Chapter 8
Elexa seemed to be going to a lot of trouble to introduce her pretty daughter to Tragen; and suddenly Kaili had an insight into her reasons. She strolled over and thrust out her hand to the older woman.
"Lady Elexa! You've been pointed out to me! I understand that you have the misfortune to be related to that creature Aven" she forced herself to smile.
Elexa froze; and Kaili could almost feel Tragen's consternation as he said quietly,
"Meet my betrothed bride, Elexa."
Elexa shook Kaili's hand without a change of expression.
"You know my brother?" she asked, rather distantly.
"Unfortunately. But my family took me to the Weyr for protection" she looked straight into Elexa's eyes. It was a suggestion; a challenge. "My brother is a rider there. Say, your daughter is of age. Had you thought of taking her? I could talk to one of the riders who is bound to turn up."
Mixed emotions ran across Elexa's face before she schooled it.
"I had not thought of the idea" she said flatly.
"What do you think – Elena, isn't it?" Kaili smiled at the younger girl.
"It can't be any worse than going to live with my uncle" the girl said candidly. "If – if they don't hassle you to do things you don't want to."
Kaili shrugged.
"Depends what you mean – I mean, everyone has to muck in with chores, according to their abilities; but so far as living your own life is concerned, then no! even if you don't Impress there's heaps of crafts to have a try at while you wait to see if you've a dragon or not, or if you prefer being support to riding!"
The young girl's face blazed into sudden enthusiasm, transforming a rather vapid prettiness into something approaching the vivid beauty of her mother; but Elexa was more cautious than her daughter.
"And yet you chose to leave!" she said cynically.
Kaili shrugged.
"I like dragons fine – but I like runners more. And besides" her face glowed with love "There's Tragen. Hold to Hold, Weyr to Weyr. That's the rule."
The look Elexa gave her was unfathomable; but Kaili thought that something like envy lay in it.
The discussions were interrupted by an unwelcome arrival.
"Ah, dear sister. My little niece." Aven could not keep a sneer from his face even talking to kin: and Kaili saw the way Elena shrank back towards her mother as he pinched her cheek. Kaili was almost certain that Elexa had gone to great pains to protect her daughter – which spoke well for her – from the child's own uncle, and maybe father. As now she was going to any lengths to get the girl married to anyone who could be counted an ally, and who would be kind to Elena! The concept of the Weyr's protection was a new one – and Kaili was almost certain that Elexa would take her up on it. She only hoped the woman would not delay too long. At the moment the older woman's demeanour spoke of trying to divert her brother's attention: she slipped a far from sisterly arm around his waist, saying,
"I was just greeting Tragen, my brother, and his new bride-to-be."
Aven looked at Kaili for the first time; and his mouth curved into an unpleasant smile.
"Well, well – the little Mulgan girl! She's not a very good lay, Tragen: I've tried her. But she is feisty. It might amuse you to school her." he took Kaili's chin in his fingers; and before Tragen could react she instinctively dropped her head and bit the offending members hard! Aven yelped involuntarily.
"You little minx!" he was furious "You'll pay for that!"
"'Twas YOU who payed last time you ill treated me and my family!" Kaili was too furious to fear!
"She's right, Aven" growled Tragen, aggressively. "YOU'll pay if you lay a finger on my bride – for I'll leave you in a state you'd rather I'd killed you!"
Aven gave him an ugly look; but the presence of Lord Bargen's Gather Stewards and strong arm men left him no choice of enacting any immediate violence. He growled a threat and stalked off, beckoning his sister and niece imperiously. Elexa hesitated long enough to say,
"Be careful, Tragen. No-one crosses my brother and comes off unscathed" before she followed; and Elena gave Kaili a shy, frightened smile.
"WELL!" said Tragen "You believe in courting danger, my imp."
She shrugged.
"It is no good running. And my brother and M'gol and their friends won't let him hurt us"
"If they're around" grunted Tragen. "Though now we have firelizards to send…and you're quite right. He has to be stood up to. Was that woman threatening me?"
"I thought it was a warning more than a threat" said Kaili. "She's desperate to see her daughter safe from his attentions."
Tragen shot her a look.
"His own niece?"
"I heard some say, his daughter. But Aven doesn't operate within the same rules normal people do. Being a side issue of Fax seems to have turned his mind."
Tragen snorted.
"There are those who say that Fax was mad. He wasn't – just drunk on power, evil – and brilliant. But I think in this case you're right. Aven just doesn't seem to think that anyone can stand against him. And he's not like to consider consequences. We must be careful."
