Threadfall - 29. Subverting the System

‘We’re getting some really dirty looks,’ J’rud said, after he returned to the table with a loaded plate.

D’gar was already eating. ‘So?’ The rest of the seconded riders on Greenfields Wing table had all returned with their dinner, while the Telgar riders sat waiting, still last on the roster.

‘It’s not fair, is it?’

‘I agree. But we can’t help that.’ The food wasn’t quite as good as what was usually available at Fort, but at least they weren’t eating leftovers any more. Herebeth, curled on his couch, was sleeping off an equally large meal of a herdbeast and a wherry. His last comment before he dozed off had been that perhaps Telgar wasn’t such a bad place to be, after all.

As he ate, D’gar wondered how long it would be before resentment boiled up into something more. If everyone went short, no one could complain. Now that the Telgar riders could see others getting fed as they should be, it wouldn’t take long before some of them decided to question whether the rationing was really necessary, bearing in mind that there were no shortages of food for either dragons or their riders as once there had been.

Even in the few days since he’d spoken to the Weyrleader, divisions had begun. Outside of mealtimes, when everyone sat with their wingmates, the seconded riders stuck together, no matter which Weyr they came from. They had formed their own small unit within Telgar Weyr, yet somehow separate from it. This wasn’t how secondments were meant to work.

Bedella and R’mart sat at the top table, seemingly united, although D’gar noticed R’mart’s unease as he cast an eye around the dining hall. Surely the man could figure out what was happening? He hadn’t struck D’gar as unintelligent, just uncertain in his relatively new position. If he was looking for popularity, then abolishing the outdated points system would be the way to go, but then he’d suffer the wrath of Weyrwoman Bedella.

‘You’re quiet,’ J’rud said.

‘I’m eating. And thinking. Tell you about it later, if you want to come to my weyr.’

‘Is that an invitation?’ He gave D’gar a seductive look.

‘To my weyr, yes. Anything else, no.’ He didn’t like to disappoint J’rud, but S’brin was waiting for him back at Fort Weyr. There had been so much going on over the past few days, home had receded to the back of his mind. Now, with his problems at least partially solved, he found his thoughts returning there again. ‘I wonder how M’rell’s getting on?’ he asked, changing the subject.

‘It’ll take a while. No one gets over the death of someone they love that easily.’

‘True.’ Look at Zalna, for example. It was almost a Turn and a half since K’torl died and while she wasn’t physically grieving any more, she’d certainly changed as a person. ‘I just hope he gets the support he needs.’

‘He and S’brin are probably getting drunk right now.’

‘That’s what I’m afraid of. I mean, numbing yourself with alcohol might work up to a point, but I hope he doesn’t end up like some of those older wingriders.’ It wasn’t something that was talked about very much, but everyone knew that a good number of them drank to excess. When you’d been fighting Thread for twenty or thirty Turns, been hurt a few times, suffered when your dragon was injured and lost half of your clutchmates, was it really surprising?

‘Nothing you can do about it.’

J’rud was always so practical. D’gar was certain he didn’t lie awake at night wondering about other people’s problems or tormenting himself by going over bad decisions and wishing he could go back to change some of the things he’d done when he was younger. ‘I suppose not,’ he said.

They’d long since finished eating before the rest of Greenfields Wing went up to serve themselves. As they returned, one of them struck D’gar’s shoulder on his way past.

‘Hey, watch it!’

The rider wheeled round. ‘It’s all right for you lot. Look at this muck we have to eat.’ He thrust the unappetising platter towards D’gar’s face.

‘Not my fault,’ D’gar said. ‘Speak to your Weyrleader about it.’

Grumbling, the man returned to his place.

‘There’s going to be a lot more of that over the next few sevendays.’ D’gar leaned closer to J’rud and spoke quietly. ‘It’s going to cause all kinds of resentment.’

‘Then they need to say something. Like you did.’ J’rud gazed at him with something akin to hero worship.

‘Easy for us. We’re not really a part of this Weyr. And they need our help, so they had to make concessions.’

