Chapter 5
Avalanche was definitely Kaili's beast; and though he would tolerate Tragen, he was only happy with the girl on his back. Kaili loved exercising him, and wining back his trust; and one day, when he was settling in well, rode over to visit the young couple Alaman and Lowri. Alaman was ploughing and breaking sod; he waved cheerfully from behind his new team. Lowri was hanging out washing in front of the cot, for the day was fine and Thread was not destined for days. She came forward to greet Kaili; and Avalanche snorted nervously.
Kaili shushed him and warned Lowri,
"Careful – he's been ill-used and his temper's still uncertain. This is the runaway from the Gather" she explained.
"Poor darling!" murmured the young cotwife encouragingly. Avalanche whickered and put his head down.
"Well he likes you!" grinned Kaili, swinging down off his back.
"Runners generally do" Lowri patted the big animal. "I love them."
She was not a Whisperer; Kaili had learned to recognise the sound in her head of the rush of communication. It was not unlike the sound when people summoned their dragons; but clearer. However there was the faintest of whispers in Kaili's head that told her that Lowri was something akin to being a Whisperer, and certainly could empathise with runners! Yet there was something more…
Kaili tied Avalanche where he could crop the new spring grass, and went in with Lowri for a cup of Klah. The other girl looked tired.
"Look – I don't mean to be rude, but are you all right?" Kaili asked bluntly.
Lowri blushed and laughed.
"I'm with child" she said, and blushed again, her eyes glowing. "It just makes me a bit sick. Sometimes that happens. My cousin was fine with her first, sick with the second and she seems fine with the third. Pot luck" she smiled. "Mother always says, if you want to dance, you have to pay the Harper."
Kaili puzzled over that; and it showed. Lowri blushed again.
"She meant that if you wanted to enjoy the, um, physical side of marriage, you have to put up with the consequences – which is babies."
"Enjoy?" Kaili's face was sceptical, her tone bitter. "I'd say it was the reverse!"
Lowri looked at her thoughtfully.
"Then you've had a bad experience" she said. "Was it rape?"
Kaili looked down, clenching her fists. Lowri gave her an impulsive hug.
"Look – don't let it sour you!" she cried. "Or the beast who has caused you this hurt will have won! Are you going to let him carry on controlling you after it's over – for Tragen's reputation is not one to let me think he'd permit anyone to go on hurting you – and let him rule your whole life?"
Kaili's chin came up.
"NO!" she said.
Lowri smiled and refilled their klah mugs: and proceeded to give Kaili some blunt and rather earthy advice, blushing a little as she did so.
Kaili burned; but was grateful. She and Lowri had hit it off as though they had always known each other; and Kaili was glad to help her new friend with some of the heavy housework, washing, wringing and hanging out bedlinen that Lowri had been putting off to beg Alaran's help with. It was a measure, thought Kaili, of the young man's nature, and love of his wife, that he'd do what many would scornfully call 'women's work' for her. Kaili also carried in wood and blackrock for the fire; and determined to drop by again to help Lowri whist she was finding things difficult.
By the time she had seen to Avalanche on her return, Kaili was a little late for the evening meal; but when she explained to Tragen where she had been and why she had been delayed he nodded.
"It is good to be neighbourly" he agreed. "In fact, I think it would be well if you also visited my own dependant and tenant cotholders to check if they need anything. But I suggest you might wish to go as my fosterling and representative wearing more feminine clothing."
Kaili looked mutinous for a moment; but nodded. Her quick mind recognised that it could be taken as an insult to Tragen's dependants to receive a formal visit from a scruffy tomboy.
Kaili's days were full, between jockey training in the forenoon and visiting people including Lowri after noon. But as the ground firmed with the increasing good weather, Tragen announced that he would soon start to teach her to drive a buggy. Kaili was delighted.
"Unicorn?" she asked, hopefully. Tragen laughed.
"In your dreams – for now!" he said. "You'll not learn to fly afore you're hatched!"
Kaili's driving lessons were to be postponed, however; for as she took klah in the kitchen before leaving to embark on her first lesson, she noticed that the striations on the firelizard eggs were greater in number and more pronounced than in the morning; and there were noises within! Quickly she sent drudges running to bring the recipients of the warming jars; and sent others for trays of meat. Soon Kirissa, Morill, Kren, Calum and Tragen joined her.
