Chapter 25
As dragonets grew, the heat increased; and Igen Weyr switched to its Summer routine of doing most business early in the morning and in the evening. Sleeping through the heat of the middle of the day was the norm, and basking was popular with dragons of all ages, who seemed as impervious to the heat as to the intense cold of between. In the bright sun, the ledges of the weyrs were studded with bright jewel-like colours of sunbathing dragons, for the sun beat down mercilessly into the whole bowl for an hour on either side of midday, with no shade to be found save inside the cool caverns and under the awnings the seabred rigged to allow some comfort in passage from place to place, and under which when there was some breeze weyrfolk were wont also to take their midday siesta.
Egg-heavy Baylith was inclined to be grumpy, and it has to be said that heat did lead to short tempers at times! Weyrlings were encouraged to work off their grumps with water fights – also under awnings.
The new clutch was due any day; and the first female candidate was brought in by B'tin, because of his associations with Rivenhill Weavercraft Hall in the High Reaches. The girl Keirel had been a paying student there for a turn, and hailed from Upper Igen where her father was a minor Holder. Bretine had written to J'enia with congratulations on her Impression and telling her about Keirel, and adding the encomium that the girl was 'all right' and did not interfere too much with the apprentices save to ask silly questions sometimes. J'enia took this to mean that the girl Kierel had a well developed sense of curiosity and was probably sensible enough not to indulge it far enough to irritate the apprentices!
Kierel was a typical Igenite, tanned of skin with hair bleached by the sun to a tow-colour, though it was a darker blonde for several inches from the roots for her turn in the High Reaches where the sun was less fierce.
J'enia greeted her.
"Oh Queenrider, I'm really excited!" said Kierel, "and I know I have to put in hard work, I know other weyrbred from Rivenhill, you know!"
"Bretine, for one, and I believe the Lady Holder and her stepbrother," said J'enia, who had heard news from time to time from Bretine. "Yes, it can be tough; but worth it."
Keirel nodded enthusiastically.
"I love dragons: I'd never thought I'd get the chance to try to Impress!" she said, "it's just splendid that Igen accepts girls for Greens!"
With that much enthusiasm, J'enia thought dryly that the girl was eighteen going on eight at the moment; but at least that was in a good way!
Next day, Baylith took herself into the hatching cavern and proceeded to lay the respectable number of thirty-three eggs; even though one was smaller than the rest by some considerable margin.
"What's the protocol over the small egg?" J'enia asked Nadira.
"If someone chooses to break it, they MUST Impress," said the Weyrwoman. "For it to die of failure to hatch is one thing; to come into life without a partner, that's something else. We shan't stop anyone trying – not like some Weyrs. We've heard how useful T'mon's undersized Brown Denth is and how deformed Warneth saved a dragonless man. Only the candidates must know that they risk becoming dragonless if the little creature is too weak to survive. Now at High Reaches they have a theory that small eggs are merely throwbacks to early dragons; and I'm not about to dispute that. The size difference in just four hundred turns is marked enough. That tends to suggest that if the shell looks normal, that is all it is, though High Reaches also postulate that larger Queens lay thicker shells, inhibiting the chances of such to hatch, even though their chance of survival once hatched is good. But we can't KNOW if the poor little thing is deformed, not for certain."
"I'd think if it were me, I'd give my chance of Impressing any other dragon to save a dragon life," said J'enia.
Nadira smiled.
"Yes, dear. That's one reason you're a Queenrider," she said.
"Can that man J'ton has mentioned, D're, tell?" asked J'enia, who had heard many stories of the High Reaches Riders.
"I don't know; but it's a good suggestion. I'll ask," promised Nadira.
oOoOo
With a clutch as a pretext, V'sheren picked his highest born ex-weyrling to go and collect Silaya's sister Layanya. D'ker was a clutchmate of J'ton and also a nephew of Lord Laudey. Insouciant and boyish, he knew well how to play politics. Layanya was soon hugging her sister vehemently and crying with joy.
"Poor kid; they were half glad of an excuse to get rid of her, her not being old enough to marry off," said D'ker. "Meeting creeps like that reminds me of why I came to the Weyr," and he winked at his dragon, who blew a snort to ruffle the young man's dark brown hair!
oOoOo
L'kerel's family's Hold was also visited; and A'tar returned with three girls.
"Two sisters and a cousin," he said, cheerfully, "though the cousin's father was none too happy; seems she was to be wed."
"That's why I chose the Weyr," said the girl, "I'm Kyleka; and I don't think fifteen turns is old enough to wed."
"At least Lekkar, our father, waits until we're turned eighteen before insisting," said the older of the two sisters. "I'm Lerelli; this is Liska. Is – is it true, Queenrider, that sensing weather is useful, and may we really stand for Impression?"