The encounter put something of a blight on the Gather; and evidently Aven had been talking, for an expensive looking lady asked Kaili sharply if it were true that she had lain with Lord Aven. Kaili gave her a direct look, flushing with anger, her eyes sparkling.
"Not voluntarily I assure you!" she said tightly. "And Lord Bargen made him pay compensation for the violation, not that anything can compensate for such an experience. And may I say, my Lady" she added "That I consider it ill bred for anyone to make me have to recall it!"
"No insult was intended – if it was as you say" the woman stared down her nose. Kaili stared her out furiously.
"If you'll call me liar, I'll ask your husband to take it up with my brother!" she said, her voice very controlled. "He'll not take kindly to his kin being so miscalled!"
"And your brother is?" the lip curled. "I know nothing of you or any brother in Society."
Kaili pulled herself up to her own full height, little though it might be.
"My brother is Bronze Rider D're of High Reaches Weyr" she said, proudly. "He's too busy protecting types like you to fardle around with your Society!"
The woman subsided; weyrfolk had power, and she had no desire to cause Cover to be withdrawn from her husband's holdings! There was much excited chattering amongst those who had been frankly eavesdropping in the hopes of some salacious piece of gossip! Kaili stalked back to Tragen. That he was chatting amicably to several Bronze and Brown riders gave the girl's tale weight – and helped to prevent adverse comment!
It was the race in which she was riding to which Kaili looked forward the most; her first serious race against other folk's jockeys. Tragen patted her on the shoulder and Silver Flyer on the rump, and forbore to give unnecessary last minute instructions or advice. Kaili had heard derogatory remarks about her mare from other owners and jockeys, that the animal was ornery and uncertain; and she slipped her mind smoothly into the racing mare's thoughts, reassuring her and strengthening her resolve to run her best.
Kaili almost panicked in the Traps, under starter's orders: suppose she let Tragen down? But it was too late to worry! The gates opened – and they were off!
Kaili and Silver Flyer were one mind, determined to show the others. Firmly the girl kept control of the mare when she wanted to cavort flirtatiously instead of running; and they kept going. They were near the front now – just two ahead of them – and in Kaili's ears ringing the memory of Tragen's voice: "race intelligently; don't worry; just go for it!". The girl saw an opportunity: and urged Silver Flyer on. They were passing the second runner; then the leader! Silver Flyer really was flying now, a length ahead – two – three, showing what she could do when her mind was concentrated on the race in hand; and then they were passing the finishing post with cheering and acclamations ringing loudly!
Kaili slowed Silver Flyer, calming her with thoughts and with approving pats to her strong neck. Lynel ran up with a blanket for the steaming mare, and then Tragen was beside them, excited and happy.
"We won!" Kaili was overjoyed. "We won for you!"
"Ah, my love!" Tragen was moved. Quickly Kaili rode Silver Flyer to the stabling where she could be rubbed down; and once she had seen to her mount, the girl hurried out to see the rest of the racing. Morill was riding twice, and driving in the Unicorn race: and Kaili had promised to see to each of his mounts too to give him more time to prepare between races. Watching him win one of the races, come placed in the second – which pleased Tragen, for it was the two -turnling's first race – and romp home well ahead of the field in the buggy race was splendid! Tragen himself drove in the two-beast and four-beast races, and Kaili cheered herself hoarse as he showed his own skill as well as the speed of his horses, coming second in the two-beast race and as good, he said, as he could have hoped for; and taking the lead early and holding it in the four-beast.
After the prizegiving ceremony, Kaili was astounded when Tragen handed her share of the prize money to her; though she knew his custom and had merely forgotten that it also applied to her!
"I thought you knew my customs" teased Tragen.
"I'd forgotten f'sure!" she said, honestly. "All I was thinking of was to win for you – and to prove that Silver Flyer is a good mare, not fickle and vice-ridden as some say. She's a good ride – I owed it to her."
Tragen hugged her.
"I love you so well!" he said; and she smiled up at him.
The choice of a soft red brocade for her bridal gown was the final high point. Tragen had done well at the races, not merely from prize money, but from judicious betting, not least the long odds he had got for an unknown jockey on a tricky mare! Tragen was a canny man and laid careful bets on placing rather than winning unless he was certain of a win, the returns less but more likely. Any runner, as he said, could have a bad day, or a good one for a rival's beast. He had backed Kaili to win, as well as to place, likewise Morill for his first ride and the Unicorn buggy. If he might have gained more by betting on his own win instead of keeping cautiously to betting on a placing, he was undismayed.
"There's more to making money from the gees than a big win" he explained. "Steady and small does better long term than a windfall one Gather and a loss the next. And we did very well here; you can have any fabric you desire, my love!" he added jubilantly.