‘I suppose it’s better to be well fed than popular,’ J’rud said, although he didn’t sound too certain.

‘Depends on who you want to be popular with.’

‘I’m a green. My dragon’s going to rise soon. Some of those riders look as if they’d like to take me apart.’

Shells! D’gar had lost count of the months. ‘When?’

‘Over a sevenday, I’d say, but less than two of them. Haven’t you noticed how she’s cuddling up to Herebeth recently?’

‘She always does that.’

‘Yes, but just in a friendly way. Lately, she’s been flirting with him. Shards, D’gar, but for someone so bright you can be really dense sometimes.’

Ah. So that was why he’d made that suggestive comment about meeting in his weyr. ‘Sorry, J’rud. I’ve had other things on my mind recently. And yes, I probably am a bit dense about things like mating flights. I can never keep track of how long it’s been since anyone last rose. Even Zemianth.’ Although, now that he thought about it, if Zurinth was getting close, Zemianth would be, too. Their cycles ran to almost the same schedule, except that sometimes Zemianth rose first by a few days and others Zurinth beat her to it.

‘Not that Herebeth’s ever interested in Zemianth.’ J’rud sounded almost smug.

‘They don’t really like each other much,’ he admitted. Although, she’d let him catch her once and there had been another time when he did more or less by accident. ‘She prefers bronzes.’ He’d more or less got used to the fact that he was unlikely to share the intimacy of a mating flight very often with his chosen weyrmate.

‘But he likes Zurinth. And, well, you know how I feel. While we’re here, I’d really prefer it if…’

D’gar could tell that he was genuinely worried. ‘I’m sure he’ll chase her. And both our dragons are well fed now, so she’ll probably outrun anyone from Telgar.’

‘They know the terrain better, though. And like I said, some of the riders have been giving us greens cause for concern. Threats and the like.’

Now that he mentioned it, D’gar had noticed the seconded green riders clustering together earlier in the day. ‘Then maybe we can get some of our dragons to run blocking tactics, even if they aren’t interested in mating.’ He could speak to the other four about it. T’san, M’lir, S’naull, Z’ma and himself had formed a kind of bond ever since they’d gone to the Weyrleader together. He’d noticed that ever since, the other riders seemed to regard them all as unofficial leaders. ‘We don’t want anyone - or their dragons - to get hurt.’

‘Thanks.’ J’rud glanced toward the serving tables. ‘Ooh look, they’re bringing out the sweet stuff. Let’s go and get some.’

‘You’ll lose all your teeth before you’re forty if you’re not careful.’

After the meal, Zurinth took them back to his weyr, Herebeth still being too stuffed and sleepy to want to move. He raised an eyelid as Zurinth landed. As they walked through to the inner room, she nestled close to him in a way Zemianth had never really done since they were weyrlings.

‘Cute, aren’t they,’ J’rud said. Once inside the weyr he took a look around. ‘Really, D’gar, this place is miserable. Didn’t you bring anything to make it a bit more homely?’

‘I couldn’t. S’brin’s still living in our weyr.’

‘Then we’ll have to raid the Telgar stores.’ He sat down on the couch. ‘Look at this. It’s almost worn through. A colourful throw over it would make such a difference.’

‘It’s comfortable enough. Anyway, they might not like us raiding their stores on top of all the rest.’

‘True. I can probably spare some of my stuff, if you like.’

‘I really don’t mind. I only sleep in here, after all. It’s just temporary.’ Home was Fort Weyr. Just picturing the Bowl in his mind sent a familiar wave of homesickness through him.

‘So,’ J’rud said, patting the seat next to him to encourage D’gar to sit down. ‘Why did you entice me into your weyr?’

‘Just to talk. Out of all the others from Fort, you’re the one I feel…’ he had to be careful here. ‘Most comfortable with, I suppose. We’re clutchmates, after all. G’tash has always been pompous and as for T’mudra…’

‘Yeah, he’s not changed much, has he? Although even he’s appreciative for the extra food. And last Fall, everything worked much better.’

