To the Weyr - 17. The Ways of the Weyr

Manora returned a little while later, together with a tall, well-built lad. Jevikel hadn’t seen anyone yet at the Weyr who was as obviously underfed as Kadin and himself. That had to be a good thing.

‘This is Lukodan,’ she told them. ‘I’ve asked him to take you under his wing and answer your questions. I realise how overwhelming the Weyr can be for newcomers.’ She turned to the lad. ‘Don’t forget to find them some decent clothes, too.’

‘Sure,’ he said, with a ready smile. ‘C’mon, then. Unless you want something else to eat.’

‘I’m stuffed right now,’ Kadin said. ‘Is the food here always so good?’

It was Manora’s turn to smile. ‘If you’d arrived here last Turn I’d have had to say no, but since Thread’s been falling we’ve found the Holders to be far more generous. Now, I’ll leave you with Lukodan.’

When she’d gone, Lukodan gave a sigh of relief. ‘Thought I was in trouble when she called me over. So what’s your names?’

‘Jevikel,’ he offered.

‘Kadin,’ Kadin supplied.

There were going to be a lot of introductions over the next few days, Jevikel anticipated.

‘Just got here, eh?’

Jevikel nodded. He’d rather not volunteer the story of their rescue, although if T’rai went and told all his friends and they told theirs it probably wouldn’t be long before everyone knew.

‘Bit early for Search, isn’t it? Ramoth’s not due to lay her eggs for another month or so.’

‘We walked here.’ Kadin said. ‘Well, most of the way.’

‘Oh, so you aren’t candidates? That’s a pity.’

Jevikel didn’t understand. ‘Candidates?’

‘To stand at the Hatching,’ he explained. ‘I was too young before, so it’ll be my first time on the Sands.’

Jevikel wasn’t sure if he should mention the blue dragon. But Manora had assured them they wouldn’t be forced to go back if they didn’t want to. ‘Dragons came to our Hold last Turn and one of them thought we’d be suitable to Impress.’

‘His name was Relth,’ Kadin put in. ‘A blue dragon.’

Lukodan’s face lit up. ‘That’s T’gor’s Relth. He’s pretty reliable when it comes to Searching folk. They’ll want to make sure, of course, but I’ll bet you’ll be allowed.’ As he talked, he led the way out of the dining hall.

Once again, Jevikel found himself baffled by the endless corridors. ‘How do you know where everything is?’ he asked. ‘All these passages look the same to me.’ The walls were perfectly smooth, unlike anything he’d seen before and the lack of noticeable features made it even harder to differentiate between them.

‘You’ll learn, soon enough. Like, when it’s dinner your nose will lead you the right way. And there’s usually a few folk around to ask, if you get lost. Not today, though. Everyone’s still clearing up after Fall. Thanks to you, I got out of it.'

He opened a door and showed them both inside. ‘This is where we sleep.’

Beds were arranged in neat rows. Each one had a niche in the wall to the right side and a small cupboard beneath it.

‘These ones are all free.’ He gestured to show them. ‘Pick wherever you want, then dump your stuff off. You don’t have to carry it around all the time and it’ll make it easier for you with that crutch.’

Jevikel picked the first one that was obviously unused, with nothing stored in the niche. Kadin went for the one next to him.

‘If you Impress, you’ll move into the barracks. There’s room there for dragons too. I can show you. They’re empty right now.’

‘When was the last Hatching?’ Kadin asked.

‘Just afore first Threadfall.’

‘That’s only two months.’ Jevikel was surprised. Dragons must grow very fast.

‘Yeah, but they were all sent down south almost right away. That’s why I wasn’t allowed to stand. The Weyrwoman and Weyrleader wanted older lads, so they’d mature as quick as the dragons.’

Perhaps that explained why no one had come back for him and Kadin. ‘Do dragons grow quickly?’ he asked.

‘Pretty fast. They eat loads when they’re newly Hatched. But that lot were sent back in time as well, so they’d be fully trained and ready to fight when they were needed. That was before the Weyrwoman figured out how to bring the Oldtimers forward.’

More terms he didn’t understand. Although T’rai had mentioned coming forward four hundred Turns, so why shouldn’t other dragons get sent back?

