I was there. You were there. We are now together, said Ruth, responding to Jaxom's emotion at that scene. Jaxom blinked away an excess of moisture that collected in his eyes at that reaffirmation of their bond.
"It's all over so soon," Menolly said, her voice petulant with regret. "I wish it wouldn't all happen in such a rush!"
"I'd say we'd had quite an afternoon," Robinton stated, gesturing toward Ramoth. The queen was now glowering at the retreating pairs and shifting from foreleg to foreleg.
"D'you suppose now that they're all safely Hatched and Impressed, her temper will improve?" Menolly asked.
"And Lessa's as well?" Robinton's lips twitched to suppress his amusement. "No doubt once Ramoth can be persuaded to eat, both will feel more charitable."
"I hope so." Menolly's reply was low and fervent, not meant, Jaxom thought, to be heard by Robinton, for the Harper had turned to the back of the tiers, evidently looking for someone.
Robinton had heard, however, and gave his journeyman a warm grin. "Too bad we can't postpone this meeting until the happy restoration has occurred."
"Can't I come with you this once?"
"To protect me, Menolly?". The Harper gripped her by the shoulder, smiling affectionately. "No, it's not a general meeting and I cannot offend by including you."
"He can come…" Menolly jerked her thumb at I Jaxom, glaring at him with resentment.
"I can what?"
"You hadn't learned from Lytol that a meeting's been called after the Impression?" the Harper asked.
"Ruatha must attend."
"They couldn't exclude you as Masterharper," said Menolly in a tight voice.
"Why would they?" Jaxom asked, surprised by Menolly's uncharacteristic defensiveness.
"Because, you dim glow . .."
"That's enough, Menolly. I appreciate your concern, but all things come to pass in the fullness of time. My head is neither bloodied or bowed. Once Ramoth has killed, I'll have no fear of being dragon bait, either." Robinton patted her shoulder, reassuringly.
The queen was making her way out of the Hatching Ground and, as they watched, she took wing.
"There, you see. She's gone to feed," the Harper said. "I have nothing to fear anymore."
Menolly gave him a long sardonic look. "I just wish I could be with you, that's all."
"I know. Ah, Fandarel," The Harper raised his voice and waved to catch the eye of the big Mastersmith. "Come, Lord Jaxom, we've business in the Council Chamber."
This must be what Lytol had meant by his being required to attend the Hatching. But oughtn't Lytol to have been there if the meeting was as important as Menolly intimated? Jaxom was flattered by his guardian's confidence.
The two Masters, having met on their way down the tiers, attached other Craftmasters who nodded greetings with more solemnity than a Hatching generally occasioned. Menolly's hint that this was to be an unusual meeting was reinforced. Again Jaxom wondered that Lytol was not here. He had, Jaxom knew, agreed to support Robinton.
"Thought Ramoth was going to prevent Impression for a moment there," Fandarel said, nodding at Jaxom. "Hear you've deserted me for your favorite pastime, huh, lad?"
"Training only. Master Fandarel. All dragons must learn to chew firestone."
"Upon my soul," Masterminer Nicat exclaimed. "Never thought he'd live long enough to do that."
Jaxom caught the Masterharper's warning expression as he was about to reply with some heat, and rephrased his answer. "Ruth is very good at it, thank you."
"One forgets the passage of time, Master Nicat," Robinton said, smoothly, "and that growth and maturity come to those we remember first as very young. Ah, Andemon, how are you today?" The Harper beckoned to the Masterfarmer to join them as they made their way across the hot sands.
Nicat fell in beside Jaxom, chuckling. "Teaching the little white to chew firestone, huh? That wouldn't happen to be why some of our supplies appear short in the morning?"
"Master Nicat, I'm training at Fort Weyr and have all the firestone Ruth needs there."
"Training at Fort Weyr, are you?" Nicat's grin widened as his eyes flicked to Jaxom's cheek, stayed and moved on. "With dragonriders, huh, Lord Jaxom?" There was the barest stress of the title before Nicat looked ahead at the steps up to the queen's weyr and the ledge where Mnementh generally perched.
The bronze had gone off to watch his queen feed in the meadow below. Jaxom looked for the white hide of Ruth by the lake and felt his dragon's mental presence.
"Good Hatching, with a nice bit of suspense for starters, huh?" Nicat said conversationally.
"Did you have any lads on the Ground today?" Jaxom asked politely.
"Only one this time; Two lads had already gone to Telgar's last Hatching so no complaints. No complaints. Although, if you've a clutch of fire-lizard eggs going a-begging, I wouldn't say no to a couple."
Nicat's gaze was guileless, and it certainly would be no hair off his hide if Jaxom chose to teach Ruth to chew firestone and had appropriated sacks from the mines.
"We've none presently, but you never can tell when a clutch'll be found."
"I only mention it in passing. They're pure death for those pesky, ruinous tunnel snakes, not to mention being very clever about discovering gas pockets we don't smell. And gas pockets is about all we're mining at present."
The Masterminer sounded depressed and worried. Jaxom wondered what was in the air these days to produce such a general atmosphere of anxiety and sorrow. He'd always liked Master Nicat and, during their lessons in the mines, had come to respect the short heavyset craftmaster whose face was still black-pored from working as an apprentice below the ground. As they climbed the stone steps to the queen's weyr, Jaxom wished again that he wasn't bound by that promise to N'ton not to time it. He had too many demands on ordinary daytime to risk a hop between to the Southern beaches although Ruth might be lucky enough to locate a clutch quickly. He would like to oblige Master Nicat; he'd also like to find an egg for Corana. It also wouldn't hurt to indulge the disgruntled Tegger, who might have learned how to keep a fire-lizard now. But there was no way, short of timing it, that Jaxom could complete a trip south right now.
Just as they reached the entrance, a bronze dragon appeared above the Star Stones, bugling. The watch-dragon replied. Jaxom noticed that everyone had stopped stock still to hear the exchange. Shells and shards, but they were nervous here in Benden. He wondered who had arrived.
The Weyrleader from Ista, Ruth told him.
D'ram? It wasn't incumbent on other Weyrleaders to attend Hatchings, though generally, unless Threadfall was imminent in their own area, they did come-especially to Benden. Jaxom had already spotted N'ton, R'mart of Telgar Weyr, G'narish of Igen, T'bor of the High Reaches among those gathered. Then he remembered the Master Harper's talk about D'ram's Weyrwoman, Fanna. Was she worse?
When they reached the Council Chamber, Nicat parted from him. Jaxom took one look at Lessa, seated in the Weyrwoman's huge stone chair, her face intense in its frown, and he quickly moved to the far comer of the room. Her keen eyes wouldn't be able to spot the score on his cheek at that distance.
This was not to be a large meeting, the Harper had said. Jaxom watched the Mastercraftsmen file in, the other Weyrleaders, the major Lord Holders, but there were no weyrwomen or wing-seconds except for Brekke and F'nor.
D'ram arrived in the company of F'lar and a younger man Jaxom didn't recognize though he wore wing-second colors. If Jaxom had been upset by the glimpse of the Masterharper's aging, he was shocked by the change in D'ram's appearance. The man seemed to have shrunk in the past Turn to a husk, dried up and frail. The Istan Weyrleader's step was jerky and his shoulders rounded.