That was true. None of the seconded dragons had run out of firestone and the Wingleaders had rearranged formations to the extent that they had mostly been working with each other. Almost as if they didn’t want these upstarts to contaminate their own wingriders. ‘I was still tired out at the end of it. Although at least I got something to eat before dinner was served.’ That reminded him. ‘I never asked, but where did you get that redfruit from, after our first Fall here?’

J’rud smiled. ‘Bought it from one of the kitchen women. A sixteenth, can you believe. Daylight robbery.’

‘I’ll pay you back.’

‘No need. I’ve got plenty of marks to spare.’

‘But weren’t you saving them for something special?’

J’rud leaned closer. ‘You are special.’

‘J’rud. Stop it.’

‘It’s the truth.’

Zurinth was affecting him. It wasn’t his fault. ‘Well, never mind that. I wanted to run a few ideas past you, but not with everyone listening in.’

‘Go on, then.’

‘Who’s the most powerful person in any Weyr?’

‘Well, the Weyrwoman, of course.’

‘Exactly. It’s her dragon who decides which bronze to mate with. When we had that meeting, Bedella was the one who was against any changes being made. She marched off in a huff when R’mart wanted to listen to our complaints rather than just dismissing them out of hand. He gave us a story about her having been the previous Weyrleader’s childhood sweetheart and wanting to keep everything the same to preserve his memory, but I think it was more than that. They probably thought the system out together, all those Turns ago and I’ll bet it was her who insisted on keeping it that way even after the shortages had passed. She’s the one we’re up against.’

J’rud looked slightly puzzled. ‘But it’s all sorted out now, isn’t it?’

‘For us, yes. Not for the Telgar riders. I reckon in another few sevendays, maybe even sooner, they’ll start complaining to the Weyrleader as well. And how’s Bedella going to feel about that?’

‘Annoyed.’

‘Exactly. She’ll be losing control of the way this Weyr’s being run and she’s not going to like it.’

‘I see.’ J’rud wrinkled his eyes as he often did when he was thinking. ‘Not that she can do anything much about it until it’s time for her dragon to rise again.’

‘But R’mart knows she holds the power. She might start currying favour with one of the other bronze riders. One who she reckons is more easily managed. She probably thought R’mart, being fairly young, would be a push over.’

‘That’s not going to be our problem, though. By the time Solth rises again, we’ll be long gone from Telgar.’

‘True. But if she persuades R’mart not to extend the concessions to this Weyr’s riders as he did to us, things might get unpleasant. And they’ll blame us, even though it’s really their own rotten system. So, I’m trying to think my way around possibilities and work out what to do.’

‘Come up with any ideas yet?’

‘Sort of. I thought I might meet with the other four later. We can discuss what you told me earlier about you greens for one thing. I wondered if we might also try to influence some of the Telgar riders to do the same as we did. One or two dissenting voices can easily be silenced, but if a whole load of them protest, then there’s far more likelihood they’ll be listened to.’

‘I see that. But getting the Wingleaders on your side might be tricky. We don’t know the politics of this place well enough to know who would support R’mart or who might want a run for his job the next time around.’

‘I bet their green riders know. Greens know everything that’s going on in a Weyr. Maybe you and some of the others could go to one of their meetings and find out?’

‘Spy on them, you mean?’

D’gar frowned. ‘No. Just listen. Maybe ask a few leading questions. Find out how much resentment is fermenting under the surface. I bet their dragons are just as annoyed as any of ours were at not being allowed to stuff their bellies. An unhappy dragon leads to unhappy riders.’

‘True,’ J’rud mused. ‘You know, being in charge suits you.’

‘I’m not in charge.’

‘You’re the leader. Even the bronzes have accepted that. Just listen to yourself, arranging meetings, getting people to listen in and report back. If that’s not leadership I don’t know what is.’

D’gar thought he was just being kind. J’rud was unlikely to be objective. He knew how the green rider felt about him and with Zurinth getting closer to rising, he’d be less in control of his emotions. ‘That’s as may be,’ he said. ‘We still need to be prepared for whatever might happen. That way we won’t get taken by surprise.’

