Chapter 28
J'enia found that dealing with the candidates this time for physical training was easier; those left from the previous clutch were quite fit by now, even Silaya, who had been working judiciously to get fit without damaging her pulled muscle any further. She still wore the belt as a precaution. As for the new ones, they accorded J'enia the deference due to a Gold Rider, even Taessa.
Taessa was not a lazy girl; she was plainly shocked at first at the sheer hard work required of the candidates, but she was also motivated by enlightened self interest. She wanted to be a dragonrider. J'enia strongly suspected it had less to do with love of dragons, sense of duty or sense of adventure – which she would consider normal reasons to try for Impression – than her desire to be a Personage, and to pick and choose lovers rather than be expected to marry and settle down. Taessa was motivated by doing things for Taessa. And in J'enia's opinion, whatever her power, she would never Impress if there was any other choice of candidate for a dragonet.
"You were pretty spoilt; but you cared what people thought even if you hid it," the young Queenrider said privately to Silaya, who had appointed herself as J'enia's assistant. "So long as this one gets what she wants, the opinions of others are quite immaterial to her."
"Well, she won't Impress, because the name 'I' won't contract any further," said Silaya. J'enia grinned.
"What a splendid piece of bitchery! I like that! Oh well, we shall endure her – as we endure Nilis. Tragarra's improving a lot."
Silaya nodded.
"I don't think she's told a lie for a couple of months; and she seems more relaxed. I reckon she's found out that her parents are NOT the norm – any more than mine are – and is starting to take stock, and find out who she is inside. But don't ask me to take her in hand – I don't have your touch."
"You're still finding yourself, anyhow," said J'enia, "I'm not so unfair as to ask it! I thought I would ask Luaysa to try; she's a friendly kid even if she's not up to offering for the small egg, and she's not scatterbrained like Dessa or –to Tragarra – off-puttingly cynical like Telara. I like Telara, a lot, but I guess she's too snide for a damaged kid,"
"Actually, I'm starting to like Telara, too," said Silaya, "she's met me halfway, which surprised me, and I do like her dry comments about people."
oOoOo
J'enia was, on the whole, quite impressed with the female candidates. Other than the two youngest, and Nilis and Taessa, she saw no reason why most of the others should not Impress. And if Silaya and Lailla willingly stood for Greens, they had every chance of Impressing too!
"The only reason I can see either Jaara or Sharina NOT Impressing is because they are due Queens that have not yet been shelled," she said to V'sheren.
"Sharina has no tact," said V'sheren.
"Nor, by any accounts, does Lessa of Benden," replied J'enia, dryly. He laughed.
"Oh, she's learned reticence – mostly. It's just her temper that's in question. I don't really mean tact, I suppose, though it's a part of it; I mean, she has no idea how to handle people. A potential Queenrider should dig in there and sort people out, like a potential Bronze Rider. And Jaara shows little interest in other people either, without being selfish the way Taessa is; but she's very self-contained."
J'enia wrinkled her nose.
"Nadira does sort people out, and Thera does, and L'issa kind of does – and helps people and she sorts out the boys in her own clutch – but I don't get the impression it's an accepted necessary trait for a Queenrider?"
He shrugged.
"I don't know about other places. I'd say it was essential; any Queenrider can find her self as the Weyrwoman and she must be able then to run a Weyr, and that means soothing ruffled down and sorting out personal problems as much as keeping records."
"Is that what's wrong with Telgar?" asked J'enia.
"Almost certainly and you didn't hear it from me."
She grinned at him.
"Hear what?"
oOoOo
Lenner too was on the road to recovery, his hip immobilised firmly in a solid plaster so he could NOT misbehave, as Velenna put it. It was skilfully done, allowing for sanitary needs, but holding his hips quite rigid. Consultation between the Weyrwoodcrafter and H'llon of High Reaches had produced him a cane and wicker chair-bed on wheels, so that he might be raised to eat and do small handicrafts. Lenner had always made tent pegs and small pegs to hold together the A-frames, and took to whittling, crudely at first, but with rapidly increasing skill under the encouragement of the Weyrwoodcrafter. It gave him something to do, and a secondary craft as the Weyrwoodcrafter's assistant when there was no training of youngsters to be done.
