G'ny was all but distracted at training the next day, not that it showed in her and Saleneth's flying. On the contrary, they were more in sync than ever with the cues of their Wingleader. The other riders must have known what had passed between them the night before, but mercifully no one said anything. Rather, they too kept to formation stricter than ever.
L'can visited her every night, sometimes with cheerful affection others with intense ardor. G'ny guessed it depended on the trials of the day. He had invited her to share his weyr, a much more spacious abode befitting a Wingleader, but she indicated that would involve passing by the dreaded Allika, whom she preferred to avoid. He understood and met her without fail. One night, he came up with an impetuous idea.
"Have you ever been into the Weyrwoman's quarters?" He asked with intrigue. G'ny's face fell aghast at the thought. "There is a heated bathing pool and Moura is hardly ever around."
"Where does she go?" G'ny inquired abruptly.
"No one is really sure, although I imagine the Weyrleader knows. She stays around just long enough to maintain the appearances of a dutiful Weyrwoman and to keep the dragons mindful of her status, but I've noticed from my weyr's vantage point how frequently she departs," L'can confided his observations in G'ny. Bremeth appeared at the ledge of G'ny's weyr presumably to shuttle them the distance down to the Weyrwoman's ledge. "I've asked Bremeth to try to make contact with her periodically, but she is often distant or out of reach, like now." L'can winked. G'ny was deep in thought as she allowed herself to be guided into L'can's childish plan. L'can led her to the edge of the pool, having deftly removed her garments. So Allika is left to her own devices all day, G'ny thought.
With a sudden push from behind, G'ny found herself propelled into the warm water in front of her. She let out a small shriek of delight. L'can joined her swiftly, ducking under the water to grasp her around the waist and lift her up above him so that her torso was out of the water. "I've told you how beautiful you are, right?" G'ny giggled at his compliment, her now dark, wet hair falling between them. She leaned down to kiss him and he slowly let her back down into the water.
Over at the edge of the pool, the duo found a large cache of sweetsand with which to scrub down. They were chatting quietly as they did so when they heard a small clatter. A small wooden comb popped briefly into view. G'ny ducked all but her eyes under water with a small splash as way of hiding. The intruder must have heard the activity within because a hand quickly stretched out to grab the comb and retreat, but not before G'ny saw a flash of long, blonde hair. Allika, she hissed to herself.
"L'can, why do you think Allika wouldn't make a scene if she saw me here?"
"She may not have seen you, what with that duck you did." L'can smiled as he tousled her hair. "I suspect she has been reprimanded by the Weyrwoman before for overstepping her privileges." So the junior and senior weyrwomen were not on the best terms, G'ny thought.
Mirith doesn't really like her either, Saleneth always observant when the subject of the queen came up, interposed.
What are you talking about? G'ny prodded her dragon.
Oh, she and I talk. She finds her rider petulant, negative, and domineering. Besides, she longs to spread her wings and exercise more. Thinks she's getting fat because Allika despises riding her, even encourages her to bulk up like that because Allika has heard that larger queens are more powerful, Saleneth revealed.
The poor thing, G'ny thought.
Mm, thank you, was the emphatic reply G'ny heard.
Mirith? She asked.
Yes? Was the even answer.
Are you speaking to me? G'ny was struck by the honor.
Sure, why wouldn't I? It's a nice distraction from the yelling currently emanating from my rider.
"Pern to Genny," L'can chorused. "Anything the matter? I didn't realize Saleneth would choose now to be such a conversationalist. Surely she could let you enjoy this bath with me?"
"It's Mirith, actually," G'ny said slowly.
"Mirith?"
"Yeah, she says Allika is currently fuming."
"Since when do you two talk?"
"Since now, I guess? Well, maybe before... I tried to say hi to her at the Hatching ceremony, but I don't know if she heard me, and Saleneth quickly commanded my full attention... and there was also that time after the run-in with R'nan."
"Come to think of it, that day on the Hatching Ground, she sure seemed to take an interest in you, if I recall correctly" L'can pondered.
"You didn't even know me then, how could you remember that?"
"Oh, we bronze riders examined the proceedings of the queen egg very carefully. May have taken a few bets even."
"You were betting on me?" G'ny splashed water in his direction.
"No, not me, but M'tou did. Said he knew you belonged in a Weyr the moment he saw you, and here you are." L'can gave her a boyish smile as he ducked down under the water to rinse the final suds from his dark hair.