Herebeth was still dozy, but alert enough to talk. Can you let Huylonth, Kuroth, Dugolth and Tayith know that I’d like to meet with their riders. Here, if they’re all right with that.

Will do.

‘What’s Herebeth saying?’ J’rud asked.

‘I just asked him to call the others to a meeting. I’d like you to stay, if you don’t mind, to let them know your concerns. We need to protect our green riders, after all.’ The dragons would probably be fine, but D’gar remembered all too well some of the incidents he’d witnessed at Fort. Riders could be injured and no one held to account because it happened during a mating flight. Like poor Sh’bul, back when they’d been weyrlings.

They are all willing to meet, the dragons say. We will clear some space on this ledge so that they can land.

He heard the shuffling and slur of wings against stone as Herebeth and Zurinth retreated further back toward the couch. A short while later, the first dragon landed, talons scraping the ledge. T’san strode in, brushing aside the curtain. ‘Evening,’ he said to D’gar, before turning to J’rud. ‘That must be your green out there. She’s a fine looking dragon.’

J’rud just smiled slightly. ‘I’ll uncover some more glows. It’s getting a bit dark in here.’ He busied himself.

T’san settled down on the couch. ‘Your weyrmate?’ he asked D’gar.

‘Er, no. Wingmate, though. And our dragons like each other.’

‘I noticed that when I came through.’

S’naull arrived, then shortly afterward M’lir and Z’ma. They sat in a semi-circle, while J’rud pulled up a spare stool slightly to one side.

‘So, what’s this about?’ Z’ma asked.

‘I imagine you’ve noticed a certain degree of animosity brewing lately.’

They all nodded. ‘Resentment because we’re allowed to do things they can’t,’ S’naull said. ‘Can’t say I’m that surprised.’

‘Yes, well, it’s been brought to my attention that some of the green riders are getting worried. Care to elaborate, J’rud?’

‘One or two of our dragons are going to rise soon. Some of the other riders have had threats that they’re going to get hurt. It’s probably one of the few ways disgruntled riders can vent some anger.’

‘Could just be idle threats,’ M’lir said.

‘It might be, but I’d rather not risk that. When Zurinth rises, I’m pretty helpless, so if someone decides to beat me to a pulp there’s not much I can do to defend myself. And if she’s flying and I get knocked out, then…’

They all winced. It was drummed into everyone during weyrling training that losing contact with a dragon during a mating flight was dangerous. Dragons had gone between because of it and never returned. D’gar suddenly had a horrible vision of J’rud, dragonless and out of his mind. He couldn’t let that happen.

‘Shards!’ Z’ma swore. ‘We need to make sure they’re protected.’

‘My thoughts, too. Personally, I’d rather no Telgar dragon gets close to any of our greens and that any riders and dragons who aren’t actually involved in the flight team up to make sure ours stay safe.’ D’gar glanced around at them all. ‘If you could find out from your riders when they’re due to rise, we can work out more or less when we’ll be needed.’

‘And preferably, if any of your own blues, browns or bronzes favour one of the greens, then make sure they’ll have a good chance,’ J’rud added. ‘It can help.’

S’naull chuckled at that. ‘Get together with the rider beforehand, you mean? I reckon I can oblige you there,’ he said to J’rud, winking.

D’gar caught his meaning and found himself almost involuntarily moving closer to J’rud. ‘Fort will look after our own,’ he said.

S’naull regarded him evenly. ‘Sorry. Didn’t realise you two were…’

‘Herebeth’s flown Zurinth before,’ D’gar told him, trying to sound casual about it. ‘He’ll probably do it again.’

‘D’gar and I are very good friends,’ J’rud added, giving him what could only be described as a smouldering look.

‘Fair enough,’ S’naull acknowledged. ‘I’ll find out which of ours are going to rise soonest.’

‘Same here,’ Z’ma said. ‘I think we’ll all have a fair idea who can chase who and which dragons won’t be interested. Although we might not be able to keep it strictly within Weyr.’

‘Definitely not for High Reaches. There are only five of us here and three are greens. My Kuroth mated just a month ago, so whatever I want, he’s not going to be interested.’

