"This venture?" Piemur echoed the words, alert as ever to nuances of speech.
Jaxom clenched his teeth, glaring at her. "You're sure you could carry four?" he asked Ruth.
The dragon emerged on the beach, his eyes glowing with excitement.
I have had to fly straight for many days now. That has made me very strong. None of you are heavy. The distance is not great. We are going to see the mountain?
"Ruth is obviously willing," Menolly said, "but if we don't make a move soon..." She gestured toward Cove Hold. "C'mon, Sharra, we'll get the flying gear."
"I'll have to rig flying straps for four."
"Then do it." Menolly and Sharra raced off down the sand.
Hunting ropes were handiest and Jaxom and Piemur had them in position when the girls returned with jackets and helmets. Jaxom hefted the Seaman's viewer and mentally promised that they'd be back so quickly that the man wouldn't have had time to notice its dis- appearance.
Ruth did have to strain to get himself off the beach, but once airborne, he assured Jaxom that he was fly- ing easily. He veered southeast as Jaxom focused on the distant peak. Even at this altitude, he could dis- cern no damage in the cone. He lowered the viewer fractionally until, clear and detailed, there was a dis- tinctive ridge in the foreground of the mountain.
Jaxom asked Ruth if he visualized the objective. Ruth assured him he could. And took them between before Jaxom could have second thoughts on this ven- ture. Abruptly, they were above the ridge, gasping. Breathless because of the incredible shock of cold be- tween after months of baking in tropical suns, and be- cause of the spectacular panorama before them.
As Piemur had once said, distance was deceptive. The mountain rose on the shoulders of a high plateau already thousands of dragonlengths above the sea. Far below them a broad sparkling inlet cut high cliffs: grassy on the mountain's side, densely forested on theirs. To the south, a towering range of mountains, snow-capped and misty in the distance, lay as a bar- rier east and west.
The mountain, still a good distance from them, dominated the scene.
"Look." Sharra suddenly pointed to their left, sea- ward. "More volcanoes. Some are smoking!"
Studding the open sea, a long chain of peak tops bent northeast, some with substantial islands at their feet, others mere cones poking from the water.
"A loan of the viewer, Jaxom?" Piemur took the in- strument and peered. "Yes," he replied casually after a long look, "a couple of them are active. Far out though. No danger." Then he swung the viewer toward the barrier range, slowly shaking his head after a mo- ment. "It could be the same barrier range I -saw in the west." He sounded dubious. "Take months to get there! And cold!" He turned the viewer in a short arc. "Useful thing, this. That water goes deep in- land. Idarolan could likely sail up if he has a mind to." He handed the viewer back to Jaxom and stared ahead at the mountain.
"That is the most beautiful sight," Sharra said on a long sigh.
"Must be the other side that blew out," Jaxom said, more to himself than to the others.
"The other side?" Sharra and Menolly spoke at once. And Jaxom could feel Piemur stiffening behind him.
"Did you dream, too, last night?" Jaxom asked.
"What on earth did you think had awakened us in time to hear you creeping out?" Menolly asked, a bit sharply.
"Well, let's go see the other," Piemur said as if he were merely suggesting a swim.
"Why not?" Sharra replied with the same careless- ness.
/ would like to see the place of my dreaming, Ruth said and, without any warning, he dropped from the ridge height.
Jaxom heard Menolly and Sharra exclaim in surprise and he was glad that he'd rigged flying straps for them. Ruth expressed apologies which Jaxom had no time to relay as the white dragon swooped into a current of warm air that bore them up and over the broad inlet.
When his flying had leveled, Jaxom used the viewer and found a distinctive rock formation on the northern shoulder. He gave Ruth the visualization.
They were between: they were hovering above the rock formation and the mountain seemed to bend frighteningly toward them for the space of several breaths. Ruth recovered his flying speed and veered further north, beating strongly in a wide arc toward the eastern face of the mountain.
