. "If he was going to fetch up here and meet you, it's inevitable that he'd also meet me and I'd never send anyone back if there was no need; which there isn't."
"SEND, Blue Rider?" said T'thar, stiffly.
"Look, kid, I don't know what seniority you earned, but my standing is good at the Weyr; I'm one of the Weyrharpers as well as holding position in the most dangerous wing" said T'rin "and as such, for my skills I have jurisdiction and position. Colour is not necessarily relevant."
"Things have changed" said T'thar, looking shocked at being bawled out by a Blue Rider. "What happened to T'kul then that the girl looked so put out?"
"He misbehaved and got exiled" said Varalie "He's not dead yet, and plenty say that's more the pity."
"How dare you speak so of a Weyrleader, girl?"
"I dare and shall speak so of a man who lets his dragon flame the commons and fathered brats indiscriminately on unwilling women across half the country!" said Varalie. "Dragonriders are a partnership with the commons as the Charter lays down, not common brigands to prey on them!"
"Enough, Varalie, you're tiring him" said T'rin.
"She's lying, surely!" said T'thar.
T'rin shrugged.
"Alas that she is not. T'kul didn't like the way society has changed; nor did T'ron. Societies change; it's the sign that they are living and vibrant not dead and stagnant. Especially with something like the Long Interval" his voice was soothing, reasonable. "We take a different view now to the one of the last Pass; and according to the Harpers it is closer to the way the original charter had been written. We expect to be respected for putting our lives on the line; we expect to be supported with food and goods for the same. But we do not want grovelling deference, nor would we get it; for grovelling shames the man grovelled to as well as the groveller. And we respect the people and cleave to our oath to protect – and SERVE which so many of the old tie had forgotten was a part of it. We do NOT think that the people should need protecting from us. And if you disagree, when you're fit you shall be given the co-ordinates for Southern to join T'kul rather than joining High Reaches. And you must consider where you stand."
"I – no the people should not need protecting from dragonriders, it – this is all a shock."
"'Course it is laddie" said T'rin. "well done you girls for getting me here and getting him down. There's nothing rest won't cure, no Threadfall due here for a sevenday, so why don't you kids rally the boys to help me build T'thar a shelter against the elements until he's ready to fly to High Reaches?"
The other fosterlings had drifted over, even Lavanni coming to the edge of the field, the runners left hitched to cart or field wall. T'rin's call for fosterlings to make themselves useful soon had Bimall, Biron, Rulene, Mallitta, Avor and Sebet helping. Sifella and Mirinda stayed at a distance, making fashionable cries of fear if either dragon moved, and refusing to do anything they dubbed unladylike. Varalie thought much more of Rulene for mucking in and grinned at her companionably. Ketse tried, predictably, to direct operations and was asked rather curtly by T'rin how many shelters HE had built to spend time living Holdless.
As the answer was none, T'rin told the boy bluntly to either do as he was told or stay the crackdust out of the way of everyone else under the direction of one who DID know what he was doing.
Ketse retired, hurt.
Matrul of course had never even come over; he whined about getting his hands dirty like a common labourer and T'rin just gave him a look of contempt.
Sifella decided that she might mince across the meadow in order to hold the Brown Rider's head and coo at him, to Mallene's discomfort; but the Holder's wife could say nothing without censuring Varalie too, who had acted out of compassion and had addressed the young Brown Rider – to Mallene's secret amusement – rather in the way she spoke to young Biron!
T'thar found Sifella's ministrations distinctly uncomfortable; and T'rin fell back on an old formula that had served him well before, saying,
"Sweetlips, the man's in no state to lay you, and I don't think he's got the marks on him to pay an expensive piece of toty like you anyway."
Sifella gasped.
"What CAN you mean, Blue rider?" she trilled, rather tightly "SURELY you're not suggesting I'm a loving wench?"
"Oh, aren't you?" said T'rin, sounding surprised "The number of Bronze and Brown Riders you tried to cosy up to at the Gather, then your try on me, I thought you were. So sorry if I was wrong!"
It was a message to T'thar as well.
"I'd like to sit up" said that young man "If Sweetlips will take her goods elsewhere."
He caught on fast!
"Good lad, glad you're feeling a bit better" said T'rin. "Lady Mallene! Have you any food and water?"
"I'll go over and find some" said Bimall.
"No, you're too useful holding that pole to be an errand boy" said T'rin. "Here, small fry, Mallitty or whatever your name is, you go!"
"It's Mallitta, Blue Rider" said Mallitta, not displeased that he had come close. "I'm on my way!"
"Good girl" approved T'rin.
The kid was a turn or so older than his adored foster sister Sagarra; and seemed a nice child despite her father! Perhaps she might foster at the Weyr for a turn; T'rin thought he'd put that to T'lana at some point!
Several meat rolls later, T'thar was a better colour.
"Y'see, Sifella" murmured Jerissa "Men, like firelizards, respond better to having food poked into them than being drowned in your udder."
