Chapter 11
The Weyr was high enough and far enough north to receive an occasional sprinkling of snow, that melted as it touched the ground. The Weyrlings, most of them from those Holds Beholden to Igen Weyr, listened agog to tales of snow in northern parts of Lemos. Jessenia had not experienced much snow; only once had the family been caught out in early blizzards at Far Cry Hold, having delayed while Tanni birthed a baby daughter who had lived only ten days. Jessenia swallowed hard, remembering that; baby would have been about five turns old now. She did not mention this short-lived, but still missed, sister to her fellows.
Lealla, sensing her friend's discomfort, distracted the others by adding more tales of snow, sketching rapidly northern scenes with white chalk and charcoal on greyish paper. She came from Crom; and she understood winter very well!
Later, Jessenia told her close friends about her infant sister; and they all expressed sympathy with a touch to her arm, or a squeeze of the hand.
Fordel had decided, meanwhile, that he was outstaying his welcome, and was ready to move on, despite protests from G'narish. Jessenia felt suddenly alone as her family left, and almost panicked and ran after them, but firmly told herself that she was lucky to have family who left her, with their good will, too!
oOoOo
Next day, Tiralith took herself into the Hatching Cavern and laid twenty seven eggs; including, reported Larissa excitedly, a Golden one. Larissa was readily excited, since having taken her first successful flights Between and all things seemed to bring her to a bubbling level of joy.
Jessenia groaned at the news, however.
"Lovely! So we shall have a load of stuck-up tunnel snakes who think they deserve to be Queen Riders!" she said.
"Your prejudices are hanging out," laughed Larissa.
"Can you lay your hand on your heart and swear by the shards of Crysoreth's shell that most of them are NOT a waste of space?" retorted Jessenia.
Larissa opened her mouth, shut it again, and shrugged, ruefully.
"No, I guess not," she said, "but I was a bit prickly at first, you know; until I was certain I'd not be sent back even if I didn't Impress."
"We'll reserve judgement, then," said Jessenia, fairly, "and meet candidates for the Queen Egg with hope, if not with much in the way of expectation."
oOoOo
A remark Larissa had made when telling her life story had puzzled Jessenia; and she spent a lot of time studying dragonmen. Then she went to see V'sheren.
"May I ask a question, sir? you may think it frivolous," she said.
"Ask, by all means," said the Weyrlingmaster.
"Do dragons pick people on looks? Someone said – and I've been checking it out – that all dragonriders are good looking. I – I know it's not very profound, but, well, I thought they looked to the heart?"
"Oh, but it is profound!" said V'sheren. "No, dragons do not choose on outward appearance. But the reasons most dragonriders are reasonably attractive are…. Let me see, threefold. Ready for a lecture?"
"Oh yes, sir! I like to learn all the time!" Jessenia replied eagerly.
V'sheren nodded, pleased.
"Firstly, prospective Riders are chose from those who had what we call Power – it often goes hand in hand with other talents, like your ability to sense Thread and weather. They tend to be more forceful personalities too, and are therefore often higher ranking in Holds or Crafts, or well-off independents like your family, because these things often run in families. Consequently they are well-fed, well-grown, have suffered few, if any, diseases to leave their mark, because of an overall better lifestyle. Such people also have self-confidence which can give a greater appearance of what I suppose might be described as charisma, which may be mistaken for good looks. Secondly, in a Weyr, we have that good lifestyle to keep us fighting fit – a good, well-rounded diet with plenty of meat to help us build necessary muscle. I wager your grandfather makes much of you eating properly?"
"Yes, sir, and plenty of meat and fish in our diet, and not so much grain based food as many Holderfolk. We need our muscles too," Jessenia answered.
"Quite so," said V'sheren. "And the third reason, I believe – though I don't think anyone has discussed it before – is that when you are loved by a dragon, you can't help but be happy, and you glow with that inner contentment that improves the looks of anyone."
V'sheren was glowing himself as he thought of Asreth's love.
Jessenia nodded, much enlightened.
"Thank you, sir; that's answered me very fully. But…"
"What, more questions?" laughed V'sheren.
"Yes, sir. If a dragon's love makes you so happy, why were there people like T'ron and T'kul and even Kylara?"
