Chap. 220 New Home

Chap. 220 New Home

If he hadn't had a guide, K'ndar would have instantly been lost in the orderly maze that was Landing.

He'd been there before, of course, but only in a few buildings. Landing was laid out in rows, with roads composed of exposed volcanic rock, smoothed and flattened by some long forgotten process. The roads ran north and south, east and west. To a man who'd spent his life in a cottage with outbuildings scattered here and there, then in a honeycombed volcanic ridge, the geometric layout of Landing was utterly alien.

Marsh, the teenager who met him in the dragon meadow, greeted him with a "Nice dragon!"

"Thank you, " K'ndar said.

"Grafton told me you'd be coming in tonight. Welcome to Landing! Have you ever been here before?"

K'ndar pulled off his riding gloves and goggles. He looked at the teen curiously. Who was Grafton?

"I have, but only in the Library and Main Reception building, and the home of one of my friends. Oh, and the visitor's dorm, and the barns," he said. He realized that every time he'd been at Landing, there'd always been someone to guide him to where he wanted to go. This place was so big, there were so many of these curved roof structures and they all looked alike! How would he ever find anything? Like tomorrow, when he had to meet Raylan, how would he find his way?

"Yup," Marsh said, consulting a small datalink. It glowed in the fading light. "I thought as much. I hope it doesn't insult you, then, but I promise you, you'll get lost. Most people do when they first come here. So I'm going to show you where you'll be living, and please wait for me to come get you first thing tomorrow. There's some fresh klah and bread, some fruit and some berry jam in the kitchen. There's a small box under the counter, that's called a 'refrigerator'. I turned it on this morning, so it should be cold by now. I'll be leaving this datalink with you, do you know how to use one?"

K'ndar, befuddled, said, "Uh, no. Although I've seen them in use."

Marsh handed him the datalink. "It will shut off by itself to save power, but if you want it to wake up, just stroke the screen, like this." He demonstrated as K'ndar held it rather gingerly.

"How..if I wanted to get hold of you, what do I do?"

"Just say, "Marsh of Landing, please," and it will link you to my datalink, but it's at home right now. Do you know anybody here other than Raylan?"

Still feeling unsure, he raced through his memory of the folks he'd met.

"I know Francie, Raylan, Elene, Jansen, um um, and Risal."

"Just wake it up, say the name of who you want to talk to and where they live, and it will connect you. And, if someone wants you, it will call your name. When I get home, I'll give it a test. Do you have anything to put in your quarters?"

"I do," K'ndar said, feeling as if it was all coming too fast, "I have two crates, they're still on my dragon."

"Oh, I should have mentioned it first. Your quarters are on this side of Landing, with a larger building than most,because of your dragon. It's right over there." The boy pointed in the general direction of a line of buildings. "Most of the time, landsmen are put up in buildings closer to the center. But dragons need a place to sleep, so these buildings, we think they used to be workshops, they have a large door to let your dragon enter. The shops are on the far edge of Landing, so you'll have a walk to get to work. It's all set up, all we need to do is get your dragon inside the building and we can offload there. Come on...Oh! A fire lizard!"

Siskin had left his perch atop Raventh and swirled over their heads, unsure of Marsh.

"Here, lad, to me," K'ndar called. Siskin chittered and landed on his left shoulder. He looked at Marsh with doubtful green eyes.

"He's really pretty," Marsh said, entranced, "Can I pet him?"

K'ndar shook his head. "They're not like dogs or cats, Marsh. They're usually not friendly to strangers. Once he gets to know you, he's better, but even then they don't really care for other people than the one they're bonded to," K'ndar said.

Marsh sighed. "Okay. I think I'd like to have one, someday. Let's go, it's getting dark."

He turned and began to walk towards the line of buildings. K'ndar followed. "I'll just open the bay doors, I'll show you how to do it and then you can call your dragon..oh."

Raventh trotted til he reached K'ndar's shoulder, listening avidly. His eyes glowed a pensive green. He was a bit uncertain, too.

No weyr for me?

Not a weyr, a 'building'. They are giving us a big 'building' with room specifically for you.

Marsh, feeling the brown Right Behind him, had stopped and turned to face Raventh.

He was awed by the dragon's size.

"He's..he won't hurt me, will he?"

"No, of course not. Not only are dragons mentally and emotionally incapable of hurting any human, he's gentle as a lamb. Even more so, he's kind," K'ndar said, pride flowing his heart. He reached up to put his arm around Raventh's neck.

Marsh turned. "I can't touch him, he's like a fire lizard, right?"

"On the contrary, he's not at all like a fire lizard when it comes to humans other than me. Do you want to pet him?"

The teen quailed, then straightened up, not wanting to be seen as afraid.

"Yes, I'd like to," he said.

Tell him I like having my chin scratched

"He said to tell you he likes to have his chin scratched. Like this," K'ndar said, and reached for Raventh's jaw.

"He..understands what I said?" Marsh said, amazed.

Don't they teach you anything about dragons? K'ndar wondered. How is it you know so little about the one creature that has allowed humans to live on Pern?

"Yes," he said, disturbed at the idea that Marsh's lack of knowledge-and, by extension, the rest of young Pernese, would probably only worsen with the eradication of Thread. He let that concept sit for now.

"He understands every word we say. Not only that, he talks to me just as easily as you and I are talking. Here, see where I'm touching his jaw? Scratch right there," K'ndar said.

The boy reached out, gingerly, and touched the dragon's jaw, tentatively. He gave the jaw a few half-hearted scratches, ready to retract it instantly.

Harder. He's tickling me

"He says, harder, right now you're tickling him," K'ndar said, grinning.

"I..I had no idea. He's warm! And his skin! I thought it would be hard, but no, it's soft!" The boy said. He started scratching a little harder than the first contact.

Higher. Higher up

"Higher up his jaw," K'ndar repeated.

Yes. Right there. Stop tomorrow morning.

