“I’m sorry,” Xhinna said, her words crossing Taria’s. The green rider did a double take and Xhinna moved shyly toward her and then suddenly they were together, arms wrapped around each other, hugging tightly, crying and babbling at the same time, neither able to hear the other.
“I wanted you here,” Taria said, waving toward R’ney. “And then … the feelings from Coranth … the Meeyus … Razz … I wanted what they had.”
“It’s okay,” Xhinna said, hugging her and stroking her hair. “It’s okay. It’s your right, it’s your body, it’s your choice.”
“But I should have asked you,” Taria said, pulling away far enough to look into Xhinna’s eyes. “It wasn’t right.”
“It was passion, Taria,” Xhinna said. “It’s the passion that I love in you.”
“I think I’m pregnant,” Taria told her quietly, her eyes glancing beyond her to R’ney, then back. “Is that all right?”
“It’s perfect.”
“They’ll only be blues and greens, most likely,” X’lerin said when he, Xhinna, and Bekka met at the beach the next morning to examine the eggs, “because the sire was a blue.”
“And if he’d been a bronze, would that make a difference?” Xhinna asked. K’dan marched over to join them; he’d come earlier to take his turn at guard.
“We don’t know,” X’lerin said with a shrug. “There was only Qinth from the green clutches, so we can’t be certain.”
“We’re wondering if Tazith’s chewing firestone would make him sterile, like the greens,” Xhinna said, glancing toward Taria, who looked back in surprise at the question.
“I doubt it,” X’lerin said. “The bronzes and browns chew firestone, and we’ve never had problems with them.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Taria said in a low voice, chagrined. She moved closer to Xhinna, absently leaning against her in a gesture of apology and solidarity.
“So do you think we should throw the mating flights open to all, when they start?” Bekka asked, clearly continuing a prior conversation with X’lerin. Xhinna and Taria leaned in closer to the conversation, Xhinna’s arm going around Taria’s waist as they moved forward. Taria reached with her near hand and clasped Xhinna’s hand, pulling herself in tighter against the taller blue rider.
Xhinna reached out with her free hand for R’ney, who arched back, hands raised, ceding the tender moment to her alone.
“Perhaps a few, at least,” X’lerin said cautiously. He shrugged, adding, “After all, we’re going to be here for Turns.”
“But only those from the current clutch and maybe the next clutches will be old enough to fight by the end of our three Turns back here in time,” Bekka protested.
“True, but Weyrs will still need werylings,” X’lerin said. He turned back to the clutch on the sands, his hand open. “And this is a good start.”
“And if we can hatch this clutch, perhaps there’d be reason for the others to come back,” K’dan added.
“You mean so they could mate and clutch more hatchlings?” Bekka asked, her brows furrowed in thought.
“Yes,” K’dan replied, nodding firmly.
“You’re thinking to repopulate Pern’s Weyrs in three Turns?” X’lerin asked.
“With enough queens and greens, we could do it,” K’dan declared.
Just as there was no way to hide the eggs on the sands, there was no way that the news of Taria and R’ney’s new relationship could remain secret in Sky Weyr. Xhinna defused any tension by very obviously dragging R’ney over to sit with her and Taria. She noted with humor how T’rennor, rider of green Kisorth who had lost all her eggs in the Hatching sands at Eastern, smiled hopefully in R’ney’s direction. With less enjoyment, she saw the way V’lex eyed the brown rider reflectively, saw J’keran’s angry glower, heard W’vin extend his congratulations to all.
“V’lex isn’t my type,” R’ney declared when Xhinna teased him about it later.
“And what is?”
“Well, like Taria,” R’ney said, “or you, only different.” He saw Xhinna’s raised eyebrows. “He’s too thick and slippery.” He added hastily, “Oh, by all accounts he’s a good rider, and he’s flown in far too many Falls for his prowess or his courage to be questioned, but …”
“Tall and wiry works better for you,” Xhinna concluded, letting him wriggle free of his red-faced silence. R’ney nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“I can make my own acquaintances,” R’ney said with a touch of frost in his voice.
She smiled to let him know she was teasing him and R’ney ducked his head in acknowledgment.
“As I well know,” Xhinna said, her lips curving up as she reached to punch him lightly on the shoulder. She glanced around at the gathering and said, “Well, as soon as your Rowerth can manage, we’ll see if we can’t get you to meet more riders elsewhere.”
“That’ll be a while,” R’ney said with a sigh. They glanced up as F’denol and Jepara approached, hands linked.
“Congratulations,” the bronze rider said to Xhinna and Taria, “you’re the first to clutch here in the Western Isle.”
“I think it’s generous of you to be so free,” Jepara said to Xhinna. Her tone didn’t match her words.
“Taria is not mine,” Xhinna told her firmly. “I don’t own her.”
Jepara’s face hardened and Xhinna saw the way her hand clenched F’denol’s.
“If I did,” Xhinna continued, “then I’d be the sort to say that you should be seeking out the company of a High Reaches rider.”
“But—” Jepara gasped then subsided as she absorbed Xhinna’s words. Jepara was from High Reaches, it would be expected that she would return there—and that, according to Tradition, she would partner with a High Reaches bronze rider. “Oh.”
F’denol reddened, looking embarrassed at the queen rider’s discomfort. Xhinna gave him a grin to ease his worries, saying, “I’m not like that. Hearts do what they do, and we’re best when we adjust.” She made a shooing gesture toward them with both hands, adding suggestively, “Wasn’t there someplace you wanted to be?”
F’denol needed no further urging, but Jepara moved more slowly, a certain reluctance in her stride.
“There’s one who only wants to play,” R’ney observed with an edge to his voice.
“And F’denol’s not built to handle her,” Xhinna agreed. The miners’ daughter was a handful and getting more so every day. Bekka wanted nothing to do with her, nor did X’lerin, who, alone among the bronze riders, showed both sense and tact in dealing with her.
Jepara found her position as gold rider a role she relished: paramour of so many dragonriders, queen of all she surveyed.
“You’re the one who can tame her,” R’ney said. “You’re immune to her charms and she’s attracted to your power, especially as she can’t understand its source.”
“And how, brown rider, did you get to be so astute?” Xhinna asked archly.
“Five older sisters,” R’ney said with a sigh. “You get to know what’s happening pretty well.”
Meeya, the sweet young rider of Calith, came forward to congratulate them, batting her eyes at R’ney in an obvious attempt for his attention. Xhinna led the conversation elsewhere and steered her in toward G’rial, the bronze rider from Fort. Xhinna thought he possessed the sort of quiet strength that the girl seemed desperate to have.
“Good choice,” R’ney murmured when he had the chance. “He’s smart enough to know when to say no, and that’s rare.”
“In a man?”
“In anyone,” R’ney replied. He glanced after Jepara and then back toward Meeya. “You know,” he said thoughtfully, “they both remind me of my sisters.”