Chap. 159 The 3K race

Chap. 159 The 3K race

K'ndar had wandered to the edge of the crowd surrounding the race track. There were several punters there, taking last minute bets on the upcoming 3K race.

He looked at their boards. Some of them had Drummer as the favorite at 2-1. He had only a hazy idea of what it meant in terms of betting. He had no delusions about his knowledge of betting on anything.

He was about to turn and head for Ruatha's owner's platform when someone tugged his sleeve.

He turned to see a wizened man, his face so lined his age was undeterminable. After a few moments, he realized the man was a Wanderer. They seldom bothered anyone, so he was surprised that this one had.

"Bet the filly," the man said, almost inaudibly.

"I beg your pardon?" K'ndar said, wondering why he had been picked by this man.

"I say, bet the filly. She won't be beaten," he said, with a knowing shake of the head.

"You think she can beat Drummer? I've heard he's fast," K'ndar said, wondering if he should even bother.

"Aye, I do," the man said.

"Why…why are you telling ME? I have no idea who you are," K'ndar said, wondering, now, if Drummer had been tampered with. No, probably not, not as hyper as the bay gelding was.

"I knows you, sir, you may not remember me, but you and another dragonrider did me family a good turn, and we…we Wanderers, we don't never forget. They's been no way for us to repay you, til now. Bet the filly, sir, trust me. I knows." He nodded his head, his manner saying he was absolutely serious.

This was no shyster, K'ndar thought. He believes it.

K'ndar looked hard at him. "I did YOU a good turn?"

"Aye, and I can explain, but for Pern's sakes, lad, put some money on the filly NOW, the race starts in a few minutes," the man insisted.

Struck by his urgency, K'ndar thought, well, can't lose much if you don't bet much. He turned to the nearest punter, who had a line of people in front of him. It moved fast.

Sunrise was the only filly in the race. Her odds were 35-1.

"Those aren't very good odds," he said, hoping he sounded like he knew what he was doing. He turned, looking for the man's agreement. But he'd vanished as quickly as he'd appeared.

Should I do this? I don't really know, but the man had been convincing.

"Hi, there, boyo, are you in line for the punter? Don't be dithering, I've a bet to set," said another man behind him.

Startled into action, K'ndar pulled out the first coin he felt in his pouch and handed it to the waiting punter.

The punter looked at it, surprised. "Half a mark on?"

Half a mark? That was a lot of money to bet.

"Ummmmmmmmm," K'ndar said, completely unnerved that his hand had pulled out so much money.

"Come ON, you dolt, place your bet or get outa line," said the one behind him.


"Half a mark ON?" the punter said, trying to get K'ndar to hurry.

Feeling rushed, but not wishing to look like the novice he most definitely was, he said "Half a mark on the filly. Sunrise," his voice going up an octave in his uncertainty.

"Half a mark on the filly. You're SURE?"

K'ndar flustered. He hadn't meant a half mark, but…that's what jumped into his hand.

"Lad. Think. I shouldn't be coaching you, but she's going off 35-1. Them's long odds, you sure?" the punter asked, knowing at a glance that K'ndar was a novice.

K'ndar, reddening, felt his pride sting.

"Yes, sir, I know. That's my bet," he said, hoping he looked as if he knew exactly what he was doing.

"The filly. To win?"

Well of course, to win, he thought, what other way was there? Obviously, he was a total moron when it came to betting.

"To win. Yes," he said, irritated at being thought of as a simpleton.

"Sure you don't want to place or show her?"

"To WIN!" he insisted.

"Okay, suit yourself. Here's your chit," the man said, writing in the amount he'd bet on a tag with Sunrise's name on it, "Sunrise to win at 35-1" the punter said. "Next!"

"Gonna lose your money, boyo," said the man behind him, smugly.

"Probably," K'ndar said, deflated. He tucked the chit it into his pocket and headed for the platform, his face red with embarrassment. I won't do this again, he thought, I'm a fool. It'll be an expensive lesson, I'm sure.

Lord Jaxom and Lady Sharra were already there. K'ndar mounted the platform and stood next to Glyena, Rhian and his staff of riders and grooms, behind them.

The starting wire was several yards from their viewpoint. Drummer and the rest were lining up before it.

Drummer, despite his warm up, was still very full of himself, resisting Dravid's every attempt to make him mind. He danced back and forth, pushing the starting wire, backing up. Dravid had a tight hold on the reins. The bay half reared, trying to convince the rest of the horses that he was alpha. He purposefully banged into the chestnut colt next to him.

"Hey, there, mate, mind your horse, what?" the chestnut's rider yelled.

"Sorry," Dravid called, smacking Drummer on the neck with his whip. Drummer subsided, just a bit, but turned his head so he could give the chestnut a double barreled stink eye. His ears flattened. If a horse could snarl, Drummer was. 

On the far outside of the horses, the filly stood quietly, studying the track ahead of her. Her rider stroked her dappled grey neck.

For several tense moments, the crowd waited. The starter waited, too, until all the horses had all four feet on the ground.

The starter triggered the wire and cried "GO!"

Drummer and the chestnut exploded into a gallop and surged to the lead. The rest of the pack were right behind them, save for the filly. She galloped at a controlled pace behind the rest, her rider's hands quiet on the reins.

Oh, K'ndar thought, dismayed, she's half asleep! Half a mark, gone…

Drummer and the chestnut flew, side by side. Drummer turned his head to intimidate the chestnut into backing off. The chestnut's rider kept the colt's head straight, ignoring the bay.

Drummer's ears flattened and he shook his head, trying to get the chestnut to react.

Dravid tried to pull the bay's head to the right, knowing his pace was too fast to last, but Drummer ignored him.

The chestnut pulled ahead. Drummer upped his pace. They pulled away from the rest of the pack behind them, one length, then two, then three. The other horses couldn't keep up  the blistering pace and began to falter.

They were at the far turn, both chestnut and Drummer running flat out. Drummer caught up with the chestnut, still trying to bully the chestnut into backing off, but the colt was as adamant as the gelding.

Sunrise's rider chirped at her mount. The filly's ears flicked backwards for just a moment, then she picked up her pace. In a few strides she passed the horses behind the leaders. She took aim at the two ahead of her. Within moments, she was alongside Drummer, whose attention was still riveted on the chestnut on the inside. Dravid, hearing the filly at his elbow, smacked the furious Drummer without success.

Sunrise's rider slipped the reins and the filly began to RUN.

The chestnut's eye rolled as he saw the filly pass Drummer. He sped up, leaving Drummer behind,but it was too late. The filly was ahead of the two dueling horses by a length as she passed under the finish wire.

The crowd roared. The chestnut pulled up and Drummer passed him, triumphant. The filly's beating him meant nothing. Dravid cursed his mount in utter frustration.

The Ruathans went silent at the loss. Then Rhian began to mutter. "Pig headed, stubborn beast," he said, more to himself, but everyone heard it, and knew why.

"It's okay, Rhian," Jaxom said over his shoulder, "it was a good race, even so. Didn't that filly put them all away!" he said.

K'ndar was astonished. The filly had won! He'd WON!

The punters began to call for the winners to come collect their money.

"Didn't I see you place a bet?" Drummer's handler said.

K'ndar nodded, biting his tongue to keep from saying that he hadn't bet on Drummer. It wouldn't…well it wouldn't LOOK right, betting against his host's horse?

"Go get your money, then, Drummer showed third. Third place money is still money, aye? Bloody minded horse, he won't listen to anyone," he said.

"It is, I guess," K'ndar said.

"Well, then, let's go, folks, Drummer's going to need cooling out and Swiftsure's race is in twenty minutes," Rhian said to his staff, stepping off the platform.

"I'm coming, too," Lady Sharra said, "Jaxom?"

"Unfortunately, no, I see half a dozen folks coming at me, all wanting to me fix their most desperate and dire problems, rather than let me enjoy the races," Jaxom sighed. "Would you please see about the filly? I think she'll make a great addition," he said.

"I shall," Sharra said, smiling.