Once Velenna let Lenner be wheeled out in his chair, the acrobat also liked to go and watch the exercises of the weyrlings; and he helped J'ton to help V'sheren. J'enia strictly forbade him to come anywhere near her girls.
"I don't trust that cheeky grin of yours with unattached girls, even immobilised," she said. "Before I know what you're up to, you'll have persuaded several of them that you need extra nursing, like having your hand held. Or other parts of your anatomy."
"SIS! What do you take me for?" Lenner looked pained as he opened his eyes wide in feigned innocence.
"A player," said J'enia, bluntly. "You think I don't know how many holderwenches you've had in hayricks?"
He grinned unrepentantly.
"Well, at least part of me is in full working order – if a little trammelled right now!" he added plaintively.
J'enia cast up her eyes at him.
"You're a slut, my brother," she said, amicably.
"Guilty," he grinned.
J'enia gave up.
At least her brother only went with girls who knew the rules, and knew how to use herbs, and they did not meet accusing fathers with unwanted illegitimate grandchildren each time they revisited a place they had been before!
"When you are up and about again, they might expect you to sire children for the Weyr," she told Lenner. "We seem to be good dragonriding stock; just be aware!"
He nodded, more soberly.
"Yes, it's been mentioned already… a couple of girls were quite frank about it, wanting to have a baby off me. It kind of puts the boot on the other foot, and I have to fight off the less attractive feelings that it gives me. But it would give something back, and they said I'd have every right to see any child I did sire. This is our second family here, I guess, with you and R'ban and little C'rya too. I half thought, if I settled down, I might marry her; she's no blood relation after all, but I've always liked her. But now she deserves a Blue or Brown Rider, so I'll have to discard that half-baked idea."
"There's Carra or Ranissa," J'enia named C'rya's two older sisters. Lenner made a vulgar noise.
"And if they'd been the sort of girls I'd have liked to spend my life with, they'd have come to the Weyr for the adventure, even if they didn't Impress! Don't worry, sis; the place is full of nice girls. I'll find one – or two – or three – OW, don't do that, I'm injured!"
J'enia had poked him hard by way of rebuke!
oOoOo
The young Queenrider was glad of the Weyr's support for her family; which led to her reflecting again on V'sheren's comments on Queenriders in general.
He was right.
Jaara would make a good Rider; she was brave and firm of purpose, a little impatient but young enough to learn more patience; and she was in no wise unpleasant. But she did keep herself very much to herself, whilst behaving with courtesy to others. Much like L'neta. And Sharina too could not be described as selfish, but there was that touch of egotism that perhaps came of being Weyrbred for generations of dragonriding parents in Weyrs that were more formal. It was NOT something J'enia had seen in Bretine, though the girl was certainly as self confident as befitted the daughter of a Brown Rider. Sharina would put her dragon and her duty before herself, but probably NOT the needs of others. Talarys, always ready to help others, ought to be a better Queenrider – were she not so diffident! J'enia had needed to tell the cotbred girl off for doing all the cleaning in the dormitory; certainly Taessa and Nilis were willing to let her! It was fortunate there was no Queen egg, for J'enia was not sure that any were capable of being a Gold Rider, even if most could support the position of Green Rider. Silaya had a lot of potential now she had shaken down, but lacked the knowledge of dealing with people… things had worked out quite well, really!
oOoOo
By the third viewing of the eggs, by which time the striations were clearly visible, and the weyrstaff were watching the stretching of the scored egg anxiously, Lenner was up and about, and flirting with any of the girls willing to flirt back. As this was only Sharina and Silaya, in a light hearted way that plainly said that neither girl was serious, Lenner contented himself with being friendly, having no real duties, and being, as he confessed, bored.