‘We’ll have to think of something for those situations,’ T’san said. ‘Huylonth’s not caught anyone for a while, so I reckon he’ll be up for it.’

‘Good,’ D’gar said. ‘Now, on to the rest of our discussion.’

‘Would you like me to leave now?’ J’rud asked.

D’gar looked at the others. ‘I’m happy for him to stay, but if any of you aren’t…’

‘If you are, then I am, too.’ T’san said. The others nodded.

J’rud’s eyes unfocussed slightly and a moment later Herebeth spoke. Zurinth’s rider says you just showed your leadership again.

D’gar shook his head slightly, clearing his thoughts. ‘It’s concerning the growing resentment in this Weyr. We’ve started something off, like it or not.’

‘They’ll have to help themselves. It’s none of our business.’ Z’ma folded his arms. ‘Weyr autonomy and all that.’

‘I agree, up to a point. Trouble is, we’re going to be here for a few months yet and I reckon we’re going to get involved whether we want to or not. I’m not saying we should encourage them to rebel or anything so controversial, but maybe we can find out a bit more about the political situation in this Weyr.’

‘Like what?’ M’lir asked.

‘We already know from our meeting that Bedella’s quite a controlling woman and R’mart’s new to the job. I got the feeling he’d be keener to change if he was more secure in his position. Now, if we were at home, we’d know exactly which bronze riders were willing to support him and which were rivals.’

T’san nodded slowly. ‘Good point. If enough of the Wingleaders support R’mart, he might have the confidence to do something.’

‘Thus forestalling the growing dissent within the Weyr. It would make him very popular with most of the wingriders and as Solth only rose last Turn, he’d have a while to consolidate his position. So all I’m suggesting is that we keep our ears open and maybe talk to some of the more friendly Telgar riders. I’ve already suggested to J’rud that he and some of our other greens go along to one of their meetings.’

‘Greens know all the gossip,’ S’naull said.

‘Exactly.’

‘We also need to go out of our way not to annoy, if that’s possible. No one should be taunting the other riders in their Wing about getting better food or anything like that.’

‘I agree,’ said T’san. ‘We shouldn’t rub it in their faces.’

‘So, just make sure we all do a decent job and not say or do anything that we wouldn’t at home. We’re still guests here and representatives of our own Weyrs.’

The meeting ended after some more discussion. S’naull thought that his own Wingleader, in Balan Wing, might be a R’mart supporter, based on a few comments that he’d heard. D’gar wasn’t sure about S’gra. He seemed totally supportive of the ‘Telgar Way’, but then, if he’d thought there was no chance of change, that might have been the best way to keep his position. Everyone went back to their own weyrs, mulling over what had been said. J’rud and he stood out on the ledge as dragons winged away.

‘I suppose I’d better go,’ he said, very reluctantly.

‘Yes. Fall again tomorrow. We both need to get a good night’s sleep.’ D’gar heard Zurinth shift and stretch her wings behind them.

‘Well, good night then.’ J’rud stood very close, their chests almost touching. He reached up a hand gently to stroke D’gar’s face. ‘I wish…’

‘Best not, eh.’ D’gar hated the way J’rud’s expression changed at his rejection, but he had to stay strong. Mating flights were acceptable. Anything else wasn’t.

Zurinth wants to stay. I like Zurinth to be here.

Great. Even his dragon was conspiring against him. Zurinth’s rider is not my weyrmate.

Maybe he should be. Herebeth sounded slightly sulky. Then I could share a weyr with a dragon who likes me.

J’rud turned away as Zurinth shuffled alongside and waited for him to climb up. Dragon’s faces weren’t particularly good at showing emotion, but D’gar thought - or was he picking it up from Herebeth - that she looked slightly disgruntled at having to leave her brown dragon.

‘Night,’ he said.

J’rud gave a short nod of acknowledgement, then Zurinth stepped off to glide away, before doubling back in a tight turn typical of her colour to neatly land on her own ledge.

Now you are sad, Herebeth said. If it makes you sad when he leaves, why not just let him stay?