Momentarily they were all blinded by the full bril- liance of the rising sun which had been occluded by the mountain's bulk. Ruth shifted to a southerly head- ing. Before them lay the most incredible sweep of land that Jaxom had ever seen—far broader, and deeper than Telgar's flatlands, or the desert of Igen. His eyes were drawn quickly from that spectacular vista to the mountain.
The view was suddenly all too familiar to Jaxom, the product of so many uneasy nights and unfocused dreams. The eastern lip of the mountain was gone! The gaping mouth seemed to snarl its left-hand comer pulled down. Jaxom's eyes followed that line and he saw, crouching on the southeastern flank, three more volcano mouths, like malevolent offspring of the larger. The lava flowed down, south, toward the rolling plains.
Ruth continued to glide instinctively away from the mountain, toward the kinder valley.
As much as Jaxom had admired and feasted his eyes on the northern aspect of that volcano, now he turned from the malevolent teeth of the blown side, the side of his nightmares.
Jaxom all but anticipated Ruth's words: This place I know. They say this is where their men were!
Out of the sun, fairs of fire-lizards dove and veered out of Ruth's flightline. Beauty, Meer, Talla and Farii, who had ridden their friends' shoulders to this incredi- ble place, took off to join the newcomers.
"Look, Jaxom! Look down!" Piemur yelled in his ear while tugging at his shoulder and pointing franti- cally to a spot below Ruth's left foreleg. The early sun threw the outlines in bold relief. Regular outlines, mounds, and then straight lines dissecting, forming curious squares where no such regular formations should be.
"That's what Master Robinton is looking for!" He grinned back over his shoulder at Piemur, who had turned to attract the girls' attention to the ground.
Then Jaxom gasped, pressuring Ruth with his legs to turn northeast. He felt Piemur clutch at his shoulders as the Harper, too, saw what he'd seen. Where the haze from the distant smoking volcanoes in the sea was joined by a gray haze from the skies—Thread!
"Thread!"
Thread! Before Jaxom could direct him, Ruth had taken them smartly between. In the next instant they were hovering above the Cove, its beaches accommo- dating the bulks of five dragons. Master Idarolan's fishermen were scurrying from shore to ship, placing slates on a frame rigged to protect the wooden decks from Threadfall!
Canth asks where have we been? I must chew fire- stone immediately. The fire-lizards are to help protect the ship. Everyone is annoyed with us. Why?
Jaxom asked Ruth to land them near the firestone pile on the beach and to start chewing.
"I've got to find Stupid!" Piemur dropped to the sand and was off in a run toward the forest.
"Give me Master Idarolan's viewer," Menolly said to Jaxom. "I got a look at his face and though I don't say it's his viewer he's angry about..."
"I'll brave the storm in Cove Hold," Sharra told Jaxom, grinning at him and gripping his arm in reas- surance. "Don't look so depressed! I know I wouldn't have missed this morning's jaunt. Not even if I get scolded by Lessa."
We have been exploring south as we were told to do by the Harper! Ruth announced suddenly, lifting his head and staring in the direction of the other dragons. We are back here in time to fight Thread. We have done nothing wrong.
Jaxom flinched, surprised at the determination in Ruth's tone, particularly since Jaxom was certain the white dragon was answering Canth since the brown dragon was looking in their direction and his eyes were whirling. Jaxom saw Lioth next to Canth, Monarth and two other Benden browns whom he did not know on sight.
Yes, I will fly across your pattern, Ruth said, again responding to words Jaxom didn't hear. As 1 have done before. I have en
ough stone to flame. Thread is nearly on the Cove.
He craned his neck toward Jaxom, and his rider sprang to his neck, truly relieved that the imminence of Thread delayed a confrontation with either F'nor or N'ton. Not, Jaxom realized, that he was in the wrong with either rider.