K'ndar laughed. "You're in his favorite spot. You can stop when your fingers fall off," he said.

Marsh laughed, gaining confidence. "I've never touched a dragon before," he said, scratching. "We have, I think, about ten total here, but they're usually out on missions. His eyes! They're changing to blue. Is that okay?"

"It means he's happy. You must be a good scratcher," K'ndar said.

After several moments, K'ndar said, "he would be more than happy to have you do that all night, but I'd like to see my quarters, please?"

"Yes, of course, um...let's go. What's his name?"

"Raventh. Brown dragon from Kah..well, now, I guess it's Landing."

________________________________________________________________________

After settling them into their new home, Marsh had left.

K'ndar wandered about the building. It seemed enormous after his cramped weyr at Kahrain Steppe. It was separated into several distinct rooms, with a kitchen in one with a table and chairs, a bedroom in another, with shelves and a chest for his belongings. A latrine was off the main bedroom, with running water and a shower. The main section had a desk, a couch and a few chairs.

Windows on either side of the building had darkened upon nightfall, precluding the need for curtains.

Otherwise it was fairly barren. His steps echoed. He remembered Francies' art work on the walls of her home. I'd like a picture, he thought.

"Once you get settled in, we can get you more furniture if you want, but for now this is the basic issue," Marsh had said. He'd shown K'ndar how to turn on the lights in each room. One activated the lights by waving at gently glowing panel on the wall next to the automatic doors, something K'ndar had seen on earlier visits and had never tired of playing with.

Siskin whirled about the rooms, searching for a ledge to claim as his own.

He wheeped, unhappy.

"I know, little lad, I'll have a ledge installed for you in a few days. For now, do you want to stay with Raventh?"

Siskin chipped in irritation but agreed. He flew to the door that entered the dragon bay. Lowering himself to K'ndar's chest level, he hovered in front of the glowing panel.

It opened.

Siskin had the doors figured out! But, he had witnessed me operating them on earlier visits.

Still, I have to admit I'm tickled at his cleverness.

He passed through the door into what Marsh had called the dragon 'bay'. Someone had installed a large, hefty couch, made of sturdy wood, to take a dragon's weight and size.

Raventh had turned round and round in it until he found the sweet spot.

Do you like it?

I don't know. It feels okay, but it's not stone.

I know. It's the only furniture that's not made of lightwood. Do you want stone? I don't know if they can do that.

No, it's okay, I'll get used to it, I think. It is comfortable. I could use a couple of cushions, I think.

Do you have enough room for your wings?

Raventh gingerly opened his wings. As always, K'ndar exulted in seeing them open.

Raventh stretched them out, carefully extending them further and further, judging the room he'd need to have them fully unfurled.

K'ndar judged the room by Raventh's wing span. Here on the ground, his wings looked far longer than when he was aboard.

Looks good. Plenty of room for your wingtips. I'd be careful, because the doorway is narrower than the room, but I think you're good for wing room. Raise them up over your head.

Raventh obeyed.

Plenty of room overhead

He contemplated the bay. A large bay door formed one side of the building. It had a smaller door inset, one that let a human out of the bay without having to open the larger one. At the moment, the bay door itself was overhead, the opening offering a view of the dragon meadow beyond.

"How does the big door open and close?" K'ndar had asked Marsh.

"There's three control panels, see, this one, on the wall to the left of the door we just came through. You can operate the bay door from the inside, too. This panel, here? Wave at it and the door opens and closes. Your dragon won't panic, will he, when I shut the door?" the boy asked.

"I'll warn him, but I doubt it. He's not afraid of much of anything, " K'ndar said.

Will it make a noise? The little doors for humans make a strange noise Raventh asked.

Let's find out K'ndar said.

He waved at the panel next to the human door.

Nothing happened.

Marsh tried it, too, without success. "Okay, we'll have to fix that," he said. "Some of these buildings haven't been occupied in who knows how long. Turns, I mean years and years. This one, this building, it wasn't until last year that it was excavated. Me and my dad and his people opened this one up last month. I guess we didn't check the panels, we'll get that fixed."

He looked around the bay. Siskin had flown into the bay and had immediately noted one entire wall of the bay had shelves. So many to choose from! He went from on to another, kicking up a layer of dust from the topmost ones.

K'ndar laughed. "Look at that silly lizard, he's got an entire wall of shelves and can't figure out which one he wants!"

Marsh nodded. "We think the ancients used this building for machines, there's other buildings like this one with shelves, too. Some even had tools still on them. The metal parts were still there. No one can figure out what the tools do, though. I was supposed to dust off those shelves, but I didn't. We didn't have the ladder with us. Sorry, if you want, I'll come by next week to clean them off," the boy said.

"If you let me use a ladder, I can do it," K'ndar offered.

"Thanks. I'll get you a ladder, I have to put in a 'ticket' for the switch panels, anyway."

The open door posed a different problem.

"How...if the panels don't work, how do I shut the door?" K'ndar said.

"No worries. This happens a lot, especially after dark. The whole building is powered by the solar panels on the roof, and sometimes the batteries get depleted. I'll have my dad's people check it out. But see that panel next to the big doorway? That's the third operating panel," he said. He led the way, carefully skirting Raventh's bulk.

"Here, now let's see if this one works," Marsh said.

He waved at the panel.

Nothing happened.

K'ndar grew concerned. "Will I have to leave the door open all the time? I don't think he'll mind but I wonder about rain coming in."

Marsh laughed.

"Oh, don't worry! Here, see this pedal, these wires, next to the bay door support structure, they're called 'rails', and those wheels on the side? They keep the door from 'jumping the track'. Press on the pedal."

K'ndar touched it gingerly. Nothing happened.

"No, you have to push down on it with your foot. Like this," Marsh said. He stepped on the pedal. With a screech of metal on metal, the door slid down the rails and shut with a definite clunk.

"Okay, we'll have to lubricate those rails," Marsh said,"But until we get the panels repaired, the manual controls will work, always."