K'ndar realized he'd never want to be that important. It was nice, he thought, to have no responsibilities other than the ones he already had. I might be just a dungbooted horseman and a dragonrider, but at least I have ME to myself, he thought.

He pushed his way through the crowds. A lot of people were disappointed, having bet on Drummer to win.

The punter looked at him with an unreadable expression.

"How'd you know, sir?" as he paid out an unbelievable amount of money in coins, "I must say I didn't take you as anything but a novice. You've an eye for a horse, it appears," he ended.

K'ndar shrugged. "Beginner's luck, I guess," he said.

"You'll be wanting to place that money on the next race? Got a 20-1 shot in the Stakes," the punter asked, hopefully.

"No, sir, thank you, but I don't think I'll press my luck," K'ndar said. The coins made a comfortable lump in his pouch.

"Hi, mate!" called several men who'd seen his windfall, "Want to go in with us'ns? Pool our money? Who do you like in the Stakes?"

"No, thanks," K'ndar said, feeling like a wherry with a handful of hungry dragons around him, "I'm sure Swiftsure will win," he said.

Chap. 158 Drummer

Chap. 158 Drummer

K'ndar and Glyena had made two rounds of Ruatha's racetrack, listening to the various conversations, searching for the men who had sabotaged Swiftsure. It turned out a fruitless effort.

"They might not be together, might not have been talking when we passed, or..it could be anything," K'ndar said to Glyena. "But we tried, and even more so, the horse hasn't been harmed, at least not long term."

Glyena nodded.

They'd stopped to watch the first race, one dubbed the sprint, for very fast horses that lacked the stamina to go longer distances.

"What about me riding Drummer? Have you made a decision?" Glyena asked as they made their way to Ruatha's paddocks.

K'ndar had thought, hard. He knew Glyena's ability to ride horses, but something was bothering him about the entire situation.

"I think, well, I think I'll know more in a few minutes. When we get to their paddocks, I'll take a good look at Drummer. They should be thinking about getting him warmed up, by now," he said.

Rhian greeted them with an unreadable expression, one a mixture of hope and dread. Let's catch these misfits and run them off the Hold.

"I'm sorry, sir, but…I didn't hear them," Glyena said.

Rhian shrugged. "Ah, well, it was just a hope. In the meantime, I've let the other horseman know, telling them to check their horses. If it makes you feel any better, they're all just as pissed as I was. I don't know the results, of course, I don't know if anyone else's horses had been tampered with. But now, we've all been warned.

As of now, though, we've saddled Drummer. K'ndar, have you made a decision about Glyena riding him?"

K'ndar shook his head. "If you don't mind, I'd like to see how he works in the round pen with Glyena up," he said, surprising his sister. Her hopes soared.

Rhian nodded. "I think that's wise," he said.

The bay gelding was antsy, sidling back and forth, his tail swishing, his head tossing. His handler had a firm grip on reins. His expression was a mixture of doubt, dismay and apprehension. This little girl, aboard Drummer? But-he was just a handler, one who did as his boss ordered.

"Little lass, when you get aboard, set yourself tight in the saddle. He won't stand still once I release the bridle. I won't let him go until I think you're ready," he said.

"Okay," she said. She looked the gelding in the eye. Something had changed in it. There was a glint of something discomforting, not malice, but not welcome, either. She paused.

"Ready for a leg up, Glyena?" Rhian said.

There was a quiver of doubt in her mind.

She hesitated, then said, "Yes, please."

The Ruathan boosted her into the saddle. She searched for the irons and found them a little long.

Picking up the reins, she asked softly, for contact. His mouth was like a rock. He had taken the bit and held it, tight. She could feel his teeth grinding it.

Drummer pinned his ears, then turned them forward again. K'ndar, seeing it, reached out mentally, only to remember that horses were not telepathic, like dragons. Still, his instincts, honed by a lifetime of reading and riding horses were not pleased. He felt an aura of energy emanating from the horse that was alarming. This horse?

Would you ride him? Raventh asked, unexpectedly.

K'ndar examined that question. He could ride. So could Glyena. But he'd learned a long time ago, that pride doesn't make one a better rider of anything, be it a horse or a dragon. Pride can make one foolish or make stupid decisions.

No. Not when there are a dozen horses with a better attitude.

"The leathers, they're just a little long," Glyena said, perplexed by the resistance the horse seemed to be projecting. I've got soft hands, horse, I want to work with you. What IS this from you? I've not hurt you. Why this resistance?

Drummer's eye said what it was. Domination. He'll push you, Rhian had said. I've not taken a step and he's already doing it.

"Aye," Rhian said, and he and K'ndar each took a side and shortened her stirrup leathers. The handler kept a tight hold on the bridle and the reins, never taking his eyes off of those of the horse.

Glyena wiggled her butt until she felt solid in the racing saddle. She felt the horse stiffen. This didn't feel right, she thought. He felt wound up, tight as a spring.

She asked for a head turn. His neck hardened, but he turned it just enough for his left eye to meet hers. It was dismaying. It was alien, almost as if it weren't a horse looking at her, but something wild. It was a look of challenge. She wasn't frightened, but there was just something wrong here. Am I reacting to what they told me before? About him throwing his rider? And being hot?

She could feel the horse tensing, almost as if he were about to leap out from underneath her.

Lizard's words came into her mind.

"The mistake we make is not listening to our gut."

I don't want this, she realized. But who would ride him, then? How can I admit I might be making a mistake?

I'm arguing with myself. My gut says get off.

K'ndar saw the same thing. This horse, he thought, is about to explode.

She looked at K'ndar. He saw the misgiving in her eyes. He heard them say 'Say no for me, K'ndar, say 'no'.

"No," he said, and at the very same moment, a new voice came from behind them.

"Hi, there! Hi! What's this? Who's this on my horse?" Everyone turned to look behind them.

A small man, a bit older than K'ndar, glared at them, his face registering shock.

"Ah, Dravid! The healer has cleared you?" Rhian said, relief in his voice.

"Yes, sir, just in time for me to warm up my Drummer…but who is this lass, up on my horse?"

"We weren't sure if you'd be able to ride. Miss Glyena here, volunteered."

Dravid scowled. "I've been riding Drummer for a year now? Nay, sir, my pardon miss, but…I won't have it. He's my horse, I'm riding him in the race," he argued.

Rhian began to explain, "Dravid is Drummer's rider, and so, I'm sorry, Glyena, but…"

Before anyone could interrupt, K'ndar said, "Worry not, sir, Dravid, I've decided. I don't want Glyena riding. Glyena, please, get off the horse," he said, his eyes daring her to argue.

Rhian was relieved. Dravid was mollified. (part of his mind had been afraid he'd lost his job.)

So was Glyena. Without a murmur, she kicked her leg over the saddle and hopped off before anyone could help.

"Lengthen those leathers," Dravid ordered the handler, "Hole 9, please."

"I know, I know, Dravid," the handler said, much happier. He'd been filled with dread for the little girl. What had Rhian been thinking? Better to scratch this crazy horse.

"Glyena, I wasn't comfortable with you being up there," K'ndar said.

Rhian said nothing, hoping his relief didn't show. It had been a foolish idea, he thought.

"I hope you don't mind, Glyena?" he asked.

"I don't mind, sir," Glyena said.

"I'm sure you would have done well, but I think it's wisest that Dravid rides Drummer," he said.

"No argument from me, sir," she said, "I have a feeling he's too much horse for me."

"He's too much horse just about anyone other than Dravid," Rhian said. The handler nodded and Dravid's chest expanded. "Even so, thank you for volunteering. Would you and K'ndar care to watch the races from our platform? You'll be right near the finish line," he offered, "It's the only way I can thank you for alerting us to what was done to Swiftsure," he said.

"Oh, yes, please!!" She and K'ndar both said simultaneously.

"What? What happened to Swiftsure?" Dravid asked, alarmed.

"I'll fill you in later. For now, if you're up to it, Drummer needs a warm up," Rhian said.

"Leg me up, and let's have at it," Dravid said.

Rhian said, "Alright, then, all of us, we need to get out of the saddling pen."

Rhian gave Dravid a leg up, and as the rider settled himself, he followed the others to the gate.