Tragen's golden queenlet erupted suddenly from her shell a second before the others; and Kaili had just enough time to marvel at her beauty before the gleaming bronze head of her own tiny charge popped out. Carefully she offered him meat as she had been taught, not letting him gorge, admonishing the others to be careful likewise. Soon, satiated, he wrapped a tail around her arm and fell asleep, his little belly bulging and rumbling gently. Mesmerised by the love from his rainbow eyes and projected thoughts Kaili stroked his headknob gently; and looked around.
Her own emotion was mirrored on five other faces.
"Magical!" breathed Kren, stroking his little brown with one huge finger. Morill's face wore a soppy grin; Calum's one of surprised joy; Kirissa's one of wonderment. And Tragen was plainly enchanted with the tiny perfect queen snuggling down on his shoulder. He cleared his throat and schooled his expression.
"We must be careful to train our new little friends in accordance with the standards and methods the Weyr has laid down for us" he said firmly. "No-one shall have the opportunity of accusing our little beasts of ill discipline!"
The others nodded solemnly: with the superabundance of green lizards in Nabol, the little creatures had gained a bad name amongst some – and with some justification.
After due consideration, Tragen named his little queen 'Windfire' for her abilities against Thread; and Kaili called her bronze 'Swiftwind'. It seemed somehow appropriate to pick a similar name in the way that bloodlines of racing runners bore elements of the same name. in as far as bloodlines were concerned, another naming was needed: for no sooner had the six happy impressees sat back with their pets than a groom ran in for Tragen to tell him that Darkspeed's foal was on the way!
Darkspeed birthed easily; and Tragen looked down with pleasure at the helpless long-legged foal, black all over like his dam.
"You name him, Kai" he suggested. "You 'saw' him first."
Kaili answered without hesitation; for she had secretly named the foal herself on that first day when she sensed him in the womb!
"Darkfire" she said firmly. Tragen smiled and nodded; and Calum carefully entered it in the stud record. In this he was 'helped' by his own tiny brown firelizard who seemed to feel that the reed pen was for patting at with his tiny hunter's paws!
Several days were disrupted by demanding firelizard babes – the 'flying stomachs' as Kaili christened them! She had a great deal of respect for Menolly the Harper for managing to Impress and care for seven at once! Gradually a routine became established – just in time, as Tragen said, for the next lot to be close to hatching!
"May I take an egg to Alaman and Lowri?" asked Kaili. "They are independent – and having a messenger might help. They'd be good to a lizard."
Tragen smiled approvingly.
"Of course" he said. "I like that young man. I shouldn't be surprised if one or more of their children proves a Whisperer. They're both good with runners. Such should be cultivated."
Kaili dimpled at him.
"Nothing to do with you being in any way nice, I suppose boss?" she teased.
"None at all, repellent imp!" declared Tragen.
Lowri gasped and clapped her hands in delight when Kaili revealed her gift; but Alaman looked serious.
"It is too valuable a gift to accept" he asseverated. Kaili tossed her curls.
"It is a simple gift for kin of a dragonrider – my brother has friends who know where they nest, and without breaking rules to go to Southern either. Value lies in difficulty of obtaining as well as in usefulness – so you need not think it deprives anyone."
"But why us? You scarcely know us, Miss Kai."
Kaili wrinkled her nose.
"You don't need to add the 'Miss' you know" she said. "And Tragen's pleased I have a friend my own age in Lowri who's such a nice person. I expect" she grinned "He'd be pleased if we could exchange notes by firelizard rather than me stretching my leisure to come visiting."
Alaman looked unconvinced.
"It would be useful" said Lowri wistfully. "And company for me too. And it would be full grown before the babe is due, am I right?" she appealed to Kaili.
Kaili nodded.
"That's so. And if you had any health problems, yourselves or your beasts, you could always send to us as neighbours for help."
"And why would Tragen so put himself out?" asked Alaman. His face was stubborn and proud: and Kaili met his eyes.
"Because, perhaps, you remind him of himself at your age; for I've learned by gossip he had to build his place up when his father let it decline. Because too I understand that you are also thinking of breeding runners; and he'd be looking to make stud agreements with you if you prove successful there. Because he's taken a liking to you – as the pair of you are next door to being Whisperers."
Alaman blinked.
"My Grandsire was a Whisperer" he confessed.
"So's your son" Kaili blurted out.
They both stared.
"You know it's a boy? And a Whisperer?" Lowri was almost sceptical.
Kaili shrugged.
"I'd not have known if he weren't a Whisperer. But I can feel him reaching to Avalanche when Lowri's near him. It – it's a kind of noise in your head."
"You mean YOU're a Whisperer?" Alaman said in awe. "They say Tragen is!"
Kaili nodded.