K'ndar looked at wires that controlled the ascent. He pressed on the pedal and the door, again with a screech, went back up.

That hurts my ears.

He said they'd fix that. It might take a day or two. Do you want to leave the door open, then?

For now. I'm not used to being shut in. I want to get out to go between to do my business.

"See?" Marsh said.

"Thanks. Why do they have the pedal if the panels are supposed to do the same thing, open and close it?"

Marsh laughed. "It's called a 'manual override'. That's something we learned when we first started getting dragons here. The engineers had to put in the override because the dragons learned to use the panel to operate the door. They love to play with the door! Some of them operate the door so many times it drains the battery," he said, still laughing.

K'ndar laughed. "This makes me sound stupid, but the first time I stayed here, I did the same thing..played with the door opener," he admitted.

Marsh laughed. "All us kids do, too. It's just amazing how it slides open and shut all by itself, with that shifffff noise."

It does look like fun, but the big door noise hurts.

Marsh looked admiringly at Raventh.

"Raventh said it looks like fun," K'ndar said.

"He's really smart, isn't he?"

"He is. Especially after we're no longer feeding them firestone, every dragon seems to have gained in intelligence and memory. Especially memory!"

Marsh gazed at Raventh.

"How did you make him your friend? Did you catch him in the wild?"

K'ndar was shocked.

"Marsh, didn't you learn about dragons? How they made it so that we could live on Pern without starving, how we fly through the air and flame thread out of the sky?" he said, astonished.

The boy looked sheepish.

"Um...no, I didn't. I grew up here. I mean, I know about thread falling, but all we had to do was take cover, because there's little worm things in the soil that eats it. And I know it's gone now.

I've been working with my dad, we don't have a Harper, we go to school here but..no, I know a little about dragons, but not much. I just know they're beautiful animals that fly and can go everywhere in a moment, and some people have them as pets. Like you."

K'ndar shook his head. This was not good.

"He's not a pet, Marsh, he's a partner," he said, more heated than he'd intended.

"I'm sorry, don't be angry," Marsh apologized. "We just, well, we have only a few dragons here, and they're usually busy doing other things. They're not like horses or cows. When we go to school, we learn things like math and physics and engineering, reading and writing."

"No..no biology? Your Harpers aren't teaching biology?"

"Um...not much. We don't have Harpers here, we have 'teachers'. They're staff. I know about oxygen and chlorophyll and photosynthesis, but that's because that's what powers the solar panels! I didn't pay much attention to biology, I'm not really interested. I like mechanical things, like this system of doors, I want to be an engineer, like my dad," Marsh said.

Hmmm. What in the world! No biology being taught? No history being taught, that of dragons and Thread? This is not good. This is precisely what D'nis had warned about, he is always saying, 'those who fail to learn from history are bound to repeat it." Thread isn't coming back, but dragons are still needed! This is Landing! Home of Aivas, with technology, computers, and science. How can this be? An entire wing of science, being neglected?

What a shameful thing! And the head of the Planetary Council is..was..a dragonrider? What the shaff?

He felt a pang of guilt. Surviving the loss of one's dragon had to be like living every day with only one arm and one leg, one eye, only half a heart. The pain of loss never leaving, never easing. He knew it hurt, having lived with his dragonless Uncle Fland, who could just barely tolerate being in a dragon's presence.

You couldn't ask Lord Lytol to insist on talking to kids about dragons and their vital position in Pern culture and economy. The man was so old, had given so much to Pern, it wouldn't be fair to ask much more than his guidance. The emotional pain of his doing anything with dragons would be unbearable. It's impossible, he thought, to imagine life without a dragon. Oh, no, it IS possible to imagine, much too easily. I wouldn't ever be able to live that way. Life without Raventh would be drab existance, nothing more.

Biology. Dragons. They did go together, in a way.

I don't want to be a teacher. But maybe I'll have to do something to teach these kids.

 

Chap. 219 Departure

 

Chap. 219 Departure

"Well, I can't say I blame you, K'ndar. I don't think we need to go into why," D'mitran said.

K'ndar was in D'mitran's home weyr. His kids were listening avidly. His wife was hanging back, not wishing to interfere.

"Why, Daddy?" his youngest said.

He reached over, picked up the young girl and put her on his lap. He put his arms around the little one.

"It's complex, my little lass. Something really boring, something that adults have to do. Aren't you lucky, kids don't have to worry about it!!"

She brightened. "I'm lucky?" she repeated.

"Yes, you are, you have the best mum and brother in the whole world. Now, go give them a hand, eh?" He kissed her on the cheek and slid her off his knee.

"Mum! Daddy says I'm lucky!" the little girl ran to her mother.

"Of course you are, sweetheart. You have the best daddy, too," her mother said.

K'ndar reflected,almost wistfully, on his Wingleaders obvious love for his family. No surprise there, he thought. I'm lucky, too. He's been a good teacher...and has become a good friend. I'll miss him.

As if hearing his thoughts-given that their dragons often talked, Raventh had probably already transmitted his thoughts to Careth, D'mitran said, "You needn't be a stranger, K'ndar. Leaving the weyr isn't cutting oneself off completely. Come back anytime, we'll put you up should you need a place to stay. No need for you to stay in the visitor's weyr."

"Thank you. Hariko has already informed me that I won't be staying in the visitor's dorm, I'll have a bunk in her weyr. And Oscorals, and D'nis's..." K'ndar said, half laughing. The other half of his mind was disturbed by the word 'visitor'. A visitor in my own Weyr?

He put that thought away.

"I've already asked D'nis. If I have an expedition come up, may I call on you to come help?"

D'mitran grinned. "I'd be insulted if you didn't. That is, if my wife gives me the go ahead."

She looked at him. "As if! Wild wherries couldn't keep you, Dim. K'ndar, you can count on him. Good luck to you at Landing," she said. She shepherded the kids out of the room.