Thus the two of them carried on in harmony for the next six months. G'ny was happy. L'can, known to fall into periods of brooding, was happy. The Weyr ran smoothly and the formations flew tightly. Even Allika seemed a little less formidable on some days. Although her contact with Lawana had dwindled a bit - L'can had a penchant for enlisting the help of a Lower Cavern woman to surprise G'ny breakfast in bed - the two women still found their moments to chat in the peaceful moments of the Weyr activities. The most regular of these moments were the days on which L'can's morning was preoccupied with a meeting of the other Wingleaders in the Council Room. G'ny listened with rapt attention as Lawana rattled on about the latest improvements in the Weyr – which children had come down with sniffles, the cyclical stock of fruits and berries, the reliably occasional clumsiness of a cook staff member. G'ny was sitting on a kitchen stool laughing at one of these latest developments when she heard the bugling.
G'ny and Lawana raced out to the Courtyard to see what the commotion was about. Mirith is rising, Saleneth informed G'ny, and which G'ny relayed to Lawana. The older woman's eyes grew wide. "I knew this day would come," she said, shaking her head.
"Shall we go to her?" G'ny asked.
"Well, I suppose with no sign of Azirith around, she might need the support, though you must be more loathe than I to give aid to that one, no?"
"It's the right thing to do," G'ny announced with conviction. The two women quickly ascended the few flights of stairs to the weyrwoman's chamber.
When the two of them arrived, they found the weyr to be empty. Where would she be? G'ny wondered. I think Mirith's a little too preoccupied to respond even if I asked her, Saleneth piped up. G'ny snorted in response. From the vantage afforded by the weyrwoman's chambers, G'ny could see out past the far edge of the caldera, where she saw the a flash of gold leading a first pack of about nine distinctly bronze followers, and second pack of duller browns struggling to tail them.
Nine - that would be the entirety of the Weyr's bronze force. G'ny's heart sank, knowing the Bremeth was out there. She and L'can had talked vaguely about when this day would come. He had said something about trying to be out on a gathering mission when the time came. G'ny knew it was fruitless to expect that such rationality could overpower the base, dragon-fueled instincts when the day came. The spectacle was too far away to make out individual dragons, but a rough overview of the events was possible.
Not much time at all seemed to pass when Mirith suddenly careened to the side, practically colliding with one of her bronze suitors, each of whom were easily keeping pace with her. He dutifully capitalized on the moment, reaching in to join with her. They were at terribly low altitude for such a finale. The other bronzes held back, watching the pair fall, until one dove down towards them. The rest of the spectacle was obscured by the caldera bowl. What on Pern was that? G'ny thought. She calls that a maiden mating flight? What a disgrace, was Saleneth's impetuous review.
"Um, is it just me or did that strike you as short?" G'ny ventured to the experienced Headwoman. "Like, I know time kind of stands still when you have all those emotions surging through you, but I swear the day just seemed to evaporate when Saleneth was out there."
"Your chase and fall were triple and double the time, respectively. I hope the two didn't crash. That bronze seemed to have control of the situation, but it was a bit of an unexpected development, I would think. That second bronze may have swooped down to assist. We had better go find out if everyone is okay." Lawana reasoned.
Where might they be, if not in the weyrwoman's quarters, pondered G'ny. "Let's go check the Council Room and backtrack from there, since I know that's where L'can and the other bronze riders were last known to be." G'ny suggested.
"Good thinking," Lawana agreed.
The two women hurried down the one flight of stairs to the Weyrleader's level and Council Room. They could not have anticipated what they encountered there. Parchment was strewn about and chairs were upturned. The four Wingleaders, and three of the bronze Wingseconds who had managed to congregate there were all in varying states of dazed disrobement, with tunics hanging meekly - more than one ripped down the front, unfastened belts strewn the corners of the room, and more buttocks were bare than were covered. It was not hard to imagine the preceding events. G'ny scanned the appalling sight for L'can. She found him, to her great horror, slumped in a chair, a naked Allika still undulating slowly on his lap. G'ny thought she was going to puke as she ran from the room. She heard the laughter of a madwoman as she raced through the halls, hot tears boiling in her eyes.
She did this on purpose, G'ny wailed to herself. Despite their attempts at discretion, G'ny and L'can's care for each other had been noticed by Allika's and she now sought to ruin the greenrider over it. Saleneth alighted into their shared weyr and ventured in as far as she could fit her neck to rub her rider comfortingly with her head, her eyes glowing yellow with concern. Lawana, realizing little more could be done in the Council Room and that others could tend to the papers, chairs, and clothes, also soon joined the pair, massaging the young woman's tense and wracking back.
Night had fallen when G'ny was finally able to pick herself up, alone, out of the pool of sorrowful tears she had made on her bed. She was arranging new furs when she was aware of a presence at her inner door. It was L'can.