"He's pleased that I am too" she said. "He's a fine man. He pretends to be hard, but he's very kind. And he believes that neighbourly behaviour is right and good. Please accept the egg in the spirit of friendship – as it is offered" she finished earnestly.
"Well…." Alaman weakened.
"Thank you" said Lowri, firmly. "And we'll dance at your wedding too if we may."
"Wedding? I'm not getting wed!" Kaili was taken aback; and Lowri laughed her gentle tinkling bell like laugh.
"We shall see!" she prophesied.
Kaili rode back deep in thought. She well understood Alaman's reluctance to accept a valuable gift; his pride was like her own family's. It was why she had kept it matter-of-fact and showed him where the advantages to Tragen too might lay: for then he could unbend enough to take the egg. She realised instinctively that Tragen too would have been as stiff and proud at Alaman's age, learning to accept gifts only with the experience of turns and with the needs of his dependants at heart. Even so, she thought it was only because he was doing the weyr a favour of fostering her that let him accept the extra eggs; and he had sent her, the sister of a dragonrider to deliver them to selected cot holders. Whilst wild style Impression had been suggested by M'gol, Tragen felt that it would do more good within his Hold to carefully select outlying cotholders to have eggs. He had discussed it exhaustively with Calum.
Kaili had listened attentively, learning from the men's summations of various characters; and had ventured her own comments on one cotholder over whom they dithered.
"His runners don't like or trust his second wife" she declared. "I think she's short with them, if not downright cruel."
"I thought there was something not quite right" said Tragen.
"But he's a good man" Calum put in.
"He is. But if he chose badly in his second wife, then his judgement is in question. And his wife could try to ill treat his firelizard and drive it between"
Calum nodded.
"Very well boss."
And so Kaili had delivered eggs, with strict instructions; and further instructions to expect lessons on training them later. Some cotholders had made token protest; most seemed proud that Tragen was so good at taking care of his people that he could even acquire firelizard eggs for them. All had been grateful and full of wonderment at the idea of actually owning one of dragonkind's miniature cousins! They were enchanted by Swiftwind and some begged the chance to stroke him – the closest any had been to any kind of dragonkin! Kaili thought from their attitudes that Tragen and Calum had chosen well. But then, Tragen was a good assessor of people.
Which led back to Lowri's statement.
Avalanche slowed to a walk under Kaili's reverie; and she stared about the high alpine pasture , enjoying its beauty and tranquillity almost without being aware of what she was looking at.
She like Tragen.
She felt very easy in his company.
But surely that was not the same as what was between Lowri and Alaman.
Kaili heaved a sigh. She wished she might discuss it with someone. Briefly she considered her nominal maid, Isleen; but whilst the girl was pleasant enough now that Kaili had made it clear that she did not require waiting on hand and foot, she was scarcely what might be described as a 'kindred spirit'. In the same way, Kaili liked bothe Kirissa and Kirilly; but did not feel any urge to open up to them.
She had always had her sister Mirielle to confide in before; but strangely it was the image of L'rilly, her sister-in-law that rose in her mind's eye, for all that the Queenrider had been very blunt on occasion.
Absently Kaili reached inside her jacket to stroke little Swiftwind, who hummed happily. All the attention from cotholders had been most gratifying to him! Kaili thought she might be able to ask him to carry a message that she'd like the opportunity to talk with L'rilly. The older girl had been released from the care of the Healers but was not yet strong enough to resume her duties – perhaps she might even like to visit for a few days to so calming and lovely a place as Northfork – it might aid her recovery! Kaili smiled to herself. It would be nice to do something nice for L'rilly as well as to ask her advice.
Tragen concurred with Kaili's suggestion that it might be nice for L'rilly to convalesce at Northfork. Consequently, after next day's Threadfall, when Kaili had finished her duty on groundcrew she waved to D're in the hand code their family had long used for basic distance communication; and her brother brought young Esruth into land, carefully downwind of Tragen's stables.
"And what's me own dharlin' sister wantin'?" he asked.
"I wondered if L'rilly was climbing the walls with boredom yet" Kaili grinned.
D're rolled his eyes up.
"And is she not! Sure and Keerana and Calla are both threatening to run away to sea for sake of her interferin' in the lower caverns and even me dear friend T'lana threatenin' tu box her ears, so it is! 'Tis a good sign, for sure, but fearful uncomfortable!" he winked to show he was exaggerating, but Kaili grimaced, for the thickness of his Ruathan brogue spoke of his genuine concern for volatile weyrmate – and Kaili suspected that L'rilly could really make life difficult if she was out of sorts, without meaning to!
