Chapter 19
Silaya was half inclined to doubt Jessenia's word; and was quite miffed to see Jessenia don heavy fighting wherhide jacket, trews and boots. Jessenia went to talk to Nadira and hefted the arranged flamethrower, feeling its weight to get used to it; and nodded perfunctorily. Nadira hid a smile. This was no disrespect, but someone about to get on with a job. Riders were just the same.
V'sheren held the flamethrower while Jessenia vaulted onto Asreth.
"Little show-off," sneered Silaya. "What does she hope to gain from that?"
"She does it to avoid hurting Asreth, you ninny," said Carya, "so she can avoid his scars. She doesn't have the close connection his Rider does."
"Huh; it's an excuse to flaunt her low skills," insisted Silaya.
"Not so low as the droopy assets YOU flaunt," retorted Carya. "You ought to use breast bands; by the time you're turned thirty, your nipples will be saying hello to the floor."
Silaya went to slap her; but Carya's face was no longer where the slap ended, for the girl bent backwards into a back walkover, one toe contemptuously brushing Silaya's nose.
"Oh – SO sorry," said Carya.
Silaya stalked off; she loathed the cousins! They always seemed to manage to have the last word!
oOoOo
"Comfortable?" asked Asreth.
"Yes, thank you, Asreth; you are considerate. Am I sat comfortably for you?"
"You are too light to even notice! You are well settled – let V'sheren fit the straps" said Asreth.
V'sheren fitted an extra set of fighting straps for Jessenia, then fitted his own behind hers.
"Ready?" he asked.
"As I'll ever be," she replied. "Asreth's excited."
"Yes; he's glad to be back in a fighting wing, even as a supernumerary; fighting Thread is what dragons do."
Asreth was busy chewing firestone, the crunching from him and the dragons around them horribly loud in the fine morning.
And then G'narish gave the word; and dragons took off in formation, Asreth right behind Gyarmath. The air rocked as they emerged over the lip of the Weyr; the formations adjusted to account for the thermals, and then they were going between in relays.
The curtain of Thread was grey and threatening; and the tired dragons of Telgar Weyr saw it over the border, and G'narish waved a salute as well as Gyarmath informing R'mart's Branth that they had all in hand. Jessenia could feel her whole skin crawl with the proximity and density of Thread!
"There's so much – I hope I can make sense of it!" she said, half panicked.
"That's what we're here to find out; and to give you the experience to see if you can make sense of it," called V'sheren, calmly. "If you can help too, that's a bonus; but this is your learning experience, and if it takes more than once, well, we can do this as often as you need, if you feel you're getting somewhere. Or stop it if you feel you aren't, in which case the Weyr is no worse off, but you'll be more effective personally when you Impress."
Jessenia swallowed, shut her eyes to feel more clearly; and reached out for the Bronze dragons.
And then it was on them; and it was all so fast.
"Shadrath, left; Gadenth, go between! Too close to avoid, one of your wing must deal with it… Gyarmath, huge amounts right above you.." she paused to flame the patch above the Weyrleader's dragon in front of her and that was also heading for Asreth.
"Thank you," said Asreth, a sentiment repeated by Gyarmath, a little absently, as the big Bronze dragon flamed such Thread as Jessenia's flamethrower could not reach, in a neat twist of the neck.
Jessenia's throat was sore.
"You don't need to shout, you know, only to think at them," said V'sheren.
"I find it hard not to vocalise as well and – DUCK!"
Asreth picked up her visualisation and blinked briefly between and out again, Jessenia flaming the squirming mass that had now passed through the space they had recently occupied. She could feel Asreth's tension, trying to hold pattern; and the currents of air from two different slipstreams buffeted them uncomfortably.
Jessenia leaned over to relieve herself of her breakfast as an updraft sucked them suddenly and they then plummeted a length as they moved out of its influence.
"It's easier if you're attached to your own dragon," assured V'sheren. "Put yourself closer into Asreth's thoughts and you'll feel less seasick. Airsick. Whatever."
Jessenia did as he suggested as Asreth politely opened up to her; and found that the nausea subsided.
"Thank you, Asreth, V'sheren," she said. "Seasickness AND Thread – that's TOO much!" she managed a quick grumble in a brief respite.
"Heh heh, I should tease you about fighting Thread by puking on it," said V'sheren, "you're doing well!"
"It's getting easier… I'm adapting, I think," said Jessenia, who had started directing the Bronzes as her subconscious mind detected Thread, able to separate off part of her thoughts to speak to V'sheren.
