Why? asked Piemur, making sure they werent overheard. But everyone was filing out of the tiers now, eager to congratulate or condole. Shes weyrbred.
Greens are fighting dragons, began Sebell.
In that case, Mirrims well paired, isnt she? asked Piemur with droll amusement.
Piemur!
At Menollys shocked remonstrance, Piemur turned to Sebell and saw an answering gleam, though the journeyman turned quickly and started down the steps.
Sebells right, though, Menolly said thoughtfully as they started across the hot sands, quickening their pace as the heat penetrated the soles of their flying boots.
Why? asked Piemur again. Just because shes a girl?
There wont be as much shock as there might be, Sebell went on. Jaxoms Impression of Ruth set a precedent.
Its not quite the same thing, Sebell, Menolly replied. Jaxom is a Lord Holder and has to remain so. And then the weyrmen did think the little white dragon mightnt live. And now he has, its obvious hes never going to be a full-sized dragon. Not that hes needed in the Weyrs, but Mirrim is!
Exactly! And not in the capacity of green rider.
I think shed make a good fighting rider, said Piemur, keeping the comment carefully under his breath. When they located Master Robinton, he was already earnestly discussing the matter with Oharan.
Completely unexpected! Mirrim swears that she hadnt been in the Hatching Ground at all when the candidates were familiarizing themselves with the Eggs, Master Robinton told his craftsmen. Then he smiled. Fortunately, with Flessan Impressing a bronze, Lessa and Flar are in great spirits. Now he shrugged, his grin broadening. It was simply a case of the dragon finding her own partnership where she wanted it!
As Ruth did with Jaxom!
Precisely.
And that is the Harper message? asked Sebell, glancing about the Bowl where knots of people surrounded weyrlings and dragonets.
There doesnt seem to be any other explanation. So let us drink and be merry. Its a good day for Pern! And Im terribly dry, said the Masterharper as the Weyr Harper solemnly proffered a cup of wine. Oh thanks, Oharan. Must be the heat of the Hatching Ground or the excitement. Im parched. Ahhhh. The Harpers sigh was of relief and pleasure. A good Benden vintageah, an old one, the wine has a mellowness, a smoothness He glanced about him as his audience waited expectantly. Oharans hand casually covered the seal of the wineskin. The Harper took another judicious sip. Yes, indeed. I have it now. The pressing of ten Turns back, and furthermore he held up a finger, its from the north-western slopes of upper Benden.
Oharan slowly uncovered the seal, and the others saw that the Harper had been absolutely correct. I dont know how you do it, Master Robinton, said Oharan, having hoped to confound his master.
Hes had a lot of practice, said Menolly at her driest, and they all laughed as Master Robinton, started to protest.
They had time for a quiet glass before the admiring guests had exhausted all the possible things one could say to a newly impressed pair. Then the Weyrlingmaster took his charges off to the lake where the newly hatched would be fed, bathed and oiled, and the guests began to drift toward the tables, seating themselves for the feasting that would follow.
Master Robinton led his craftsmen in a rousing ballad of praise to dragons and their riders before he joined the Weyrleaders and their visiting Lord Holders. Oharan, Sebell, Menolly and Piemur did the courtesy round to the tables where the parents of new dragonriders were seated, singing requests. Menollys fire lizards sang several songs with her before she excused them, explaining that they were far more interested in the new dragons than singing for mere people. Then she got involved with a group from the crafthall at Bitra, and the other three harpers left her explaining how to teach fire lizards to sing as they continued the rounds.
The tradition was that a harpers song deserved a cup of wine. Chatting as they drank, Sebell and Oharan took turns directing conversation where they wished it: Mirrims unexpected Impression.
There was, to be sure, considerable surprise that Mirrim had done so, but most of those queried found it to be no large affair. After all, they said, Mirrim was weyrbred, a fosterling of Brekkes, had Impressed three of the first fire lizards to be found at Southern, so her unexpected rise to dragonrider was at least consistent. Now Jaxom, who had to remain Lord of Ruatha, was a different case entirely. Piemur noticed that everyone was a good deal interested in the health of the little white dragon and, while they wished him the best, were just as pleased that hed never make a full-sized beast. Evidently that made it easier for people to accept the fact that Ruth was being raised in a Hold instead of a Weyr.