"Tragen and me wondered if she'd like to come here for a few days – change of scenery, different people to bully – er, organise!" she teased "pretty flowers and so on. No real responsibilities but enough difference to keep her interested" she finished.
D're shot her a look.
"Sure, she'd not want to be parted from the infants" he said in a carefully neutral voice. "Nearly dying like she did makes her appetite for living the more – and she'd not bear to miss a minute!"
Kaili swallowed hard. She had told L'rilly after she birthed the twins that she never wanted to see Keeran or Lasari again.
"I – I think I could cope with them now! She said in a small voice.
"Think? You'll have to do more than think, little sister, for I'll not have my bright star upset by any tantrums!" D're told her roughly.
Kaili swallowed again: and put her chin stubbornly up.
"I WILL cope" she said firmly. "I'm not going to let that – that CREATURE Aven rule my whole life!"
"There's me good ghirl!" D're approved and pinched her cheek affectionately. "I'll see if she'd like to come – and I can't see that she wouldn't. 'Tis a good idea, so it is."
Kaili awaited the arrival of L'rilly and the twins with not a little trepidation. They flew in Straight; Tamalenth was strong and D're wished neither L'rilly nor the babes to risk between.
L'rilly passed each babe down to D're, who accompanied her; and Kaili stared at them curiously. She had expected to feel some of the sick revulsion they had aroused before, or a sense of numbness; but she was surprised to feel a sharp tug of longing as little Lassari laughed up at D're and prattled incomprehensibly. He responded by blowing a raspberry on her fat little tummy; and the babe squealed in delight and grabbed for his beard!
L'rilly glanced over at Kaili; and the younger girl smiled warmly and held out her arms.
As sisters they embraced.
"Feeling better?" asked L'rilly, almost unnecessarily, seeing the roses well back in Kaili's cheels.
Kaili laughed.
"I thought that was my line!" she quipped as she drew L'rilly's hand through her arm. "It's impossible not to feel good here – lovely scenery, relaxed surroundings and nice people!"
L'rilly smiled to herself.
It HAD been a good idea to send Kaili here!
"I've been starting to feel better anyway" she said "I have a helper called Sibealle who brought her sons up to the Weyr – as Thread started falling! Her oldest boy senses Thread, and also had the presence of mind to use his mind to call dragons, so we seized them up, Tamalenth and me, in the nick of time, me being hoisted up anyway to help cover the Weyr with to help the groundcrew, and she's healer trained so Calla trusts me with her!" she twinkled cheerily. Kaili was sure that T'bor would have had a thing or two to say about L'rilly exerting herself so – but of course he would have been off Fighting Thread – and she doubted that the golden haired Queenrider would have told either him or D're all the circumstances of this new little family's arrival!
L'rilly was, under normal circumstances, a perfectly competent rider runnerback of course; as a granddaughter of Lord Groghe she had been riding since infancy. However, the recent operation made riding too risky; even going dragonback necessitated the use of T'lana's hoist equipment, initially designed for the crippled Sh'rilla; and Sh'rilla had also loaned L'rilly her special dragonback chair to fly to Northfork. L'rilly did however enjoy gentle walks arm in arm with a new Kaili, full of enthusiasm for life.
There were some snide comments made by one of the stable boys suggesting that the Weyrwoman did not know one end of a runner from another; and after pointing out she'd like to see how well HE would ride after having bits of his guts chopped out, Kaili administered rough justice as she knew best and appeared for the nooning meal with a split lip and a satisfied expression.
Tragen raised an eyebrow; but as the girl seemed in good heart, said nothing. As the boss had said nothing, Tranora also held her peace, save a brief, startled exclamation; hence the only comment was from L'rilly, who said dryly,
"You've been fighting."
"They do breed weyrwomen to be perceptive" retorted Kaili tartly.
"I hope your opponent looks worse?" L'rilly asked, politely.
Kaili nodded, reaching for klah.
"Oh yes" she said, cheerfully. "Men have more places to hurt in."
Calum paled.
"Here – you're not damaging the worth of any of my jockeys I hope?" demanded Tragen, with a twinkle.
Kaili shook her head.
"Of COURSE not, Tragen! If it had been a jockey, I'd have hit him on the head" she grinned. "Like dragonriders – a place where there's nothing important to damaged."
"Pert chit" said Tragen; and L'rilly reached over to lazily tweak the girl by the ear.
Kaili grinned, a trifle bloodily.
"Honour was satisfied, anyway" she declared.