Tazith vetoed Xhinna’s first image, telling her it was too close to when they’d left, so she imagined them once again over the knoll but ten minutes later than when they’d left. She paused for a long time before giving Tazith the order to jump back in time.
“They could still be dying here,” Xhinna said. “We could be wrong—”
“Then we’ll die,” Jirana said. “It’s possible.”
“I thought you—”
“Xhinna, the Sight doesn’t show what will happen, only what might happen,” Jirana said. “My mother told me that, and she was told by my father.”
“But the hatchlings, this queen of yours—”
“There are might be’s, not certainties,” Jirana told her. She shook her head as they slowly glided toward the ground, adding, “I could be wrong. I’m new at all this.”
“ ‘Every day is new,’ ” Xhinna said, recalling an old song she’d once heard at Fort Weyr, Turns earlier.
“ ‘And so are we,’ ” Jirana finished, turning back to give Xhinna a big smile. “Are you going to trust me?”
“Let’s see what happens first,” Xhinna temporized. She glanced about the camp. “Why are they all just standing there?”
“I think they’re too sick to move,” Jirana said.
“With the Plague?” Xhinna cried, thinking to tell Tazith to claw his way back up.
“No, hunger,” Jirana said, shaking her head. Tazith touched the ground. “Let me go to them,” the little girl said, gesturing for Xhinna to help her down.
“What?”
“If I’m wrong, I’ll wave you off,” Jirana said. “That way Tazith won’t lose you.”
“No,” Xhinna said firmly, sliding her right leg over Tazith’s neck and sliding down. On the ground she reached up for Jirana. “We’ll do this together.”
Jirana smiled in thanks, threw her legs over, and let Xhinna catch her as she slid down.
Once they were both standing on their own feet, Xhinna ordered Tazith back into the air. When the blue rumbled in protest, she patted his foreleg and said, “Jirana says we’ll be safe, so up you get!”
Call if you need me, Tazith said.
Stay behind the knoll, Xhinna reminded him as he rose higher into the sky.
If I stay here too long, I’ll have to land, the blue responded.
Fly in circles for a bit, Xhinna said. I’m sure we’ll know one way or the other before you get exhausted.
“We need to go there,” Jirana said, pointing toward the tent with the Crom flag.
They had only a couple hundred meters to go, but to Xhinna it seemed much farther. She could see people rise and then fall back down onto the dusty ground as she passed; she could see others not even moving. If this wasn’t the Plague, it was, as Jirana had said, starvation, Xhinna thought. All around her the people were gaunt, tired, their eyes dim, hollow.
They were stopped at the entrance to the tent by a tall, strong man who stood in their path.
“State your business.”
“We ride in Search,” Xhinna said, straightening her spine in a vain attempt to match the other’s height.
“Search? A girl?” the man asked. He glanced to the air. “Where are the bronzes?”
“Why come here?” another called from the crowd that was slowly gathering.
“Did you bring any food?” a woman added.
“No,” Xhinna said. “I’m sorry, we didn’t know.”
“What, does Fenril tell you that everyone is well-fed now?”
“I haven’t spoken with Fenril.”
“You are from Telgar, are you not?” the guard demanded, glancing down at the short dirk hanging from her belt. “That’s the Telgar mark on your dirk.”
“I—” Xhinna paused, trying to figure the best way to proceed.
“What, are you a renegade?” a voice from the crowd called out.
“D’gan would never let a girl near a dragon, unless it was a queen,” the guard said, his eyes probing Xhinna’s.
“The dragon chooses the rider,” Xhinna said.
“A blue rider—we would have heard of this,” someone else called from the crowd.
“What’s your name?”
“Xhinna.”
“That’s not a Telgar name.”
“It’s not a dragonrider name, even,” another added.
“Xhinna …,” Jirana said, her voice tinged with fear.
“We ride in Search,” Xhinna repeated to the guard. “Will you let us pass?”
“What of your friend?” the guard asked, glancing down at Jirana, who looked away.
“She’s trader born,” Xhinna said, hoping that would ease their way.
“Trader!” a voice from the crowd called. “Have you come to trade, little one?”
“Please,” Xhinna said to the guard, “let us pass.” Above them, Tazith bellowed, sensing her disquiet. “Tazith, shh!” she said aloud, even as she relayed the thought to the blue.
The guard’s eyes flickered from Xhinna, to the blue in the sky, and then back. “That’s really your dragon,” he said in surprise.
“Of course he is!” Jirana exclaimed.
“No girl rides a blue,” the guard declared. But he was already stepping aside and pulling the tent flap open.
“Except Xhinna—she’s the first,” Jirana said as she reached for Xhinna’s hand and half-tugged her into the tent.
Inside, they stopped dead. All eyes were on them, and it was obvious that their conversation with the guard had been heard by everyone.
Xhinna gazed around the room, looking for a familiar face. At the far end, one chair stood apart from all the others, but no one sat on it. The chair was roughly made—bits of wood and cloth lashed together—but the cloth was of good fabric, as though the builder had tried to make up for the poor quality of the wood.
Finally she recognized the woman she’d been hoping to find. “My Lady Nerra?”
The others in the room mumbled, and two large men moved in front of the young woman protectively. The woman raised her arms and pushed her way between the men.
“Who are you? How do you know my name when I swear we’ve never met before?”
“That’s Lady Nerra?” Jirana said in a stage whisper. She nudged Xhinna. “Bow, you must bow!”
Xhinna turned to see the little trader bowing low before Nerra and then, apparently deciding that it wasn’t good enough, going down to one knee, all the while tugging at Xhinna.
Xhinna stood her ground, saying to Jirana, “If you know Lady Nerra, then you know she sets no great store in ceremony.”
“I don’t?” Nerra said, arching one brow haughtily.
“Not—” Xhinna caught herself before she could say “in my time” and finished lamely, “so I’ve heard.”
“Then you’ve heard wrong,” the entrance guard said, his voice booming as he made his way to stand between Xhinna and Nerra.
“Stand aside, please, Jefric, and let me speak with your lady,” Xhinna said, putting an arm on the man’s side with gentle pressure. To her surprise, he moved.
“How did you know my name?” he demanded, his hand going to the hilt of his sword. “Did Fenril send you?”
Xhinna’s eyes narrowed. “Fenril’s still in the Hold?”
“Where else would he be?” Nerra asked, stepping forward, her gaze focused on Xhinna. “What do you know?”
Xhinna glanced down at Jirana, reached to touch her on the shoulder, and beckoned for her to rise. Jirana made a face, but obeyed.
“My lady, I know too much,” Xhinna said. “I must be careful what I say, so that I don’t do any harm.”
Jirana nudged her. Xhinna made a restraining motion with her hand.