CHAPTER 2 How Much May the Blind See?
Talana had hoped that R'cal would come to visit her, but she had not expected him to turn up with a tearful young girl.
R'cal scowled at Faylina and nodded in a studiedly casual way to T'lan and growled,
"Found her when I was delivering a message. Thought I ought to bring her to you. Girl's been raped – by a dragonman."
Talana gasped, and held out her hands to the girl; the girl ignored her.
"She's blind" R'cal explained. "The misbegotten son of a wher killed the canine she used to guide her."
Talana put an arm around the girl.
"I'm Talana," she said. "Come with me and Faylina and we'll get you cleaned up and stop it hurting. Then you can tell me everything you can remember and we'll see to punishing him."
The girl was deeply shocked but nodded and went along with them. Faylina managed to persuade her to tell them her name, Seela, and calmed her down. Talana was filled with admiration for the way the otherwise bossy woman managed to deal with the distraught Seela, treating her like a child as they stripped and bathed her, and put her to bed with the half strength numbweed that was used for delicate skin. T'lan absently lifted a blonde hair from amongst the girl's darker growth, and laid it in a porcelain dish. The girl was generally bruised, and her neck bore clear marks of the fingers of her assailant, bleeding from uneven scratches at the end of the bruises. Faylina gave her a judicious amount of fellis juice and the waited until she slept.
"How terrible – poor child! One can scarcely credit it of dragonmen, even if weyr ways are strange!" Faylina exclaimed as they left her.
"It's revolting." Talana was uncompromising. "He must be found out. I shall ask Mirrith to bespeak Lioth."
oOoOo
Twenty minutes later, N'ton was pacing up and down irritably. He had complained, via Lioth and Orth to T'bor that this weyrwoman was causing him problems; and was dissatisfied with what Lioth had reported.
"Orth says that Mirrith's rider does not cause problems. She just expects to discover and fix other people's. Orth says you get used to her."
N'ton said,
"So, R'cal, let's get this straight. You were running a message from Lord Oterel to one of Lord Groghe's senior Holders, and as you were taking off, Camnath spotted this, er, Seela. She was afraid of you when you landed and said 'no – please, not again!'"
R'cal nodded.
"Naturally I was taken aback. I asked what was wrong, then I saw the blood. I told her she would see justice, Weyrleader." He looked down his nose at N'ton, daring him to evade his responsibilities. He continued, "She told me it was a dragonman who took her, and she feared that her dog was dead because she heard him barking, then he yelped and made no more sound. It was then that I realised that she was blind, sir." His tone was respectful to the Fort Weyrleader, but N'ton had the feeling that he was being very patient. N'ton asked,
"But if she's blind, how could she know it was a dragon man?"
"Because of the wing draft. She thought Camnath was his dragon because it felt the same as when his dragon came to collect him after the dragons had finished screaming and bellowing overhead."
"So" interposed T'lan "The fellow was away from home when a dragon rose and took out his need on a holder girl without first checking if she was willing."
N'ton nodded regretfully.
"Sounds like it. He has some excuse, of course…"
"Not if she's that unwilling. More I guess if his was the lucky dragon. Who flew?"
"It was a green – Ninth I believe."
"You'll be checking of course who flew her – and asking the two riders involved to join us I'm sure, Weyrleader N'ton." Talana was at her sweetest. R'cal gave her a R'gar type look of deep suspicion.
"Why is that relevant?" asked N'ton, puzzled.
"Ninth's rider will have some idea what dragons were involved. And we shall see if the rider of Ninth's mate was present in the weyr." Talana explained. N'ton had a feeling she was being patient with him too. She added, "Logic should enable us to eliminate the innocent and discover the guilty. The guilty man must provide compensation."
"Perhaps you would like to run the investigation." He intended to be sarcastic. Ignoring his tone, Talana smiled brightly.
"Perhaps it would be as well for an impartial Queenrider to be the one to ask impertinent questions." She said. "Also I won't have to live with anyone I embarrass later."
N'ton opened his mouth to speak; then decided against it. After all, everyone knew they were all slightly – eccentric – at High Reaches. He'd be able to extract the information as she asked questions without it being a problem for him later, as she suggested.
oOoOo
The young couple were plainly very close, and rather unnerved about their peremptory summons. They touched hands every now and then to reassure each other; and T'lan liked them both on sight. She ascertained that the young green rider was named K'star and his weyrmate was M'ander, rider of Blue Ralth. Both had been in the weyr.
"I'd not leave K'star when Ninth was near to rising!" M'ander sounded shocked; and Talana nodded.
"I have to check." She said. "During Ninth's flight, a rider raped a blind girl; and there's some small excuse for it if his dragon had flown Ninth. I need to know who was in pursuit whose rider was not there."
The young men engaged in a spirited discussion. The evinced their disgust at the act, and expressed themselves willing to help in any way possible. At length they decided that there had been three dragons whose riders they had no recollection of seeing.
"There was Fierth" said K'star, confidently. "He's a Brown and S'lonag rides him. Fierth's strong, but S'lonag's – inhibited."
M'ander guffawed.