"Ah. Good question," said V'sheren, quietly. "We honour ALL those older Oldtimers who came forward, just for doing so; but I guess the changes were too much for some of them to adapt to. I was a weyrling of thirteen turns old; only just allowed to go Between at all. And not many of my class made it," a shadow passed his face. "Not being able to cope with so many jumps forward; even with the aid of visualisations from older, more experienced dragons. But I was excited, adaptable – it's one reason we like young candidates, they adapt better to our ways. The older Riders found a very different Pern to what they were used to; they resented it, and could not adapt to it. They expected the people to adapt to them, and you CANNOT change society at will. Enough adversity will sour or cow anyone – look at how meek our Leealla was at first, from two or three turns of intolerable hardship! There was no hardship for those who came forward, but to powerful men like Weyrleaders, being thwarted – as it seemed – at every turn by what they saw as insolence and perversity, turned them inward. As to Kylara, well, I don't think that perhaps Benden was experienced in picking would-be Weyrwomen; and went purely on Power for their candidates, not studying all the implications. F'lar picked well with Lessa – better than he realised, bearing in mind her long trip back to get us – but as a lone Weyr in the Long Interval, without the need for REAL Dragonriders, their record was not that good otherwise, until they saw other Weyrwomen. Jora, for example – I've heard she was picked solely because the acting Weyrleader fancied her when she was young," he shrugged, "Mardra and Merika were not always the sour, bad-tempered women you hear tales about now. They were enthusiastic too; Mardra and T'ron were exemplary Weyrleaders. But the exhaustion of a second full Pass, and inability to adapt, and – at least initially – concerns about each other, all took their toll."
Jessenia digested this.
"I can't see Nadira ever being crabby, no matter WHAT happened," she said, "nor G'narish for that matter!"
V'sheren laughed.
"Oh, G'nariah has his crabby moments; but he's not so uptight about having to be in control as T'ron was. T'ron was counted senior then, as F'lar is now; Fort being the first Weyr and its Weyrleader traditionally outranking the others. And T'ron felt his position keenly, probably TOO keenly, and came to resent F'lar for taking the natural leadership. And, my girl, I'm only talking this freely to you, because I think you are genuinely concerned about why things happen; no gossiping around, you understand?"
"Yes, sir; and I appreciate you being so open about it too," said Jessenia, seriously.
oOoOo
Candidates were soon starting to arrive. Jessenia resolved to always try to meet them half way, however snooty they looked, for not meeting people halfway was what had caused the Oldtimer trouble! Larissa was ready to try hard for the simple reason that Nadira had been kind to her, and drawn her out past an aggressively defensive and stubborn self-willed attitude. Carya and Leealla were determined to fall in line with their friends.
Larissa also went to G'narish, and asked if Igen would be contracting female names like High Reaches.
"Certainly for Green Riders," the Weyrleader said. "Why? Did you want to become, er, L'issa?"
"I think I should, sir," said Larissa, seriously. "High Reaches does not contract its senior Weyrwoman, so there's a precedent for Nadira not contracting if she doesn't want to, and I don't see how you could seriously contract Thara without it sounding clumsy; but if we ARE going to, it's as well for any future Queenrider to know what's going on."
G'narish nodded.
"There's sense in what you say. Hang fire, though, until I've discussed it with the other Queenriders and Wingleaders," he added.
Larissa murmured thanks and left.
oOoOo
G'narish issued his decision after discussion with the senior Weyrfolk; the position was that Queenriders MAY contract and Greenriders WOULD receive the honorific, regardless of their gender.
"It's for a practical reason; Greenriders need shortening in order to receive shouted orders from their Wingleader," he stated, "in the Queen's wing, things are less urgent, and contractions less necessary. However if we are to fly more complex patterns in the Queen's wing, as they do at High Reaches, it might be a good precedent to set, especially with longer names."
L'issa, as she now was to be, was delighted!
oOoOo
Nadeena moved into the female candidates' barracks, laughing that by comparison to being headwoman the chores V'sheren would set them would almost be a holiday, whatever happened.
"Don't worry, we'll connive at you sneaking out for illicit meetings with B'tin," said Jessenia, cheekily.
Nadeena feigned boxing the girl's ears, laughing. She wore the knots of senior weyrstaff on her twin's advice, to give her some seniority in the barracks to be able to stop Ranking girls throwing their weight around. Leealla had her senior apprentice knots; and Jessenia and Carya discussed whether to wear the simple, triangular knots of weyrchildren, implying weyrbred status, or whether Carya should wear her Rank knots as main line of a minor Hold.
"I think you should display your Rank," said Jessenia. "I'm not going to wear any knots; most weyrbrats don't. We don't have a formal craft, or I'd wear apprentice knots to show I have a skill."
"You could wear knots of lesser family, you know, of my Hold," said Carya.
"No, I'm not really entitled," said Jessenia, firmly, "but let them draw conclusions from me being called 'cousin' by you. Otherwise, let them wonder."
oOoOo
The first female candidate to arrive came whle Carya and Jessenia worked out with J'ton. She was expensively dressed, and would have been beautiful but for the sneer she was pulling; she had a mass of black hair, the most delicate rosepetal complexion and green-grey eyes.