It was a long, gruelling three hours; and as Benden took over on their territory, Jessenia fell asleep leaning back against V'sheren, and did not even wake in the cold of between as they returned to the Weyr.
oOoOo
Jessenia awoke in her own bed, undressed and clean.
Melvi, sitting with her, smiled.
"You didn't stir when we undressed and bathed you," she said. "Is – is fighting Thread so hard?"
"It was something new; and I was concentrating too hard on so large an area," said Jessenia, "I don't think it's as bad to just fight it in the standard way, though I guess it IS tiring and gruelling, especially at first."
"I'll get you something to eat, and tell V'sheren you're awake," said Melvi.
"What time is it?" asked Jessenia. Melvi laughed.
"It's early evening! The Bronze Riders seem pretty happy; they wanted to talk to you right away, but V'sheren wouldn't let them wake you."
"Good ol' V'sheren! Have you lot been watching me in turns?"
Melvi nodded.
"V'sheren was worried you'd overtired your mind; no worry of that, you're clever enough to cope. I said you would be," said Melvi, glad her determined – and not wholly self convinced – opinion had not been wrong.
Jessenia felt ravenous; and disciplined herself not to bolt the good wherry stew followed by bubbly pies that Melvi brought her.
Then she got dressed.
She was waiting for V'sheren when he came for her; and went with him to the meeting cavern.
"Was it any help, sirs?" she asked bluntly.
"She asks if it was any help? HAH!" said S'sher.
"Well, was it? or not?" demanded Jessenia, with some asperity.
"My good wench, it was a spectacular success!" said S'sher.
"We had less casualties than ever before in similar conditions," said G'narish, giving a more lucid translation of how useful it had been. "No fatalities, one pair critical, but they'd have been dead for sure without your shout via Bargith."
C'ril was looking unwontedly grim; no Wingleader ever liked casualties amongst his Riders and dragons.
"I hope they make it," said Jessenia, reaching out in sympathy to Bargith too.
"They'd better; they'll be on discipline if they don't," C'ril joked weakly. Jessenia knew by now that people who led dangerous lives took refuge in black humour.
G'narish went on,
"The Bronze and Brown dragons take the brunt; your warnings saved all but the lightest score on the majority of dragons, and only thirty casualties worth mentioning."
"Sir… what is the normal casualty list?" Jessenia was appalled.
"In such appalling conditions with clumps blowing, if we get away without a death, it's unusual; and most Riders take score. We fight to get enough fit for the next Fall," said G'narish. "If you can fly such tricky Falls, I would be grateful."
"Sir, of COURSE I shall, if I can make a difference!" cried Jessenia. "It will become easier, I'm sure; it was starting to fall into place by the time we finished!"
"I'm sorry it was so taxing," said G'narish
"It's new; and a mental strain, not just physical," shrugged Jessenia, "and so much more than I was used to. It – it's like going from jumping over puddles to pole-vaulting the river, I guess. And if it were twice as taxing every time, I'd still do it."
G'narish gave her a smile.
"You're a good girl. You really think it will become easier? I do NOT want to burn out your talent by over using it."
"I have a Gold-sized headache. You'd expect to ache, sir, if I put you through high wire exercises. I- I'd like to practise on less risky Falls if I may; to, er, limber up."
G'narish nodded.
"That makes a great deal of sense," he said. "My dear girl, you're falling asleep again on your feet – V'sheren, get her put to bed again!"
"Yes, Weyrleader," said V'sheren. "C'mon, Jess, back to your bunk!"
"Yes, Weyrlingmaster," Jessenia yawned, "I'm ready for it and more!"
oOoOo
Next morning, Jessenia awoke with the others, feeling fully refreshed, and ready to get back to routine. Her friends were full of solicitude and congratulations; the others gave her odd looks. Silaya was furious! Jessenia was only a jumped up acrobat, and that she should get all this attention from the important people in the Weyr was intolerable!
Silaya had to tolerate a lot of intolerable things about Jessenia.
"Fall tomorrow," said V'sheren, nodding to Jessenia as the girls convened for class class. "Over upper Igen; only an hour or so. Bumpy ride, potentially: hope it's cloudy, that will mean less thermals," he grinned, "we may as well make a lesson of that; gather round!"
V'sheren lit a fire on the exercise ground; and showed the class a paper dragon.
"The fire has the same effect as the ground when it has been heated by the sun," he said. "Hot air rises; cold air sinks. Watch."
He held the paper dragon over the fire; and the rising air lifted and buffeted it, throwing it up before it swooped and dived right into the flame where it burned.