Because…you couldn’t expect a dragon to understand human emotions. It’s just how things are.

Humans are complicated. Herebeth nudged him lightly as he passed. I do not know why you do some of the things you do, but you are still my rider.

He stroked the dragon’s neck. I’m sorry Zurinth couldn’t stay. But when she rises, if you catch her, then she can.

A wave of happiness washed through his mind. Of course I will catch her. She wants me to.

Fall was due to start mid-afternoon. The worst time, from D’gar’s point of view. He could never settle to anything much and although he ate a good breakfast, it sat uneasily in his stomach. Lunch was out of the question.

He checked Herebeth’s fighting straps yet again. He’d already gone over them earlier, but it was something to do to pass the time. If they’d been back at Fort Weyr, S’brin would have found some other, more pleasurable way to distract him, but here at Telgar, that wasn’t an option.

Zurinth’s rider would keep you company, Herebeth suggested.

Stop matchmaking for me.

It was only a suggestion. He sounded a little huffy.

D’gar thought about Fort Weyr, doing a few calculations in his head. They wouldn’t be fighting today. Next Fall was due tomorrow, over Ruatha. Maybe S’brin and Zemianth had gone to the beach, with those crazy greens? He imagined Zemianth playing in the surf, S’brin diving off her back, then surfacing, the droplets of water running lazily down his broad chest, gleaming in the sunshine.

Herebeth disturbed his reverie. Tussith’s rider would like to talk to you. In his weyr.

The Wingleader? That was odd. D’gar immediately began running through all of the reasons he might want to talk somewhere private. Still, it might be an opportunity to find out if S’gra supported R’mart, or whether he wanted to have a shot at becoming Weyrleader himself the next time Solth rose to mate.

Find out where his weyr is and drop me off, then. D’gar ran his fingers through his short hair. It really needed another trim, but he didn’t know who did haircuts at Telgar. He smoothed out a few creases in his shirt and made sure his shoulder knots were neat.

S’gra had a spacious, lower level weyr close to the dining hall. Herebeth landed easily on a spacious ledge designed to accommodate a bronze dragon, then took himself off. He’d probably find Zurinth, D’gar thought, using the clapper on the wall just outside the privacy curtain so the Wingleader knew he’d arrived.

‘Come in,’ S’gra called out.

D’gar went through to find M’kin and Z’nol already there, and hides rolled out across the table around which they were sitting. They all looked expectantly at him.

‘Please. Have a seat.’ S’gra sounded almost friendly.

‘Thanks.’

‘We’ve just been going over today’s Fall schedule. It’s a short one. Just four hours as we have a handover to High Reaches towards the end.'

That would be considered long at Fort, but this was Telgar.

S’gra went on. ‘I was wondering if you’d be willing to help us try something… new?’

‘What is it?’

‘Well, our firestone usage was under target last Fall, thanks to having you six with us. We’ve just been talking about that and wondered if maybe we could improve it even more. I mean, you’re all exempt from the points system, so you can use as many sacks as you want without it affecting our totals.’

D’gar nodded, getting a feeling he might know where this was heading.

‘If you all ordered a couple of extra bags each, maybe you could pass one - or two - along to our own wingriders.’

It wasn’t a bad idea. D’gar smiled slightly. ‘Wouldn’t that be, er, cheating the system?’

S’gra sighed. ‘Yes, it would. But some of the other Wingleaders have been talking about doing the same, so we need to keep up.’

‘And as Greenfields Wing has six of you seconded pairs, we could do a lot better than some of the others,’ M’kin added. ‘Might even get us off last place on the dining roster.’

D’gar considered for a while. ‘I don’t see why not. I can even take up a couple of additional bags at the beginning and pass them across to another brown in the air.’ He looked pointedly at Z’nol. ‘If you want, I’ll speak to the others about it.’

S’gra looked pleased. ‘If you could. Your second shift greens and blues could bring extra, as well.’

‘Maybe not too much,’ D’gar cautioned. ‘If your totals drop by a huge amount all at once, it might look obvious something’s going on.’

‘That’s true,’ Z’nol said.

