This is going to be a wordy few chapters, but I hope we will see some action as well. I took the mention of appeal to a dragonrider from the original book - I half remembered it and had to look it up - although I think it was never applied in that case. But we know F'lar was a fighting man.

11.8. - 13.8.198

Mima continued to bristle defensively, B'rnel stared out into the main rooms, and for a heartbeat the two Weyrleaders were too stunned to speak.

"She'll not be going anywhere until I get some answers," Mima said in a grim voice. "Like why she's bruised from head to toe, why every bone in her arms and legs seems to be damaged, and why she's no longer a virgin."

"What is your name?" Jiverny asked the girl directly. "We must guess you come from Bitra, that Lord Viril is your father?"

"I'm called Irilia," the girl said after a pause as if she were considering both of them. "Yes, I'm the youngest daughter of Lord Viril, not that it's done me much good!"

H'ric had spoken to B'rnel and now placed a chair for his Weyrwoman, who he considered would be the best person to question the girl, both of them being Hold reared. He retreated to the wall where Mima joined him, still angry, still with fists clenched, her breath coming in breathy gasps.

"I won't turn her out, Mima, not now she's claimed my championship," H'ric said softly. "Calm down, and let's hear her side of the story."

Irilia had squeezed herself back on the bed, and clasped her arms around her knees. H'ric took a moment to see she was dressed in boy's clothing, with serviceable shoes, as if ready to tramp the wilds.

"I would have got away, me and Avenil both," Irilia said now. "But by bad luck, Ronad, one of the men where I was placed, recognised me. He said he'd not tell - if I let him - have what - what - "

Jiverny nodded. "We understand that bit. What made him think he could demand that of you, my dear? What went on in the past that he should think you a loose girl?"

Irilia stared at her, and H'ric found he was almost holding his breath.

"Him - holder Dinad - the man my father put me with - started by beating me, like he flogged all his children and servants," she said eventually. "Then he started - touching - rubbing - and - it wasn't him but his son Dadin - who finished it off."

"But surely, they must have known you would eventually be claimed back by Lord Viril?" Jiverny asked. "At the very least, when he had arranged a suitable marriage for you! How old are you now?"

"Sixteen Turns. He put me out of the Hold when I was eleven - after my mother died - he didn't even let me go to the funeral - or - or - visit the grave - "

Her voice wobbled, and she swallowed hard, flung her head back and stared at the stone ceiling.

"I didn't want much," she whispered. "I just wanted - to have an ordinary life - I'd been in those rooms all my life - I used to stare out of the windows at the others - coming and going - I asked to join them - my brothers and sisters - and he put me away - for that to happen to me."

"Are you saying he knew this holder Dinad would violate you and abuse you?"

Irilia stared at Jiverny for a long moment, and then shook her head reluctantly.

"I suppose he might not have known. But he knew holder Dinad was a hard man! He boasted to me about how meek and docile his children were! Now I know why! He's a vicious brutal man!"

"So it seems, my dear," Jiverny said. "Weyrleader, what are the procedures in a case like this?"

"I must go and consult the records," H'ric admitted. "I've not known it happen before, but there must be procedures."

"Harper Yorus might know," Mima put in. "Him being trained in harper matters - laws and such like?"

"Holder Dinad nearly beat a harper to death one Turn," Irilia whispered. "Just because of singing the duty songs, and insisting the children should learn them - we never sang anything - nor learned anything."

"You could read and write, though?" Jiverny asked.

"Mother taught me, when she was awake enough. I had scrolls and records in her room to read, and practice my writing."

"Why did you run in that race?" H'ric asked into the next long silence. "You took a dreadful risk, and Avenil also."

Irilia looked across at him.

"We'd planned to be holdless, but then Avenil was picked for the games, because of being such a good runner, and I always practiced with her - it kept us out of the house. So instead of going out into the plains at Keroon, we decided to come here into the mountains where there're lots of caves - even in the hold we'd heard about the far northern valleys the Weyr harvests - those would be better - if Thread comes."

H'ric nodded. "You could live safely in a lot of those valleys. Just the two of you?"

