Chapter 25
The huddled family and the burnt-out cot told its own story; lightning had struck. The cot itself was a shell, but the byre had gone entirely. The horrid smell of burnt meat hung in the air.
The woman was sobbing, and so were most of the children.
"Are you all safe and unhurt?" asked Vorinia crisply, dismounting.
"I be burned lady" ventured the oldest boy "And we do-ant know where Milara be."
"Was she in with the animals then?" Vorinia was horrified as she got out numbweed and salves for the boy's badly burned hands.
"Oh no lady! Her was up on mountain after caprine" said the boy "Her ain't come back."
"At least my sons are safe" said the cotholder "But all my stock! Gone! All of them! And who's going to pay to replace 'em?"
Vorinia gave him a look of dislike.
"I suppose you bolted the door of the byre when you thought a storm was coming" she said.
"Arr, it make 'em resty, fit to break out and go wanderin'" said the man.
"Yes, largely because animals have more sense than fool-headed cotholders who ALWAYS bolt byres, contrary to Tragen's orders, before storms and then wail when the stock is lost because they can't escape the fire; and a chance of losing such a good boy as tried to rescue them" said Vorinia tartly "You brought this on yourself and Tragen will NOT replace your stock as you flouted his standing order. Now stop sitting there like a bump on a log and get down to the Hold."
"I ain't goin'. This is my land" said the cotholder.
Vorinia stared.
"Are you deranged or something? You have nothing here; it'll take time for you to rebuild. Tragen will see you all fed in the Hold and safe from Fall."
"I ain't takin' his charity given under sufferance. We stay here" said the man. A different tune, thought Vorinia, from trying to get payment for the beasts out of Tragen. How truly stupid some of these people could be!
"You can please your stupid self" said Vorinia "But your wife and children go with me. Have you forgotten that it's Threadfall tomorrow?"
The man stared.
Apparently he had forgotten.
"Missus'll suit herself" he said sulkily "I be stopping here. You ain't got no right to take our childer though!"
"I – I have to stay with my man!" said the woman.
"Then I will exercise the right of anyone to prevent child harming and take the children to safety" said Vorinia grimly holding his gaze "And seek out this Milara too."
"Ain't worth wasting your time lady" said the man indifferently "Her be useless dreamer; reckon her've fallen and killed her useless self."
Vorinia was incensed. She came very close to the cotholder and thrust her face into his.
"You know, you piece of dung, the only thing that stops me from beating you senseless – because I could – is the fact that it would scare your children" she said in a low, furious tone "Faugh! You're so stupid you can't even understand why I should be angered by your lack of caring about your daughter! You disgust me!" she walked away, shaking with rage.
"What's t'be done, lady?" asked Porrg "Take the younger ones t'safety or look for the missing ghirlie?"
"You see the young ones back; the big boy can come with me and show me where his sister might go. I'll send Pal if I meet trouble" said Vorinia decisively.
Porrg nodded.
"You blaze the trail ye take, lady, we'll be back" he said "ye know the region better nor me t'be sure; wirra, but I wish this had not happened."
"If wishes were fishes the Holdless would feast" said Vorinia. "Boy! What is your name?"
"Mildorn, lady" said the boy respectfully.
"Well, Mildorn, are you feeling abkkt to come with me to search for your sister?" asked Vorinia.
The boy nodded.
"Runnere oon't go hardly where caprine can though" he said.
Vorinia regarded Lady Neatfoot thoughtfully.
"It's warm enough here in the lasture to leave her awhile I should think" she said "Lady Neatfoot doesn't wander."
She led the mare to the small flowery meadow where the bovines would normally graze.
oOoOo
The climb was stiff and Vorinia took it slowly. Mildorn regarded her anxiously.
"Be you not used to exercise, lady?" he asked.
"At the moment? Less than I'd like. I injured my back last turn" said Vorinia, shortly. "I'll manage; I'm not a delicate flower to pass out on you if that's what you were wondering. I'll just not manage with the vigour or dexterity of a mountain caprine I'm afraid."
Mildorn giggled.
"You be brave to climb with a bad back" he ventured.
"And you with burned hands" said Vorinia "We both want your sister to be safe – and that's more important."
"Ar" said Mildorn.
oOoOo
The larger patch of colour than could indicate a flower showed the bright skirt of the missing girl.
She lay, unconscious, at the bottom of a scree, one leg bent unnanturally beneath her. The missing caprine was less lucky; it had broken its neck.
