Chapter 2
Roby and Ruri joined the troupe; and about immediately got into trouble trying to show off to Harri, leaping back and forth across a narrow tributary to the river.
After having fallen in – at least Roby fell in and grabbed at Ruri pulling him after – they received a cuff about the ears and a lecture on the futility of showing off in addition to their wetting: and Fordel made them walk in their wet clothes.
The sun was strong and there was little chance of them taking any harm from cold at this time of turn; but wet trews soon chafed and the lesson went painfully home.
Roban handed out numbweed and healing ointments when the troupe stopped to camp: and was kind enough not to grin, though he had sniffed and passed comment to Jessenia earlier. A turn her junior, Roban was Jessenia's best friend.
"You ever thought of standing for Impression, Rob?" she asked.
He considered.
"I hadn't. Why, getting cold feet without a partner?" she stuck out her tongue without rancour.
"Just thought, we share most experiences."
Roban nodded.
"I guess it can't hurt to stand: keep you company-like. I'm not scared of dragons like some are; and if I get chosen, it's payback like Dad said, for their protection. IF I don't, well, there's the family. You'll impress, our sis; you always know where thread is, you flame on sweep right where it's going to be."
Jessenia was surprised.
"Oh, but everyone does that, don't they?" she said.
Roban shook his head.
"Not hardly! That's how Granddad saved Ranyer – he felt it, I heard him say so when Ranyer told the story to those snotty visitors he had last time we were there. And you feel it. Most of us don't. Though I can tell weather the way you do: I guess it's the same sort of thing, but more use to a dragonrider to sense thread."
"It is like sensing weather; I feel a crawly feeling at the back of my neck when it's coming, like for storms. And when it's falling… well I just KNOW where it is. Oh, if that's useful to the weyr, I shall be glad!"
Roban nodded.
"Perhaps we could ask a Rider at Igen; they're kind enough there."
Jessenia nodded.
"Good idea" she said.
Last turn, even Weyrleader G'narish had spoken to Fordel, congratulating him on his well-trained troupe and thanking him for the entertainment. And the Riders had coughed up a sight more than they could make at all but the largest holds! It had been enough to see them over the winter even without the cargo handling jobs her older brother, uncle and father had taken at the Igen landing place on the river swollen by the rainy season.
oOoOo
They stopped at a few small river holds on the way down to Lemos' main Hold; it was a good opportunity for the twins to get used to performing in public in front of small and relatively unsophisticated audiences. The loggers at the end of the great lake too appreciated Jessenia's own performance on low rope, being surefooted men themselves, manhandling rough rafts of their logs down the river in spate every spring.
It was always nice to be appreciated, though she flushed at the wolf-whistles that showed they appreciated more than her skills. Loggers, like miners, lived in predominantly male communities and women tended to get more notice than a shy girl might like.
"Ain't you going to cuddle up and kiss them like our Caytreen and Myra do?" added Ruri as Jessenia evaded men eager to meet her.
Jessenia stared in horror.
"They LIKE this? But Caytreen's betrothed!"
"Don't stop her flirting, do it?" said Roby.
"Well I can't think what Aunt Rupa is about letting them act that way!" said Jessenia.
"Prude" said Ruri, scornfully.
"It's not that! I don't want to be labelled a loving wench – itinerants can be you know! Like some call us thief!"
"Yeah, well, best to live up to that one then" shrugged Roby.
Jessenia was horrified.
"Have you stolen?" she demanded.
The twin shrugged.
"Sometimes" said Ruri.
"You'd better NEVER so that again or grandfather will beat you black and blue and throw you out of the troupe" said Jessenia sharply. "Our livelihood depends on being trustworthy – he'll disown you for that! And if you've stolen here, you put it back"!
"Relax, cousin, we ain't nicked nothin' since we been with the troupe" said Ruri. His tone was nonchalant, but he had looked at her face as she told him the consequences; and Jessenia was certain he believed her. That was a relief; she would not have to tell Grandfather Fordel about it.
"See, it's if any stuck-up snot miscalls us" said Roby, "If it's what he believe, might as well get the benefit, might'nt we?"
"No" said Jessenia "Because then he could justly accuse you and your father, have your father sent to the mines, and you without a father. It's a stupid childish thing to do and the consequences could be dreadful!"
The twins exchanged aghast expressions.
"Could they send Pa to the mines?" asked Ruri.
"Sure: if he's raised thieves, it makes him a thief to most holderfolk" said Jessenia, "and maybe you too, or just exiled if you're lucky. And your brothers tarred with the same brush."
"Well, guess we'll lay off then" said Ruri, still trying to sound casual.
Jessenia was glad to nip THAT in the bud – having irate holderfolk with accusations of theft on their backs with no thought of true justice was not what they needed – and theft was wrong, whatever the provocation!
Jessenia was not naïve, she knew many holdless were lightfingered at best, even if they had not been made holdless for stealing; and that for some it was the only way to survive. She pitied them; but her family had a craft, as did Killin's trader group, and there was no need for pilfering at all for either family!
Jessenia did confide the conversation to her mother, however, and Tanni was shocked.
"Killin's an insouciant rogue" she said "But I never thought he'd let his children steal… nor the girls act like that. But his sisters are bold pieces: I suppose Myra and Caytreen take their lead from them. Well, Rupa chose him for her man, and she seems content enough. You did right to tell me, love: I'll keep an eye on that pair. No need to anger your grandfather if they take your words to heart. You were right: he'd disown them to save the family, though he'd fight in their corner of he thought they were innocent."