"I can find you a sedentary job if you like, Lenner," said J'enia, "Salima always needs tubers peeling."
"I'm not THAT fardling bored," Lenner hastily denied.
"My clutchmates and I are always happy to have a hand oiling our dragons," said J'enia. "R'ban will be glass of an extra pair of hands, there's a lot of Vangoth even at his young age."
Lenner nodded, looking happier. He had no fear of dragons up close!
"Thanks. That's not makework; but nor is it tedious," he said.
oOoOo
J'enia took her place as Weyrlingmistress to hurry her girls onto dragons when the humming started. Little Layanya gave her a big hug and a kiss before climbing up with the Blue Rider who took her; and J'enia was glad to hug her back. Layanya was a dear and loving child!
Again, in the hatching cavern, the first egg to break was a Bronze – it was the egg that had been scored, and a ripple, half of relief and half of horror went around those who knew of the damage to it; for to lose a Brown had been bad enough, but the loss of a Bronze could have been catastrophic!
The little Bronze bawled his ungainly way into the arms of one linked to him by similar tragedy. The boy Jalar, now J'lar, was the Minercraft brother of one of the men killed by Restin's jolly boys. The cheer for J'lar from the Minercraft contingent led G'narish to murmur facetiously to Nadira that it must be a craft secret to vibrate the rock to pieces by sheer sound, to delve new passages! It has to be said that it was relief that the egg had hatched safely that made him take refuge in jocularity at such a time.
The little egg was rocking violently as other eggs started hatching all around; J'enia nodded to her four volunteers to advance.
"Any boys ready to stand by the small egg?" asked V'sheren. J'lar had been his one volunteer.
The other boys squirmed uneasily, looking guiltily at the small egg, and longingly at the full sized ones.
"I'LL stand to give it a chance at life!" Lenner's voice, from the bottom of the tiers, called. "I'll not see dragonkind suffer, V'sheren; he may not do much, but then, I'm less than whole right now. If it's all right with me being over age?"
"I don't give a flying shard about your age," said V'sheren, forcefully, "I honour you!"
Lenner winked and murmured in an undertone,
"I wish you'd honour me enough to bed m'sister and stop her being so tetchy," he said, "It's not like you're not hot for each other after all!"
V'sheren bit off a retort. Lenner grinned.
"None of my business, eh? As you wish, Weyrlingmaster," he added, as he took himself towards the egg. "Do we break the shell?"
V'sheren felt the shell; and tapped it lightly with a small hammer.
"Might need help with the membrane," he said, "But THAT is for whoever feels most drawn."
The chunks of egg, loosened by the blow, fell away; and a tiny emerald head was visible in thick membrane.
Silaya gave a cry and started forward, getting her fingernails into the membrane without any regard for keeping them nice; and accepting the silently offered knife from V'sheren.
"Her name is Lerelebith!" she cried, scooping the tiny body to her chest. "Oh, I'll never be lonely again!"
J'enia and V'sheren exchanged a speaking look; hoping that the tiny creature thrived and did not leave a more empty loneliness than ever.
Talarys chuckled.
"The smallest dragon – I bet she has the longest name!" she said.
"No takers," said V'sheren, dryly.
Lenner was half disappointed. No, if he was honest, more than half. Being over age, he could never hope to stand for a dragon in the normal way, but… he started to shrug at his own foolishness, then cried out in shock as a buffet in his back almost knocked him over. Only his acrobat trained balance saved him from hurting himself again; and he turned as quickly as he could.
And lost himself in the anxious rainbow regard of Brown Korth.
"Looks like we stole another Lee," said V'sheren dryly.
Lenner – L'nor – looked up, tears streaming down his face.
"Korth chose me? but I'm not a candidate!"
"But you put dragonkind above yourself," said V'sheren, "and that counts."