‘So, it’s all sorted?’ S’gra seemed happy.

‘Naturally.’ D’gar wondered if this was the right time to say any more. Why not? ‘Look, we’re here to help. I’m aware of the conflict that’s building up because of us having privileges denied to everyone else at Telgar. If there’s anything more we can do, I’m always here to listen.’ Subtle, but he thought the Wingleader understood.

‘I appreciate that.’

Meeting with the others and agreeing a plan took D’gar’s mind off the forthcoming Fall very effectively. By the time they assembled, he realised he’d not felt sick for a couple of hours.

The Fall itself was patchy; Thread came down in tangles which drifted on the stiff breeze. The kind of conditions when every dragon would need more firestone than usual. Although they couldn’t hope to supply every dragon in Greenfields Wing, none of the larger dragons ran short as they might otherwise have done and they returned to the Weyr in good spirits. It was close to dinner time anyway, but D’gar made sure that when he went to the kitchens to fetch snacks, he took some extra back for a couple of other riders he’d noticed suffered from the same pre-Fall nerves as himself.

The following day, when the points totals for the sevenday were announced, Greenfields Wing moved up from last to fifth place on the dining roster. D’gar took note of the results. He guessed the Wings that slipped down furthest were probably the ones whose leaders hadn’t cheated. Dunto and Crom seemed to suffer the most and chatting to the seconded riders who had been placed in those Wings confirmed that they’d not been asked to supply any extra firestone. So, two of the Wingleaders must be in support of the system, which meant five might be amenable to change. That was a good sign.

‘It’s definitely getting better in most of the Wings,’ T’san reported, during one of their regular meetings. It was a fine day, so they were sunning themselves by the lake, a few dragons sprawled around them to effectively block off any risk of others overhearing. ‘Some of the riders in Campbell’s have been almost friendly towards us lately.’

‘Not in Dunto. We went down to sixth this time and it’s causing a lot of resentment.’ Z’ma spoke up. ‘One of my greens is due to rise any day now, so we’re going to need some help for sure.’

‘Which one’s that?’ S’naull asked.

‘Kezath. Paler green on the tail and legs, quite dark on the wings.’

‘I meant the rider.’

‘Oh, that’d be H’xet. Slight build. Blond.’

S’naull looked a bit more interested. ‘I reckon I might be able to persuade Dugolth to chase her. Maybe you could introduce us later?’

Z’ma smiled. ‘I’m sure he’d be obliged. And Kezath’s always favoured bronzes.’

‘Done with your matchmaking?’ M’lir asked, albeit good humouredly. ‘I’ve some news, too. One of our greens was asked by a Telgar green rider if their dragons could become “feeding partners”. You know how most greens can’t manage a whole herdbeast on their own? Well, this man’s dragon fancied a taste of red meat for a change and said she wouldn’t mind sharing even if it meant she couldn’t kill it herself.’

‘I heard about something like that too,’ T’san said. ‘Mind you, it might have been the same one.’

It was interesting how, given half the chance, a few of the Telgar riders were finding ways round the restrictions. And if it was being overlooked, then all to the good. There’d soon be pressure on the Wingleaders of Dunto and Crom to be more flexible, too. Telgar Wing hadn’t slipped down in the rankings, so the Weyrleader obviously wasn’t above a certain degree of ‘cheating’ himself.

‘Some of the lads are missing the sun,’ Z’ma said.

‘Oh? What’s that, then?’ T’san pointed up into the pale blue sky.

‘I meant real sun, not this watery northern excuse for it.’

D’gar couldn’t help but agree. Even Fort’s sunshine was a good deal stronger and brighter and with Z’ma coming from Ista, he must really be feeling the lack.

‘Anyway, we’ve got some good beaches, so I was wondering if any of you wanted to come along tomorrow. Your dragons will appreciate it, too.’

‘Isn’t there some rule about not leaving the Weyr?’ M’lir asked, cautiously.

‘That’s for Telgar riders, just like all the rest of them.’ Z’ma dismissed it.