The look Sifella gave the girl could have frozen Thread into crackdust!
T'rin strode over to where Mallene watched helplessly with Lavanni, who was not squeaking the way Mirinda still was.
"The Weyr appreciates your kind help to one of our own" said T'rin formally "But I imagine you'll want to get on?"
Mallene nodded.
"I'd like to get them back before dark" she said.
T'rin nodded.
"If you can lend me the two imps who already more or less count as weyrfolk and one of the boys I'll drop them off later" he said. Mallene nodded, eased in her mind that T'rin described the girls in terms suited to children; and that he tacitly accepted her need for a male protector to stay with them!
"Bimall will gladly stay" she said.
"Oh mother, may I?" asked Biron "Instead or as well. Bimall has so many responsibilities at the Hold."
Mallene caught her eldest son's eye; and Bimall nodded, smiling at the younger boy.
Biron grinned all over his face!
"I could have been more use than him" muttered Sebet to Varalie "You might have spoken up to suggest it."
"Why?" said Varalie "It would have been most improper! Why no-one else can drive that cart half so well for Lavanni. You think more of runners than dragons anyway, why this sudden enthusiasm for dragons?"
"It's not a sudden enthusiasm for dragons! It's a non-sudden enthusiasm for you!" cried Sebet.
Varalie stared at him.
"Don't be so silly" she said.
"Silly? Is it silly to love you, even if you do make up to the highest ranking male in the Hold and to dragonmen?"
Varalie's mouth dropped open in disbelief.
"I've never 'made up' to any man, you wherry-headed addle brained idiot!" she said
"What about Bimall? You gave him an egg!"
"Oh shards, is that what it's over? That I thought he'd find a firelizard more useful than you? I didn't trust you to care for a firelizard properly because it doesn't wear a saddle! Anyway, you made it abundantly plain you despised them so when I thought about giving you one I decided you'd not appreciate it and gave that one to Mallitta instead!"
Sebet had made plenty of disparaging remarks about firelizards; and it was fair comment, which deep down he was forced to acknowledge.
"That's not the point" he said.
"Well what is? Hurry up and tell me, Mallene wants to get going and you're holding everyone up."
"Do you love Bimall?"
"I don't love anyone. I don't feel ready for that. And I certainly resent being accused of anything so soppy and yukworthy as 'making up' to anyone you know, as though I were a silly creature like Sifella!"
"It just seemed….you seemed glad to see the Riders. And you spoke to Bronze Riders…."
"Who was serving on the stall; I was buying something. And I thanked him for Lavanni's chair; and I asked about apprenticing with him as a woodcrafter. Shells, Sebet, why would I want to have anything romantic – even if I didn't despise romance – with someone as middle aged as a senior journeyman – he has a tassel you know - wingleader? And the other Bronze Rider spoke to me first to warn me against gambling too freely and to pass me racing tips. And he was positively ancient! That's all, you wherry-headed caprine!"
"You're cross with me" he said,
"Well, yes, rather. I like you Sebet, but it's no more. I don't WANT romance. I daresay if I Impress my dragon will pick a mate; and at that time it'll seem right. But that's ages in the future, more than a turn, even if I Impress right away. Do go away or I'll be in trouble with Mallene AGAIN and it not even my fault!"
Sebet nodded curtly and turned to walk away.
"You're blunt" T'thar's voice spoke from the other side of the wider wall they were erecting.
"Did nobody ever tell you that eavesdropping wasn't nice?" said Varalie tartly, going round the screen.
"You learn an awful lot though….like that you're planning to be a candidate. Did you mean what you said about lovers?"
"Certainly. I'm having too much fun in life to waste time getting icky about men."
T'thar laughed.
"I must say I find women a bit scary myself" he said "Though Rinth couldn't manage a Queen, any chance of being friends for now and see what develops as we grow up a bit?"
"Oh I'll not be standing for a Queen – I'll be very happy to be a Green Rider" said Varalie. "And on the terms you offer, yes, I'll be your friend. So long as it's that and no pretence to make me cange my mind about men."
"Green? Times HAVE changed!" he was shaken "I meant what I said about friends. Green? The Holderfolk must have gotten braver if they'll let their women take risks for less prestige!"
"I guess so" said Varalie "I don't know. I don't know what it was like in your time. I know there's plenty women ready to take risks in exchange for not being treated like currency."
"Hmph" said T'thar "What it was like was all kiss-my-arse while Thread still fell; than as soon as the Interval started, there were studied insolences making it known we were no longer wanted to eat the tithed food."
"That" said T'rin coming over "Is why the Weyr busies itself getting to know the commons better these days, takes a wide Search so many Holds feel they have the investment of their own blood in the Weyr and makes itself available for other things than fighting Thread. If coming to us for help gets to be a habit, we shouldn't have any problems at the end of this Pass."
"Hmm, I see the idea" said T'thar "I can also see T'kul wouldn't like it."