D'mitran smiled. "Don't forget, too, that I've a datalink. It's easy to use. My boy is already adept at it, and he's just six. Just access me should you need to," he said. He stood up and put his hand on K'ndar's shoulder.

"Thanks, K'ndar. See you," the man said.

K'ndar nodded, his throat too tight to speak.

_________________________________________________________________________

The hardest part will be telling my sister, he thought.

He trudged through the light rain towards sister's foster family's cottage. It'd been rebuilt after the hurricane.

They were eating dinner.

"Sorry to interrupt your dinner,' he said.

"Nonsense! Come in, come in!!" Shirae, Glyena's foster mother said. "Won't you join us? There's plenty. Can I get you some klah, or would you like some wine?"

"No, thank you, I've eaten, and I've had three mugs, one each from D'mitran, D'nis, and Hariko. If I have any more I'll have to stop mid-between to empty."

"You're going..where?"

He could see his sister and her foster sisters in the back, eating.

"I'm signing out of the weyr," he said, softly, "And I'm worried about how to break it to Glyena."

She opened her mouth, then, seeing his expression, shut it with a clop. He could see the thoughts racing through her mind.

After several moments, she said, "Let me guess. M'rvin?"

He nodded. "Yeah. But not just that. He was just the bale that broke the ox's back. No, I've accepted a position at Landing, as their staff field biologist."

"Oh, WONDERFUL!! Good for you, K'ndar, it will be a perfect fit!" Shirae said, relieved to not have to address the problems M'rvin was causing.

Glyena came out of the kitchen, still chewing.

"Whabwilbeaperfetfit?" she said.

Shirae glowered. "Glyena, what have I told you about speaking with your mouth full?"

Glyena rolled her eyes, but dutifully finished chewing and swallowed.

I'm glad she disciplines her, K'ndar thought, she's so strong willed. She's like a hot but sensitive filly. If one doesn't train her early and gently, she can become unmanageable. I don't have to worry, now.

"What will be a perfect fit? Riding gloves? I can make gloves, you know, want to see what I'm working on? They're soft as a baby kitten but they won't tear. Promise." Glyena said, pulling his arm.

"Not right now, sis, and I know how talented you are with leather. No. I'm..."

Here goes, he thought, it wasn't the way he'd planned to tell her. I hope she doesn't cry. I don't know how to handle her if she cries. Or begs me to stay.

"I'm...leaving the weyr. I've accepted a job at Landing as their staff field biologist."

She stopped, absorbing the news, then said, "Nice. Are you taking your binocular? Because I think I'd like a binocular. I've been learning to identify the birds and the wherries and it would be easier to see them if I had a binocular."

Shirae caught his eye. Hers were laughing. I should have known she'd take it without a qualm, he thought.

He grinned. "Not too upset, eh? Tell you what, once I get settled at Landing, if I have a pair in my job, I'll see if I can't give you mine. No promises, mind you. A field biologist needs nocs every day."

"K," Glyena said. She put her arms around him and hugged him, tight.

"Tell Raventh I love him," she said.

He returned her hug.

"That's all? Just Raventh?"

"Oh, I love you, too. Don't forget to call me on my data link. It's Glyena at Kahrain Steppe Weyr. Only one n," she said.

"Like I can't spell your name? Silly." He roughed the hair on her head.

She released him and headed back to the dinner table.

Shirae looked at him and shrugged.

"Strong," she said.

"No doubt," he agreed.

_______________________________________________________________________

Just as Pattis at Flight Ops had forecast, the rain had stopped.

He looked at the empty cavern where he'd spent his dragon life. It'd been such an amazing change from the crowded cottage of his childhood. Now, with his few belongings packed and loaded on Raventh, he paused. Am I doing the right thing? This cave of mine..it looks so forlorn and empty, like when I first moved in. I turned into a comfortable nest, a sanctuary. I had privacy, for the first time in my life. It was Mine. I feel like I did when I left the cothold to come here. I was scared of the unknown, just like now, even though I've been to Landing, many times. I've spent what seemed a lifetime here, yet it's only been a few years.

I was so scared, he thought, so worried that I'd not impress a dragon. Or make it through Weyrlingschool. I missed my mum and siblings so much, but not my father. I was so homesick, yet I didn't dare go back. I would have been ashamed.

Just outside his room was Raventh's portion of the weyr. The dragon's stone couch was perfectly situated so that the dragon could rest and still look outside. How amazing that a volcanic ridge could be turned into a warm, dry comfortable home for humans and dragons. We might not have the amazing tools the Ancients had, but we can still make rock walls into homes.

He walked through the small cavern, his footsteps echoing against the walls. He'd installed that shelf, where his precious books and notebooks had been stored. He remembered stuffing his entire library of four books into his shirt when Raventh had warned him that Jenmay, the tyrannical Oldtimer, was coming to harass and intimidate him. Had she found the books she suspected him of having, she would have thrown them into the flames and him out of the Weyr.

Remember, I just lay here, pretending to not hear her order me to move. Hahaha! She tried to push me aside! It was funny to see her crawling on her hands and knees to get to you.

I do remember. You protected me. And my books.

Books. They're still so valuable to me. Now I'll have access to so many more.

Siskin was perched on the natural rock shelf that the lizard had claimed as his own.

Below it, was a small niche, virtually indistinguishable from the rest of the rough rock wall. I hid my opal rock in that, he thought, and he reached in, just to check. Yes, he'd packed the opal. But...what was this?

His fingers felt a rolled up bit of hide. He pulled it out, immediately recognizing it.

It was the 'love letter' Glyena had pressed into his hand, just as he climbed aboard C'val's blue dragon, Rastabenth. The day, so long ago, when he left his cothold for good.

He'd promised her a ride on his dragon, 'once he impressed' him, he told her.

He unrolled it. Glyena, only six at the time, had drawn a bulbous dragon with a tongue of flame emitting from his mouth, and a smiling K'ndar on his back, and the words, "Kandar, don't forget give me a ride I love you Glyena".