"Hold her while I splint it" said Vorinia. Mildorn complied; and the girl roused enough to cry out in pain.
"She'll be fine" prophesied Vorinia at that sign of life.
The child was soaked through; and would probably suffer a fever, but a healthy youngster should pull through despite that, at this time of turn.
Vorinia sent Pal directly to Y'lara; and it was not long before the Green Rider was landing Tanath close to the scree.
"Best to take you back to the Hold too" said Y'lara, glancing at Vorinia's pale face.
"No…Porrg said they'd ride back and my mount's in the pasture" said Vorinia.
"Huh, I'll have Tanath back with you before the fellow gets into Northfork and send back people for your steed" said Y'lara "No arguments! Anyway, you can let him know that you're all right via your firelizard!"
"Oh of course!" Vorinia grinned "How silly of me!" quickly she gave Pal the idea of a Green dragon and safety and sent him to Porrg to relay the images!
It was a relief to be carried on Tanath with Mildorn riding in front of her and Milara gently cradled on a stretcher on the dragon's front feet. They went Straight because of the burns on Mildorn's hands.
Kaili was waiting.
"Lady Neatfoot….." murmured Vorinia, exhausted.
"Porrg's gone t' fetch her for sure" said Kaili "And Tragen wit' him t'try t'talk some sense into that fool cotholder and his wife."
"Can't even SPELL the word let alone see it" said Vorinia crossly; and passed out.
oOoOo
Tragen returned in a towering rage over the stupid stubbornness of some people. Being Tragen he took it out on nobody but the woodpile grew considerably.
The cotholder had even demanded that his oldest son return to him straight away, intimating that Tragen was trying to steal him!
Tragen had pointed out that not only was the boy in the care of the Healers, but that making any dependant Holdless right before Threadfall was a crime for which the cotholder's overlord – Tragen – could punish the transgressor. And it was moreover a clear case of child endangerment as Vorinia had already said.
"And perhaps I should have brought him in for punishment and imprisoned his stupid carcase through Fall before hearing the case" said Tragen grimly "But then I doubt he'd have been anything but truculent and a troublemaker thereafter. If he survives his son will return to him."
Tragen had also had a few things to say to the cotholder on the subject of leaving the girl Milara without making shift to search for her; and promised to fine the man heavily on the child's behalf and have her fostered elsewhere should her father survive.
oOoOo
Vorinia for one dreaded this Threadfall; but Tragen assigned her to a different sweep area than that outlying cot.
Later he broke the news to her.
"Dragonriders saw them; a Green Rider came down. The woman was dead, the man dying. They had crawled into the remains of their cot instead of having the sense to get in the river which might have saved them. Stupid to the last!"
"Those poor children!" said Vorinia, aghast.
"Aye; but it was no close loving family. To my way of thinking" said Tragen "He was a hard man, demanding his rights of his woman and not letting her use herbs to prevent a brat coming every turn. I've a foster father in mind for them; Lady T'lana's foster father. He'll be pleased of a good strong boy and a willing clever girl old enough to help and he has a woman about the place, a dragonman's lady, to help with the small ones" Tragen sighed "I'll let them get over the shock, and take some lessons too with Horovarn; they're that ignorant clever porcines could outdo them in lessons."
oOoOo
It was a tragedy; but it was a tragedy that could have been averted. But Tragen had no intention of bringing in the couple by force, even on the pretext of arrest for child endangerment. It would have come close to violating their rights since they had permitted the rescue of their children by others even if under some protest. And it would have led to trouble. Mildorn had heard his father refuse to come to shelter during Threadfall; he knew only one person was to blame.
Tragen regretted the death of the woman, so under the thumb of her husband she feared his wrath more than Thread!
The land was broken; a young couple could build there and start farming with relatively little trouble, for the children would have been the fourth generation on that site. And by rights the boy Mildorn ought to be the one to Hold but he was too young. Sending him to Sarel would give him a better chance in life and Tragen promised – and wrote a document to that effect – that there would be land waiting for him that was as good should he choose to return to Northfork, and that his birthright, or that of one of his siblings if he chose to pass it on.
Mildorn was glad to be away from the place it had all happened; and just hoped his new foster father would not be too harsh, especially on the dreamy Milara!