Kaili laughed.
"You may have forgotten to be a hard-headed trader, but I haven't!" she said. Carefully she picked over fabrics, examining weave, checking width and feeling the thickness and softness. Finally she asked the price of one she particularly liked, woven with a self colour jacquard pattern of interlocking dragons. She raised her eyebrows when the weavercraft marksman named the price.
"I only want the one piece, not the whole stall!" she countered. "Do you think I hatched yesterday?" happily she dickered, the stallholder asking to know if she wished to beggar him, she accusing him of daylight robbery; and they finally settled on a price a little under three quarters of what he had originally asked. Tragen laughed.
"Dickered like a horsetrader!" he congratulated her. "Most women like to know that their husbands spend all they can afford on them!" he teased.
"Then they are fools" declared Kaili. "Why waste the labour of the Turn if you can save some? Sometimes there are lean times – and you've had need to reach in the coffers to help out after the blizzard. And if you're to increase the profitability of the Hold with better roads it might be an investment to pay for labour to speed up the building of them in time for our Harvest Gather that we can have our own buggy racing; and there's new accommodation to build for that too. Why waste it on outward show, past what is expected of you without being called mean when 'tis the man I wed, not the dress?"
"Why indeed!" Tragen smiled; he was well content with his young bride!
Kaili had one more errand; she sought out the woman Katha, who had avoided Tragen once news of his betrothal to 'the dragonwench' had seeped out.
"Please excuse me, Lady Katha" Kaili said, politely "May I have a word?"
The older woman gave her a wary look.
"I have made no move to engage the attentions of Holder Tragen since I heard he was engaged" she said, reflecting how it had cost her her father's ire for refusing to try to take Tragen from 'the weyrchit'.
"I noticed. Thank you" said Kaili sincerely. "It is easy to see who the REAL ladies are around here. But – I have noticed that you do not seem happy. Might – might I suggest that you could do worse than applying to the Weyr? You are within age for an egg, they like steady, mature girls: and if you didn't Impress there are other crafts needed by the support staff ."
Katha gave the girl a look; but Kaili's face was open and honest. The ranking woman smiled seriously.
"I will most certainly consider it" she said.
Elexa had not approached any riders; and Kaili herself spoke to D're about the woman and her daughter. His good humoured face darkened at his sister's surmises.
"I'd do anything to spite that Fax-spawn" he growled "And if you're right, why it's sorry I am for her. but have you thought what havoc she could wreak in the Weyr if she's his willing ally t' be sure? Especially if she is a poisoner!"
Kaili paled.
"I'd not thought of that…but she's so scared for Elena, I – I think she'd do a lot to see her safe."
"Sure, me love, and would she not think the ghirl safer if she struck a bargain with that little turd to lay off the kid in return for bringing down the Weyr?"
Kaili had not considered such a thought! She bit her lip. D're patted her on the shoulder.
"I'll be putting a canny Blue Rider to check her out" he said. "For sure, a good half of them can read intent as well as I read egg colours; and we'll have T'lana check her out!"
Kaili nodded, happier. T'lana's prescience was quite legendary!
Tragen and Kaili had to take some gentle teasing from his exuberant jockeys and hands on the way home; but it was all in good spirit. Kaili blushed a lot, but was pleased that Tragen's hands felt they could tease the boss – yet jumped immediately without question to any order, as when he yelled for a stop, seeing what the leaders of the cavalcade had not, that the buggy shaft had come loose from its mountings on the back of the packbeast that bore it and was about to foul on the ground. In truth the men appreciated that their Holder and his bride rode with them, when they could readily have asked for transport from dragonriders. The thought of so deserting his people had never occurred to Tragen; nor yet to Kaili, and their people loved them the more for it! Many a Holder or runner owner at a Hold with a dragon left his grooms and lads to see to transporting the runners whilst he went dragonback - and that Kaili did not even think of exploiting her Bronze Rider brother for personal convenience was noted.
Northfork's own dragonrider arrived shortly after their return; cheerful, clumsy T'han made to bow to Tragen and tripped, executing several clumsy steps and an involuntary pirouette as he regained his balance.
"Please don't try to do anything fancy, T'han!" said Kaili, earnestly. "Not until your feet have decided which side they're attached to!"
T'han blushed, but grinned. He put up with a lot of good natured teasing in the Weyr and took it all in good part.
"Eh, lad, don't fret about it!" said Tragen. "'Tis often the best runners go through the most gowky stage – and you'd not have a brown dragon if you weren't worthy a deal of respect!"