"His problem. Not mine" shrugged T'rin. "I look to T'bor for MY Weyrleader, and he's a good man. You'll like him – if you ARE staying with us not joining T'kul in exile where nobody has to fight Thread because the grubs eat it all."
"I became a dragonrider to fight Thread" said T'thar proudly "And I'll not be shirking my responsibility!"
"Good man" said T'rin. "Rinth's a much better colour now; I've sent Renpeth to hunt down a few wild wherries for him; I should think he's hungry."
"Thanks" said T'thar "I think we're both a better colour!"
T'rin nodded.
"All right boys and girls, one last effort to finish this shelter and build a withy bed in it and I'll get you younglings home. I'll come back and spend the night with you T'thar; it'll get lonely else. And I've no fear of sleeping ouside for I'm used enough to it."
T'thar gave T'rin a quick look over the phrase 'spend the night with you'; but the young Blue Rider made no overt sexual moves.
Varalie giggled, failing to understand T'thar's look.
"And how many women will you disappoint by not warming their furs, you reprobate?" she asked cheekily.
T'rin planted a sharp rebuke on her backside.
"H'gey's been exaggerating my love life again I see!" he said sounding injured. "I never have more than two women at once….well except that one time….and never on the same night!"
Varalie giggled again and T'thar looked distinctly relieved!
When they got back, Lavanni was asleep; and Varalie's nose twitched at the pungent scent of fellis.
DDDDover excitedDDDD tapped Relga.
"Poor kid" said Varalie "I wish she wasn't so scared of dragons. It would have been much easier on her to have come home on Renpeth. I wager he could have gone Straight too to keep the cold off her back."
Mallitta was in bed too, sent early for her age, but she was not asleep.
"Isn't it ROMANTIC, Varalie, to have rescued a handsome Brown Rider?" she said, sitting up and hugging her knees.
"Romantic? Silly girl" said Varalie "It was fortunate we were passing, but I dare say someone would have reported it and the Weyr would have rescued their own. Of course the food helped – and running for that you're due thanks, kiddie – but it's only a matter of time recovering from Timing it. As for 'handsome Brown Rider' well, he's a well looking little boy I suppose, he's no older than Biron. And if he were I'd STILL not find it romantic; that's plain silliness." She was laughing.
"You've not got an ounce of romance in your soul, Varalie!" grumbled Mallitta.
"'Fraid not!" agreed Varalie with no trace of regret in her voice.
Mallene, outside the door was much relieved!
Rescuing a dragonman in distress was enough to send even the normally most stable girls a little silly – even her youngest daughter, it seemed, who she might have thought too young!
T'rin dropped in a couple of days later to report that Rinth and T'thar were now safely in the Weyr; and to formally extend the thanks of the Weyr to the Hold for lending succour to a Rider in distress, his words given publicly and before all beholden there.
And if one old worthy was heard to spit with contempt and reckon that 'any aid ol' Bite-rule give the weyr were bound ter be by accident and were like t'cause t'owd bugger pheesical pain' then T'rin managed a bout of selective and diplomatic deafness over such a comment!
T'thar himself came the next day, with belt knives as gifts for all who had helped build the shelter.
"I'm sorry they're plain" he said "But getting so many on short notice meant I had to opt for quality or decoration; not both. I hope that's all right?"
Mallitta gave him a bear hug and a kiss on the cheek, to her mother's horror, and the disgruntled squeak of her little green firelizard startled off her shoulder!
"We expected no gift, T'thar" said Varalie "we did what was right. But I will not disrespect you by refusing such kindness; thank you, these are very fine knives indeed!"
He looked pleased.
"You seemed so practical, you girls" he said "So I thought you'd like something as practical as the boys."
"I'll say!" said Jerissa, trying the blade and promptly cutting herself.
Varalie rolled her eyes and grinned at a concerned T'Thar.
"It's only a Jerissa moment" she explained, staunching the blood with her own handkerchief – Jerissa's being a mucky looking rag – "If you lived with her you'd know. When we both come to live with you in the Weyr you will know."
"There's a Rider called T'han in the Weyr who had that sort of reputation when he was a weyrling" said T'thar. "He's about my age, and he's glad to have a friend who doesn't know his history in detail! He's just returned from being a Hold assigned Rider."
"Oh it don't stop us liking her" said Varalie "And I dare say we can resist teasing her when she settles down. It's just that she's a little, well, exciting to know. Trouble finds her like water runs downhill."
"And she finds trouble too" murmured Bimall, who had had to rescue Jerissa from her cliff climbing debacle.
"Oh, T'han never goes looking" laughed T'thar "I reckon he'll like you, Jerissa, if you dispel memories of his exploits with your!"
"Oh T'thar! Don't encourage her, please!" cried Varalie, dismayed.
Lavanni chuckled.
"The only thing that could discourage Jerissa is being chained in a kennel like a watch-wher" she said.
"Tempting, Lavanni. Very tempting" said Varalie, her own handkerchief now ruined. "Very tempting indeed!"
Jerissa threw a cushion at her; which with a bound thumb missed and hit Bimall!