"I'll manage the gate for you," he called to the handler.

Drummer's eyes rolled, the whites showing as Dravid anchored himself in the saddle. Once again, he pinned his ears, then pushed them forward. When he was confident, Dravid nodded at the handler.

The next few moments were as exciting and scary as anything K'ndar could have imagined. The moment the handler released his grip on the bridle, Drummer reared, came down and reared again. The handler jumped back and scrambled to get out of the pen, Rhian slamming the gate shut behind him.

The horse jerked his head down to the ground, attempting to tear the reins from Dravid's hands. He unleashed a mighty buck. Failing to dislodge his rider, he leaped sideways, the same violent roll, K'ndar recognized, that an airborne dragon did to avoid being scored by Thread.

Satisfied that Dravid was solid in the saddle, Drummer broke into a gallop. The small confines of the saddling pen confined the gelding to circles. He went so fast that he kicked dirt up into the faces of the watchers, despite their being on the other side of the chest high fence. He slid to a sudden stop, spun, and raced in the other direction.

"That's…that's a warm up?" K'ndar gasped, unable to keep his astonishment to himself.

Rhian nodded, ruefully. "It's not from our training, I can assure you. I've never had a horse like Drummer. And believe it or not, it's not out of meanness. He's testing Dravid. He tests everyone who's ever backed him. He's saying, are you man enough to ride ME? He knows exactly how much he needs to work before he's ready to run. He'll go like this for fifteen minutes, half an hour, then just stop. Then he's ready to race.

He shook his head, as the gelding thundered past.

"Funny thing, he's a perfect gentleman in harness, he'll trot all day with nary a complaint.

His ground manners are fine, well, he is pushy, gets in your space, but there's never been a bite, not a kick, nothing. It's just…he just resents having a rider. He's not in pain. It's not his back. It's not the tack. It's not Dravid. This is Drummer. Drummer is hot like nothing I've ever seen. He is the most competitive horse I've ever known. Put a saddle on him, and all he wants to do is run. He does NOT want to be told HOW. He would much rather we just put him on the track, no rider, no tack, and let him run his race."

He rubbed his chin out of exasperation. He was so grateful they'd gelded him early. He'd have been almost impossible to manage had they left him entire.

"Believe me, I wish he could be rated, but he won't listen. And bits don't mean a thing to him, though I'm not a man who believes in using tack or harsh bits to force a horse to do something he doesn't want to do. You could put a razor in his mouth and he'd accept his tongue being cut off rather than accept the bit. He's a three K horse, no shorter, no longer. Trust me, you will see it on the track," he said, ruefully.

K'ndar could not tear his eyes from the pair in the pen. Dravid's expression was astonishing. There was no fear, just fierce concentration…and glee. Riding his equine tornado, Dravid had a grin wrapped three times around his head.

"By the egg, that's the best rider I've ever seen in my life, and he's ENJOYING it," K'ndar said, gobsmacked.

"Aye," Rhian said, "He's daft, he is, but he can bloody well ride Drummer."

K'ndar looked down at Glyena. Her face was frozen in shock.

I would never have stayed aboard THAT, she thought. I'd have been on the ground in a moment.

Something in her mind crossed its arms and nodded in agreement.

I listened, she thought, I listened to my gut. She told me it wasn't a good idea. Oh, thank you gut, whatever you are inside me.

K'ndar began to kneel down to look in her eye, and realized she was getting tall enough to not need that, anymore. He looked in her eyes.

"I'm glad you got off," he said to her, hoping she didn't resent him. "Please don't be upset with me," he begged, "I would have been afraid to ride him," he admitted.

"I'm not," she said, and pulling his arm to lower his head, she said so only he could hear, "I am glad you said no."

He hugged her, tightly.

Chap. 157 Before the Race

Chap. 157- The Gatha at Ruatha-Before the Race

Despite the opening of the race meeting still an hour away, a crowd was beginning to form. Clumps of people were discussing the horses, arguing the merits of their particular favorite. The punters had their chalk boards up, and were already fending off those bettors who wanted an "inside tip' before placing a bet. Families were already settling around the track, claiming the best spots from which to watch the races. Grooms and handlers were in their Hold designated paddocks, tending to their horses.

K'ndar saw Ruatha's colored pennants floating above the crowd. They made their way to the paddock. In the middle of a small group of horses, a tall liver chestnut stood, looking as if he was contemplating the coming race.

"Remember to listen, now," he said to Glyena, reminding her to listen for the 'unusual accent' she'd heard.

She nodded, then caught sight of the chestnut.

"That's him, it has to be Swiftsure!" Glyena said, excited. "He's beautiful!"

The cable delineating the borders of the paddock was lined with prospective bettors and admiring horsemen.

"Aye, lassie, that liver chestnut out there in the middle, that's Swiftsure, sure as the sunrise, he's the winner," one man said.

"Go on with you, mate, Keroon's horse will leave him in the dust. Mark my words," his friend said.

"Keroon's two paddocks over, let's go look at them," the first said.

K'ndar looked at Glyena, his eyebrows raised in a question.

She'd listened for the accent, and shook her head no.

"There's Ruatha, let's go talk to them. Remember, now, to mind what you say," K'ndar said to Glyena.

"I will."

There were several people in the shade of a canopy, surrounded by tack, grooming kits, saddle pads, hay, and buckets of fresh water. With the exception of a burly man and a tiny woman, the rest kept their eyes on their horses.

K'ndar came up to him and said, "Excuse me, sir, I don't mean to interrupt, but are you Rhian?"

Rhian tore his attention from the tiny woman, and frowning, said, "I am…"

"Sir, I'm K'ndar, Kahrain Steppe Weyr, and this is Glyena, my sister. Glyena is the one who…"

His expression changed to one of welcome.

"Built that beautiful bridle! Aye, the trader was quite impressed with your work, as am I! You do beautiful work! Did your trader pay you?"

Glyena blushed, then said, (she'd been practicing) "Yes sir, he did, thank you for buying it," she said.

"How could I not, it's beautiful!" He turned and picked it off the bridle rack hanging behind him, almost caressing it.

"This is beautiful work, Miss Glyena, I had to have it. But I'm sorry to say, it doesn't fit the horse I bought it for. Can you make another for me? With a name embroidered in the brow? I'll pay you promptly, of course," he said.

"Is it for Swiftsure?"

"You know him?"

"We know he's the favorite, sir."

"Aye, I want one for him, he's the pride of Ruatha. He's thrown us some beautiful babies, he has. You should see him, when he's out with his family, he plays with his foals as if he were still one himself," Rhian said.

Both K'ndar and Glyena were charmed. Stallions could be testy with foals, especially ones that weren't theirs.

One of the staff turned an eye away from her charge. Her look was one of worry, though, not pride. The tiny woman caught it and immediately went to her side, where they began to talk in a low voice.

Glyena looked at K'ndar, who gave her an almost imperceptible nod.

"I'll have to measure him, sir, would it be possible to measure him now? Then when I get home, I can start on it right away."

Rhian thought for a moment, then said, "We can do that. We have plenty of time before the Stakes race. Ursula, would you join us? We're going to measure your horse," he said.

Swiftsure's groom and handler nodded. "Lovely work, that bridle. Glyena, is it?"

"Yes ma'am," she said.

"Mind if I come along? I'd like to get a closer look at Swiftsure," said the tiny woman.

"Certainly, ma'am, you're the best healer I've ever known, never hurts to have you keep an eye on our horses," Rhian said.

They made their way through the horses clumped around the stallion.

"Ohhhhhhhhhh, he's beautiful," Glyena said, and K'ndar was struck speechless. The stallion was virtually perfect.

"By the egg," he sighed, "his legs are perfect."

Rhian puffed up visibly.

"You know horses, obviously?"

"Yes sir," K'ndar said, tearing his eyes from the stallion, "We're from Kahrain Steppe Weyr, but me and Glyena, we grew up on a cothold on the steppe. We have horses, we both were riding before we could walk."

Ursula weaved through the other horses, crooning to the stallion. He lowered his head and whickered affectionately.