It had made him cry and laugh at the same time. It had given him courage and resolve.

I almost forgot this! Shards! he thought, dread flooding his heart. I can't even remember stuffing it in here, but...here it is. It would have broken my heart to leave it.

He held it tightly for a moment. Glyena. So pragmatic, so self assured. Why was I so worried about her reaction? She's stronger than I ever will be.

We've about an hour of flying light. Are we going to go?

He woke from his reverie. Raventh was waiting patiently on the ledge outside his weyr. The crates had been securely lashed to his harness.

Beyond the dragon, the evening sun cast long shadows on the sea. As he'd done countless times before, he scanned the sea to the horizon, hoping to see dolphins.

I'll miss the ocean most of all, he thought. Who would have thought I'd come to love it so?

Well?

He shook his head to dispel his thoughts. "Siskin, let's go," he said. The blue fire lizard chirped and flew to Raventh. He tucked his hind feet into the leather collar around the dragon's neck, the one that Glyena had made 'special for Raventh'.

Let's go.

Chap. 218 Unexpected Advisor

Chap. 217 Unexpected Advisor

F’mart stood up and brushed the sand from the seat of his pants.

“Looks like Kenth is ready to come out,” he said.

K’ndar heard himself say, “Wait. I need to pick your brain about something.”

The bronze rider stopped, looking down at him with an odd expression.

F’mart? I’m asking HIS advice? He’s younger than me. He’s always been abrasive at best and an arsehole at worst.

F’mart looked expectantly, then, as the moments passed, said, “What? I’ve got things to do.”

“Give me a few minutes. I need your advice.”

“Mine?” F’mart snorted derisively, “That’d be a first, from anyone.”

“Sit. Listen to me.”

F’mart paused, then sat. “Go.”

K’ndar told him about M’rvin’s chewing him out. How he’d been invited to Lord Dorn’s to talk about ‘something’. How he’d accepted a job at Landing. How to break it to the Weyrleader? Will he forbid it?

“I’d like to see him try, K’ndar. You’re far more tolerant than me. I’d have punched M’rvin for that,” F’mart said.

“And suffered the consequences?”

“Bet your arse, mate. It’d be worth a week in a cell. No one treats me like that if I don’t have it coming. If I’ve earned it, fine. I’ll take the punishment like a man. But when the man is pissed at his weyrmate and takes it out on someone who’s only obeying orders? Uh uh, boyo, not me. Not in a million years.”

K’ndar sighed.

“If it were you, then, how would you go about it?”

F’mart looked out to sea. Kenth was moving in, slowly, spreading his massive wings.

You need a shower. Want me to help? Kenth said, snickering.

Don’t you dare, or I’ll thrash you.

Kenth snorted.

Right, you and the whole wing?

F’mart laughed.

The bronze came ashore a distance from the people and shook, the water flying in all directions.

“M’rvin’s been doing that to more people than just you. Not to me…I don’t think he dares. But I’ve heard talk. What I would do with him is walk into his office, say, Sir, I’ve accepted a position at Landing, I’ll be signing out this afternoon or whenever, and thank him for his leadership and walk out. The rest is easy. Hariko, D’mitran, D’nis…they’ll understand. Tell D’mitran first. He’s Wingleader and in your chain of command.”

Yes. Why had he worried? F’mart made it sound so easy. Go in, be professional, be polite, but state your decision and leave.But…

“F’mart, his leadership hasn’t been all that great. It’d be like my admitting that I had done something wrong,”K’ndar protested.

“But you’re not, K’ndar. You’re spot on regarding his leadership, but by thanking him for what you both know is substandard leadership makes you taking the high road, and letting him know you know you’re being politely sarcastic. Never burn your bridges, K’ndar. I can say that, having burned more bridges than I can remember, that it usually ends up with the man with the firebrand on the losing end,” he said.

Odd, K’ndar thought, how that phrase has lain dormant forever and now it’s been used twice in two days.

“Why ask me? I’m no counselor,” F’mart said.

“I still have to process why I just confided in you. You never seemed to be someone who cared a lick for anyone else. I think I asked you because you didn’t have anything to lose or gain by leveling with me. I didn’t think you’d try to talk me out of it. I knew that, even if I hated you, like everyone else, you’d still steer straight with me,” he said.

F’mart stopped, and took a deep breath. “Huh. That’s a punch from you that I never expected.

Hated me, eh?” he said.

“You made it easy.”

He nodded. “You’re right. I WAS an arsehole, and I knew people didn’t like me. I didn’t care. I wanted people to fear me, to respect me. But, I started to realize that the the girls, especially, absolutely loathed me. One gold rider said she’d sooner suicide than let me anywhere near her if our dragons mated. The greens, they talk to our dragons. About us. Then they talk to their riders and their riders talk to each other. Kenth said nothing they said about me was good. Just the idea of the girls talking about me? That made me mad. How dare they! But it was Kenth who got through to me. I had embarrassed him. He was angry with me. He hit me harder than any human ever could. None of the greens or golds wanted to mate with him. NONE. Not willingly, at least. They were angry at the way I treated their riders. They held Kenth responsible for it and he was pissed about THAT. You can’t lie to your dragon. Bronzes are leaders, he said. How can I lead when the greens and the golds don’t trust me?”

“It shocked me, K’ndar, that he was even capable of such…introspection.”

K’ndar was gobsmacked. Not once had Raventh ever mentioned such a thing.

I don’t need to. You’re not like F’mart. You are kind to everyone. Humans and dragons like you. Animals trust you. The greens and golds say their riders say nice things about you. You’re not a…bully? Is that the word?

It is. Thank you.

F’mart watched as his dragon rolled in the sand. He wasn’t technically supposed to do that on what they called the ‘human’s beach’…but it was too late. At least he was a ways from everyone else. As big as he was, he could easily, if inadvertently, hurt someone.

You shouldn’t do that on this beach.

I know. Sorry. I’ll go to the weyr now.