We have done what the Harper told us to do, Ruth said as he launched himself into the sky. No one told us not to fly to the mountain today. I am glad we did. I will not be bothered with dreams now that I have seen the place. Then Ruth added with some surprise:
Brekke does not think you are strong enough to fly Thread the first day you are allowed between. You are to tell me if you tire!
Nothing would have induced Jaxom to admit fatigue after that, had they flown the entire four-hour Fall. As it was, they met Thread three coves east. Met and destroyed it, Ruth and Jaxom weaving over, under, through the other five who set the triangle pattern east and west. Jaxom hoped that Piemur had got Stupid to safety. After a moment, Ruth replied that Farii said the beast was on the porch of Cove Hold. She was ready to flame any Thread that attacked the Hold.
Jaxom noticed, as they wheeled above the Cove it- self, that the tall masts of the Dawn Sister seemed to have sprouted fire and then realized that it must be the other fire-lizards protecting the ship. There seemed to be rather a lot of them flaming! Had the Southerners joined forces with the banded ones? Had they decided for some reason to help men?
He hadn't time for more speculation in the dive, swoop and flame of Threadfall. He was very tired by the time the silver rain had dwindled to nothing and
Canth bugled return. Ruth swept east and Jaxom saw F'nor give the signal: Well done. Then they glided back to the Cove.
Jaxom landed Ruth on the narrower portion of the western beach to allow the bigger dragons more space. He slid from Ruth's back, thumping the sweat- dampened neck, sneezing when the reek of firestone blew in his face. Ruth gave a little cough.
/ am getting better and better at chewing. No flame left. He raised his head then, looking toward Canth, who had landed near them. Why is F'nor annoyed? We have flown well. No Thread escaped us. Ruth craned his neck back at his rider, his eyes beginning to whirl faster, flicks of yellow appearing. / do not understand. He snorted once, the firestone fumes mak- ing Jaxom cough.
"Jaxom! I want a word with you!"
F'nor strode across the sand to him, unbelting his jacket and stripping off his helmet in sharp angry ges- tures.
"Yes?"
"Where were the lot of you this morning? Why did you leave with no word to anyone? What have you to say for yourself arriving so close to Thread? Did you forget Thread was due today?"
Jaxom regarded F'nor. The brown rider's face was suffused with anger and fatigue. The same cold rage that had erupted within Jaxom that day so long ago in his own Hold began to possess him. He straightened his shoulders and raised his head higher. His eyes were level with F'nor's, a fact he had not previously noted. He could not, he would not, permit himself to lose control of his temper as he had that morning in Ruatha.
"We were ready for Thread when it fell, brown rider," he responded calmly. "My duty as the rider of a dragon was to protect Cove Hold. I did. My pleasure and privilege was to fly with Benden." He gave a slight bow and had the satisfaction of seeing the anger in F'nor's face give way to surprise. "I'm sure the others have by now reported to Master Robinton what we discovered this morning. Into the water with you, Ruth. I'll be glad to answer all your questions, F'nor, when I've cleaned Ruth up." He gave F'nor, who was staring at him in honest amazement, a second bow and then stripped off hot and sweaty flying gear, leaving on only the shortened trousers that were more suitable to the heat.
F'nor was still staring at him when he ran and dove neatly into the water, coming up beside his wallowing white friend.
Ruth twisted, blowing water in a fountain above his head, his half-lidded eyes gleaming greenly just under the surface.
Canth says that F'nor is confused. What did you say that confuses a brown rider?
"What he didn't expect to hear from a white rider. I can't wash you when you're rolling over all the time."
You are angry. You will tear my hide scrubbing so hard.
"I am angry. Not at you."
Should we go to our lake? Ruth's question was ten- tative and he turned his head toward his rider in an anxious manner.
"What do we need with a freezing lake when we've an entire warm ocean? I'm just annoyed with F'nor. It isn't as if I were still sick, or a child that needed a guardian. I've fought Thread with you, and without you. If I'm old enough to do that, I don't need to ac- count for any of my movements to any one for any reason."