K'ndar looked around him. "Sir, may I speak in confidence with you?"

Rhian looked at him curiously. "Whatever you have to say, it's sure to stay right here with us," he said.

"Yes, sir. Glyena has some information for you. We think it's about Swiftsure."

Everyone pricked their ears up.

Glyena cleared her throat and then told him how she'd come to overhear the conversation, and word for word, what the men had said.

The effect was electric on the Ruathans.

"I…I KNEW they were suspicious," Ursula growled, fury in her eyes. "Something told me there was something wrong with those two louts, but…if they've hurt him, I'll never forgive myself."


"You believe me?" Glyena said, gratefully.

"Of course I believe you. Why would you tell me tales?"

"Because sometimes, grownups…don't," she said.

"Well, this one does," she said. She was almost crying in her anger.

"It's okay, Ursula,it's okay, there's a lot of folks around, not all of them honest," Rhian said, trying to comfort her.

"Yes, but if they've hurt him in some way…"

"This wouldn't be the first time someone had done something to a horse, not just ours," Rhian said, visibly controlling himself. "No need to blame yourself."

"I'm not, it's just…it was just a moment, just a moment that I didn't have my eyes on him. One man bumped into the man talking to me, knocking me over. It was just a moment, just a moment…"

"It's okay. They might be watching us right now, so let's be circumspect," Rhian said.

"Did they have any contact with Swiftsure? His legs?" asked the healer.

"No," Ursula gulped, "at least, not his legs, but I had my eyes off him for just those few moments it took to pick myself up. Swift had his head over the cable, the man who knocked the other over was right there, right at his head. The other horses were all crowded alongside him. He couldn't have gotten any lower than his chest, not his legs," she said.

"Let me check him, right now," the healer said.

Rhian looked over their heads to the crowd lining the paddock, watching them. He hated this sort of thing, hated having to be secretive. He hated, too, that men would purposefully injure a horse. Especially one he'd foaled and trained to this level of competition. Shards, ANY horse, no matter if he was a racer or a draft horse. It wasn't right.

"Glyena, you make your measurements. Here, Swiftsure, here lad. Drop your head, sir."

The stallion obliged. Glyena was torn between the urgency of the situation, the need to be seen as measuring the horse's head,and remembering the measurements, and the beauty of this magnificent stallion right here. Forcing herself to concentrate, she began to measure, using her fists, hands and fingers, memorizing the horse's measurements.

"Healer, I'll move some of the horses to shield us, and I want you to check him out." Rhian gestured to the rest of the horses, and they moved…very conveniently in between them and the crowd.

The healer ran her hands quickly over the stallion's neck. Then she crouched, making her tiny form invisible to anyone watching.

"Nothing here," she said, more to herself than the others. She checked every aspect of the horse with the rapidity of long practice and an innate understanding of the horse's mind.

"He's been worried about something all morning," Ursula said.

The stallion snuffled. To the healer's ear, it didn't sound quite right.

"Rhian, sir, move aside. I need some sunlight," the healer said, looking up from her crouch. Rhian obliged, moving to place his back to the crowd watching.

The healer produced a mirror from somewhere on her person, and shone it up the stallion's nostrils.

Glyena moved aside to give her room.

"Those bastards", she swore, "I thought as much. Thank the egg I have such narrow hands," and she quickly inserted her fingers into the stallion's left nostril.

The stallion's eye's whirled, but he held still, knowing she was helping him.

"Got it," she said, withdrawing a sodden mass.

"What is it?" Glyena asked.

Rhian said, "Glyena, continue measuring the horse, I'll move aside so that the crowd can see what you're doing. Healer, Ursula, K'ndar, could you please go back to the canopy, and say something loud enough to be overheard about how the bridle will look, or something, anything. But, quietly, what did they do?"

"The bastards, it's a sponge. They shoved a sponge up his nose. Not enough to hurt him, but high enough to cut off his wind," the healer said, palming the sponge to keep it from view. "I've only heard of people doing this, I've never seen it before. They're always coming up with something new, they are. The bastards," she swore.

Ursula went white with fury, but controlled herself.

"Glyena, if you're finished with Swiftsure, why don't you measure another horse, any one of these here, to make it appear as if he's not the only one you'll be measuring," Rhian said.

"Yes, sir, but…I hope it won't mess up my measurements of Swiftsure," she said. She turned to a bay gelding, who had been insistent that she pay attention to him. She introduced herself and began to measure the bay.

"Oh, you're SWEET!" Glyena said, entranced. The bay was smaller than the stallion and far less imperious-but far more personable. "Who are you?"

Rhian chuckled, feeling better that the sabotage of his stallion had been rectified. "Oh, this is …well, look at the star on his face. What does it look like?"

She stood back and looked at the marking between the horse's eyes. "Ummmmm, it looks like a drum, a message drum," she said, "is he Drummer?"

"Correct! Aye, lassie, this is Drummer, and he's scheduled to run in the three kilometer race, just before the Ruatha Stakes. I think," Rhian said.

"You…think? You don't know?"

"Nay, I'm not sure," he grimaced, "I had a rider for him, but he..well, Drummer can be hot. No, Drummer IS hot, and subject to spooking. He's quick as lightning. He spooked, not an hour ago, dumped my man, now he's hurt. I don't know if the healers will clear him for riding, although he insisted he was okay, I don't want to risk it. I doubt I'll be able to find a jockey on such short notice. If I can't, I'll have to scratch him," he said. "I could put Ursula up on him, but she's riding Swiftsure in the Stakes, won't have time to warm the stallion up, and I don't condone hot saddling."

Glyena gasped. "Sir, I volunteer, please, let me ride Drummer."

"You?" Rhian looked down at her, "You've ridden races?"

"Yes SIR! At Singing Waters Hold Gather last summer, I won with my own horse, Jordan, at the Run What You Brung race, and then I rode two others for my weyr. My weyr's herdmaster, Nyala, can attest for me. I got beat on the weyr's horses, but I DID race."

Drummer said she was being rude, ignoring him, pushing her elbow for more attention. She absently curled her arm around his head, scratching under his jaw.

"I know Nyala, she's a good horseman," Rhian said, thinking furiously as he contemplated the girl before him. She was small but that was never a bad thing, especially when it came to putting a rider up on a racehorse, and she exuded an air of confidence and comfort around strange horses.

"Lass, this Drummer, he might be a charmer on the ground, but once you're in the saddle, he's a fireball. He's the kind of horse that pushes hard, testing his rider, he's always been the type that's asking, what can I get away with? His rider has been on his back for a season, and he still put him on the ground. If he weren't so bloody fast, I'd have given up on him, maybe sold him to the Wanderers as a cart horse," he said.

"No, not him! He's too pretty!" Glyena protested.

"I said "Cart horse" not draft horse, nor a plow horse, lassie. There's a difference. The Wanderers wouldn't harm him, no way. They're bipedal horses, they are."

He thought hard, balancing his desire to run the horse against the possibility of having another rider hurt.

She could see him weighing the matter in his mind.

"I've ridden some pretty green horses," Glyena said, desperate to prove herself.

"I don't want TWO people hurt," he said, beginning to regret even considering her.

"Please, sir. Let me give it a go. Let me warm him up, and if you think he's too hot for me, well, then, I'll go by your wishes. But I'm sure I can handle him," she begged.

He scratched his chin, thinking. "I'll have to ask your brother, he is your guardian, yes?"

"I don't know what a guardian is that isn't a dog, but K'ndar taught me to ride. If anyone can ride better, it's him. He gave me his Jordan, the best horse on all Pern, when he impressed his dragon," she said, hoping, hoping.

Rhian smiled, seeing another true horseman in the young girl in front of him.

"Guardian, in this context, means he's the adult in charge of you, and any man who gives his best horse to his sister must know what he's doing. Still, I'll ask him. You'll go by his decision. THAT is not negotiable. I bet your mum would skin me alive should you get hurt riding without your brother's permission."

Glyena nodded. "My mum would, sir, with a wooden spoon, and my foster mum, too. And they'd skin ME, for 'being presumptuous' first! But…they know me. I'm Very Responsible For My Age," she said.