Shake that sand off before you go into the weyr. And not here. Do it in the dragon’s sand pit.

It’s not big enough. This beach is.

Kenth….

Okay. But someday I’d like a sandpit big enough for me.

I’m an engineer. I can build one for you.

I’ll use it. I’m leaving now.

The bronze stood up, trotted further down the beach where he could launch without sandblasting anyone.

He launched, flew over the sea til he gained height, then turned for the dragon’s sandpit behind the main Weyr.

“Sheesh, he’s big,” K’ndar said.

“Aye. But anyway. One night I couldn’t sleep for the idea, didn’t want to accept that everyone didn’t see me as anything but F’mart the Biggest Baddest Bronze Rider on Pern. Kenth was wrong, I was sure of it, I had to talk to someone who would tell me I was right. I went and talked to Oscoral.

That man is probably the only man I don’t think I’d ever want to fight. He’s just too shaffing big. And quiet. The noisy ones, the blokes who talk a big fight? They’re bluffing. They’re easy to beat. While they’re blowing their own horn, trying to intimidate you with words, you hit ’em hard and fast. Get ’em in the nose first thing and they can’t think..or fight.

But the ones like Oscoral? And those of his kin at Singing Waters? They’re like mountains, silent. They size you up, you can see them picking out which bone to break first. They look at you as though you owe them money, like they’re saying, ‘feel lucky? Take your best shot, kid.”

K’ndar was silent. He’d never thought of Oscoral that way.

“He’s-well, anyway. He told me straight up, the only reason he’d not kicked my head in was because he hadn’t caught me harassing his drudges. But he knew very well that I had been. He said, “I’m laying for you, lout, and when I do catch you, you will wish you’d never been born.”

K’ndar, I’ve never been afraid before, but when that man says that to you in a voice so soft only you can hear it…it made my blood freeze. If I was the kind of boy who needed an arsekicking to set me straight, “he was more the willing to be the man to do it.”

“Huh,” was all K’ndar could muster. He could not believe ‘his’ Oscoral was the same as the one who could frighten F’mart. I am very glad I’ve always been his friend.

“But even then, I thought, yeah, big man, if you can catch me.”

That’s when Kenth…whew, Kenth. He said, “You’ll have it coming.”

“Wow.”

“So…I put it in my mind to change my ways. Does it show?”

“It does. I’m glad, too. I like this F’mart far more than the one who was my classmate, deriding me and my dragon. Keep this one, what? But don’t lose your ability to fight. Just not with me.”

F’mart laughed. He stood up and turned to leave.

“F’mart…what do I say to Lord Dorn?”

“That, K’ndar, I don’t know. I’ve never had a job offer before. IF that’s what he’s proposing. I guess, what I’d do, is hear him out and play it from there. Maybe tell him right up front, before his dinner. You don’t want to look like a mooch, getting a fine meal only to reject the man afterwards.”

_________________________________________________________________________

“I understand, K’ndar. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed,” Lord Dorn said.

“Thank you, my lord, for asking me. Had I not been offered the position at Landing before we had a chance to meet, I would happily have taken your offer,” K’ndar said. He felt relief wash over him. Lord Dorn had ridden to the Weyr. No dinner, but that was okay. He’d rather forego a meal than piss off the Lord Holder.

“K’ndar, I’ll probably be looking for someone else, then. That green rider who was tasked here a while ago was very capable. It’s just that a green is too small to carry cargo,” he said. He nodded his head.

“I don’t blame you for taking the Landing position. K’ndar, if it doesn’t work out at Landing, come back and we’ll discuss it again,” Dorn said.

“Thank you, my lord, and I’ll keep that in mind. “

The Holder had, with a few herdsman, driven several cows to the Weyr.

Nyala, the weyrs’ master herdsman, looked them over. “Thank you, my Lord, for bringing these beasts back. We never dreamed they’d been stolen. We assumed they’d run off…we had a fence down a few months earlier. Now I believe it was the raiders doing! I figured they’d been killed by wherries. They’ve been gone for a few months. They’re in good shape. In fact….by the egg, I think they’re all pregnant!”

Dorn laughed. “No surprise there, Master Nyala. The raiders had a fine bull in their stolen herd. I’m sure he kept himself busy!”

 

Chap. 217 The Sorting

Chap. 217 The Sorting

How in the world do I let several people know I'm leaving the weyr?

Still bedazzled by the sudden turn of events, he was sitting on a rock on the beach. Even though the rain had stopped several hours earlier, he didn't want to risk getting his butt wet on the sand. The surface was dry, but the children playing on the beach were finding enough wet subsurface sand to make sand castles. They didn't care about wet pants.

He reflected on yesterday...and the day before. How could so much have been squeezed into less than 48 hours? Yesterday had been far longer than he'd expected. Most of it had been spent interviewing with Raylan and some of his staff. He'd been briefed extensively by the outgoing biologist. He'd returned home just before Risal's forecasted rain hit. Dinner, then writing up his journal had taken the rest of the evening.

He sighed. I am definitely going to take that job. It's just...the preliminaries of leaving here.

Raventh and Siskin were 'fishing" in the Eastern Sea. Several other dragons and fire lizards were there as well.

I'm not hungry, I just want to play in the water Raventh had said.

A few riders were out in the water with their dragons. That water wasn't very warm, he thought, how do they tolerate it? He had no desire to join them. Seawater was habitat for fish and dolphins.

What do I do? Pack? Leave today? Raylan had said it would take a few days to meet with Landing's management to approve his hiring, but, 'I'm Science Division Chief," Raylan had reassured him, 'this is just protocol. You can come any time you like, but you'll have to stay in the visitors dorm until we get you situated in permanent housing."

What do I do about Lord Dorn? Why do I feel this obligation to him, despite not having anything more than a "I'd like to discuss something with you"? True, I was one of his cotholders for most of my life, but not now. How will he take it when I say I've already accepted a position at Landing? Will he be angry and why should I care? I care. That's true. He's a decent man. He wields an awful lot of power over people like his family. He's never abused them, but...