‘The last time we had secondments with Benden, they weren’t encouraged to visit.’ D’gar thought he’d better mention it. ‘Apparently they didn’t want riders popping back to their home Weyrs too often, or it dilutes the experience.’

‘True,’ T’san put in. ‘But this isn’t really a proper secondment. I mean, I don’t feel as if I’m a part of this Weyr at all. Do any of you?’

‘Certainly not. We’re just here as extra bodies.’ S’naull said. ‘Anyway, if we’re off to the beach, that’s not like going back to our own Weyr, is it?’

He was splitting hairs, but D’gar understood what he meant. ‘If you don’t mind, I’m going to check it with R’mart first. I think we should afford him a certain degree of respect.’

‘Agreed,’ T’san said.

‘What if he says we can’t?’

‘Then we’ll deal with it. I don’t think he will, though. And Herebeth’s been wanting a swim in the sea ever since we arrived, so it could be considered dragon welfare.’

‘Bit more sun might send off some of the greens, too. Be even better if they did it when we were well away from here.’ S’naull looked pleased at the prospect.

‘What happened to the rule about not taking a dragon out of the Weyr when she’s about to rise?’ M’lir asked.

S’naull shrugged. ‘Sometimes greens just go off without warning, don’t they? And it’s not like we’re taking them somewhere busy, like a Hold. This beach of yours,’ he asked Z’ma. ‘Is it fairly secluded?’

‘Oh, yes. It’s only accessible by dragon, or boat.’

‘There you are, then. Problem solved.’ He turned to D’gar. ‘Isn’t your friend’s dragon due to rise soon?’

‘So he says.’ Zurinth had been getting even more friendly with Herebeth over the past few days. In fact, they were curled together in a sunny spot on the heights right now. J’rud had been getting more affectionate, too, something he found increasingly difficult to ignore. He was missing S’brin for a variety of reasons and regular sex was one of them.

‘Might be an opportunity for you two, as well.’

‘Right,’ Z’ma said. ‘D’gar will speak to the Weyrleader and all being well, we can leave after breakfast tomorrow. Telgar and Ista are practically in the same time zone, so we can spend all day there with no ill effects.’

D’gar asked Herebeth to bespeak Branth and found that the Weyrleader wasn’t currently busy. In fact, he was just on the other side of the lake, shirtless and relaxing in the pale sunshine. D’gar strolled over; no need to bother Herebeth in this case. He recognised S’gra with R’mart, plus a couple of other riders who looked to be a similar age. He wondered if they might have been clutchmates. It reminded him of the same easy friendship he had with the others of Kadoth’s clutch, anyway.

‘Your dragon said you’d like to speak to me,’ R’mart rose easily to his feet and walked a short distance away from the others. ‘Nothing wrong, I hope?’

‘No. It’s just, well, some of us are from more southerly Weyrs and our dragons have been missing the sunshine.’

Just as T’san had, R’mart looked up to the sky.

‘Yes, it’s pleasant here today, isn’t it?' D’gar agreed. ‘But they’ve also also been used to swimming in the sea regularly. I was wondering if we could take them off to a beach near Ista tomorrow? You know how funny dragons can be about having their usual routines disturbed,’ he added, for good measure.

R’mart considered that for a while. ‘If I said no, you’d probably find a way round it anyway.’ He didn’t sound annoyed, just slightly sad.

‘I wouldn’t,’ D’gar said. ‘As Weyrleader, you deserve respect. That’s why I’ve come to ask, rather than just taking permission for granted.’

R’mart looked at him steadily. ‘I appreciate that. I’m beginning to feel…’ he glanced across to the other riders. ‘We’re all beginning to feel the differences since you arrived. Folk in the Weyr seem happier. Performance in Fall has improved. I don’t see why you shouldn’t enjoy a reward.’

‘Thank you.’ D’gar turned to leave, but R’mart stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

‘Most of us can appreciate the benefits in becoming more flexible. I just can’t change things all at once, do you see?’

‘I think so.’ It must be difficult being a Weyrleader. There were so many conflicting opinions to take into account.

‘Well, have a pleasant day out.’

D’gar went back to pass on the good news.