"THAT can happen in exactly the same way to a dragon over desert terrain," he said, "and downers as sudden as that one that immolated my teaching aid. High summer is the riskiest time to fight Thread. And no chance of rain over most of the regions we cover to drown the fardling stuff."
"I wonder if Roban could use his weather sense to figure out uppers and downers?" wondered Jessenia.
"But I don't talk to dragons," said Roban.
"Nor do I, but they can choose to listen," said Jessenia, "and when you have your own, he can talk to others too, I guess. Just a thought."
Roban looked at V'sheren, who nodded.
"One thing at a time, though, I think," said the Weyrlingmaster, "And wise of you, Jessenia, not to suggest trying to use both senses at once."
"Couldn't," said Jessenia, succinctly. "Not yet, anyway; just plumb impossible. Whether I'll be able to concentrate on both at once in the future? Well that's to see," she grinned, "I can only do one impossible thing at once, V'sheren, however demanding the Weyrlingmaster!"
"Horrid girl, do NOT try to put the blame on me!" laughed V'sheren. "All right, demonstration over; into the teaching cavern and study the air flow chart I have up, and copy it onto your slates."
oOoOo
The shorter Fall the next day with less unpredictable air currents was much easier. Jessenia started experimenting with pushing pictures of it into the minds of the Bronze dragons instead of giving warning.
"That's MUCH more efficient!" grunted Shadrath's mind voice. "could have done with that last time."
"I was too stretched last time" said Jessenia.
"She does well; do not carp," said Gyarmath. "this IS easier, weyrwoman. If you can do this other times, co-ordinating the other colours will be easier."
"This is what I needed an easier Fall to find out," said Jessenia.
There was a long silence, and V'sheren laughed.
"Asreth tells me they are all feeling guilt from their Riders for not listening to my tales of a Thread-sensing candidate earlier, in order to have eased you in," he said.
"My Rider conveys his apologies for preoccupation with other things," said Gyarmath.
"Please tell the Weyrleader that I appreciate how busy he is and thank him for his concern," replied Jessenia.
Maintaining contact with nine Bronze dragons was now the most noticeable strain; but the dragons were getting used to it and were less constrained about letting Jessenia into their thoughts.
"It's all good practice; but I still want to doze," said Jessenia when they returned. Asreth had landed instinctively on the ledge of V'sheren's weyr, "And I'm sorry, V'sheren, I don't care, I'm going to borrow your bed, stink up your sheets, and bathe later."
V'sheren laughed.
"I'll go and dip in the lake with Asreth, then," he said. "It'll be nippy but not too bad! Call him when you've woken and bathed!"
V'sheren took some good natured ribbing from his father about having the wench sleeping in his bed; and tried to hope that, by being visibly elsewhere, that it would not cause Jessenia any trouble!
It was a trifle uncomfortable thinking about her sleeping in his weyr; so he busied himself firmly with duties, leaving the girl to call for Asreth, and come down on her own, a couple of hours later.
"See?" said Nilis. "Doesn't know what to do with a man. She has a Bronze Rider in his own weyr and lets him get away."
Jessenia laughed.
"I don't think he'd think it right to sleep with one of his own weyrlings," she said. "Even if he was likely to be interested in a scrubby brat like me! It was very nice of him not to mind me stealing his bed for a little bit."
Nilis sighed.
"His arm might not work well, but he IS handsome," she said, "even if he does shout a lot. I wager I could have got him on a string!"
"My good ass, I could have been had by all the weyr and not noticed, I was that tired," said Jessenia, "where would be the fun – and I understand it's supposed to be fun – if you're too tired to appreciate it? anyway, I bet sex isn't as much fun as a bubbly pie eating contest."
"COMPLETELY hopeless," said Nilis.
V'sheren overheard the exchange, and he had to grin wryly. If the gossip was that Jessenia could not take advantage of him, the reputation of the Weyr was safe in terms of fears for daughters. He went to strip his firestone-smelling sheets where the scent had rubbed off Jessenia; even a passenger could not help picking up the stench of firestone that clung to everything!
The main concern he had had, that Jessenia had been burned out by the first Fall, had been assuaged. She could still sense Thread despite that gruelling trial of her sense. V'sheren had secretly worried about this, and how he would deal with her distress if the same HAD deprived her of her ability. He could now forget that worry gladly!
Jessenia was worth her weight in hundred mark pieces – probably in the newly proposed hundred mark notes – for her abilities. It would reduce casualties no end with the co-operation of the Bronzes to make something akin to the advantages of Lessa's and Brekke's and T'lana's ability to hear all dragons.
The Weyr might yet have a chance to build up numbers to the kind of fighting strength G'narish wanted!