He laughed, hearing the capitals.

"First, if you would, please, make a quick circuit of the track, listening for that accent, I'd love to know where those men are from. See if you can locate those who sponged my Swiftsure, please? If you hear them, you come to me as quietly as you can, point them out to me. Lord Jaxom has ways of managing cheaters and criminals.

While you're doing that, I'll talk to K'ndar. IF he approves, I'll take you up on your offer," he said.

Drummer looked at them with mild eyes, belying his true nature. Swiftsure had moved away, comfortable now.

"Then I'll put you up on Drummer to warm him up. If you can handle him-and mind you, my lass, he is a handful-then we'll see if you can ride him in the 3K," he continued.

I'll also let the word out that someone's been tampering with horses, he thought. I want my horses to win, but I also want it to be a fair contest. And perhaps we can find the bastards who did this to my stallion.

"If all goes well, I'll let the stewards know of the rider change to Miss Glyena of Singing Waters Hold up on Drummer."

"Thank you, sir, and excuse me, but I'm from Kahrain Steppe Weyr," she said, proudly.

Chap. 156 The Gather's Good Humor man

Chap. 156 The Gathers' Good Humor man

"Wait. K'ndar, wait," Glyena pulled on K'ndar's arm.

Irritated, K'ndar stopped. "What?" He wanted to get to the racetrack.

"Look. There, over there, see where the food tent is? There's a sign, see that woman? She just put up a sign that says "Good Humor Ice Cream". See it?" Glyena said.

Come to think of it, he thought, he was hungry, and it was noon.

"I see it, but…"

"What is ice cream?"

"I..I don't know," he said, perplexed.

"I'm hungry, let's go in and get something to eat and maybe find out what ice cream is," she said.

His stomach agreed.
____________________________________________________________________
Just outside the entrance to the tent, a large array of solar panels was absorbing the strong sunlight. Inside, large metal box hummed alongside a small cylindrical machine that looked like a butter churn, but was industriously chugging with a noise akin to rocks in a barrel. Obviously the solar panel was running it and the box, as well.

"Come on, folks, we've got a batch of ice cream all ready for you! Who'd like to try some?" said the man in the booth. Some of the people filing into the tent stopped to look.

"Good Humor? What does that mean?" one of the crowd asked.

"It's a Terran name, for ice cream. At least, that's what the recipe named it," he said, "and as it's an ancient recipe, why not keep the ancient name?"

He smiled. "Come, take a sample?"

No one seemed interested in taking a chance.

"Not me, mate, I've no idee what ice cream is and don't want to find out," a man said. He waved his hand at the people in the booth and walked off. They looked crestfallen.

Glyena stopped to look at the box and the churn.


"Hello, there, lassie," said the man, "would you like some ice cream?"

Glyena shrunk a little.

"I don't know. What is it?"

A woman joined the man. K'ndar noted that they were wearing badges bearing Keroon Hold's colors.

"Ice cream is,well, frozen cream, from cows. You know cows, of course?"

Glyena harrumphed. "Of COURSE I know cows, we have lots, but we have beef cattle, not milk cows, but we did have a milk cow and Mum made butter from their milk," she said, insulted.

"Well, my lassie, we take the milk from the cow, and put it into this churn, it's called an ice cream maker. Then we add flavors, like fruit, if we like, and freeze it, and when it's frozen, it's ice cream. Would you like to try some?"

She liked milk, what could it hurt? But with fruit? and ice?

"It's got ice?"

"Well, no, it's frozen, but it's called ice cream. I think you'll like it, please, give it a try. Won't you?"

"I think so, yes," she said, after a few moments of reflection.

The man looked at K'ndar.

"And you, sir?"

"Yes," K'ndar said, solely because he couldn't let his sister look braver then him, "I would." The woman turned and opened the metal box. A cloud of frost spilled out of it. He'd not seen something like since his time at Tillek Sea Hold, where he got a very good taste of cold and knew he disliked it.

"We've got a lot already made up. You'll need cones," she said, happy to finally have some customers.

"What is that box?" K'ndar asked, intrigued.

"This part is the 'freezer', sir, and it keeps things frozen," the man said.

"I've heard about them, but I've never seen one," K'ndar said, wondering what the woman meant by a cone.

"It's technology from Aivas. It's a wonderful thing, especially on a hot day like this," he said. "We got the recipe and the plans from Landing."

"A recipe?"

"Aye, for the ice cream and the cones. The plans for the freezer and the ice cream maker, well, the smart boys at Landing built both of these prototypes, they call 'em, and we've been using them for a few weeks now. It's taken us a while to collect enough milk for the Gather," he said.

"You mean, milk, like milk? As if you just got it from the cow? It didn't go bad?" K'ndar asked, amazed.

The man laughed, happy to extoll the virtues of refrigeration.

"Nay, lad, that's the beauty of a refrigerator. See, this box is two separate compartments. This part, here, is the freezer. It freezes things and keeps them frozen. This part, down here, is the refrigerator. It keeps things cold so they don't go bad so fast. Oh, food will, eventually, go bad, it's not perfect, but this thing keeps things fresh for longer than usual."

"Is that churn the "ice cream maker"?"

"It is. It turns milk into cream. When it's done, we put the cream in the 'freezer' where it solidifies. You have to keep it frozen or it will melt," the man said.

The woman had packed two small cones with ice cream, and handed one to K'ndar and Glyena. Unbeknownst to them, a crowd had formed behind, just as perplexed as they were, and more than willing to let someone else be the test case.

"How..how do I eat it?" Glyena asked, feeling the cold seeping into her hand.

The woman laughed. "Lick it!"

Glyena tentatively licked the ice cream.

Her eyes widened.

She licked it again, and again……and cried, "OH! It made my head hurt!"

A woman with a child behind her said, "I thought it looked dangerous," and walked away.

"It's not dangerous, ma'am, it's just the cold reacting with the warmth in her mouth!" the woman called after her, but it was too late. The rest of the crowd began to murmur in doubting tones.

"Here, lassie, take smaller licks and let your tongue warm it up a little bit. It hit the roof of your mouth, didn't it?"

"Uh huh," Glyena said, "but it went away just like that. It didn't hurt, it just, um, surprised me. It tastes…it tastes really nice," she said.

K'ndar watched, and took a lick of his cone.

The flavor was incredible, as was the cold.

Glyena began to lick the ice cream faster.

"This is SOOOOOOOOO good!" she cried.

"Oh, my goodness, it IS," K'ndar said.

The two ice cream vendors smiled.

Glyena said, "What is this cone?"

"It's just sweetener and a little flour mixed together and baked. You can eat it. Take a bite out of it, from the top edge," the woman advised.

Glyena nibbled at the edge. "Oh, it's good! It..it's crunchy!"

The ice had been broken. The crowd behind them began to clamor for a sample.

His cone had amazingly, vanished. Into his belly…

How much do I owe you?" K'ndar said, reaching for his pouch.

The man held up his hand.

"Nothing. This is Lord Jaxom's idea, he wants people to learn about refrigeration and freezers, so the ice cream is on him," he said.

"Well, you've made a convert out of me," K'ndar said.

"And me!" Glyena added.

Chap. 155 The Gatha at Ruatha-Undoing the Fix

Chap. 155 Undoing the fix

Wish I had a horse right about now, I'd get there a lot faster, K'ndar thought, as he tried to hurry through the throngs filling the lanes of the Gather. It seemed as if everyone was heading against his path, now that he was in a hurry.

Your sister and Lizard are here with me. They want you to hurry.

Fear had stabbed his heart. Glyena! Had something happened to her? I KNEW I shouldn't have let her go off alone!

Is she hurt?

No. She told me to call you here. They are well.

Relief flooded his heart, but he was still concerned.

I am coming. I am so happy you can understand us humans.

It is easy. You talk with your bodies almost as clearly as with your mouths. But not as clearly as with our minds, yours and mine. Send Siskin, then they will know you are coming

That is an excellent idea, you are a smart dragon!

I am RAVENTH!

Despite his concern, K'ndar laughed, causing the people nearest him to look at him, curiously.
"Siskin," he said to his blue, "Go to Raventh. Wait for me there."