"Oh my! Itinerant scum!" she said. "Whatever is the Weyr thinking of?"
The Blue Rider who had brought her in flushed to the roots of his hair and the tips of his rather prominent ears.
J'ton glanced over after finishing a tumble run.
"Oh my!" he mocked in the precise same tone, "an overfed loving wench! What ARE the Blue Riders thinking of?" and he winked at the young Rider, one of his own clutchmates.
The girl was shocked for a moment,; then she began to shriek like a wherry and went to strike J'ton.
Jessenia and Carya silently grabbed an arm each. The girl started screaming at them and threatening punishment.
Jessenia listened impassively; she and Carya were strengthened by exercise, and had no difficulty keeping the angry girl immobilised.
Nadira came across to see what the noise was about.
"What is going on here?" she demanded.
"These insolent commons insulted me! and they dare lay hands on me!" screeched the girl.
"Jessenia, I should like a clearer view, please," said Nadira.
Jessenia nodded.
"The girl made a rude remark: Brown Rider J'ton made a mocking reply in similar vein. This girl tried to strike him. For her own good, my cousin and I prevented her from committing an act that could have her sent to the Eastern Isles," she explained.
One of Jessenia's comments sunk in to the angry candidate.
"BROWN RIDER?" she gasped.
J'ton looked down his nose at her.
"Yes, candidate. And let it be a lesson to you in making hasty judgements. All candidates will be learning acrobatics as part of their fitness programme: Jessenia here will be teaching you. Some of us like to take it further."
"Well done, J'ton; your restraint is improving," murmured Nadira.
J'ton grinned.
"Well I had my revenge in mocking back," he said. "Now girl, to prevent the Weyrwoman from being further inconvenienced, you can apologise for calling us scum, and I will then apologise for calling you an overfed loving wench."
Nadira winced. The young Rider was not as restrained as she had hoped.
Spots of colour burned on the girl's cheeks.
"I – I apologise, Brown Rider," she muttered.
J'ton waited coldly, frowning slightly. At last he said,
"I think you've forgotten something," as she stared at him, awaiting his apology.
"B-brown Rider?" she faltered.
"I think you forgot to apologise to the ladies," said J'ton, tightly.
The girl burned scarlet.
"I apologise!" she said, rapidly.
J'ton nodded.
"Then I, too, apologise for a deliberate insult," he said. "Let us put it behind us: I am sure you will not make the same mistake again."
Jessenia and Carya exchanged cynical looks; but managed smiles of greeting.
"Jessenia and Carya," said Jessenia, "cousins. Our friend Leealla who is also Weyrartist; and L'issa, who won't be sharing with us because she's already Impressed as her name tells you."
"My name is Silaya," said the girl. "I heard Igen was opening to female Green Riders," the sneer appeared again. "I suppose there are plenty of girls who have the appropriate proclivities."
"Yes," said Nadira, "there are indeed girls who are as brave as men, who are prepared to risk fighting Thread without the protection of being in the Queen's wing or having the social advantages attendant upon it. We hope to get our first female Green Riders in this clutch," and she nodded, and walked away.
"F-first female Green Riders? Isn't this – L'issa – a Green Rider?" asked Silaya.
"Don't you learn about jumping to conclusions at all?" said Jessenia scornfully. "L'issa is a junior Queenrider; and ANY dragonrider is to be shown respect, not veiled insult! I'm ready to start again, but if throwing imprecations at any that you think is a female Green Rider is your idea of starting again, you are going the right way to end up with no friends."
Silaya paled, but sniffed.
"I'm not sure I would want to be friends with lower born who feel they can only stand for a Green. I am Ranking, you know; the niece of a Holder!"
Carya snorted.
"And that means anything how? So you Rank as high as Jess here, my cousin – and I'm DAUGHTER of a Holder. And I'd be PROUD to Impress a Green dragon, you foolish creature!"
Silaya flushed in anger and embarrassment.
Things were NOT going as she had envisaged! She had expected to turn up and use her – distant – relationship to Lord Larad of Telgar to impress the other candidates, together with her beauty and stylish sense of dress. Being given blunt and unfavourable opinions by a pair of chits who wee just babes, surely, and who should be swayed by her influence was almost worse than the embarrassment of being ticked off by a blooded Brown Rider after inadvertently insulting him! And how could she be expected to guess that a Queenrider would contract her name? it was intolerable!
Still, there would be other candidates; and she could doubtless influence them against these horrid, half-wild girls – who surely must be from some back-of-beyond Hold of no account!