Updated with a conversation about B'ran with her Diedra and Jongen
As G'ny lay awake after her travels, more questions than answers swirled around her mind. The Benden Weyrwoman and Masterharper's words echoed in her ears. G'ny too felt grave concern for the dragon race. Perhaps Soriyen was right, without the pressure of the Red Start, dragons were not necessary, and were slowly accepting their obsolescence. Although G'ny had offered her support while at Telgar, an invitation to the Weyr's impending Hatching was not forthcoming. G'ny supposed the Weyrwoman's suspicions over poached riders served as an overwhelming motivator. When the day came, Saleneth informed G'ny from a tip from an admiring bronze dragon that all did not go well – of the nineteen eggs, one failed to hatch and yet another failed to find a rider and fled between. Then there was the matter of B'ran. As much as they cared for each other, their respective loyalties to each Weyr were driving them apart. G'ny knew that if he was so against the High Reaches Weyrlingmaster position, there was no way he would even try to become the Weyrleader if the opportunity presented itself. The plan now foiled, G'ny admitted to herself that she had hoped that if he had been around as a Weyrlingmaster, he would be there if Saleneth rose. G'ny let out a sigh of frustration. Lawana was the first to greet G'ny in her downcast state.
"Good, resilient people will always make a positive life for themselves," Lawana did her best to assure the younger girl that all would work out. A proffering of a fresh bubbly pies elevated G'ny's spirits only temporarily. "If Thread were one day return to terrorize the inhabitants of Pern and we are so unprepared as to not weather the storm, I can only wish that the destruction would be as quick and painless as possible."
"Oh Lawana, that sounds terrible!" G'ny lamented.
"As it is, every day was a gift that each person should wake up grateful to receive." Lawana firmly espoused her belief. "Speaking of gifts that are full of life, I have been keeping your garden tended at the edge of your weyr. Many of the plants are in bloom now. They really are a great reminder of the beauty in this world." G'ny would try to take her mentor's optimism to heart. Indeed, her weyr smelled sweetly of the blooming flowers and prolific herbs. Still, she found often found herself morose.
After a few days of G'ny sulking around the Weyr feeling helpless, Moura suggested G'ny might go home for a few days to take some time to relax. Summer was just beginning, and the most recently returned Radharc watchrider had informed them G'ny's brother would be home briefly. He had just recently walked the journeyman tables at Harper Hall and was home just long enough to celebrate before his assignment at the High Reaches Hold – an honored position earned by is immense skill - was due to begin.
This would be a momentous occasion for her family, which many had never dreamed possible. Her brother Jerson had been born with an oral defect that had impeded his speech, especially during his younger years. Still, he has picked up and shown great skill with the pipes, which a traveling Masterharper had noticed and upon which recommended Jerson's admission to Harper Hall. Jerson had excelled there, taking to complex melodies far more quickly than other pupils. In addition to the pipes, Jerson became incredibly skilled at the drums, which not only provided the beat for any party, but also served as an important means of auxiliary communication with neighboring Holds. Stringed instruments such as guitars, harps, and lyres also quickly came under his mastery. Really, the only area in which he sometimes struggled was in teaching lyrics. Pronouncing certain words was still difficult for him, but with the fluidity of his melodies and the occasional assistance of chalk and slate, his messages were clearly conveyed. Oftentimes, he would provide input into a conversation not by the carefully crafted words often associated with harpers, but with an all-encompassing chord on whatever instrument was within reach. He, of course, delighted his home town to a display of his gifts which G'ny would have the pleasure of witnessing. Moura thought the distraction would do her good, as G'ny would never be able to solve the problems of Pern if she could not think clearly.
In her futility to solve the main preoccupation eating at her while away from the Weyr, G'ny's mind wandered to a solution to a dynamic her most recent mission had all but cast aside. As she paced around Radharc, she decided that even if dragons were dwindling in number, G'ny ought to ensure that they remained positively imprinted on the minds of Holders. Her jaunts to Tillek and Ogren had further emphasized the importance of diplomacy. Having previously provided Gather transport and security and welfare sweeps for Holds, she wondered if she could increase Weyrfolk presence around Holds. Sure, dragonriders were visible in their posts as messengers throughout the Holds, few Holders could see the fully glory of a dragon that weyrfolk could. Since wings were routinely performing drills to keep the knowledge alive anyway, G'ny thought it might be send a welcoming signal if they were to conduct drills over Holds.
One evening, G'ny got to chatting with the Lady Holder under whom she had initially served. The Lady Holder leapt at the idea of dragons performing for Holders. She set out a list of upcoming celebrations local to Radharc at which dragon performances would be greatly welcomed. The two decided that her eldest son's impending marriage to the second daughter of the Nabol Lord Holder would be an ideal debut if the idea was approved. Many key dignitaries from Nabol, one of the region's crown municipalities, would be in attendance. Upon G'ny's return to the High Reaches Weyr, the Weyrleaders were receptive to the idea she had cooked up and agreed that it would be fitting that the first display be put on where it was conceived.