Siskin chirped and flew away.
________________________________________________________________________
He regarded his sister with a new appreciation for her brains.

"That was smart, Glyena, you did exactly the right thing, going to Lizard."

"Thank you," she said, "I thought of going to Terilyn but she is on the other side and I know she is busy. Lizard was closer. It was his idea for us to meet here, and we told Raventh to call you," she said, patting the brown's jaw. Raventh had his head on the same level as theirs, taking in everything.

Tell her my jaw itches he said.

"He wants you to scratch there," he said, grinning. Glyena reached up and began to scratch under the dragon's chin.

Yes. Thank you.

They were resting in the shade Raventh's body cast. It was getting warm, or maybe it was because he'd hurried?

"So, what do we do, Lizard? How do we handle this situation?"

"I don’t want to be seen with Glyena any more than I've already been," he said. Glyena looked surprised, and hurt.

"Nay, little lass, it's not because of you. It's because…well, I've been giving this thought while we waited on K'ndar.

We can nip this little gambit in the bud, before it blossoms into a weed. K'ndar, I want you and Glyena to tell Ruatha what is going on. I think it's better for you two to warn them, without me. People have seen you two together all morning. It's obvious you're brother and sister, whereas there are folks who know I'm a crusty old bachelor, a loner without a family.

If too many people see me with Glyena, they'll begin to wonder. We don't know if it's just these two louts doing this on their own, or if there are more people involved. No matter, we don't want them tipped off that they've been busted. I don't want too many people connecting you, me and Glyena. This is serious business, and the less folk who know ours, the better," he said. His fire lizards were perched on his knees and he gave the gold a scratching. She purred.

"It's why I wanted to meet here, amongst the dragons," he said, "no crowds here. Amazingly, there are still people on this planet afraid of them."

K'ndar shrugged. "Sometimes that works to our advantage," he said, without elaborating.

Lizard nodded.

"Now, then, Glyena, YOU are going to the track because you were told by 'the trader' that the buyer wanted a bridle made for a horse with its name on the browband. Yes?" he said.

"Yes! It's for Swiftsure, right?"

"I believe so. But you don't know, understand? The Trader wasn't too clear, he was busy, what? That's why you're going to meet with Rhian. He's the Ruathan who bought the bridle, and wanted one with a name braided in. You're going to talk to him, and ask to measure the horse he wants it for. And K'ndar, you and Glyena, while doing this, you are going to, very quietly, tell him what Glyena heard."

K'ndar, his eyes downcast to focus his attention, nodded. "So as to keep anyone listening or watching to think we're just there to measure, not…not tip them off."

"Aye. In the meantime, I'll be at the track, too, but I'll be talking to the punters. I've some friends among them who trust my information without asking too many questions as to where I got it, and they'll take care of it on their end. Competitors they may be at a race, but they're still a tight clan, and they stick up for each other when things get dicey. Small wonder, they're mostly Wanderers, and I've already made a good name for myself amongst them."

He got up, brushing off the seat of his pants. "If you see me, greet me, but only as a business acquaintance, nothing more."

"That is something I wanted to talk to you about," Glyena said, rising to her feet.

He looked at her curiously.

"You said you were a bachelor with no family," she said, putting her hands on her hips.

K'ndar recognized THAT motion, she looked just like Mum in that stance, and it usually meant laying down the law.

"I did. I am."

"You don't have family? WE aren't family? Huh? Sandriss? K'ndar? Me? Who is, if not us?" she demanded in an alpha mare tone of voice.

Lizard's face twisted. A haunted look flashed in his eyes, one that told of a sorrow, long buried, suddenly illuminated by a young girl.

"Uh…um…"

""Um is not an answer", Lizard sir. Far as I'm concerned, you're family," she said, tartly.

K'ndar bit his lip to keep from laughing, but his heart soared, too, at Glyena's words. By the egg, she was Mum, from body language to "Um is not an answer"!!

Lizard burst out laughing, the shadows in his eyes retreating back into his soul.

Chap. 154 The Gatha at Ruatha-the Fix

Chap. 154 The Gatha at Ruatha-the Fix

The weight of the books he'd purchased made K'ndar's backpack sag. He felt an odd mix of feelings. He'd spent a lot of money, but the books! What was worth more? Glyena had purchased one, as well.

Siskin appeared, chirping, and landed on his shoulder.

He is going on and on about Ruth. Like he's the only dragon on Pern Raventh groused.

Don't be jealous. Siskin's a fire lizard, not as smart as you. And he's a blue…. Trust me, he'll be all over you tonight, giving you scritches

Okay Raventh said, only slightly mollified.

"I never realized how heavy books can get," he said, adding, "Siskin, you're making it worse."

Siskin wheedled proudly.

"Gly, I think I'll drop my backpack at Lizard's caravan," he said, "then we can continue on through the Gather."

"Me, too. Can I…can I go by myself after that?" she asked.

K'ndar, realizing it would eventually have come to this, looked at her for several moments.

"Ummmm, okay. But remember Shirae's advice…and mine," he said.

"Shirae said to "keep my ears open and my mouth shut. And to look but not touch," she said.

"That's good advice. I learn a lot by not saying anything," K'ndar said.

Lizard had just returned from a trading transaction when they approached.

At his whistle, Crunch burst from under the caravan and ran happy circles around the three of them.

"Well, miss Glyena, I was wrong about your bridle," he said, somberly.

She gaped. "What…was something wrong?"

"I seem to have misjudged the time it would take to sell your bridle," he said. K'ndar could see a smile fighting desperately to break through.

Glyena slumped. "Oh. Well, it's okay, I guess. I didn't 'spect it to sell right away," she said, glumly.

"Oh, on the contrary, little lass," Lizard pulled a mark and a half from his pocket, "It sold almost immediately. I hardly got a chance to give it a good look myself," he said, laughing.

She shrieked with joy, sending Siskin flying. He swirled over their heads, joined by Lizard's pair.

Lizard formally handed over the money. "You might see it on the favorite in today's main race. Nice big liver chestnut gelding, running for Ruatha!"

"Lord Jaxom bought it?"

"Nay, little miss, one of his staff bought it. Took one look and didn't bother to dicker. He asks, can you make another?"

"Of course!!"

"May I make a suggestion?"

She looked at him, and nodded.

"I know you made Raventh's collar, the one with his name on it. Can you make a bridle with the horse's name on it?"

She stared off into space for several moments, thinking, braiding in her mind. Then she nodded.

"Yes. I would have to know the horse's name."

"That's a given. This chestnut, you can't miss him. Not a bit of white on him, and a flaxen mane and tail. He's a beauty, he is, his name is Swiftsure."

Glyena laughed, then sobered. "Do I…do I um..contract with him?"

"You can, but it's probably easier to deal through me. How do you feel about that?"

Glyena shrugged, then tried to act as grown up as possible. "I trust you, sir. So I want you to be my …my um.."

"Agent," Lizard smiled.
____________________________________________________________________________
Glyena moved through the throng, appreciating that she was free of adult supervision. Being a child in the midst of so many people gave her an anonymity that she'd was only now able to appreciate. She was Just Another Kid at the Gather. But being smaller than the adults, she found herself being buffeted and, sometimes, shoved aside. Maybe, maybe she should have stayed with K'ndar.

It's like I'm glass, they look right through me, she thought, I hardly exist.

Despite that, there was something intoxicating in anonymity, the feeling of being a nobody.

Being a kid enabled her to look at the wares without being pressured by the vendors. No one expected her to have money, and no one was around to correct her grammar. As long as she didn't touch anything, vendors ignored her. She learned quickly that they got testy when kids played with their wares.

A pack of boys in their early teens demonstrated that quite clearly. They'd formed a rowdy group at a knifemaker's table, snatching up several and assumed knife fighting stances with each other. The vendor jumped to his feet and cuffed the closest one, shouting at them. They dropped the knives and scattered, hooting derisively. Then, as Glyena approached, he snapped, "you there, off w' you, too!" as he bent to pick up the knives.

Rather than protest her innocence, she backed into the flow of people.