Jessenia nodded, Fordel was a tenacious old man who would not see his family miscalled. If he stuck up for the twins and they later proved dishonest, it would break his heart.
"They better not teach our Harri tricks like that" she said.
"They won't" said her mother, grimly. "For one thing, Harri's a good boy, for another, I'll have my eye on them."
Tanni had been the daughter of a headwomen at a small hold, swept off her feet by Dukkar despite her family's opposition; but she had learned enough from her mother to have the reputation of having eyes in the back of her head. Her cooking skills were also considerable; and the troupe ate well.
Tanni never regretted defying her parents, and had made some kind of peace with them in subsequent travels, though they were never caring with her acrobat family. By Tanni's choice, visits to their hold were infrequent.
oOoOo
Lemos Main Hold was a fine, free-standing building, clad in coloured marbles, its thread shutters of jade plates joined by bronze. It was an impressive building.
The paperwork required by Lord Asegnar was also immense. They were all required to fill in a register stating who they were, where they were from and why they visited; and the dried up little scrivener did NOT appreciate Roban murmuring "Where did you come from, baby dear? The blue sky opened and I am here" as response to where he was from.
"Please give me a reasonable answer!" he said waspishly.
"Well I dunno where I was born, do I?" said Roban. "If that's what you mean. We were last up at a logger's camp, but I was born under the stars somewhere I guess." The scrivener wrote "itinerant" with a look of distaste.
oOoOo
The itinerant quarters were clean and well-appointed, with bathing facilities and works shops as well as necessaries; and a male dormitory one side and female the other.
Jessenia had never noticed how much her mother resented the discourtesy of being separated from her father before: now she was a turn older than last time they had been here she noted her mother's flashing eyes and compressed lips and heard the muttered word
"Dehumanizing…"
They would be away from the twins; and Jessenia grabbed Roban and told him to watch them like a wherry-hawk. She confided in him as well as in her mother, of course; and suspected he was already adding his eyes to hers and their mother's!
Roban nodded solemnly.
"Lord Asgenar's fair enough, for all being so keen on paper records enough to sink a ship." He said. "But he'd take a dim view of actual thievery – and they WOULD be caught, dour place like this. I'll keep an eye on them sis, don't worry."
It would be a while before Jessenia believed the word of the twins that they had given up stealing; it had become a habit they did not see as wrong and she feared that an ingrown habit might die hard!
oOoOo
The twins were too nervous to go off stealing; they had an attack of stage fright with the revelation of how many people there would be watching at this Autumnal Gather at a major hold.
Fordel thought the likely takings worth the petty degradations of being logged in a register and herded into communal living; though he had qualms about how his teenage granddaughter would cope with the influx of loving wenches now she was of an age to notice lewd behaviour.
Jessenia's quiet courtesy to the loving wenches and obvious modesty and shyness stood her in good stead. Had she drawn back from them, the women would have teased her raucously and unmercifully; but the girl's frank good manners led her to smile politely, if shyly, and act with deference to older women; and the loudest, lewdest and the obvious leader chose to make a pet of her and told the others to be sure and not shock 'the kiddy'!
Tanni appreciated the rough kindness to her daughter; and showed it by including the women in her cooking if they would but pay for the basic food they ate.
It was a fortuitous arrangement, and the loving wenches steered away any bravos who might have tried it on with the young acrobat girl!
oOoOo
Performing for a major hold thrilled Jessenia no end; and knowing that exalted persons like the Lord Holder and his young wife were also watching spurred her on. The 'tumbling twins' as Fordel billed the young pair managed a reasonable showing despite their nerves; and escaped thankfully as Jibben and Jessenia's three oldest brothers tumbled as a troupe, Roban the lightest tossed up and down as they formed a pyramid, then passing back and forth, one corner at a time, crossing each other rolling and somersaulting and tossing clubs too at high speed. It looked smooth and easy: and Jessenia's sharp ears as she waited her turn heard Asgenar murmur to his wife "Precision work…. Very skilled to make it so smooth. I think this is the best troupe I've ever seen."
Jessenia glowed with pride; she would pass THAT remark later to her grandfather!
It was to be hoped that Lord Asgenar would back up his appreciation with a large denomination mark piece, however. Appreciation was all well and good, but it did not buy food!
oOoOo
The Hold woodcrafters had set up a high wire for Jessenia and others to perform on: Fordel thought it worth paying for that at so large a gather, where they would perform daily for three days. And for this, Lenner would perform the risky somersault on the high wire, something Jessenia could do but was forbidden to perform until her body stopped developing in case changes to her shape made her miscalculate.
The crowd went wild for Lenner; and ever the showman, he adjusted his weight to bow to them, winking at Lady Famira! The Lady Holder blushed, but giggled, murmuring something about him being a bold rogue!
"So long as my Lady doesn't expect me to do THAT to earn her approval" said Asgenar.
Farmira giggled again, her look said he had her approval already.
Jessenia thought it sweet that the Lords and Ladies could be just like regular folk!
oOoOo
Her own performance brought applause too: and when Harri went round with a hat, it came back bulging with marks. Fordel's gamble in paying for a pair of A-frames had paid off!
"Lenner won't be sleeping in his own bed, I wager" Tas grunted to his father.
Dukkar shrugged.
"If he's offered it, I don't suppose he'll turn it down" he said. "Girls that are bold enough know to use herbs; I've stopped worrying about him."
It was unfair, reflected Jessenia – not that she wanted to take lovers anyway – that Lenner might sleep around and not be called hard names as a female would.
It was another plus to weyr life.
Women got more equal treatment in weyrs; especially, she suspected, if they were riders!