It was a beautiful affair at Radharc. C'lin's wing provided a colorful spectacle for the Holders looking on below. Although G'ny recalled her initial days of flying with this wing, and ceremonially partook in two processions, G'ny and Saleneth mostly enjoyed the spectacle as onlookers, and what a spectacle it was. C'lin was always one for show and his penchant for flourishes played out in his riders' flying. From the eighteen riders he had brought, he orchestrated numerous formations. In one arrangement, his rider shifted from one large V-shape into two, then into six smaller V-formations – each characterized by its own color. The six factions then reconvened into two groups of nine riders that lined up and spiraled around the other line in an aerial helix from which counterparts in each line paired off for their next trajectory. Not all of these shapes were equal in their fighting of Thread, but C'lin had arranged them in a way so full of art that the untrained eye would hardly know the difference. The overhead show of dragons was a welcome source of entertainment for couples young and old and inspiration for the dreams of children and children at heart. This would definitely be a summer to remember.
Although Diedra appreciated the show, the returned presence of her daughter was the development that gave her the greatest joy. With all of her newfound responsibilities, G'ny had found little time to return home as of late, although she had penned a fair number of letters to her family, dutifully delivered by the assigned watchrider at the time, to keep them apprised of the highlights. As always, her mother updated her on the latest gossip around the Hold. G'ny tried to be as empathetic as she could, congratulating Diedra on her handling of situations whether G'ny agreed with her approach or not and castigating the conduct of fellow Holders from whom Diedra had perceived slights. Sometimes, Diedra would tie in a particularly notable development as having been influenced by the guidance of the stars, charts of which she so dutifully kept. G'ny couldn't help but sometimes feel that it all seemed so trivial with everything else on her mind. In some ways, it was reassuring and reminded her of Lawana's words that Weyrlife was not the only path to happiness. What was certainly reassuring was Jongen's arm wrapped around her shoulders just like when she was a little girl and his pithy expression of pride over all of her accomplishments. It was on one of her last evenings in town as he held her like this that her mother ventured a question that G'ny had been trying not to think about.
"So, how's that Hold-loving, dragonrider boy?" Diedra asked of B'ran.
"I don't think it's working out. He loves Igen so much, and I just think that I'm needed for greater things elsewhere. Even when I last saw him, as I worried about all of Pern, his thoughts were all on Igen." G'ny updated them.
"We all have choices to make, and he has been making his. Whether he comes to a High Reaches mating flight will really determine your future. Please don't be heartbroken if he doesn't arrive. You have a job to do, and if he's not there, he clearly isn't the one to offer you the support you need." Jongen opined with great wisdom.
"Your father is right. And we want to see you happy. Are you sure there are no young men around High Reaches that would make you happy? Perhaps that C'lin fellow? His rotations bring him around here often enough that it might increase our chances of seeing our daughter. You know, since he comes to visit more than you do, and don't take this the wrong way since I know you are busy with very important work, I've come to think of him as my other dragonrider," Diedra gushed.
"These things are supposed to be easy for dragonriders. Dragonriders and their dragons forge bonds, and they come and go. The bonds are tied to the riders' duties and makes them more able to fulfill their roles. I guess my Holder sensibilities make it hard for me to just move on. I suppose it has made dealing with the other riders easier - Saleneth last paired with Saneth, so they know the odds of gaining my attention are low and respect me in that capacity, and I can focus on my assignments without distraction." G'ny was morose.
"Don't sell yourself short. They would be respectful regardless." Diedra and Jongen said in unison.
Before G'ny left, the Lady Holder presented her with a pot of lavender, its blooms in full radiance given the season. G'ny inhaled deeply and arranged her plans so that she would fly back to the High Reaches so as to not jeopardize the latest addition to her still thriving floral collection. Before she had even made it back to the Weyr, word of dragonrider entertainment had spread quickly after the wedding ceremony.
"So you didn't think I had enough work to do?" M'tou caught G'ny as she made to land in the Bowl.
"Oh, how's that?" G'ny asked, her mind relaxed after the long, lavender-infused flight.
"Moura and I are now going have to strategize on where to allocate our already scarce wings after your little stunt! Every Holder worth his salt, and even those who aren't are going to demand a display!" M'tou was not serious in his crossness. After changing her brain from Hold to Weyr gear, G'ny could detect the amusement in his voice. During the daily meeting of wingleaders and Weyrleaders the next morning, it was decided that neither of the Weyrlingclasses would be quite ready to venture beyond the confines of the Bowl, but the fully developed wings would be able to go out on assignment. This provided the added benefit of leaving the Bowl airspace clear for the two cohorts of newcomers.
G'ny especially found herself incredibly busy, as her unique status had left an impression with almost everyone she met, and a reputation that demanded an introduction to those that had not, such that her presence was often requested at these festive events. As this program of goodwill grew, G'ny noticed that the standard tithes the Holds turned over out of their historic obligation often held embellishments of gratitude. Inquiries into upcoming Hatchings increased as Holders could point with pride to riders who had once hailed from their Holds. Despite the uncertainties of the future of dragonfolk, G'ny believed this impact would be a high note in their legacy.
Important as drilling and pleasing their beholden holds was during this season of long, pleasant days, there was much other work to be done around the Weyr. Without the demand of fighting Thread on their time, riders had expanded their duties to include domestic tasks that Weyr staff and Holds would have provided in times of Thread. A significant swath of the Weyr Bowl had been turned into a community garden that required tending and sustaining the life cycles of their livestock also kept riders busy. Constrained as space within the Bowl was, the population it supported was reduced, and Holds still sent supplemental supplies. Somewhat morbidly, G'ny wondered if this would be the sole purpose of the Bowl someday, if dragon numbers declined to nonexistence.