Scenes in this chapter relate to the Harper Hall Trilogy which occurs at the same time as McCaffrey's 'Dragonquest'. Some dialog matches scenes in the first book of the Harper Hall Trilogy, 'Dragonsong'.
Chapter Two
Several months had passed and winter was beginning to break into spring in the Benden Mountains. T'gellan had finished a midday sweep and sat alone at a back table near the day hearth. Falls had been uneventful since Keth's scoring and his superiors were pleased with his progress. T'gellan had been made wingleader before any of his other hatchmates. He thought he might become Fall Leader first too. When he wasn't fighting, riding or sleeping, his mind would wander to Southern and the young healer. He tried not to think of her administering hands touching other riders but thoughts came unbidden. He jumped slightly when somebody joined him at his table.
Willa proffered a sweetbread as she sat, one well-tended brow arched over a perfect blue eye. "You are quite the serious one, these days, T'gellan."
"I am?" he replied, giving her a half smile.
"I suppose your mind is in Southern." She smiled back, enjoying his start. His excuses to return to Southern were thinly veiled. Even young bronze riders didn't pull duty for medical supplies. "If you are looking for another excuse, I'd like to go to Southern and so would Sanra. Would you take us the next restday?"
"If I am off duty; I suppose I would." T'gellan concentrated on tearing the roll into small chunks, "What's the attraction for you and Sanra?"
"Besides never seeing it, we'd like to visit. Just promise me that you're attracted to Brekke or another young lovely and not that Weyrwoman." Willa smiled at his red face, knowing she need not concern herself on that score.
Brekke's reckoning was keen. She usually made sure Mirrim was otherwise occupied when Wirenth informed her that Monarth was landing. But when she heard Wirenth comment about passengers, she decided to observe the two of them seeing each other again, especially since the tall bronze rider accompanied two voluptuous women.
Mirrim's reaction was controlled while T'gellan's was anything but. Both Benden women caught the undercurrent and behaved like typical women vying for a Bronze rider's attention. Brekke was pleased although Southern Weyr suffered Mirrim's foul mood for a few days. Eventually, Mirrim returned to the sober, dependable worker.
In the turn that followed, events leading to the altercation at the Minersmith crafthall and the Oldtimers' attack that led to F'nor's knife wound meant changes in dragonkind's conduct. In all that time he had seen Mirrim once. One look into her eyes convinced him that she was worth the interest. It was his first glimpse of fire lizards and it didn't surprise him that his fiery girl had impressed three.
The entire southern continent became unavailable as the Oldtimers were banned. But the ban worked both ways. Without the southern beaches, how would F'lar's plan to present every Lord Holder, Mastercraftman and harper with their own miniature dragons? Even though dragonriders spent scant spare time trudging the beaches of the Northern Continent, nobody from Benden had found a fire lizard clutch.
Mirrim's routine varied except for feeding time. At dawn and dusk she fed the five fire lizards. She had her three, F'nor's golden Grall and Brekke's bronze Berd. Generally, there was at least one extra helper in the evenings so T'gellan chose the morning to approach Mirrim. The creels reminded him of Monarth when he was less than a day old.
"Do you want some help with these rav-ravenous beasts?" T'gellan tried to sound casual but he stammered when her shoulders stiffened.
She replied casually, "Help yourself to the scraps on the tray."
One brown fire lizard was perched in the center trying to eat all the meat scraps. T'gellan reached behind the little brown and grabbed a few gobbets of meat. One green sailed to his forearm and snatched a piece from his outreached hand. He was enchanted with the little gluttons. As they approached full bellies their cries abated to low croons. Their glistening skins spoke of good health although the bronze on Mirrim's shoulder was not as deeply hued as his own Monarth. He lifted and flew toward F'nor's weyr as soon as he had his fill. Mirrim sighed deeply.
T'gellan faced her with a euphoric grin which she echoed. The green was still sitting on his forearm and the brown faced him inquiringly as if he may still have a morsel in his hand. "The little green on your arm is Lok and the brown is Tolly. They like their eye ridges scratched. This one is Reppa," She indicated by shrugging the shoulder on which a bigger green perched. The golden on her arm abruptly lifted and flew towards the wingleaders' quarters. "That's F'nor's Grall."
At that moment Felena appeared with a laden tray, "It's ready, girl," she called out. Mirrim immediately whirled toward the woman, the anxiety in her steps returned. "Can I help you with ..."
T'gellan called after her but her form disappeared up the stairs. The three remaining fire lizards trailed behind her. "It's a good start," he murmured. "At least I didn't say anything to make a fool of myself."