‘Right,’ Lukodan said. ‘I’ll show you the barracks next. And the baths after. That should give all the riders a chance to clear out. Some of ‘em stay in there for ages after Fall. They’re all wrinkled like dried fruit when they get out.’ He grinned again. ‘We can use ‘em any time except then. It’s best to go in a group, though. That way the old lechers can’t get you on your own.’

That didn’t sound so good. ‘Old lechers?’ he asked.

‘Some of the riders like to look at lads our age. Some want to do more than just look.’ He made a gesture that was universal.

Jevikel was shocked. He wouldn’t let anyone touch Kadin, dragonrider or not. And if they tried it with him, they’d get a punch where it hurt.

Lukodan must have noticed their expressions. ‘I always forget it’s different for you Holdbred folk. Just try not to stare if you see two men or two women kissing or cuddling. No one does more than that in public unless it’s a mating flight. Then no one cares.’

Jevikel took that as another indicator he and Kadin would be all right here. He wanted to slip his free hand into Kadin’s but he wasn’t that confident yet.

The light increased as they neared the entrance to the Bowl, then stepped out into daylight. There were far fewer dragons flying around now.

‘That’s the Senior Queen’s weyr.’ Lukodan pointed to a large entrance with steps going up to it. ‘Pity Ramoth’s not out on her ledge right now, but you’ll see her soon enough. She’s a beauty.’

‘What’s in there?’ Kadin pointed to an even larger opening, half way up the cliff face.

‘Entrance to the Hatching Grounds for dragons. There’s one for people lower down. We’re not supposed to go in there or I’d show you.’ He pointed to an archway with a stylised carving of fish and waves around it. ‘That’s the baths. Also on ground level, there’s another couple of Queens’ weyrs. Kylara and Prideth had one before they went south again. F’nor’s using the one next to that.’

More names to remember. Jevikel was light headed from all the new information he was taking in. He suspected Kadin would feel the same.

Lukodan pointed out another arched doorway, this one decorated by images of food. ‘That’s the dining hall for the riders. Don’t go in there unless there’s a meeting called, or it’s where you’ve been sent to work. We have our own place to eat, where I met you.’

‘Um, I’ve got a question,’ Kadin said. ‘Where’s the necessaries?’

‘There’s loads of them around the place. Do you need it now?’

He nodded. Jevikel’s bladder felt fairly full, too, after two mugs of strong klah. ‘I wouldn’t mind either,’ he said.

Like everything else at Benden, the room was huge, with a trough along one wall and a long bench with holes cut in the top along the other. Jevikel looked for the usual bucket to swill down after you’d been and was surprised to see running water in the bottom of the trough. Maybe that was why it didn’t smell as bad as the necessaries he’d been used to. Water also flowed continually into basins, for hand washing afterwards.

Lukodan was waiting outside. ‘You’re in luck. Ramoth’s decided to show herself.’

She was the largest dragon he’d ever seen. Her hide shone like burnished metal and her huge head turned slowly as she surveyed her Weyr. Jevikel wondered if she’d fly, but instead she settled herself comfortably, continuing to look around.

‘Pretty impressive, eh?’ His tone was full of pride. ‘They say the Oldtimer queens are nowhere near that large. Mind you, all of their dragons are smaller, colour for colour. You’ll see soon enough.’

He carried on chatting as they walked across the Bowl towards another building, set slightly out from the rock walls and with high windows similar to those of the infirmary. Jevikel took it slowly and carefully, not wanting to trip and cause further damage.

‘Right, here we are.’ Lukodan paused in front of the closed door. ‘There won’t be anyone about, like I said. We don’t even have a Weyrlingmaster at the moment, not since C’gan died. Guess they’ll have to appoint one soon. I just hope it’s not R’gul.’

‘Who’s he?’

‘Hath’s rider. Former Weyrleader. A real stickler for rules. All the riders in his Wing complain about having daily inspections, especially now they’re fighting.’

Even though he didn’t know the man, Jevikel hoped he didn’t get the job, either. ‘You think he might?’ he asked.

‘I’ve heard a few people say so.’ He pushed open a smaller panel, set into the huge main door. The hinges creaked slightly.

A musty smell of dust and disuse met Jevikel’s nostrils. Kadin sneezed. It looked similar to the sleeping room where they’d left their belongings, except that each bed frame was separated by a slightly raised platform with a curved depression on top. ‘Is that where the dragons sleep?’ He found himself whispering, not wanting to break the silence.