Holdlessness was a topic to which conversations returned time and again that evening. Many lads, growing up in land crafts, would not find holdings of their own when they were old enough. There simply werent any old places left. Could not more of the mountainous regions of the far north be made habitable? Or the remote slopes of High Reaches or Crom? Piemur noted that Nabol, which actually had tenable land uncultivated, was never cited. What about the marshlands of lower Benden? Surely with such a competent Weyr, more holds could be protected. Occasionally Piemur, standing or sitting at the edges of groups, would overhear fascinating snatches and try to make sense out of them. Mostly he discarded them as gossip, but one stuck in his tired mind. Lord Oterel had been the speaker. He didnt know the other man, though his lighter clothes suggested he came from the southern part of Pern. Meron gets more than his share; we go without. Girls impress fighting dragons, and our lad stands on the Ground. Ridiculous!
Piemur found it getting progressively harder to rise from one table and move to another. Not that he was drinking any wine; he had sense enough not to do that. He just seemed to be more tired than he ought to be; if he could just put his head down for a few moments.
He was scarcely conscious of the cold of between, only annoyed because he was being forced to walk when he wanted to sit down. He did recall some sort of argument going on over his head. He could have sworn it was Silvina giving someone the very rough edge of her tongue. He was mercifully grateful that finally he was permitted to stretch out on a bed, feel furs pulled over his shoulders, and he could give in to the sleep he craved.
The bell woke him, and his surroundings confused him. He looked about, trying to figure out where he was, since he certainly wasnt in the drum apprentices quarters. Further he was on a rush bag on a floorthe floor in Sebells room, for the clothes Sebell had been wearing for the past two days were draped on a nearby chair, his flying boots sagging against each other by the bed. Piemurs empty clothes had been neatly piled on his boots at the foot of the rush bag.
The bell continued to ring, and Piemur, keenly aware of the emptiness of his belly, hastily dressed, paused long enough to splash his face and hands with water in case anyone, like Dirzan, wanted to fault him on cleanliness and proceeded down the corridor to the steps and the dining hall. He was just turning into the hall when Clell and the other three came in the main door. Clell flashed a look at the others and then strode up to Piemur, grabbing him by the arm roughly.
Whereve you been for two days?
Why? Did you have to polish the drums?
Youre going to get it from Dirzan! A pleased smirk crossed Clells face.
Why should he get it from Dirzan, Clell? asked Menolly, quietly coming up behind the drum apprentices. Hes been on Harper business.
Hes always getting off on Harper business, replied Clell with unexpected anger, and always with you!
Piemur raised his fist at such insolence and leaned back to make the swing count in Clells sneering face. But Menolly was quicker; she swung the apprentice about and shoved him forcefully toward the main door.
Insolence to a journeyman means water rations for you, Clell! she said and, without bothering to see that hed continued out of the hall, she turned to the other three who gawked at her. And, for you, too, if I should learn of any mischief against Piemur because of this. Have I made myself perfectly clear? Or do I need to mention the incident to Master Olodkey?
The cowed apprentices murmured the necessary assurances and, at her dismissal, lost themselves in the throng of other apprentices.
How much trouble have you been having in the drum-heights, Piemur?
Nothing I cant handle, said Piemur, wondering when he could get back at Clell for that insult to Menolly. Water rations for you, too, Piemur, if I see so much as a scratch on Clells face.
But he
Bonz, Timiny and Brolly came flying into the hall at that point and hailed Piemur with such evident relief that, after giving Piemur a long, forbidding glance, Menolly went off toward the journeymans tables. The boys demanded to know where hed been and he was to tell them everything.
He didnt. He told them what he felt they should know as far as the Igen Hold Gather was concerned, an innocuous enough tale. And he could, and did, describe in great detail the Impression of Path to Mirrim. The bare bones of that unexpected event was already the talk of the Hall, and Piemur had heard the public version so often that he knew he wasnt committing any indiscretion. He was careful to play down, even to his good friends, the circumstances that had brought him to Benden Weyr at such auspicious occasion.