The new routine had been in place for about a sevenday. Gradually, Mirrim began speaking more during morning feeding. She looked exhausted. The Weyr was subdued mostly because of Brekke. She had been F'nor's lover, even before her Queen had gone between. F'nor had even missed a Fall. Manora, his mother and Benden Weyr's Headwoman was as consumed with Brekke's care to the point that Felena was in charge during mornings. The drain on the dragons was worse. They could hear her internal keening for Wirenth and refusal to respond to them.
There was a fall early that morning down Nerat. It was expected to be short since most of the fall occurred over water. This was T'gellan's first Fall as Leader. Monarth chided him more than once during his briefing because T'gellan surreptitiously glanced at Mirrim feeding the fire lizards. She peeked at him as her faire dispersed but he didn't see.
It wasn't until his dragon was under him that T'gellan was in the fight. The Fall was typical except that two holders were out in the open and had to be rescued. After the successful fight, the wingleaders met on Lower Nerat Beachhead, T'gellan learned that the one from Half Circle Hold was Elgion. "Inform the holder that his harper, Elgion, is at Benden Weyr," N'ton advised as he stepped up his bronze dragon. "I have dealt with this holder. Name's Yanus. A dour sort but dutiful. Tell him that Elgion was on weyr business if he asks too much. Elgion said he was searching for fire lizard eggs."
Monarth came from between directly over the entrance to the harbor. It looked like mountain with a yawning mouth. A few ships had already cleared it, taking advantage of the good fishing so close after a fall. The entire harbor and hold was within half of a conical volcano. Monarth chose to swoop around one side and land neatly in front of the holdway before the great doors hewn from the mountain. "Who are you showing off for?" T'gellan thought toward his dragon.
"We are Wingleaders," answered Monarth, "Our duty is to amaze holders."
"We protect hol- OOF"! T'gellan tried to answer but Monarth executed a four point landing with his wings, neck and tail high. T'gellan had a chance to reposition himself between the neck ridges as Monarth neatly turned a quarter circle with his neck high so that T'gellan's first look upon the assembled was a good length above the tallest. One craggy, barrel-chested man stepped forward followed by two younger versions. T'gellan swung one lanky leg over Monarth's neck just as he folded his wings. For a moment T'gellan was certain to fall on his face but his boots connected with a raised fore-knee and he nimbly stepped forward in a salute to Yanus.
"We amaze! The front one worries about the lost one."
Yanus began to speak but T'gellan held up his hand, "My Duty to you, Seaholder Yanus. Harper Elgion is at Benden Weyr. The wings report no thread got through the ranks".
"Yes, Benden always . . . you say Harper Elgion is at Benden? Was he injured? Was he found injured? He had left the hold too early to be warned of fall." Yanus spoke rapidly, forehead furrowed.
"He is in good health and please to be at Benden for, ah, another briefing. He will return before night." T'gellan's first impression of the Seaholder was altered to believe the man compassionate, until Yanus spun to the man on his right.
"To the boats," He barked. The man nodded and turned on a heel while most of the men not holding the agenothree tanks turned too. The one to Yanus' left limped forward. He had a cast on his leg.
"Our duty to you, T'gellan, rider of bronze Monarth. I am Alemi. Now that the Seaholder is relieved to know our Hold Harper is safe, he is anxious to get to the fleet." Alemi tilted his head slightly.
Yanus regarded the young man for an instant then turned to T'gellan. "May we offer you some refreshment, rider?"
"Feel free to be off to your craft, Seaholder, my lunch awaits at Benden."
Yanus accepted the tacit release from his duty to Benden Weyr by nodding and retreating to his hold followed by the ground crew. Alemi stepped forward. "Please do not be harsh on Elgion, he wanted to search the beach above the Dragon Stones for, of all things, fire lizard eggs."
T'gellan immediately brightened, "Fire lizards! Have you seen sign?"
"Well, I thought that once I saw what could have been fire lizards. The two of us, Elgion and me, sailed to The Stones a few days ago. Elgion thought he'd investigate on foot. It's a good half-day walk from the hold to those cliffs but, he chose the wrong day." Both young men grinned. Monarth warbled behind him.
"The Weyr thanks you for your report."
"Fire lizards are real?"
