Yarrow stretched and stared at the ceiling. Brevis had convinced her to remain as his guest at the "Hold" the past night, which was pleasat enough though it left her with a slightly uneasy feeling. I hope Mink realizes that I'm just looking for information, she thought, flushing as she remembered that moment right before they came back to the caverns here. Yarrow's stomach felt like it was in knots, but it wasn't a horrible sensation. Tointel stirred beside her and chirped, disappearing to find his breakfast. Nisha was already gone.

The little room where he'd put her up that night was tiny but serviceable, in its own way. It had a little cot low to the floor, a chipped basin for washing, and a ragged tapestry on the wall that was too faded for its own good. She yawned again, and got up to wash her face and throw her tunic and pants on. At that point, she found they'd been replaced with a lovely blue dress with white trim. It looked a little old, and she wondered at it. But there wasn't anything else to wear around.

Brevis came in as she was rolling her hair up into a knot, and he bowed. "You look lovely," he said and signed to her. "The dress was my mother's once; it does you justice. I'm sorry it isn't specifically Harper blue, though."

"Thank you, just the same," she signed back.

"I have to see to some more – reconstructing – but I should be back soon," he added.

Yarrow blinked. "Could I come?" she signed.

Brevis shrugged. "All right, but it's boring."

He got her breakfast, which was more of the dried fish and bread, and then they went out toward the rubble piles just south of the mine site. The day was hazy and hotter than its predecessor. Gnats were everywhere, in little clouds, and flashes of lightning showed in the sky every so often. Heat lightning, she thought, batting off a flying biter.

The scaffolding by the west end of the mines was swarming with people, and she looked with interest at it, not having gotten much of a chance the day before. They seemed to be digging in specific spots, but just there, and every few feet she saw holes that led inwards to the caverns or thereabouts. Well, he had mentioned iron was found here. Yarrow knew that was used for making various things. Toric would have loved this, she thought absently.

At that moment, she felt a light breeze, and Tointel landed on her shoulder pecking at her to get her attention. Yarrow winced; she hated it when he did that. What is it? She sent to the little one, sensing urgency. The firelizard showed her a dead dragon and a scarred man, both in flames. It was a horrific sight, and she stumbled backward.

Someone grabbed her arm to stop her fall, though, twisting it. She looked up into the face of the man she'd just seen in Tointel's vision, and once the day before. His pock-marked face was from burns, she realized, gulping. Tointel and now Nisha were flapping about, nipping at him though he ignored them, his tight-set face focused on her.

"Who – are – you?" he growled at her, shaking her a little.

She pointed to her ear, indicating she couldn't hear him, but the former dragonrider was paying no heed.

"WHO?"

Then, there was Brevis. He took Yarrow from the man and said something to him, which made him back off. But he scowled at Yarrow as he left, stalking toward the cliffs.

"Are you all right?" he asked her, looking concerned. Yarrow was rubbing her arm.

She nodded. "Who is that?" she signed.

"His name's Mason – used to be M'sun, a former brownrider. He and his dragon were near the volcano when it erupted, and both got away only just in time. We found Mason wandering by the cliffs, out of his mind. He's lucky he still has the use of his faculties."

Why would anyone have need to be out by the Volcano? She wondered.

The clouds rolled in and there was a brief shower that afternoon, as Yarrow and Brevis were taking another walk. He seemed more interested in her than anything else just then, and she was both flattered and concerned. Yarrow's senses were heightened just then; a firelizard's in heat, maybe? She wondered. Nisha had looked a little extra green. And Brevis was – well, he was just considerate, she figured.

Maybe.

The two of them went under a cliff as the rain came down, and that was when he kissed her. Yarrow pulled back, surprised, half at the rush of sensations she got from the touch of lips, and half just surprise it had happened at all. She felt like things were building in her, like a tidal wave, like a volcano, and that she'd be swept away if she didn't control it. His arm around her felt like molten lava, and she wanted to sink into it and melt. Her heart pounded. She blinked, wide-eyed.

Brevis smiled. He reached out and gently ran a finger over her lips. "You're so lovely," he said to her. "So, so lovely."

"This is – what is this?" she signed to him, had never felt these sensations before, this internal throbbing desire for – she didn't know what.

He smiled more broadly. "I like you, Yarrow – I want to hold you." His hand moved from her lips to caress her cheek. "I like you a lot. Do you understand what I mean?"

She thought a minute, and her mind turned to the issues she'd had with Petia and the mystery of the "checking the sheets," and of having children by Mink in some fashion but not knowing how that happened. She hadn't even gotten to learn what the thing had meant, and she certainly hadn't borne a youngster. But Petia's sly scheming and Mink's fumbling timidity were a far cry from this electric touch that was so simple, so tender. Yarrow bit her lip in confusion.

And then there's the fact you're wondering what he's up to, out here with this mine and his abandoned Hold, she reminded herself sternly, even as she reached out a curious hand and touched his cheek back. It felt a little rough, like touching a nettle, but pleasant all the same, and it increased the rush inside of her.

Slowly, very slowly, he drew her in, and all Yarrow's thoughts and compunctions were flooded away, swept off on a tidal wave that left nothing more than herself and Brevis, and their hearts were singing together.

Yarrow pinched herself, wondering if this were real. So that was what Petia had been so sneaky about? Somehow she had a feeling it would have been different, very different, with Mink. She wrinkled her nose at the thought. No, she didn't feel like bedding with him. But Brevis. . . She blushed again, thinking about it.

It was now evening, and the stars were coming out. She stretched languidly, reveling in the feelings. Her lower half was a bit sore, but it wasn't anything she'd have traded. Oh no, definitely not. She watched a night moth flapping about in the gloaming.

He touched her arm gently, and she smiled over at him. Oh, Brevis, she thought, and for the first time in years she actually wished she could hear and speak. Yarrow stroked his cheek and he kissed her hand.

"We should return," he signed to her, making the movements of his hands large ones to be sure she could see in the dim light. Yarrow nodded.

As they headed back toward the cliffs and the makeshift Hold, Yarrow saw the dragonrider again, bumbling about. Mason, I need to remember that.

Just another bit of information to file away, she knew; then she looked closer. Mason was dragging a bag over to a little boat down on the beach. Who went fishing at night? Was her first question, and the second was, what's in that bag?

Brevis broke away from her and headed toward the man, struck up a conversation with him. Yarrow sighed, suddenly remembering the reason why she was here again. Stupid, stupid – to get so – distracted, she cursed herself, but at the same time she didn't regret a thing about it. Her feelings felt so confused! She bit her lip and tried to see what the two men were saying, but in this light it was difficult. All Yarrow could really do was watch the gestures they were making, body language. Brevis stood with an easy posture at first, then he changed to arms crossed over his chest and leaning in – a more aggressive pose, she knew. And Mason on the other hand was all over the place, clearly yelling something at him, while he tried to be sure and keep a good clutch on that bag.

Then, another form appeared from the shadows: a woman, her hair scraggly and her posture stooped like someone who'd been working in the mines all her life, or at a drudge's work. But it wasn't either, Yarrow saw as a cloud cleared out from the sickle moon.

It was Petia.