Chap. 35 Taking Mum shopping

Chap 35  Taking Mum shopping

Technically, he was still a Weyrling. But with graduation not four days away, his class had been granted administrative leave,in order  to enjoy time off to be with their families streaming in for graduation and the Gather.

It felt odd, he thought, to be prepping his dragon to take his mother to Singing Water's Market. She was helping Hariko purchase supplies for the graduation celebration and the Gather.

He'd introduced her to Raventh.

Raventh, this is my dam, Daryat. he said, as he harnessed the brown.

"My goodness, Kandar, he's so big."

And handsome, tell her I am handsome. Doesn't she see my collar?

"He wants to remind you that he's handsome, and don't you see the collar Glyena made for him?" K'ndar laughed.

"Can he understand me?" she asked. He was beginning to realize that very few non-dragon riders knew anything about them, other than they flew and breathed fire. Many people were still afraid of them!

"He can, but he only talks to me, so say what you wish, and I'll tell you what he says."

She looked the dragon in the whirling eye.

"Raventh, you are the most handsome dragon on all Pern. I bet all the girl dragons like you."

Raventh puffed up, arching his neck and rumbled, laughing.

She is very wise. Like Ramoth. Like Elanath. I like her very much!!

Laughing, K'ndar repeated what Raventh had said. She reached forward, tentatively, to touch his warm hide. She was surprised at its feel. Given that he had a metallic sheen, she expected him to feel, if not scaly, at least rough. But there were no scales. Instead, Raventh felt like a smooth, hairless horse, warm and soft.

"Glyena surprised both of us with the collar. It's beautiful work."

"She's got a knack for leather work. About six months ago, she gathered up every bit of tack and footwear on the cothold and repaired them." Daryat said.

Ah, he thought, there it is. A valuable skill for Glyena. Especially if she worked on shoes and boots…everyone needed footwear.

"Hmm. You know, Mum, that day we lost the herd bull, I came off Jordan when the girth broke. It had rotted and…well, I got a clout instead of new girth when I mentioned it.  You know how miserly Dad is about that sort of thing…"

"I do, sorry to say."

"I think, now, if it hadn't happened, and C'val  hadn't been right overhead and stopped to check on us,I might not have been Searched. Where would I be today?"

She reflected on that. Had she never met Hanliss, where would she be today? Would she have had four children?

She looked up at K'ndar, thinking how much he resembled her father, his grandfather.

Was all the pain worth the children she'd borne?

In a way, yes.

"Sometimes, Kandar, I mean K'ndar, bad things happen for a good reason," she said.

 Yes, said the voice in her mind, and maybe this is the culmination of all the bad I've suffered over the years from Hanliss.

Raventh bent a knee for them to mount.

Are you ready? Careth called.

He made sure his mother was safely buckled in. Wouldn't do to lose his Mum in flight, now would it?

I would NEVER allow that to happen. Careth is calling for us to leave

He mounted Raventh and waved at D'mitran.

"Ready, sir!"

"On my mark! Three, two one, fly!"

The two dragons leapt into the sky, circled to gain bearings..and went between