"Oh yes, to both!" said J'enia. "I sense weather, though I sense Thread better. Do any of you three do other things than sense weather?"
The girl Kyleka asked, rather diffidently,
"You mean like feeling people's emotions? Am I allowed to tell you about that here, or does it make you uncomfortable? You seem pleased, so I guess it's all right?"
"Oh yes, that's the sort of thing we need to know – and useful too, to have someone who can help with negotiations! It doesn't make US uncomfortable – the Impressed are used to our dragons having a telepathic and empathic bond – but it might upset some candidates before they are used to talent. I wonder," J'enia shot her a shrewd look – "was that the reason you didn't want to marry? What he felt like?"
Kyleka flushed.
"I really didn't like the feelings from him… nor how Lekran, my father, was impatient to get rid of me. I know Kyleen, my mother, likes my help with the younger ones, but the babe, Leleen, is six now, and doesn't need much caring for, and the boys don't need any. So I might as well, Lekran thought, bring alliance. My father is a younger son and wants alliance with the Master of a big three-masted ship. It's his idiot son I was to marry, who looks like a fish and smells worse,"
"Your desire for a better life is QUITE understandable," said J'enia, "I can't understand men who don't value their daughters, and every story I hear, not only do I feel more and more lucky for my upbringing, but more and more convinced that the Weyrs have it right to be an essentially Matriarchal society."
"Pity our Relleka got wed before the dragonman arrived," piped up Liska.
"Reckon she'd squawk at dragons anyway," said Lerelli, "and she did PICK her husband when Lekker told her she should think of getting wed to breed more fishermen."
J'enia sniffed. It was a speaking sniff.
"Well, come along and meet the other two new ones who are here," she said, "one your age, Liska, the other older. And there are eight girls left over from the previous clutch too, who have seniority for knowing the ropes."
They must shake down with the others as best they might; it was how they handled themselves with the others that determined who was more likely to Impress than another. If Layanya and Liska made friends, it was likely that Silaya would look out for the seabred girl, if only in the hopes that her little sister would not suffer the same loneliness she had always done. And that might give the Ranking girl friends in the older two who had not seen her behaving badly and had no preconceptions of her.
J'enia felt quite responsible for Silaya since the older girl had spilled out her heart to her.
"It's why you're a Queenrider," V'sheren said, after asking her for a thirtysecond for her thoughts, and receiving a straight answer.
J'enia laughed.
"Because I care and go out of my way to sort things out? I suppose that's fair enough really, though I always wish I could do more."
"Oh, you probably will, my dear," said V'sheren. "Nothing to worry about over this three, anyway; they'll do brash and seabred as happily as any girl who does brash Keroonian."
"Bonza," murmured J'enia, having picket that up from the Keroonian girl Telara.
"Don't!" laughed V'sheren, "There was this candidate with L'issa who used to say that all the time… all the wretched girl thought about was ways of cosying up to me to try to avoid chores!"
"Well at least she showed good taste," said J'enia, smiling up at him.
He caught her wrist and looked at her.
"I've more taste myself for short and sweet than bonza and buxom," he said, "but I'll thank you not to flirt until you're not in my care, lovely J'enia, because I'm only a man and I can only take so much."
"Was I flirting? I didn't mean…well, I suppose in a way, I did at that," said J'enia, candidly, "only I didn't mean it to be flirting… it's going to be turns before I'm technically out of your care, not until Shehereth rises in fact, so are you really sure you want to back off that far? Because you make me feel so good when I'm with you, and that's got to be me having grown up, hasn't it?"
He took a deep breath.
"But girls often fancy several men before they settle on one for a long term weyr-sharing arrangement," he said, firmly, "and I'd be unfair to you, my dear, to presume upon a friendship that has the romantic overtones of being able, with Asreth's aid, to rescue you from that little…. creep, and, too, standing into danger together against Thread."
J'enia blinked.
"It draws us together, I suppose," she said, "as for romance, I didn't find that interlude romantic in the least. I was glad you rescued me, but I'd rather just forget the whole thing… the only thing I like to recall is your scent on your jacket," she added, softly, flushing. "Against Thread, you and Asreth put trust in me, as I do in you. You can't separate man and dragon."
He touched her face.
"I still say, wait," he said. "Let us be friends; but other young Bronze Riders are desperate to get to know you better, you know! They should have the chance – and so should you!"
"Oh wherryteeth!" she said, airily. "Yes, I like G'erry; but not enough. M'ren, if he goes off Dessa, would drive me between! K'said still needs to have his nose wiped for him, or at least to have life explained to him; S'rel doesn't take any girl seriously; T'ran is like an energetic blue firelizard, and B'gon would be wary about a girlfriend flying at the apex of the Fighting Wings even if he didn't bid fair to become a hypochondriac himself. R'lian and Sh'dan are sweet but I feel about both of them more the way I feel about R'ban; protectively sisterly. The Bronze Rider I like best next to you is S'sher, who is not only too old for me, but is firmly taken and I'D not take on your mother…"
V'sheren laughed ruefully.