"He's that all right! Fierth hasn't a hope of catching Ninth with that much backwash of feeling from S'lonag. Not that I'd let anyone else fly Ninth anyway." He added tenderly. K'star grinned at him.
"Good job I'm not like R'jav, who'd do it to see S'lonag's face. " he chuckled. "Dernth was flown last by Someth, who hasn't a hope at Ninth and T'kar wasn't pleased. He wasn't there, I guess on purpose, though we did notice his Someth. The only other one I can recall was Creth, who's a blue like Someth. His rider is Y'trell and he's got no problems with males or females."
"We really are very sorry it happened." Said M'ander.
"Yes" added K'star. "I feel half responsible as Ninth rose. Please convey our sympathy and ask if there's anything we can do to help."
Talana thanked the earnest young men, touched by their solicitude.
"Oh – just one more question." She said. "Are any of those three blonde?"
"All of them." Said K'star. Talana groaned.
oOoOo
Talana explained to Seela when the girl awoke that she would have to ask her to remember the experience and talk about it to help find the culprit. Seela nodded. She seemed much calmer after the fellis induced sleep, and answered Talana's questions fully, betraying her agitation in the way she fidgeted with her braid.
"This man killed your canine, you told R'cal" said Talana "Then he grabbed you – I notice you have marks on your throat, with rather irregular cuts by the bruises."
"No lady, he grabbed me first – he was wearing gloves, then, soft ones. I think Rosso must have gone for him, for he swore, and let go. I fell, then I heard Rosso yelp. He held my throat again where I lay to – to do it" her voice tailed away and she swallowed before continuing, "But I could feel his nails digging in to me then. I didn't know he was a dragon man then, though I heard a mating flight go over." She paused, then added shyly "I hear them a long way away because my ears are very good. They have to be." Talana nodded then caught herself up and made an encouraging noise of assent instead.
"What was his voice like?" she asked. Seela considered.
"He didn't say a lot. When he did speak it was a – a sort of whisper. I did hear a sort of tinkling noise like – like a small tambourine as he moved; more on one side than the other."
"That's good. You're doing really well, Seela. Would you like some more klah?"
"Thank you." The girl accepted gratefully.
Talana waited for Seela to finish her klah, then asked,
"Was there anything else that you can remember – anything that you felt, or smelled?"
"Yes – yes, there were smells!" The girl remembered. "He smelled of sweat of course, and a musky smell –"
"That'll be the dragon." Interposed Talana.
"He smelled of sweet oil too – his hair I think – and – and it was numbweed." She said. "The other smell was numbweed!"
Talana put an arm around her as memory of her ordeal made her break into sobs.
"You've done very well, Seela. You're very brave. We'll see you all right, dear." she added, "Can you remember just one thing, Seela – how many wing beats did the dragon take to lift off?"
"I – I felt two strong beats." Seela managed. "There may have been a third, but it was less strong."
oOoOo
Talana waved N'ton to a seat and served him klah.
"What have you discovered?" He asked.
"You are looking for a Blue Rider of a large Blue who is vain about his appearance and who oils his blonde hair and wears a single ornate earring. He may wear gloves to hide the fact that he bites his nails, which spoil his looks. He has been recently Threadscored or otherwise wounded."
N'ton stared, open-mouthed.
"Why – that describes T'kar!"
"And T'kar is confirmed – by being the absent rider of a dragon involved in the flight."
"But how can you tell this – bitten nails and so on?"
"The bitten nails are shown by the irregular wounds on Seela's neck by the finger marks. She smelled sweet oil that shows the man's vanity, backed up by the sound of a jingling earring. She also smelled numbweed, so he had probably been scored. Riders try to be elsewhere for the brewing of numbweed, and scoring is the most common form of injury. That he was blonde is evident from the hair he left mingled with hers."
N'ton blinked
"You worked all that out?" he was amazed. "What about the blue dragon?"
"Not only did she think that Camnath was her tormentor back, but she told me there were two violent downdraughts. It takes all but the strongest browns three sweeps to clear ground because of the momentum ah, extra weight." She told him. "Of those, two will be violent; but by the third the dragon will have reached a height and distance that it is not so noticeable. Seela mentioned a third, lesser, draught which seems conclusive; a small blue would have made a more distinctive third draught."
"Very well. I will confront him." He said. "Lioth will know if he tells the truth. Then of course there is the question of compensation. I suppose you have some suggestions there."
"She needs a replacement for her canine. I suggest the risky trip to Southern to acquire a queen firelizard egg might prove a salutary lesson. Also upkeep – in or out of the weyr, her choice – of any baby she has as a result of this; freedom to come to the weyr is her right anyway. I think some form of blood money would also be in order for her pain and fear."