Sarel's kindness to the bereaved youngsters when they were taken to him astonished Mildorn! As for Milara, she was convinced that Sarel was the best man alive, just because he never whipped her for dreaming nor called her names like 'useless stupid wherrry' nor raised his voice and fist to her to hurry her with the chores!
If Mildorn mourned his parents at all, Milara certainly did not! And kind, gentle Tylisse taught them all the duty songs and helped with the reading Horovarn had begun and they were given the revelation that hearing and telling stories was not considered a waste of time – even by the dragonman who lived their with his deformed dragon! And for good behaviour they were rewarded in being permitted to help with Warneth rather than being punished harshly for transgressions.
Warneth and Sh'allen were invaluable to Sarel, and too had been experimenting with going Between without being highly airborn. Warneth discovered that he could get almost a length up by sheer willpower and Sh'allen had postulated a theory that dragon flight was partly due to some sort of mental power, a bit like sensing thread or telepathy, since dragons were also well known to be able to lift any load they believed they could carry.
It may be said that Sarel was also delighted to have fosterlings. He was by no means past his prime, being of an age with Tragen, but having youngsters to help with his expanding stables was an asset. He fully intended to hire a girl to help with the younger ones rather than expecting Tylisse to do it; for Tylisse ran his cot as housekeeper and willingly found any itinerant workers he took on as well as rearing her own two daughters with Sh'allen, Shirlisse, now two turns old and baby Alisse, the survivor of twins born at the end of the past winter.
Fortunately, Sarel spoke to his foster daughter T'lana before doing anything about it, and found himself provided with a good, strapping woman in her early thirties whom he even knew slightly. Esmelda had been an itinerant worker travelling with her family until she had broken away from them to join Lady Petrilla – now P'rilla. Esmelda had been helping at the Weyr, caring for the newest babies brought into the childhold; but was willing to take on a ready made family of a dozen with farm duties into the bargain and the possibility of a nuptial agreement for security, as T'lana had firmly told Sarel.
Sarel was delighted. Esmelda was a good woman and despite her build was as gentle and sensitive as T'lana's own dead mother.
It was not, perhaps, love at first sight; but Sarel was much impressed by Esmelda and she was drawn to his gentle nature.
"And she won't take any fork-splat from anyone trying to push him around" gloated T'lana "She'll accept Sh'allen as Sarel's foster son – as he more or less is- and Tylisse therefore as a daughter of the house not a rival. Tylisse is tactful. It'll be fine!"
oOoOo
All this Vorinia found out second hand through D're when he next visited, gossiping, as Kaili said tartly, as only cotwives at market and dragonriders can do.
Vorinia was glad of the news; Mildorn, Milara and their siblings could do with some loving stability!
"She must be quite a woman, this Esmelda" she said to Jado "Taking on a dozen kids would daunt ME, I can tell you!"
"Just as well I've none of my own then" he retorted grinning.
"Oh, you! That would be different – if they were yours. I'd do my best, of course!"
"I know, love. As you do your best for Dorine, whose needs are greater than most babes her age."
"Yes; though it would be harder if she couldn't wash and dress herself" said Vorinia, who had been encouraging the little girl to re-learn such skills as dressing herself. "But I don't envy Esmelda!"
"On the other hand, didn't D're say all she ever wanted was babies of her own? She has a ready made family and will doubtless mother more!" said Jado "It's her choice; no-one made her take it."
Vorinia nodded.
"And I guess people rise to the occasion when they're needed" she said.
Jado kissed her.
"SOME people do, my beloved. SOME people do."
oOoOo
The summer flew; and at high summer there was another mating flight that was reported. There would be two hatchings in relatively quick succession; and Jado in age for both.
That was of some relief to Vorinia; it gave them two chances to Impress each.
Dorine seemed to have almost forgotten her time as a slave, and her strange looks, joining in with the other children, laughing and chatting like any six turn old. She had some nightmares still; but that was only to be expected.
As the first windy rainstorm of the early autumn heralded worse to come, though it was followed by a spell of hot weather, news came that Daenilth had clutched twenty nine eggs including a Golden Queen; and Tragen's candidates were required at the Weyr.
It had come at last!
Vorinia, Jado and a wildly excited Dorine were to go to the Weyr; which might yet prove their home for life!
And, D're told Vorinia, her friend Journeyman Josis had joined the weyr woodcrafters and would stand for Impression beside her friend.
Life was good.
Fin
And you really will have to wait this time, sorry. Unless I post weekly to keep up with transcription...