Reference: Talina: Weyrwoman at Benden Wyer; Queenrider.
Note; this is simply something that came to mind. I am not exactly sure that there were any other Wyers established, but the idea was a rather intriguing one in my eyes. It was mentioned several places that the Wyers were getting overcrowded. It is almost like a modern day Torene. Please, be nice, and if there is something I have missed, or gotten wrong, be so kind as to redirect me. I have read all of the books basically inside out, and should think I would do well in a fan fiction. All characters that are not by Anne McCaffrey are my own. Thank you.
Chapter one: The new Weyr
"Hungry my love?" Talina asked of her beautiful queen, Arwith.
Tired. The dragon's head suddenly turned around to face the entrance of the weyr. Someone comes with news. The dragon said interestedly, all tiredness abandoned.
"Drat." Talina quickly pulled on her riding jacket and smoothed back her hair just as F'nor came striding into the weyr.
"She's looking radiant today." He remarked, giving a kindly bow to Arwith.
"She should be mating in the next four sevendays," Talina blushed.
"Yes, that's what I came about." F'nor paused, looking a little contrite. "Lessa and F'lar are thinking about establishing a new weyr. We've too many queens in one place, and it is a nuisance to have to send all the queens out when one is mating. The bronzes are…becoming tired."
And of the browns? Talina barely caught the brown Canth's candid thoughts, and snorted.
"Were are they thinking?" She asked, trying not to show amazement that they wanted her to be part of this new mission.
"There is already a clearing, in Southern. Far enough away from the Oldtimers to be of any bother. Already, they have recruited some of the newer rides. As you are one of the seniors, we figured you have a bit of leverage."
Talina swallowed, and looked around her somewhat messy weyr. Leave this? This was the only life she knew of now. After being Searched in Ruatha, she had become an active part in the Weyr's life. She also knew that dragons weren't expected to fight Thread down in Southern, and that made her shudder. Not fight Thread? Yes, F'lar had stated that they nipped the Thread were it stood, but they would experience frequent Falls during the rest of the Pass. Talina wanted to fight Thread while there was still time in which to do it.
We will always fight Thread. That is what dragons do. Arwith said so certainly, that Talina was instantly reassured.
"And this exploration is to begin when?"
"Preferably before Arwith flies. Ramoth is still brooding over her clutch, and wont leave so readily. The eggs still have a few more sevendays to go before Hatching, and Arwith looks like she might fly any time." F'nor gave a shrug, as if to say that dragon queens were hard to contend with.
"Can you give us the reference point?" Talina grabbed up her helmet and shooed her dragon from her couch. The dragon got up, though grumping and groaning as she stretched, and waited for her rider to join her at the ledge.
"Canth has done so." F'nor replied after a moment.
"Do you really think the Weyrs are overcrowded?" Talina ventured, as she vaulted up to sit snugly in her perch.
"Overcrowded? No. I just think that people might want their own space." With a salute, the two took off and quickly blinked between.
N'bom wiped the sweat from his brow and looked up in time to see a sturdy, yet dainty queen pop into the sky, above the heights. So this was to be the new Weyrwoman?
Talina is well respected at Benden. Geneth said calmly, from where he was sunning on a large rock. N'bom looked over at his bronze is amazement. It was unusual for dragons to use actual names. They would say the draconic ones, true, but any human usually had a description. Like Robinton was the Harper, and every rider knew it was he.
"Or is it just her dragon you like?" N'bom asked out loud.
Arwith is a fine queen. You forget that she could have Impressed the Sad One. The Sad One was Brekke, he noted. But it was destined that she would Impress Talina. There was silence for a moment Talina can speak to most dragons.
"Really?" N'bom was instantly interested. There were only a scant few with that ability. One was Benden's Weyrwoman herself, Lessa. The other happened to be Brekke. He had heard news of another one, but couldn't remember her name. He looked up again to see the queen lazily spiraling down, glowing brilliantly in the Southern sun. As she back winged to land, he saw Talina take her helmet off with a grimace to the heat. He had momentarily forgotten how cold it could get in Benden.
"Welcome, Queenrider." N'bom set down his work tools and walked over to where Talina had dismounted. "I am N'bom, rider of bronze Geneth. I hope you are both in good health?"
"Yes, thank you," Talina shed her riding jacket and looked up at N'bom interestedly. He was rather handsome, but there was something in his eyes that suggested something she did not understand. She noticed a fresh Threadscore on his left cheek.
"Has F'nor filled you in on anything about this Weyr?" N'bom gestured that they should walk inside the small shelter that was already erected. They sat down at a small table in what appeared to be the kitchen, and he poured her some wine.
"Sorry it isn't Benden, but it has a foxy taste to it." He poured two cups, and handed one to her.
"I just barely found out there was to be another Weyr," Talina said, after taking a sip of the wine, and thinking for a moment.
"Yes, shouldn't be too large, I don't think. But what we are trying to do is make a nice enough Weyr on this plateau and then evict the Oldtimers here. That way we can once again have Southern Weyr, and not worry about contriving a Hatching Ground."
"And what if the Oldtimers don't exactly want to move?" Talina asked quietly, raising an eyebrow.
"We could always make them." N'bom was about to continue, but a lanky youth had just walked into the kitchens.
"Talina, this is R'sen, rider of brown Jenrenth. He is to be my Wingsecond. R'sen, Talina of Benden, and Queenrider of Arwith."