"Most assuredly, I have held and fed one who is a perfect miniature of my bronze Monarth, about the size of my forearm." T'gellan was taking short steps backward as he saluted then turned to vault onto Monarth. He barely got the buckles fastened when Monarth warned him to hold for the down-sweep. Two mighty sweeps of his wings and Monarth had risen above the top of the domed volcano. He veered towards the Dragon Stones low to the water letting his tail graze the surface. T'gellan fastened his riding cap and got his second glove on as the Dragon Stones were before them. With another sweep of his wings, Monarth barely cleared them then flew toward the shore. There were a few pockmarks representing shallow caves and a small beach. T'gellan considered it too small and susceptible to tides to suit a golden fire lizard's clutch. Of one mind, T'gellan leaned forward into Monarth's neck which he strained sharply upward then blinked between.
Alemi had watched the pair fly off, so uniform in movement that they seemed like one being. Was that what it was like to impress a dragon; one mind or rather the sharing of two?
Benden Weyr was bustling with the usual post-fall activities. Monarth landed with much less pomp in the bowl close to the stairs of Queen's weyr. T'gellan dismounted and walked the stairs ready to give a good account of the Fall. No debilitating injuries, no thread got through, two rescues. His stomach rumbled. N'ton stepped back as T'gellan entered the room. F'lar, the Weyrleader, stood and gave T'gellan the salute with pride. The other wingleaders and wingseconds stood and saluted as T'gellan stepped to the head of the table and lead the debriefing.
Shortly after the meeting adjourned, T'gellan made for the kitchens. As he stepped to the stew pot, somebody approached him; he cleared his voice. "Excuse me rider, I was told you are T'gellan." T'gellan suppressed his irritation and turned to a pleasant young man clad in Harper blue pants and shoulder knot of Half Circle Seahold. "I don't mean to intrude but, I, uh, understand that you informed my Seaholder…"
"Not to worry," T'gellan responded, "I myself told them that you were safe, and a good thing, too. They were all ready to mount a search. Which, for old Yanus, is a remarkable concession."
Elgion kept speaking, asking questions as if he was assessing what punishment awaited him. T'gellan sighed, loosened his belt and took off his jacket. He continued to discuss with Elgion while eying the food. Perhaps Fall Leader meant a lot of skipped meals. When was this harper going to let him eat? Then S'kel called to him. T'gellan politely but determinedly begged off from Elgion who still looked like a condemned man. As he approached him, S'kel held out a mug.
"It's not much but walk with me out to the bowl and you'll be able to feed yourself." S'kel said with a wink. T'gellan gratefully took the mug and drank down its content.
As soon as he saw Elgion exit the kitchen, he stepped up to the pot in the main kitchen and scooped out a healthy serving of stew then sat, facing away from the rest of the thinning crowd. He wanted to reflect on his rapid ascent to Wingleader and his first fall as the Leader. Of course, N'ton had shadowed him once on the ground. He was beginning to understand F'lar's plan for Pern and his own part in it. With most of the Oldtimer leaders in Southern, not serving, the planet needed bronzes and browns who could lead fights. Half the battle to preserve Pern was still to be fought. Those isolated, hidebound holders and crafters needed to change their ways if Pern was to survive. T'gellan also promised himself that he'd take care of Elgion when he returned him to Half Circle Sea Hold.
As the evening meal was called, T'gellan first made sure that both he and Elgion ate another meal and then made sure that Elgion was introduced to a fire lizard. He timed Elgion's return to his hold by late afternoon with a crowd of holders to cheer him home and some outrageous lies to the severe Seaholder in order to ensure Elgion's position within the hold.
Soon after T'gellan returned Elgion he was back on that thin strip of beach. "Angle toward that bigger hole," he instructed his dragon. The big beast sidled his sinewy neck then raised his forelegs. T'gellan stepped off his mount and into the cave. It had a dry sandy floor and a shallow pit had been dug and piled with rushes under a crudely woven blanket, a bed. It was in front of a rock-lined fire pit. Along the wall were a small supply of wood and a shelf of sanded driftwood with the odd bone plate, crude crockery and a bowl-shaped rock. Some were empty, one contained what looked like rancid grease and another had dried seaweed. A rack with bundled herbs and drying strips of meat, probably fish, stood against the other wall. He stepped over to the bed and felt along the blanket. There was a stack of reeds, polished and lashed together with holes cut into it. A fancy whistle? He put it back and leaned against the highest wall.
This was a person's habitat, but only one. He saw no evidence of fire lizards. It suddenly became dark. He looked toward the opening to see Monarth's head blocking the fading light. "What do you see? It is too small for my head. My feet are wet."
"I still don't think a fire lizard would have clutched on that beach, nor would she in this cave, "T'gellan thought back.
"A little one would not clutch so close to man."
"You're right. Let's go home."