"You argue well and fairly, queenrider Talana." He admitted. "It shall be so."
oOoOo
R'cal approved Talana's suggestions in his dour way when she told him about it later. He was busy admiring his grandsons and growling that is was so fardling hot in here it made his eyeballs sweat. Talana agreed gravely, storing that one away for future use. R'gar popped in; and Talana made herself scarce. The two seemed quite amicably involved in arguing about what colour dragons the twins were going to Impress. Laranth and Camnath were catching up on news: the dragons at least were less silly than grown men, she thought!
oOoOo
R'cal was visibly shaken when T'lan introduced Sagarra to him. Sagarra however was so happy to have another grandparent and keen to drag him off to meet all her friends that she did not notice his withdrawn mien; and Talana backed Sagarra to thaw the frostiest heart. Not that R'cal was cold but he did need to be firmly and ruthlessly loved. He had greeted Tyrin with a
"Ha – hum errumph" which had caused the boy to clam up. Talana explained to Tyrin why R'cal was stand-offish; and the boy agreed to try hard to be friendly. R'cal was in fact only startled that his son had fostered anyone at all, and made more of an effort to talk to Tyrin. Conversation was a little stilted; but R'cal took a genuine interest in the boy's progress as an apprentice under Masters Domick and Jerint ; and Tyrin opened up somewhat to him. The sensitive lad perceived that R'cal was very like R'gar but unlike his foster father had no one to confide in.
oOoOo
Meanwhile N'ton paid Talana a courtesy call.
"He confessed. He knew I suppose that Lioth was listening; and he tried to justify himself." He told her. "he seemed to think that he had the right. I disabused him of the notion." He examined his grazed knuckles with some satisfaction. "The girl will get her firelizard as soon as possible; he has instructions not to return without an egg, and not one from a green's clutch either." He sighed. "I thought we'd got rid of those attitudes when T'ron went south but we've still a way to go."
"Had you considered" asked Talana "That he might have been trying to justify to himself something he was ashamed of?"
"It hadn't crossed my mind."
"If he does feel guilty it might be as well to give him the chance to apologise to Seela. If he explains to her about the pull of dragonlust it may help her to understand why a dragonman should hurt her. She's terribly shocked and confused."
N'ton nodded.
"I'll see to it. Why it had to happen at Fort…why it had to happen at all…" he ran his hand back through his hair.
"Weyrleader N'ton, people aren't perfect, even dragonriders who are supposed to be drawn from the best. We get high and mighty about the Oldtimers; perhaps it's a good lesson to all of us that anyone can slip up. We need to watch ourselves for complacency." She pulled a face. "How incredibly pompous that sounded! Forgive me?"
N'ton laughed, then sighed.
"You have a point, even when it does sound pompous." He said. "Seela wants to go home to her family, I hear?"
"Yes. The thought of being in the weyr after that upsets her; but I offered her High Reaches if she wanted to change her mind but didn't fancy proximity to T'kar. She said she'd bear it in mind."
N'ton nodded.
oOoOo
Personally, T'lan did not think Seela would be too happy in a weyr. She had taken her to meet Mirrith to divert her mind from brooding, but the girl had got very upset as she discovered by touch how big the little Queen was. Talana had had to rescue her as she froze in terror, and guide her back to Faylina, leaving Mirrith to Camo. Not that Mirrith objected to Camo's ministrations; she just felt that the more properly adoring people around her the better, and told T'lan so! She was almost coy when Lord Groghe came to see her, Ha!ing and Hrum!ing at her size. The Lord Holder was not used to the larger dragons at close quarters, and was genuinely surprised by Mirrith and Merga chatting together.
"She's just like a very large Merga, what! Ha, hrm?" he said to Talana. Talana smiled lovingly at Mirrith.
"In a way. She likes Merga. "
"What are they saying?" The testy lord holder asked. Talana grinned at him.
"My Lord, if I tell you, your head will never pass the hold door. Merga is busy explaining that you are her Man and you are the kindest and dearest Man on Pern and isn't she lucky to have you for a friend! Mirrith is asking about you and - oh goodness, I'm not listening, they're altogether too frank!"
"Eh, whatsat?"
"Merga mentioned that one of your ladies has a bronze." Talana said, burning. "Fortunately I can stop listening at any time." She added hastily.
"Oh. Hrrum." He added, "Thought you were all pretty open about that sort of thing in weyrs?"
"Well, yes, but there's openness and then there's invasion of privacy. R'gar – my weyrmate – and I value our privacy, so I like to respect other folks'." She told him. He grunted, approvingly. Talana lovingly admonished Mirrith for gossiping, and the little queen blew at her until she fell over backwards. Talana laughed, and scrambled up to do her eyebrows, enthusiastically helped by Merga. Laranth suggested that a little dignity with these flutterbugs was called for; and Mirrith asked sweetly just who Merga and several others had been helping with his bath that morning. Laranth acquired a bout of diplomatic deafness.
oOoOo
Talana was pleased to find out that the affair of Wenner was also to be handled by the harpers, who were disseminating a description of the man far and wide in the hopes that he might be caught and brought to justice. She had no idea that Lord Groghe's effective request that she deal with the matter had caused a few raised eyebrows amongst the harpers, who considered it their province. Lord Groghe had not considered sending for a harper since he had left the matter of a dead kinsman in the hands of a friend of his granddaughter. As Lord Groghe, who was one of the first to grumble about the undermining of autonomy, did not consider this weyr interference however there was little said about it.