"I'm sorry," he managed. "She ambushed us at the meeting, 'Have you seen Mirith's color, it's rising time,' she taunted us. I tried to leave, I'm telling you I did. But she blocked the door and had Mirith command our dragons into position for the flight. Then she..." He was practically blubbering now.
"Shhh, I don't want to hear about it."
"I wanted none of her web of misery, especially after all I've vowed to you. I have failed you, dishonored you." L'can sunk to his knees, dark eyes searching G'ny's face. "I don't want to be controlled by her, but with Mirith's at her call, I don't know what I can do. I'm sorry. I don't know what I could do to ever deserve you again."
"This is the way Weyrs are. Now, you should go to her before your absence is noticed." G'ny noted solemnly.
The next evening, G'ny helped Lawana prepare a feast at Allika's insistence. Since her queen's rising, the intolerable woman had become even bossier, actually stepping out from her chambers and barking orders. G'ny could hardly take pride in how smoothly all the preparations for the feast went under her, so low was her mood. In the Great Hall, at the feast she commissioned, Allika stood up to give a speech.
"Some of you may have noticed. Moura and Azirith are always away, and it is unlikely that Azirith will ever rise again. So, with the only actively rising queen of the Weyr, I proclaim myself Weyrwoman, the dutiful" she stressed the word curiously, "L'can at my side as Weyrleader!" The reluctantly dubbed Weyrleader hardly raised his eyes as she grasped his hand in the air. A rather lackluster here, here! was shouted and mugs of newly opened wine were raised. From her corner near the Kitchens, G'ny knew that dark times were ahead, L'can's brooding and Allika's overbearing heavy-handedness would certainly set a negative tone. Despite the disaster G'ny foresaw, she could tell this was the moment for which Allika had been waiting for a very long time.
The next morning, Allika whirled into the Kitchens at an hour unusually early for her. G'ny and Lawana's peaceful morning of processing the events of the past day was to be interrupted. The self-appointed Weyrwoman danced around the kitchen, touching everything, taste-testing all the sweetest dishes and returning the spoons to the pots. Gross, G'ny thought. Suddenly the Weyrwoman's seemed to notice G'ny's presence.
"Oh, G'ny, a word" the corners of her lips curled up with cruelty. "I have some errands for you, out in Igen. The Weyrwoman there and I were just conversing via our dragons, and she thought the idea of an ambassador from High Reaches would be a lovely idea. You know, they have a most wonderful selection of sweet fruits that you will naturally bring back. Oh, and don't get any thoughts about coming back here when Saleneth rises. In fact, I think that arrangement we worked out earlier, you know, where you take some time at home, is really the best course of action, don't you? Good. You can maybe come back to watch my queen's Hatching. That would be really nice, don't you think – show some support for the cause? Off with you now! I don't want you within my sight in an hour's time." The Weyrwoman spun away, another indigent apparently catching the next wave of her wrath.
Lawana looked on, shocked. "Will you be okay? Oh, girlie, I'm going to miss you!"
"Oh Lawana, I'll miss you too, although I think some time away from this Weyr might do me some good. And I guess I'll be back in about four months for the Hatching. Besides, there will be plenty of errands to run between the two Weyrs, so I'm sure I'll see you."
"You may be right, child. Well, I at least hope to hear from you. Turning a most promising Wingsecond into a runner. Her nerve! Here, let me help you pack." With Saleneth's help, the two women ascended up to G'ny and Saleneth's weyr, a small gleam of excitement in the older woman's eye, as there was not much occasion for her to be adragonback in the Kitchens. G'ny was more than packed – and stocked with Lawana's nutcake – when the prescribed hour was almost up. A few visitors stopped by to send her off. T'mir was as earnest and good-natured as ever. Even T'tor and M'tou stopped by.
"Please know that I've done all that I could for you here, and I have really enjoyed seeing you around." T'tor implored.
"Thank's T'tor, I know it and have really appreciated all of it." G'ny graciously replied.
"When I brought you here, even before you Impressed, I never thought I'd see you leave. Hopefully it has been good for you on the whole?" M'tou said as he pulled the girl into a bear hug. "No matter what Allika says, you do belong in a Weyr, this one, I might even add."
"Aw, you're sweet, M'tou. I've definitely enjoyed my time here, at least when I can avoid Allika, and I wouldn't trade anything for my bond with Saleneth." She affirmed, squeezing him back heartily.
"So long, then," they all chorused to her as G'ny climbed onto the back of Saleneth.
"So long," she waved back to them. She was glad that Saleneth then turned towards the ledge of the weyr so they could not see the tears pooling in her eyes. With a great leap, the two were off. Saleneth had been relayed the coordinates for Igen, and with the image focused firmly in both rider and dragon's mind, the two winked between.