"There should have been two others - but they died - last Turn - we had a lot of illness in the hold - holder Dinad wouldn't send for a healer."

H'ric cleared his throat and looked across at Jiverny.

"I suggest you stay in the lower caverns, under Mima's care," he said. "I will consult the records and confront Lord Holder Viril."

"That man - Ronad - he might have already told him I'm here."

"He might have done," H'ric conceded. "I'll go right now. No one is going to drag you out of the Weyr, nor offer you any violence, until this matter is settled one way or another."

"I won't go back," Irilia said at once. "Avenil won't either - she might be his daughter - her mother doesn't know - they should all be punished - "

H'ric could see she was close to breaking down. Mima shooed both Weyrleaders out, and H'ric put the chair across the door as they joined B'rnel.

"Well? Did you hear that?" H'ric asked.

"Yes. Sharama did as well - what are you going to do?"

"Consult the records first - everyone will be eating soon - I'll go up now."

"You do know the dragons were listening in?"

"Riders and dragons form a relationship where what affects one, affects the other," Jiverny replied. "We can no more keep secrets from our mind-partners than from our life-partners. I'll go and do the pretty in the dining hall."

H'ric slipped into his place at the dining hall as the sweet course was being placed on the tables. He nodded an apology to the Lord Holders, murmuring vaguely about Weyr business, and poured white wine for Jiverny.

"I found references," he whispered as he handed her the goblet. "We are in the right."

She nodded, and turned to speak to the Lady Holder of Benden who wanted to know how they had managed to keep the milk puddings so firm and cold, and Jiverny promised her a tour of the kitchens and the copying of some recipes.

"Of course we have to thank bronze rider L'rens for bringing us the snow," Jiverny added with a laugh. "Transporting it between means very little is melted by the time it reaches us. Perhaps he might be persuaded to do the same for the Hold."

"If the Weyrleader allows such a use of his dragons," the Lady responded shyly. "It would be lovely to have chilled drinks."

H'ric had been looking around the room for any sign of the man Ronad, but B'rnel leaned across to serve him some roasted nuts as an excuse to speak.

"I found him headed up to the Lord's quarters and detained him," he murmured. "I also said he would have a chance to speak about his holder's splendid care of his fosterlings in due course. He didn't like that at all."

"Well done. I'll call for a justice session as soon as I can."

None of them found it easy to remain polite and smiling when they spoke to Lord Viril, and H'ric knew Lord Runanan had picked up on their stiff dislike as he glanced from one to the other of them. Lord Cantin was watching the diners and seemed indifferent, but H'ric noticed he seemed to be counting heads.

"What remains tomorrow, Weyrleader?" Lord Runanan asked. "I know there are finals of many contests, and the last presentations to be made?"

"That is true my lord, and then people will begin to disperse to their own places."

"It has been splendid," Lord Nathin said. "A time apart to forget the differences between us, and make new friends."

Since he was notoriously suspicious of strangers in his lands, that was a handsome admission, and H'ric acknowledged it as such, taking the opportunity to ask about the new fruit orchards being planted after the forest fires.

"I'm putting in a wide fire-break, and settling several holders up there," Lord Nathin told him. "With Telgar's co-operation." He nodded to Lord Cantin who acknowledged him and agreed it would be a joint effort, as Lord Nathin spoke again.

"Orchards of soft wood trees won't burn so fiercely as those sappy evergreens, nor fling boluses of fire from tree to tree. That - I do not want to see again."

"I do like fruit," Jiverny said, and Lord Nathin inclined his head in a bow.

"You shall taste the first fruits, Weyrwoman, I trust, in the fullness of time."

"That would be delightful. Ah - the harp comes around - Lord Holders - I wonder if the Weyrleader and I could ask you to attend us in a private room whilst the festivities continue?"

"I thought there was something," Lord Runanan murmured, as he stood up, glancing at his wife. "Will you uphold my honour with the harp, my dear?"

She assented with a smile, and he followed the others into the room usually used as a classroom. It was incongruous, H'ric thought, to see the adults in their fine costumes in this brightly painted room, but B'rnel had provided adult sized chairs for everyone.