She wandered aimlessly, enjoying her solitude amidst the crush of people.

Then she heard the unmistakable sound of hoofbeats just under the noise of the crowd.

Turning, she made her way through a warren of booths and tents until she emerged into a small meadow, lined with people. She was immediately captivated.

A group of horsemen milled about at the near end of a straight course. Parallel to the straight course was a trio of large archery targets. The riders all carried bows and had filled quivers on their hips.

A girl, mounted on a skittish skewbald pony, was at the obvious start point. A man on a bay horse had just finished the course. Glyena saw three people pulling arrows from the targets, handing them to a boy who then raced to return them to the bay's rider.

The skewbald pony danced, impatient for her run.

"Ready?" an official called.

"Ready!" the girl called.

"Go!"

The girl dropped her reins and her pony leaped into a gallop.

Rocking in perfect time with her pony, the girl shot at the targets as she passed.

Her first two arrows thunked into the targets. But her third arrow somersaulted in midair and fell to the ground as she thundered past the target.

Several people in the crowd wailed in dismay.

The pony pulled up and spun around at the end of the course, trying to shake the braids out of her mane as she trotted back to the starting point.

One of the target attendants darted out into the lane to retrieve the dropped arrow. He handed it to the girl as she passed.

"Nice try, lassie!"

"Missed the nock!" the girl laughed, not at all upset. She gathered up her reins, quite unnecessarily, and took her place at the end of the line of competitors.

THAT LOOKS LIKE FUN! Glyena's mind shouted. Was there anything more fun than a flat out gallop? And this had a purpose! Even better! But I've never drawn a bow in my life. K'ndar knows how to draw a bow, she thought, I can learn how to do that!

She wanted a better view, one closer to the targets. Ah, there was one, much closer to the action. She began to weave her way through the crowd. Being shorter than the adults, it wasn’t easy. Two men were huddled in a spot, separated from the crowd but situated so that she had to detour around a small copse of tall shrubs to pass them.

She heard one say something that made her slow down and listen.

"You got it all the way in?"

The other nodded. "He didn't care for it none, not that you were of any help! Couldn't you'd have distracted her any longer?"

"It's weren't that easy, twit! She were wary as a new mum and twice as watchful. Knows her business, she did."

He looked left and right, his glance going right over Glyena.

"But you're certain, it's in, in the liver, aye? T'others didn't interfere?" he asked, wanting reassurance.

"Beasts crowded in, but…aye."

"The bet's good, then."

"Should think so," the other said, and then turned and walked off.

This was odd, she thought, what could it mean? Given the snatches of conversations she'd heard all morning, it probably meant nothing. But something in their manner spoke of something devious, something-ominous.

She watched the mounted archery contest for several more runs. Jordan could easily do that, she thought, I can ride without reins as easily as with, all I have to do is twist sideways and shoot. Oh, now I understand the reason for the braids! It's to keep the manes from tangling with the bows. Smart!

Still, the men's words kept coming back. Something, as her mum used to say, isn't right here.

Time to go talk to an adult.

K'ndar was off somewhere, and Terilyn on the other side of the Gather.

Lizard.
______________________________________________________________________
"You're certain of what you heard, Glyena," the trader asked.

"Yes,sir. Word for word. It didn't….it didn't feel right, I can't explain it. I don't know why it bothers me, it's grown up talk," she said, defensively.

Lizard looked at the girl with admiration. She makes three, now, three good, honest folks from the same family. Sandriss, K'ndar and now their little sister, Glyena. Honest and dependable as the sun. One family-probably through the strength and integrity of their mother, that turned them from the evil wrought by their tyrannical father.

"You are a smart lass, Glyena. You make your mum and brothers proud. What you're listening to is your 'gut'. Never doubt that inner voice. Your gut, it never lies to you. Its job is to protect you. It knows when something isn't right. The mistake we so often make is when we don't listen to it. Don't ever second guess it. And thank you for telling me."

Glyena felt humble. "I'm just a kid. Most folks don't listen to us. Most don't believe us. I knew you would, and you were closest. What…what does it mean?"

He crouched down to be closer to her eye level.

Crunch thought it an excellent opportunity to give him kisses.

"Get by, you daft beast," he laughed. Then, seriously, he said,

"Glyena, there are evil people in this world, people who cheat in order to win or to make money or to gain power. Remember your history, about Fax? The bad things he did, to the people here at Ruatha, like Lessa?"

"Like Jenmay, who poisoned our Weyrwoman," Glyena said.

"Yes. It's why K'ndar and your foster mum were so insistent on you being aware of what's going on around you, here. And me. What you overheard was two evil men, who, it sounds to me, as if they've done something to Swiftsure, something to the horse."

Glyena scowled. "Why?"

"Lassie, evil people do things to horses to influence the outcome of a race. Swiftsure is the only liver chestnut on today's race card, and he's the favorite in the main race, the Ruatha Stakes. People are betting money on the horses, and most people bet on the favorite. But the smart thing to do is bet against the favorite, because they stand to win a lot of money if he loses.
Those men, they must have bets placed on a different horse, and it sounds to me as if they did something to Swiftsure so that he can't run or runs slowly, so poorly that he loses. They stand a good chance of their horse winning, especially if they did something to THAT one, too. They'll make big money on bets," he said.

"That's CHEATING! And hurting a horse?" she cried, angry.

"It IS cheating. And the horse can't complain. Horses, to most people, aren't what they are to you, or K'ndar, or me. Some people just don't care who they hurt, or what, as long as they gain what they want…money, or power, or whatever. You've done the right thing, coming to me."

"What…what do we do?"

"You and I are going to go talk to the Ruathans, and I want you to tell them word for word what you heard. Do you think you could recognize the men again?"

She thought, then shook her head. "I didn't want them to know I was listening, so I kept my head down and made myself little, like a kid," she said. "I don't think they knew I was there, so I didn't get a good look at them. But, I can recognize their voices," she said, "they sounded different, with an accent I've never heard before. They were talking soft, too, like they didn't want anyone else to hear," she said.

"Good enough. If you're right, and I think you are, it won't matter, because we'll see to it that Ruatha checks the horse, and those men will lose a lot of money. Even if they're not caught, we, at least, did the right thing."

"What if…what if I'm wrong?" Glyena said, "Will I get in trouble?"

Lizard patted her shoulder.

"You're not going to get in trouble, and you're not wrong. Worst case scenario, they were talking about something completely different. Maybe they were talking about EATING liver, which I doubt. But even if you're wrong, what harm have you done? None. The Ruathans will check the horse, and if he's okay, he'll probably win the race," he said, standing up. His fire lizards landed on his shoulders.

"Now, would you like to go talk to Swiftsure's people, with me? Or do you want to continue on with your Gather?"

She thought about it for a minute.

"I want to go meet Swiftsure," she said.

Chap. 153 The Gatha at Ruatha-the vendors

Chap. 153 The Gatha at Ruatha-the vendors

Funny, K'ndar thought, I thought I'd want to be going through the sideshow by myself, but I'm enjoying having Glyena with me.

They were nibbling on pastries they'd purchased. His was a flavor he'd never had before.

"It’s a new cultivar," the baker said, "something my Holder's been working on for a while. It's a cross between a blackberry and a raspberry."

"It's very good," K'ndar said. Glyena tugged on his arm, hoping to disengage her brother before he got too involved in a conversation.

"Look," she called, "there's another crowd of kids, let's go see what's going on."

Well, maybe not so much, he thought. He liked kids but their interests no longer squared with his.

But this time it was different.

They joined a group of adults at the edge of a group of young children. Their attention was on a woman sitting facing the children, a large, illustrated book facing towards them. What was interesting was, a camera of sorts was in front of her, projecting the book in her hands onto a clean, almost white curtain behind her. The projector magnified her hands and the book, so that the kids in the back could easily see the pages.

What an amazing thing, he thought, the entire crowd can see the book without having to be close.

On the page was a large letter K. Below it was a drawing of a kitten and a mug of klah.

"Now, children, what words start with K?" she asked.

"Klah!" "Kitten!" "Cloud!"