"You might change your mind about T'ran, R'lian or Sh'dan as they – and you – mature," he said. "Suppose we discuss it again when the summer is over? Or, better, when your family next come here, because you'll almost be ready to fly then. And, my dear girl, I'd rather not be too deeply involved with you when I teach you to fly between."
She grinned at him.
"It'd give me even more to return for, you know," she said, "but – yes, it could be awkward I suppose. And I do still have to be sure I'm ready, because this growing up is a very SUDDENLY sort of business."
He laughed.
"Fordel would clip your ears for mangling the language like that, Queenrider or no!" he teased. "My dear, dear J'enia, I am glad you will wait. I fear that if we embarked on anything in haste, before you have finished maturing, it might spoil the chance of something longer and better later on, lest you resent being hurried."
"Huh, you do talk gas and ash at times, V'sheren," J'enia said. "Anyway, I'm too busy to worry about a relationship, if I'm to be Weyrlingmistress for this batch for you."
"I'm glad you'll do it," he said, "I need a liaison with the girls, and you have real position on your own account now, not merely as my fiat. And if any of them get troubled by male candidates, well you've had that trouble and can be there for them and reassure them that the Weyr doesn't accept that."
"Eight are well settled, so that's no real problem – save Tragarra, who still bothers me," she became business like. "Nilis is a pain, and she hates me worse than ever for Impressing 'her' Queen, but I guess the others won't let her spread lies and tales about me. The four new ones to date I've no worries over; and we'll just have to see what the Search brings for us, won't we!"
"Whatever it is, you're more than equal to the job," said V'sheren, "and we all support you – especially Thera, who blesses you in heartfelt thanks that I haven't asked HER to help be Weyrlingmistress!"
"She'd do a good job," ventured J'enia.
"Possibly; but she does have a short temper. I'm thinking Silaya would have been well slapped by her, and Nilis too! and it isn't the way to handle them, for it gives them something to brood on and resent, and with some justification."
"Yes, Silaya could be irritating, but it would not have done," agreed J'enia. "Though I'm inclined to impose penalties on those who slack egregiously as she did – withdrawal of treats like bubbly pie and Salima's excellent sweetpuff crisp topping. No-one makes it puff up like she does, it's better than my mother's, though Ma makes better meringue topping."
V'sheren laughed.
"Typical weyrling, enthusing about sweet foods! Yes, it's a good idea, they'll get the nutrition they need, but withdrawing treats is a good way to encourage industry. I like it a lot and I shall use it too with the boys, if you don't mind me stealing it."
"Why should I mind? Our discipline should be uniform as far as that's able," said J'enia. "I mean, if a boy won't get up and wash, I've seen you throw him in the lake. I couldn't do that with a girl, damp cloth would cling revealingly and it would be improper. I'd have to draw cold water in a tub and only do it in front of girls."
He nodded.
"And how like you to think of something so practical!" he said, warmly. "We DO work well together; and I enjoy it," he did not tell her that the High Reaches Weyrlingmaster weyred with his weyrlingmistress; not that she had singled him our as her weyrmate when she was younger than J'enia. Ideally he would be happier to wait a turn round until J'enia was well more than Turned sixteen!
oOoOo
D're visited on Nadira's instructions to look at the small egg; he explained that he had some knowledge of the deformed dragonet, for he had himself considered trying to Impress Warneth before he was actually chose by Bronze Esruth.
"Sure, and the little creature seems healthy enough inside there," he said, "it's needing help to get out t'be sure, for the thick membranes of modern Queens but no problems as I can see."
"What colour?" asked Nadira, curiously.
"Well, Weyrwoman, t'my way of thinking, it's one way av testing' the mettle av your bhoys and gherrls both, ef I keep that t'meself, for sure; them as would try are worthy of dragonkind, I'm thinking; even if 'tis their third shot and supposedly their last. That might be desperation; but if they've been well warned of the dangers of being dragonless, they can't go far wrong. It's a good test of attitude to dragonkind, and sure, the other dragonets will be feelin' the way they feel about their siblings and can maybe adjust their own choices accordingly."
Nadira nodded. Once she had untangled the unfamiliar Ruathan brogue, so much stronger in the mouths of traders and Holdless, his words made sense.
Those who respected Dragonkind beyond personal ambition were those who might be chosen by higher colours before the little egg needed to be broken; and would serve better because of it.
And if there was one who would love any dragon, who could be strong enough to ignore the taunts of dragonmen from some other Weyrs, that person too would be special.
The dragons knew best; and Nadira intended to leave it to them.