‘That’s it,’ Lukodan affirmed. ‘You’ll see some are bigger than others. There isn’t much difference when they first hatch, but the bronzes and browns soon grow a lot larger than blues or greens.’ He patted the top of one plinth. ‘I’m hoping for a blue, like my dad’s Balluth.’

‘Your dad’s a rider?’ Kadin sounded impressed.

‘Sure. Most of us weyrbrats have dads who Impressed. It’s why we’re more likely to. Blue’s good. You don’t have to work too hard and it’s a step up from green. You don’t want to end up with a green.’

Jevikel was puzzled. ‘What’s wrong with them?’ He’d certainly appreciated Hinarth’s agility earlier on.

‘Some of ‘em are a bit scatty. The riders I mean, not just the dragons. Especially when they’re about to mate and that’s every three or four months.’

‘The riders?’ Jevikel still didn’t quite understand. He didn’t think he’d be able to go for three or four months without some kind of relief if he Impressed a green dragon.

‘Sorry. Keep forgetting you don’t know anything. The dragons, I mean. Greens are female, like golds, only they don’t lay eggs. Still get the urge to mate, though.’

‘So what happens then?’ Kadin asked, sitting on the edge of one of the plinths.

‘Well, the green starts to shriek at the male dragons, getting their attention. Then she takes off with a load of them in pursuit. Meanwhile, the riders all pile into the flight cave. I forgot to show you where that is, because we don’t have dragons yet and even when we do, it’ll be a while before they want to mate. But anyway, you know how a rider’s bonded to their dragon?’

Jevikel didn’t, but he nodded, not wanting to seem totally ignorant.

‘What they feel, the rider feels. When the dragons mate, so do their riders.’

Kadin glanced at Jevikel. ‘What, they have sex with a complete stranger?’

‘Oh, no one’s exactly strangers at the Weyr. Folk get to know their clutchmates and the others in their Wing pretty well. Anyway, it’s just what happens. Take my dad, for example. He prefers to bed women, but if Balluth goes after a green and wins, he doesn’t have much choice in the matter.’

Jevikel considered that fact and began to realise where the stories of orgies at the Weyr originated. ‘So let me get this right. If you Impress a green dragon, every few months you’ll end up having sex with someone you might not even like much?’

Lukodan nodded. ‘Yeah. That’s why it’s not great to have a green. Most of the brown and bronze riders think green riders are stupid, too. They get all the nasty jobs in a Wing. So blue’s best. Not too much responsibility, but you get a bit of respect.’

Jevikel filed away all these snippets. He’d gathered the queen dragon was at the top of the hierarchy, but he’d not realised there was any difference, apart from size, between the other dragons.

Kadin had been looking around on his own. ‘There’s another room down here,’ he called, his voice echoing in the empty space.

Lukodan answered. ‘That’s the teaching room. For weyrlings and little ones. C’gan taught us all the ballads in there and our letters too. He was all right. I kind of hoped he’d still be Weyrlingmaster when I got to Impress, even though he was ancient.’

‘He died?’ Jevikel asked.

‘First Threadfall. He wanted to do his bit, but Tagath couldn’t get between fast enough. They were both badly scored…’ he bowed his head. ‘They were our first deaths. Not the last, though.’

More new information. Dragons and riders didn’t just get injured; they died as well. It was a sobering thought. ‘I’ve seen what Thread does, too. It hit our barn. And Kadin was outside in the first one.’

Kadin nodded. He didn’t say any more though. Jevikel knew Berrand’s death still haunted him.

Lukodan shook off his sombre mood. ‘Sorry if I’m telling you too much, too fast. Ask me some questions, if you want.’

Jevikel wanted to get things straight. ‘So, Ramoth’s in charge of all the dragons. Does that mean her rider’s in charge of all the riders?’

‘Not exactly. Lessa’s our Weyrwoman. She liaises with Manora on matters concerning tithes and whatnot. F’lar’s the Weyrleader. He’s in charge of all the Wingleaders and deciding what each Wing’s going to do in the next Fall. He tells them, then they pass it on to the riders in their Wing.’

‘We met a Wingleader earlier,’ Kadin said. ‘He yelled at us, but Manora stopped him.’

Lukodan’s eyes widened. ‘A Wingleader yelled at you? What did you do?’

Before Jevikel could stop him, Kadin said the words. ‘Got rescued by one of his riders.’