The last was greeted with laughs. "No, cloud starts with a "c", one kid jibed the other.

"Well, it SOUNDS like k, right, ma'am?" he protested.

"It does, you're right, this is why we need to learn the alphabet," the woman said, turning the page. "What letter is this? What does the picture tell you?"

"L! Lizards!"

"Right! You're all very quick! Next?"

The picture was of a pair of men, one with a pickaxe, the other with a wheelbarrow full of rock.

"Ummmmm,"

"Them's miners, ma'am, it's M for miner!" one boy cried.

"It is! It's M!"

"You're right, but the grammar is "They are miners. And how do you know they're miners?" the woman said.

"They's…they're wearing the minecrafthall badge," he replied.

"Which starts with?"

"M!"

"Correct! What other words start with M?"

"Me!" a child called.

The woman laughed. "Yes, unfortunately, there's no picture for you. Or me. Any others?"

"Morning!" "Meat!" "Metal!"

"This is much easier way to learn to read then the teaching songs," said a woman next to K'ndar.

"I've never seen a book for children before," K'ndar said, "It's amazing. Why hadn't it been thought of before?"

"I haven't either. It's a wonder, it is. It took me forever to learn to read, the songs just didn't connect with the letters, and we had an excellent harper," the woman lamented.

The woman with the book wore a badge bearing Ruatha's colors and the symbol of the Printer's Hall. Ah, he thought, remembering his history. Ruatha was the first Hold to host a crafthall, that being a printerhall. The main printerhall was at Landing, another at Lemos.

Once again he appreciated the innovations introduced…or recovered? by Aivas.

Huh. Aivas, so feared by Abominators and for what reason? Other than ignorance? or refusal to accept change? They'd organized and spent time and lives trying to staunch the tide of technological innovations. This, despite the fact that Aivas had pointedly said that the original colonists had expressly wanted to remain at the lowest possible level of technology, but that comforts-such as fans and electric lights, machines that made life easier, like steam engine hay bailers and computers, were not to be foresworn.

Would he have liked to have the starships still able to maneuver through space? Well, perhaps, but, that, Aivas had said, was for the Pernese to learn and develop. It insisted that learning begins with books, like this one, for children.

"I know how to spell, and how to read, let's go. This is for the little bitty kids," Glyena said.

"True. But don't you agree it's an easier way to learn the alphabet?" K'ndar said, as they moved on.

Before she could answer, though, K'ndar stopped cold. The next booth was paydirt.

A large banner bore the words: "Bookstore"

Beneath it was a quote:

"Any frontal attack on ignorance is bound to fail because the masses are always ready to defend their most precious possession-their ignorance."-Hendrik Willem van Loon, Terran journalist, 1882-1944 Terran

Huh, he thought, wonder if there's an Abominator in the midst that would even bother to read it.

This is how we will teach everyone to learn, and accept innovation, without fear. He remembered Jenmay, the Oldtimer who'd murdered her way to Weyrwoman. That quote described her perfectly.

What odd names the Terrans had, he thought.

With growing glee, he looked at the book laden tables before him. Over there was one with notepads, and writing implements! There were even a few boxes of what appeared to be pencils but were labeled 'watercolors'. What a watercolor was, he had no clue.

The books were separated into categories. He immediately looked for the science section, joy beginning to fill his heart. Books! The titles beckoned and he felt a sense of greed, quickly squashed. I have enough money, right now, to buy as many of these as I want. I want this one and this one….

He was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Hello, K'ndar!" Elene, Landing's Head Librarian greeted him. There were several other folks with her, from the other two printing halls. "And who is this lovely lady at your side?"

"I'm Glyena!" his sister piped up, "My brother and me, we're on a date."

Elene, always the teacher, corrected her, saying "My brother and I are on a date. Anytime you get confused as to which to use, 'me' or 'I', just omit the other subject, in this case that would be the words "my brother". Try it," she said.

Glyena, beginning to wonder if this was a gather or a classroom, said, "I are..I AM on a date," she said, a bit resentfully.

"Correct! You knew to change the plural 'are' to the singular 'am'. Try it the other way, omitting "I". Glyena was confused for a moment, then said "Ummm, 'my brother IS on a date."

"Ah, you're sharp, miss Glyena, some kids wouldn't have known that," Elene smiled.

"Oh, ma'am, I am so happy to see all these books!" K'ndar said.

She smiled. "The printers are hitting their stride. We have so many, so many that we want to print," she said. "We heard about the dragonriders from YOUR weyr harvesting so much papergrass," she said. "Please tell them I, personally, thank them. The ink is coming from Telgar Weyr and Hold. Who would have thought coal dust would be so useful?

The problem we're going to have is finding room for the expansion of the library. How is the one at your weyr?"

K'ndar hung his head. "Ma'am, I've been so busy, I've not had a chance to check."

"It's little," Glyena said, "and there's no books for kids."

"Glyena," Elene said, "that is something we are rectifying right now. We now have books for people your age, too." She moved to a table and chose one of the titles, handing it to Glyena.

Glyena smiled politely, not believing the librarian, then read the title. She gasped. "The Animals of Pern," she cried. She immediately opened it. "K'ndar, look! It's all about our animals! Look, here's a dolphin! and and here is a horse, look!" she cried, jubilant.

K'ndar looked over her shoulder. That horse….he recognized it!

He looked up at a smug Elene. "Are these drawings…are these by Francie?"

"Ah, lad, you've an eye in your head, that one is most definitely Francie's work. Some of the others are photos taken from the database, some from "Walker's Mammals of the Galaxy", but Raylan insisted that some of his wife's work was just as good as what is in the database."

K'ndar grinned.

"She does good work, she does," a voice at his side said. He turned to face Raylan, one of the techs at Landing, and Francie's husband.

"Raylan! I saw Francie just a little ways back," K'ndar said, shaking the tech's hand.

Raylan grinned. "Did you see the new additions to the routine?"

"See them? I'm still laughing! By the egg, she's clever," K'ndar said.

"She is that, and the lizards catch on quick. In fact, the routine with the slalom course was invented by Sisi. She can be lazy, but intelligently so. She didn't want to waste time going through it, let's just cut to the chase, what? So typical of her! But I can see that you're literally drooling over the books. We coordinated with Ruatha and Lemos's Printerhalls to print as many different titles as possible. We've got all sorts, too…everything from math books to cookbooks," he said, proud of the range.

"To include children's! I saw the one with the alphabet. Who thought of that?" K'ndar asked.

"One of the kids at Landing. She wanted to know why there were no books for children in Elene's library. I thought Elene'd turn herself inside out in consternation. No one had ever thought to create books for kids! She was in Council's office in minutes, burst in without so much as a 'excuse me' and told Lord Lytol and the rest of the planning committee that "children need books. TOO," Raylan said, laughing.

Elene protested, "Well, it WAS a glaring omission! But, given how long it's taken us to work up to production, it can be forgiven."

"So the rest,well, several folks, Elene included, came up with topics and wrote books suitable for various age levels. The drawings in the alphabet book? The one at the booth a little ways back there, with the kids? Those are Francie's, too," Raylan said.

"By the way, K'ndar-that book Glyena is looking through? Ma'am, would you please hand me another copy of "Animals of Pern"? It would appear that Glyena's deep in her copy," he said.

Glyena, sitting crosslegged, was oblivious to the foot traffic and the conversation.

Raylan riffed through the pages. K'ndar could smell the fresh print. It must have just come off the press in the last week, maybe less.

Raylan handed it to him, opened to a specific page.

It had a good photo of the flying fox.

"Whoa, this is a good picture of it!"

"Read the description. All the way to the end," Raylan said, smiling in anticipation.

The description was verbatim from "Walker's Mammals of the Galaxy", as well as the information provided by the database in the computers.

But at the end, it had an addition:

"A small population of flying foxes still exists on Far Western Continent, discovered by K'ndar, of the Kahrain Steppe Weyr expedition of 2547."

K'ndar was gobsmacked. "But..."

Raylan held up his hand. "Before you go any further, yes, you DO deserve that recognition. That's what good writers...and scientists..do."