T'han flushed again, this time in pleasure.
"I try to be worthy of Firrianth" he said.
"And no man can do more than his best" declared Tragen.
T'han soon settled in and became friends with Kren and his brother Jado who were keen to help with bathing and oiling Firrianth when their chores permitted; some of a handful prepared to come close to the big creature!
T'han was also quite happy to muck in with other chores; and quickly won the respect and liking of the majority of the hands. As Kren told him,
"They're real men at YOUR Weyr. Heroes in the sky, and not too fardling fancy on the ground!"
Kaili was glad of T'han's presence when she received a message via Aunt Nosy from Lowri:
"Please come quickly, baby coming!"
Kaili begged the presence too of calm, quick witted Kirissa to help; who mounted Firrianth with a lack of concern that would have done credit to someone weyrbred!
Lowri had gone into premature labour after turning too fast and falling down the cellar steps; Alaman was still in the field. Lowri had decided that Kaili could help more than her husband, though the young cotholder was startled by the precipitate arrival of a Brown dragon out of between barely a length up, landing right in front of the cot. T'han went to find Alaman whilst the women went looking for Lowri. Kirissa looked grave when they discovered the girl's predicament; and the two of them carried the cotwife to her bed. Fortunately, even with her pregnancy, Lowri was not heavy, for both Kirissa and Kaili were slight! Alaman arrived in the middle of their bloody battle to save both mother and babe; but the child was born dead and Lowri was bleeding prodigiously. Fortunately, Kaili remembered something H'llon's friend Ketilin, from the Healer Hall had said.
"If she goes to the Healer Hall they can give her more blood" she said to Alaman. "T'han can take her."
T'han nodded: and Alaman looked fearful.
"T'aint someat unnatural is it?" he asked anxiously.
Kaili stamped her foot impatiently.
"It's been known since ancient times! It was only Fax's stranglehold killed a lot of the old knowledge!" she declared. Whether the latter was true or not she did not know; but it was a reasonable explanation. That and apathy from the long Interval. Alaman nodded consent; and Kaili and Kirissa hastened to wrap Lowri warmly for the trip between.
"I'll see to the beasts" assured Kaili "And Tragen'll send out a man"
Alaman was too worried to care about favours. He let himself be pushed onto Firrianth with Lowri, cradling her gently within the flying straps.
T'han returned presently.
"Master Oldive says it won't take too much to set her up, thanks to us getting her there quickly" he reported. "I like that man Alaman. I said I'd help out on the farm until he returns – and of course I'll collect them both. I've few enough other duties."
Kaili smiled at him.
"Thanks, T'han. Lowri's a good friend of mine!" she had not yet had an opportunity to impart her own good news – and now was an insensitive time, even had Lowri not been too ill and too devastated by the loss of the baby she had been so looking forward too! It seemed so unfair – Kaili remembered her own anger and distress because she had not known how to get rid of her unwanted twins, and though they had got a happy outcome in L'rilly's fosterage it was so cruel that so wanted a baby should be lost! Kaili only hoped that in addition to everything else Lowri would not start blaming herself too much for a momentary weakness!
Lowri quickly made a complete recovery; but she was very despondent when T'han fetched her home. Kaili asked Tragen if she might spend time staying with her friend until she was fit; and he had readily given her permission. Kaili felt helpless; and had some insights into how her sister Mirielle must have felt about her! To jolly Lowri along would be insensitive, but she did not want the other girl to fall into despondency.
"You have to mourn your loss" she said "But you must also look forward. You and Alaman are young – there will be other children. I know it's not the same, dear Lowri: but you must help Alaman as well. For he's half inclined to blame himself for leaving you alone, you know."
Lowri bit her lip.
"As though he had any choice! But he is like that – ready to shoulder more than his share of responsibility. It's so hard!"
Kaili hugged her.
"I know. Which is why you have to grieve, lay flowers on your baby's grave and so on. Accept the loss. Only then can you move on."
Lowri nodded.
"Yes, I see. Not to deny the pain; but to learn to live with it."
Kaili had a private word of a similar nature with Alaman; and he nodded, readily understanding.
"'Tis cruel hard for Lowri" he said. "I'll do all I can to help her."
It was several days before Lowri firmly declared that she could manage her own cot; and thereafter Kaili contented herself with dropping in daily. She waited until Lowri was ready to take an interest in outside things again before imparting her own news.
Lowri hugged her fiercely.
"I said we'd dance at your wedding!" she declared.
"And you were right – and knew me better than I knew myself!" said Kaili. "I'd not settle for less than you and Alaman have between you; and I have it!"