No dragonrider was going to take me, an apprentice harper, all the way back to the Hall when there was a Hatching, so I had to stay.
Cmon, Piemur, said Bonz, thoroughly disgusted with his indifference, you cant ever get me to believe that you didnt enjoy every moment of it.
Then I wont. Cause I did. But I was just bloody lucky to be at the Igen Gather right then, Otherwise Idve been back polishing the big drums yesterday!
Say, Piemur, you getting on all right with Clell and those others? asked Ranly.
Sure. Why? Piemur kept his voice as casual as he could.
Oh, nothing, except theyre not mixers, and lately, theyve been sort of asking about you in a funny sort of way. Ranly was worried, and from the solemn expressions on the other faces, he had confided their concern.
You just havent been the same since your voice changed, Piemur, said Timiny, blushing with embarrassment.
Piemur snorted, then grinned because Timiny looked so uncomfortable. Of course, Im not, Tim. How could I be? My voice is changing, and the rest of me, too.
I didnt mean that and Timiny faltered in a muddle of confusion, looking at Bonz and Brolly for help to express what puzzled them all.
Just then the journeyman rose to give out the days assignments, and the apprentices were forced to be quiet. Piemur held his breath, hoping that Menolly had not made Clells discipline a public one and felt relieved when it was obvious that she hadnt. He was going to have enough trouble with Clell as it was. Not that he worried about the apprentice going hungry. Hed seen the other three secreting bread, fruit and a thick wherry slice to smuggle out to him.
As the sections dispersed for their work parties, Piemur went to the drumheights, wondering exactly what awaited him. He was not surprised to find that the drums had been left for him to polish, or that Dirzan grumbled about his absence because how could he learn enough to be a proper drummer. And it was only to be expected that there was no word of praise from Dirzan when he came out measure perfect on all the sequences Dirzan asked him. What Piemur wasnt prepared for was the state of his belongings when Dirzan dismissed him. He got the first whiff when he opened the door to the apprentices room. Despite the fact that both windows were propped wide open, the small room smelled like the necessary. He opened the press for clean clothes and realized where the worst of the offending stench lay. He turned, half-hoping this was all, but as he ran his hand over his sleeping furs they were disgustingly damp.
Whos been Dirzan came striding into the room, finger and thumb pinching his nose against the odor.
Piemur said nothing, he merely let the soiled clothing unroll and held the furs up so that the light fell on the long, damp stain. Dirzans eyes narrowed, and his grimace deepened. Piemur wondered what annoyed Dirzan more: that Piemurs unexpectedly long absence had made the joke more noisome than necessary, or that here was proof positive that Piemur was being harassed by his roommates.
You may be excused from other duties to attend to this, said Dirzan. Be sure to bring back a sweet candle to clear the odor. How they could sleep with that
Dirzan waited until Piemur had cleared the noxious things from the room, and then he slammed the door with such force that the journeyman on watch came to see what was the matter.
With everyone scattered for work sections, Piemur managed to get to the washing room without being stopped. He was so furious he wouldnt have trusted himself to answer properly if anyone had asked him the most civil of questions. He slapped the furs, hair side out into the warm tub, sprinkling half the jar of sweetsand on the slowly sinking bedding. He shook the half-hardened stuff out of his clothing into the drain, and then, with washing paddle, shoved and prodded the garments to loosen the encrustations. If there were stains on his new clothes, hed face a months water rations but hed pay them all back, so he would.
What are you doing in here at this time of day, Piemur? asked Silvina, attracted by the splashing and pounding.
Me? The force of his tone brought Silvina right into the room. My roommates play dirty jokes!
Silvina gave him a long searching look as her nose told her what kind of dirty jokes. Any reason for them to?
In a split second Piemur decided. Silvina was one of the few people in the Hall he could trust. She instinctively knew when he was shamming, so shed know now that he was being put on. And he had an unbearable need and urge to release some of the troubles he had suppressed. This last trick of the apprentices, damaging his good new clothes, hurt more than he had realized in the numbness following his discovery. Hed been so proud of the fine garments, and to have them crudely soiled before hed worn some of them enough to acquire honest dirt hit him harder than the slanders at his supposed indiscretions.