And what about the Weyrleaders? I'm still raw from M'rvin dressing me down in public. I didn't have that coming. I don't want to argue with him. Confrontation makes my stomach knot up. He can't keep me here, he can't forbid me from leaving, after all, many others have done so, he thought.

But what if he tries to change my mind? How could he do that? Offer me a leadership position?

He snorted.

That's too easy, and I'm not interested. But what if he tries to guilt me into it?

He shook his head.

How do I tell Glyena? Not that she needs me, does she?

Arrgh, I just want to move out quietly without fanfare. Two crates, one for books and another for my clothing. That's all I'll need to vacate. Oh. Hariko. I'll have to let her know. THAT will be hard. She's like a mum. She'll want to throw a going away party. I do NOT want that.

But....

Something struck the back of his head, just hard enough to wake him from his reverie.

"What the..." he turned to see F'mart, grinning at him. The bronze rider tossed a second pebble at him.

"Hey, boyo, you're deaf, what? I've said good day to you twice. Stuck up!"

K'ndar picked up a rock and threw it back at the bronze rider. F'mart deftly snatched it out of the air and dropped it.

Kenth, his massive bronze, flew low over head, bugling his anxious desire to join the other dragons. The downdraft from his wings blew up sand, covering them both. He hit the water with an immense splash.

"When are you going to teach that monster of yours to fly a little higher?" K'ndar snapped, blowing the sand from his lips.

"Ah, you're just jealous, you and that pony of yours," F'mart grinned back, brushing the sand out of his hair. He sat down on the sand next to K'ndar, uncaring of whether his pants would get wet.

K'ndar punched him.

"Pony my arse, but it doesn't take me all day to oil him."

"Aye, you've got that right. Woof, I'm so glad we're not feeding 'em fire stone anymore. I swear, Kenth would be itching for days after fire stone. I'd go through two buckets at a go. Why aren't you out there swimming with the others?"

"I'm a landsman. I don't go into water. It drowns people."

"Sissy. Can't swim?"

"Not a lick."

F'mart idly dug troughs in the sand. The grains, still wet just beneath the surface, stuck to his fingers. He absently brushed them together to shed the sand.

"No matter, as it is, I feel the same way. Technically, I know how to swim, but the way I learned? My father taught me by tossing me off the dock. I almost drowned. I've never forgiven him," F'mart said.

"By the way, congratulations on your promotion to Wingsecond," K'ndar said.

"You noticed! Thanks. To be honest, I don't think I'm ready for it. I've got all these kids looking at me, expecting me to know exactly what to do. Half the time I'm pretending my arse off and repeating what B'rant taught me. And sheesh, K'ndar, I'm only a few years older than these kids. They're mostly out of last year's Weyrling class. I feel sometimes as if they're testing me, knowing the answers before I even have figured out the question." He threw a rock at the surf, a little harder than necessary.

It was the first time K'ndar had ever seen his classmate show any sign of self doubt.

"You're kidding. You've always been the man who knew exactly what he was doing, always had the thing figured out. I'd say you were a braggart, but I won't because I don't want you to pound me. I've seen you fight. You'd kill me."

F'mart laughed.

"Aye, well, K'ndar, it was like my mum used to say, act is if you know exactly what you're doing, even if you don't. Lot of times I was liked a seabird...calm on top of the water and paddling for my life underneath."

K'ndar nodded.

"So...how'd it go? Down there at the lair? I left to take Shawn back to Landing. I ended up spending two days there."

"It was interesting. They had a whole raft of weapons. Two whole wagon loads Where did they GET it all? The other flights, they took some of Dorn's men back to his Hold. D'nis took charge of a small crate of 'artifacts', said they were valuable and he's going to task someone to take it to Landing tomorrow," F'mart said.

"What about all those people?"

"Lord Dorn picked one man out, a tall one, he was fairly beat up. Everyone treated him with respect. "E's a good man, Lord Dorn," they kept saying. Shawn, or Karloch, as he went by, had sworn to kill him slowly, in fact, he'd only allowed him to live because his two fire lizards proved to be able spies.

Most of those people were there under duress. I wasn't in on Lord Dorn's interviewing them, but from the sounds of it, Shawn and his little band of brigands would snatch up a kid or a woman-all holdless, by the way, and tell the men, do as I say or your family suffers. He chained them, I'm certain you saw that. There was one woman, named Vika, who kept the women in line. She was the only woman who wasn't in chains. I noticed it, but I was too busy to do more than just log it in my mind. She came out with the other women, and then vanished. More about HER later.

For the most part, those people are all happy that Shawn is dead. Not a man of them was interested in fighting with us. They were relieved. I remember when Shawn came down from Landing to 'monitor' my task of moving that enormous skeleton your team found on the southern coast. He was an insufferable sod, for sure. Walking around giving orders to US? Nor was he interested in getting his hands dirty. One time he, well, he didn't quite come out and say it, but he implied that if we were to find 'anything of value' during our digging, that it'd be worth my while to funnel it his way rather than turn it in to Landing. He was, after all, the Acquisition Officer, something he never tired of repeating. He was doing me a favor, aye? making it so that I didn't have to go all the way to Landing."

He laughed derisively. "I told him, I only look stupid, arsehole, I'm not really that way. Now bend your pompous ares to your work before I teach you manners," I said. He hated that! I was itching for a fight, just begging, throw me a punch, give it your best shot! But no...."

He looked suitably forlorn for a moment.

K'ndar laughed. "I'd have liked to have seen that. How long do you think he'd of lasted?"

F'mart laughed. "I'm like a cat, sometimes, K'ndar. I'd have knocked him out in a heartbeat but I wanted to toy with him. Drag it out, let him think he had a chance, maybe let him tag me? I wanted to string it out, just for the fun. Make it last, you know? But no. Ah, well."