/ forgot that Thread would fall today!
Jaxom couldn't help but laugh at Ruth's humble ad- mission.
"So did I. But don't you ever let on to anyone."
Fire-lizards descended now to assist, needing a bit of scrub themselves to judge by the reek their wet hides exuded. They scolded Ruth much more unkindly than Jaxom did if he wallowed too deeply in the waves when they wanted to rinse him. Among the fair were Meer, Talla and Farli. Jaxom bent to his task. He was tired but he decided that as long as he kept himself going, he'd be able to finish bathing Ruth. Then he'd have all afternoon to rest.
He didn't. He also didn't have to bathe Ruth all by himself because Sharra joined him.
"Would you like me to take the other side again?" she asked as she waded up to him.
"I'd appreciate it no end," he said with a grin and sigh.
She tossed him a handled brush. "Brekke brought these with her. Thought they'd help clean dragons, and things. Good stiff bristles. You'll like that, won't you, Ruth?"
She scooped handsful of sand from the cove floor, dribbling the wet stuff on Ruth's neck and then apply- ing the brush with vigor. Ruth whistled through the water with pleasure.
"What happened to you while I was fighting Thread?" he asked her, pausing before attacking Ruth's rump.
"Menolly's still answering questions." Sharra re- garded him over Ruth's recumbent body, her eyes dancing, her smile full of mischief. "She talked so fast he couldn't interrupt, and she was still talking when I left. I didn't realize anyone could outtalk the Master Harper. Anyway, he stopped fuming very early on. Did you get scorched by F'nor?"
"We exchanged... opinions."
"I'll just bet you did the way Brekke was carrying on. I told her that you'd got pretty fit while she was away. She acted as if you'd risen from your deathbed to ride Fall!" Sharra made a scornful sound.
Jaxom leaned over Ruth's back, grinning at her, thinking how pretty she was with the mischief in her eyes, and beads of water on her face where Ruth had splashed her. She glanced up at him, raising one eye in query.
"Did we really see what I thought we saw this morn- ing, Sharra?"
"We surely did!" She pointed her brush at him, her expression severe. "And you're very lucky that we were along to vouch because I don't think anyone would have believed just you." She paused, the twinkle back in her eyes. "I'm not entirely sure they believe us anyhow."
"Who doesn't believe us?"
"Master Robinton, Master Wansor and Brekke. Weren't you listening to me?"
"No," he said, grinning, "I was looking at you."
"Jaxom!" He laughed as the blush deepened the tan on her face and neck.
/ have a severe itch where you are leaning against me, Jaxom.
"There now, you see?" Sharra said, slapping his hand with the bristles. "You're neglecting Ruth in a shocking fashion."
"How'd you know Ruth was speaking to me?"
"Your face always gives you away."
"Say, where's the Dawn Sister going?" Jaxom asked, noticing the ship, her sails billowing out in the breeze, standing out to sea.
"Fishing, of course. Threadfall always brings out schools. And our escapade this morning is going to bring people down here in droves. We'll need the fish to feed 'em."
Jaxom groaned, closing his eyes and shaking his head in dismay
.
"That..." Sharra paused for emphasis, "is our punishment for the unauthorized jaunt this morning."
They were both dumped into the water as Ruth unexpectedly lunged out.
"Ruth!"
My friends are coming! The white dragon bugled happily as Jaxom saw, bleary-eyed from the ducking, a half-wing of dragons appearing in the sky.
There is Ramoth and Mnementh, Tiroth, Gyamath, Branth, Orth...
"All the Weyrleaders, Sharra!"
She was spitting and choking over the water she'd swallowed.
"Great!" She didn't sound happy. "My brush!" She began searching about her.
And Path, Golanth, Drenth and he's here on our watchdragon!
Anne McCaffrey - Pern06 White Dragon Page 38