R'sen looked Talina up and down, before practically dismissing her with his eyes. "N'bom, we found a clutch of fire-lizard eggs on the shore. Should we report it, or keep them for ourselves?"
Talina instantly looked up, excited.
"I think we should let Talina decide," N'bom said smoothly.
"I should like a fire lizard," Talina admitted. "There were many at Ruatha and Benden, but I never managed to contrive one."
"Then its agreed. I think it would be handy to have them around, while we are busy with this Weyr. They could keep watch for the Oldtimers. How many are there?"
"Twenty-four. And they are quite hardened, and almost ready to hatch."
It's too little. How could that thing ever help protect this Wyer? Arwith snorted, as Talina sat down with her newly Impressed green lizard. It was a darling thing, just like a mini green dragon, and she decided to name it Jessel.
"Are you jealous?" Talina asked her queen, a smile on her lips. She reached out and gently scratched the dragon's eye ridges. Arwith hummed with pleasure, and was instantly reassured by her rider's love.
They were starting to adapt to this new life. She still returned to Benden here and there, because there wasn't a proper weyr for the two yet. She was careful about where she took Meroth, because she did not want another tragedy like the two queens who killed themselves while mating too close together. She would never be able to live if she lost Meroth. Most of the other dragonriders arrived and took claim to where they wanted their living quarters to be, and it was estimated that the small Weyr would be ready in a few more sevendays. They decided to stay in the one carved into the face of the mountain, which would hold three Queen's weyr's, and numerous others for bronzes, and of course, the adjoining Weyrleader and Weyrwoman's weyr. The only thing left for Talina to do was finish moving her stuff down.
Geneth is a fine dragon, Arwith said sleepily, catching the inner thoughts of her rider. Talina glanced over at the queen, radiant as always. It would probably be another sevendays before she rose to mate. And who would fly her? Talina had no attachment to any of the bronze riders she had met. Yes, she tolerated them all, and N'bom was the nicest, but she still didn't see any appeal to any one of them.
"Yes, would you like him as a mate?" Talina slowly placed her new fire lizard into the small bed made of rushes. The thing squeaked, then settled down to sleep, her belly bulging.
Only if it would please you. All of the bronzes are fine beasts. Talina snorted. Leave it to Arwith to say something like that. It was true that Geneth was an excellent bronze color. With hues of green and gold mixed in.
I'm hungry. Arwith said plaintively. She slowly stood up and walked outside and into the lush tropic.
"N'bom told us of a place that has good wherries." Talina grabbed her lightweight jacket, and the hunting straps. "Then we can go for a swim in the cove."
Thread is tomorrow. Talina caught Geneth's thought. She quickly glanced over at Arwith.
"You wouldn't mind not flying tomorrow, would you?" She asked, frowning.
Why?
"Well, you will be mating soon. I don't want to overstrain you."
Then if it saves you worry, I do not mind.
Before Talina could mount her dragon, Arwith raised back on her haunches and let out a shrill and almost muted keen. Instantly, Talina reeled and had to stand against the support of the building before she fell.
T'ron and Fidranth! Came Arwith's anguished cry and Talina had to take several deep breaths. Of course she felt ill will towards the Oldtimers, but the death of a rider and dragon effected everyone. She heard crashing through the brush, and N'bom came quickly to her side.
"You heard?" He asked, his face almost pained.
"Of course!" Talina said bitterly, as the last keen died away. "No one liked the Oldtimers, but it is still a loss. It was not Fidranth's fault for T'ron's stupidity."
"Yes," N'bom said softly, closing his eyes briefly. "You are correct."
I am no longer hungry. Arwith said in a defeated voice, and slunk back to her couch. Jessel had woken, agitated at the noise, and gave a loud squawk, launching into the air and flying about Talina's head. Sending soothing images to her lizard, Talina calmed her down, and finally got her to land on her arm.
"I thought you would have gotten a queen," N'bom said after Jessel quit her anxious crooning, though she was still shaking. He jerked his head to his own lizard, a little brown.
"That wouldn't have been fair. I already have a queen. Besides, R'sen is happy with his little golden beauty." She shot a look of love to her dragon, saying mentally that no other queen was as beautiful or smart as Arwith.
"Yes. And K'mit and L'rek are happy with their bronzes. It was a good idea to keep them for ourselves."
"I heard another queen was to arrive?" Talina motioned for N'bom to join her in her rooms, and after they sat down at the table she brought over from Benden, she poured them both wine that they needed. It was always horrible to hear of a dragon's death.
"Yes. She Impressed two turns ago, and it is mainly for company, I should think. But I doubt that Arwith would like the competition."
"Well, she wont be mating for another turn, right?" Talina asked, distracted.
"I should think so. Are you fighting tomorrow?"
"No. I don't want to push her. It would be horrid luck if she rose to mate during Threadfall. Every dragon isn't needed, right?"
"I shouldn't think so. Dragon's aren't exactly needed down here." Talina heard Geneth's snort.
"I meant," N'bom said to his dragon aloud. "that we don't have to fight every Fall. Of course we need you."
"Arwith was a bit contrite as well," Talina remarked. "But she understands, I think."
"Yes. Well, I need to go await the new queen. I really hope we can secure Southern Weyr before she clutches."
"Yes, me too."
N'bom left Talina to her own thoughts.