K'ndar shook his head. "I know how you fight. I don't see what you get out of it, but I have to admit, it would have been fun to see Shawn get his comeuppance."

"But he did, finally, aye? Who shot him? That man, Alph? We should give him a reward."

"Alph. Yes, I'll tell you the story about him later. He was sent to Singing Waters, correct?"

"Yes. D'mitran took him. As for the rest of the people, Lord Dorn made the man with the fire lizards "Cotholder". As I said, most of those people were holdless to begin with, for whatever reason, and weren't too happy with the idea of being turned out again. Lord Dorn gave each of them the choice, you can stay here, swear fealty to me on your knees, or you can leave. He thought making the lair a legitimate cothold would work well. It's at the far edge of his Holdlands and he'd been thinking of establishing one there, but no one had evinced any interest in it."

F'mart paused. "Look at the fool Kenth," he said, pride in his voice, "acting like he's a hatchling." His bronze was diving and spouting, scrumming with other dragons.

K'ndar saw Raventh in the same scrum. The difference in size was astounding. Kenth had to be the biggest bronze in the Weyr. Raventh was probably the smallest brown. Yeah, I guess he is a pony. Fine with me, I love ponies.

"I love to see them play like that," he said.

"Me, too."

They both were quiet for a long moment, enjoying seeing their dragons being dragons.

"There were people who didn't want to stay? Wait. Don't tell me he just let them ride away? There were some bad 'un's in that mix," K'ndar said, dismayed.

"Not riding, no. They were allowed to leave on foot. I think just one person left, a young kid. Leif let him take a dagger and a bow. Boy said he was heading home, but didn't say where. K'ndar, most of those people had nowhere else to go. They seemed to be happy to stay, now that Shawn was gone.

As for the livestock, most of the animals were stolen. Dorn's got a job on his hands, trying to figure out which belongs to who. There's one particularly fine bull, though I'm no herdsman, who has Toric's brand on him. He didn't say so, but Dorn wants him badly. But as for the bad un's?

Dorn had said he'd behead the criminals right then and there. That was just to flush them out. His Master-at-Arms, Lief, had them already pegged. Woof, what a dragonrider he'd of made! He picked out seven, and I'll be switched if he wasn't right about them. He didn't take but one glance to categorize them.

Dorn didn't behead them there, though, we took five of them to his Hold for him to try them all in accordance with the Charter. My squad took them. One of my boys said later that if I thought Dorn's armed men at the lair were big, I should see the four he left behind at the Hold to put criminals in cells. BIG men, former miners, like Oscoral, save for they're far harder muscled. They grow them big in Crom, seems like."

"You said Lief fingered seven, but only five were taken to Singing Waters?"

"Just hold on, K'ndar, I'm getting there. Remember, I wasn't in on Dorn's interviews, so much of what I'm telling is second hand. But the criminals, they all had stories to make them appear innocent as babies. One of them, I saw him very briefly, had a big scar on his face. He was second in command, it sounded like. He's called Scar and there's not a bit of good in him."

"If he's the one I'm thinking of, you're right, he's a bad one," K'ndar said.

"Master Lief pulled my squad aside. He said, 'that one, that one, those three? Keep an eye on them. Mark my words, I promise you they'll try and bolt. They'll wait until it's dark. There's one with a scar across his face. I saw him for just a moment, and I don't see him now, in this crowd. I don't know if he's in with Lord Dorn at the moment. Keep a watch for him. These other yobs, they're just bulls, all horns and balls, not a lick of brains."

"The raiders could have claimed anything, but Dorn isn't stupid. They lied to him, but the rest of the people, all told Dorn pretty much the same story about them. Most of those folks, K'ndar, were just hostages, really, people who stayed because their womenfolk were in chains. In a case like that, you believe the many rather than the one. Especially when the many all tell the same tale.

You missed the fun part, though. Leif warned us, 'tonight, if you hear a lot of screaming, not to worry. It's just going to be the raiders suffering the consequences of trying to escape.' Sure as sunrise, K'ndar, just after dark, well, Dorn's men had all sorts of traps set up. You'd hear a WHOOSH and a shriek, and Leif and his men laughing fit to burst. He let them hang all night in fishing nets, getting all bug bitten. This morning, first thing, they were dragged in, trussed up like a wherry about to be roasted. Believe it or not, that's how we transported them...in nets, dangling from our dragons. Hehehe!"

"But, F'mart, five isn't seven. What about the two?"

F'mart shook his head. "Scar, he was smarter than we'd given him credit for. In amongst all the sorting out, he must have headed for the cave where the women had been kept.

Siena stayed there, she was with Dorn when he talked to the women, and said the women kept saying, where's Vika, she's a raider too, she's not in chains like we were, where is that sow, don't let Vika get away.

One of the children, just a little 'un, said she'd hidden in the cave where the women did the cooking. She said she saw Vika come in, then Scar, they talked for just a few moments and then she saw "Scar put on a dress."

"No...."

"Yes. He disguised himself as a woman. Vika-she was the enforcer of the women, she would beat them. One of Dorn's men saw 'two women' walk from the cooking cave to the cave where pack horses had been tied up. One was carrying carrots, so he thought it was just two women who had already been unchained and interviewed, and were going to feed the horses. There were three horses that had been tied up, I guess the rest bolted."

"Let me guess. Scar and Vika got away on the horses."

"Exactly. No one saw them leave. The people began to clamor, Scar's missing, Vika's missing, they've escaped. A few of us then searched the pack horse cave and found a tunnel, quite a large one, that opened on the other side of the ridge. They'd been completely hidden from our view. We should have posted someone behind the ridge...but, ah, hindsight, what? I think Scar had it all figured out, what to do if the dragons came. Him and Vika, who sounds, if you can imagine, like she's worse than Jenmay. So, they're on the loose."

"Shards."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much. The fire lizard teams, they're begging for a chance to go back down there and hunt them down."

K'ndar laughed. It DID sound like fun.