Jevikel decided they might as well come clean. Doubtless Lukodan would hear the story sooner or later, so he might as well get their version. ‘We were walking here, like we said earlier. We didn’t know Thread was going to fall, so when we saw it coming down, we started running towards the Weyr. But I tripped and hurt my leg.’

Kadin took over. ‘I thought we were going to die. Then this green dragon - Hinarth - landed and her rider pulled us up on board. It was really close by then.’

‘Whoa!’ Lukodan sounded impressed. ‘Then what?’

‘Other dragons flew over and started flaming the Thread. Hinarth took off, then went between and brought us here. T’rai’s Wingleader was angry we’d put him and his dragon in danger.’

’T’rai,’ Lukodan said. ‘Don’t know that name. What did the Wingleader look like?’

Jevikel tried to remember, even though his main impressions had been dirty and angry. ‘He wasn’t as tall as T’rai. Had dark hair.’

‘He was quite young,’ Kadin put in.

‘Hmm,’ Lukodan mused. ‘Might be K’net. He’s the youngest Wingleader.’

‘No, that wasn’t it.’ T’rai had said the man’s name. ‘I think it began with D.’

‘D’nol? He’s old, though. In his fifties at least.’

‘He definitely wasn’t that old.’ Kadin shook his head. ‘I reckon he was younger than T’rai and he told us he was twenty-nine.’

‘Plus four hundred Turns,’ Jevikel added, remembering the story T’rai had told.

‘Oh, an Oldtimer Wing. They aren’t proper Benden riders at all, just seconded. Did you know they let their dragons fight each other? A couple of them had a scrap by the lake, just a few days after they arrived. Then the riders started a fight in the baths. And one of their bronze riders deliberately let his dragon chase Prideth when she rose. They don’t know how to behave.’

’T’rai was nice to us,’ Kadin said.

Lukodan shrugged dismissively. ‘Best to keep away from them.’

‘How can we tell who they are?’ Jevikel asked.

‘Shoulder knots.’ Lukodan flicked the ones he wore draped around the left shoulder of his shirt. They show your rank, but also where you’re from. Benden’s red and black. Any other colour and they’re not from here.’

‘So why have you got white as well?’

Jevikel had wondered that, although Kadin beat him to asking.

‘Because I’m a candidate. Ordinary weyrfolk just get Weyr colours. If you Impress, you get another strand to show the colour of your dragon, too. Basically, the higher someone’s rank, the more elaborate the knots. You’ll soon learn it.’

No one had bothered to wear knots at Pinnacle as everyone knew each other anyway. Jevikel had only ever been given them for trips outside the Hold. He could see the sense of it in a huge place like this.

‘If you decide to stay, you’ll get some too. And so long as you’re passed by a Search dragon, they’ll be the same as mine.’ He sounded as if he wanted that to happen. ‘Anyway, we should start to get back now. I’ll show you the baths, although I guess you won’t be able to go in with your leg all wrapped up like that. You can still have a wash before dinner and we’ll find you some clothes, like Manora said.’

‘We’ve got spare shirts,’ Kadin said.

Lukodan grimaced. ‘Are they as tatty as the ones you’re wearing?’

‘Well, yes,’ Jevikel admitted.

‘Then you’ll need new. Manora likes everyone to look decent, even when they’re at work.’

They started the slow journey back across the Bowl. Jevikel’s ankle had begun to hurt again. The numbweed must be wearing off. His head throbbed too, from trying to take in everything Lukodan had said. He was sure he wouldn’t remember half of it, but so long as Kadin did as well, they could probably piece it together between them.

Lukodan took them to the stores, where each were issued with two pairs of trousers and shirts, plus underclothes. Having seen the state of their boots, the storekeeper found them a pair each as well. ‘They’re not new,’ he said, sounding slightly apologetic. ‘Lads your age grow out of ‘em so fast, we’re always having to dole out larger sizes.’

Jevikel didn’t mind. They were the best boots he’d ever owned. He hadn’t noticed anyone going barefoot at the Weyr, as was the way at Pinnacle during the warmer months and guessed that wasn’t done here either.