"Splendid decoration!" Lord Runanan said as he gazed around. "This is your classroom, I would guess? Splendid indeed."

"Thank you, my lord. If you would sit here - Lord Viril - if I could ask you to sit here?"

They were arranged in a semi-circle, the four Lord Holders, with H'ric and Jiverny at the points, and B'rnel standing by the door as if to be messenger and guard in one.

"So why are we called here?" Lord Nathin asked. "Is there something you wish to tell us about the dragons, about the Weyr?"

"It is about a holder on Lord Viril's land, a man called Dinad," H'ric replied. "Lord Viril's daughter the lady Irilia has asked me to champion her name, and get justice for her, against the Holder Dinad."

"Irilia - Irilia has asked you - " Lord Viril spluttered.

"She ran the race instead of Avenil," H'ric told him. "I presented the prize to Avenil, but Irilia was waiting to join her and go holdless."

Lord Runanan drew in a breath and Lord Nathin shook his head.

"Why should she ask for you, Weyrleader? And does she have a legal precedent?"

"I consulted Harper Yorus and our records, and it is an acceptable thing. Granted, I have never seen it done before - "

"There are records at Telgar about this," Lord Cantin confirmed. "I read everything I could find, after my father died, and about a hundred Turns ago, Benden Weyr intervened in a case on my Holdings. So - continue - Weyrleader - where is the girl now, by the way?"

"She's safe, they're both together under the care of the Headwoman and her assistants. There is a man, Ronad, at the Games, who recognised her."

"Ronad? He's one of Holder Dinad's men. Good responsible man," Lord Viril commented with a note of approval in his voice.

"I understand he attempted to force his attentions on her," H'ric responded.

Lord Viril shrugged. "A few drinks - he'll have a sore head - the girl over reacted. I'm more interested in why she defied me and attended the Games!"

"Did she ask your permission?" Lord Cantin asked.

"Yes. Wrote me a letter with some rubbish about wanting to come home, and wanting to compete in the Games. I sent back a refusal, of course."

"That you did not want her to race, or that you did not want her at home?" Lord Cantin asked at once. "I can understand your grief at your wife's death, but putting her daughter out to fostering so quickly - and leaving her with a man she disliked - "

"My wife only had the one child," Lord Viril replied. "She fell sick soon after the child was born, and I made them a household of their own."

"I understand you have been married to your present wife for close on five Turns," Lord Nathin said. "A little - unfeeling - to wed so quickly?"

"A Hold needs heirs."

"You had four sons out of your first wife. I fostered the youngest of them - and a very sorry specimen he was, to begin with."

Lord Viril scowled at him.

"Yes, and you spoiled him! He came back full of ideas and plans, and I sent him off to be fostered at Fort straight away."

Lord Runanan nodded. "I met him there. He went into Healer Hall, to train. He did not call himself Bitra."

Lord Viril shrugged, and H'ric looked around the semi-circle.

"The lady Irilia asks for justice, my lords, against the Holder Dinad. She claims she was regularly beaten and abused by him and his sons, and one of them committed the ultimate abuse, against her will."

Lord Cantin frowned at him.

"Has this been proven? Has the girl been examined?"

"Yes."

"By your people," Lord Viril sneered. "How do we know you're telling the truth?"

"You can send to Healer Hall for an independent examination if you wish," H'ric replied.

"And how long would that take?"

"The blink of an eye," H'ric replied. "A message by dragon rider, a Healer returned here by the same means. I have in fact sent out several of my senior riders to fetch the Holder Dinad and his son, and they, and the man Ronad will appear before us in due course. But you will want to question the ladies, Lord Holders? B'rnel - be so kind as to ask them to attend us, with witnesses."

B'rnel nodded and left the room, and Lord Viril looked around the other men, glanced at Jiverny and away again.

"I see you have all judged me already," he muttered.

"By no means!" Lord Cantin said at once. "I judge no one until I hear both sides, but it is in the end not our judgement the girl claimed, but that of the Weyrleader. If he becomes convinced, then his word is the judgement we must accept."