"I'll help you help him, L'ner," said J'enia, "explain to him that you have been hurt, they you will be slow; but that you WILL feed him."
"Shards, YES!" said L'ner, fervently. His eyes widened. "Oh J'enia! Do you think that C'rya…"
"I think you have a hungry dragonet who takes priority over your love life for now," said J'enia, primly, "and if you want to weyr with her, you'll have to convince her that you'll give up philandering, for she'll not have you else. Tell Korth he's standing on his own wingtip and that's why he can't go forward."
L'ner was overwhelmed; which was an entirely new sensation for him!
oOoOo
Twelve of the seventeen girls had Impressed, as it later transpired; and J'lar's Isedreth the only Bronze in the clutch, which had included a high number of twenty Greens plus little Lerelebith. That Layanya had not Impressed was no surprise. That L'ska had, a turn older only, was a surprise. Tragarra was disappointed, but again was no real surprise at being left, for as J'enia assured her kindly, she still had to find herself before a dragon could find her. It was of course no surprise at all that Nilis and Taessa had not Impressed, though Nilis was busy commenting that this was because her Queen had not been laid yet. The big shock was that Talarys had not Impressed, whom J'enia had though certain; and the girl was fighting tears.
"May – may I stay and be with dragons? I love them so!" she asked.
"Oh, certainly, but you're entitled to three goes at standing as well, like the boys!" said J'enia. She paused before speaking and formed her words carefully. "I think you've worked hard to become less self-effacing, and to learn the difference between being kind and being a doormat; but I think you have a little way to go in self-assertiveness. I'll help you; we all will!" she smiled.
If the girl could find self confidence around those of other, socially elevated, backgrounds, as well as in her own abilities and skills, there might even be a Queen waiting for her. To J'enia's mind, Talarys was the best of the bunch in many ways!
oOoOo
At the feast, Sh'rina was bouncing effusively at her Rider father and her foster mother and G'dened about how delighted she was and how it went to prove things; and the other girls were busy showing off their dragons to their families. L'illa was more than happy now she had been assured that she might fly in the Queen's Wing, and was explaining that to worried parents; G'eta was poking her father in affectionate irritation for improvising a humorous parody on one of Menolly's songs as his way of expressing emotion; and L'ska was busy butting in to ask if she could learn music although she was Impressed. Other than L'kerel's presence the seabred girls had to make their own celebration; their families had not come. However, even J'ara was opening up somewhat with K'leka, L'elli and L'ska.
Silaya's mother was having hysterics over her girlie having come for a Golden Queen and ending up with what she described as THAT. Her complaint seemed to be that people would laugh at her, not any commiseration to Silaya for her little Green's small size.
The girl listened in silence for a while; and as Lerelebith started to get agitated, she picked up the little dragon and managed to take Layanya's hand and got up to stalk off.
J'enia moved over to the girl's parents, making sure they saw the gold in her own knots. They had forgotten her entirely.
"We have had one attack on our eggs," said J'enia, coldly, "pray do not compound the offences of others by upsetting our dragons and disrespecting our Riders."
"That's no real dragon!" declared Silaya's father.
"You want to tell Lord Jaxom that Ruth is not a real dragon? Or T'mon, famed throughout the High Reaches for his rescue work that Denth is not? and I heard you disrespecting dragonrider S'aya by failing to contract her name. The Weyr is displeased."
"That's IT!" cried the woman. "We will take Layanya and leave; Silaya is NOT our daughter!"
"Dragonrider S'aya has a new family and does not need such inadequates," said J'enia, stung to rudeness, "and I shall write to Lord Larad about your behaviour too. As to candidate Layanya, it is her right to stay if she wishes; I will ask her."
Layanya wished; and J'enia insisted that she tell her parents herself.
Layanya held J'enia's hand tightly!
It was not a pleasant scene; but J'enia was NOT going to have any dragon or Rider in her cares spoken to like a naughty child – nor let any little girl have to suffer such an atmosphere!