Next stop was the baths. After what Lukodan had said earlier, he felt a slight trepidation going inside, but there were three of them, even if he wasn’t fully fit. It was steamily warm. Jevikel stopped short to see the array of differently sized pools, mostly empty apart from a group of young women who were washing each other’s hair while chatting noisily. They were naked, at least, what he could see of them above the water level was, so he looked away quickly. ‘Should we be here?’ he whispered to Lukodan. ‘There are women over there.’

Lukodan smiled. ‘Everyone bathes together.’ Without a qualm, he began to strip off his clothes and pile them into one of the niches. ‘You can get out of those grubby clothes and have a wash. Kadin, want to come in?’

Kadin looked hesitant as well. They’d both seen each other naked often enough, but to take off your clothes in front of strangers seemed beyond the bounds of propriety.

‘It’s all right,’ Lukodan assured them both. ‘You aren’t in a Hold now.’

Jevikel couldn’t help but notice he had a good body and didn’t seem at all ashamed of showing it. He took off his own shirt, conscious of the way his ribs and shoulders stuck out. Compared with the Weyr lad, his arms looked puny, too.

Lukodan jumped into the nearest pool and encouraged Kadin to join him. Jevikel felt slightly jealous as they splashed around. He found a washing cloth and tried his best to wipe the dirt from his arms and chest.

‘It’s really warm in here,’ Kadin shouted. ‘Wish you could join us.’

Jevikel did, too. This was as far removed from his previous experiences of bathing as he could imagine. No wonder some of those riders wallowed around for hours. He washed his face and hair as best he could, noting that there were copious supplies of sweetsand next to each pool. Gingerly, he removed his trousers. They’d only just fitted on over the bandages around his ankle. He dipped his unwrapped foot in the water and managed to clean that leg fairly well while keeping an eye on Lukodan and Kadin, who were still fooling around, ducking each other under the water.

Eventually they got out. Lukodan showed where the drying cloths were kept. Getting dressed in his new clothes felt strange. Although his old shirt was decidedly tatty, with a hole at one elbow, it was familiar. The new shirt was of finer fabric and dyed a deep blue colour. It seemed too good for everyday use.

Kadin had no qualms however. ‘Decent clothes again,’ he sighed. ‘Boots that fit.’ Already he seemed to have recovered some of the poise he’d had when he first arrived at Pinnacle.

Jevikel wondered if he’d be good enough, now Kadin had so much choice.

‘That colour suits you,’ he said to Jevikel, reassuring him slightly. ‘How do I look?’ He gave a twirl.

‘As fine as ever.’ Jevikel didn’t care what Lukodan thought. It might be wise to let him know they were a couple, in case he got any ideas about wooing Kadin.

Lukodan didn’t comment, however. ‘We’d best go, or we’ll be late. This sevenday, we’re on second shift for the evening meal and the first lot are probably half way through eating by now.’

They made their way back to the dining hall. Jevikel tried to be more mindful of the route to take, although it became obvious as they got nearer and joined a queue of other lads and girls of a similar age. The smells drifting down the corridor were appetising, making him realise how hungry he was. While they waited, Jevikel became very aware of people staring at himself and Kadin. They were new faces, after all.

A couple of lads wearing the same shoulder knots as Lukodan arrived. One was shorter than Kadin, with long brown hair tied back, while the other was of similar height to himself, but far more stocky.

‘Who’re these two?’ the stocky one asked.

‘Jevikel and Kadin,’ Lukodan pointed to each of them in turn. ‘Just arrived at the Weyr today. These are my friends, Egevan and Nursheldor.’

Egevan was the long haired lad, Nursheldor the stocky one. Jevikel said hello to them both, as did Kadin.

‘Bit early for Search,’ Egevan said, echoing what Lukodan had said earlier. Jevikel prepared himself for explaining how they had reached the Weyr yet again, when they had to move aside as people began to stream out of the dining hall. All looked as if they were dressed in their best clothes and chatted companionably as they entered the corridor. Then Jevikel’s heart gave a jump. A woman walked towards him with two others. She looked just like Kemi, except older. Was it possible she had a double at the Weyr? This woman looked as well fed as they all did, her hair - lighter than he remembered - pulled back from her face and held by decorated combs.

She must have sensed him looking at her and caught his eye. He saw recognition dawn in her eyes.

‘Jevikel? Is that you? And Kadin?’

The next moment he was wrapped in her arms. It was another surprise at the end of a day that had been full of them.

‘Kemi,’ he said, sure now that it really was his sister. ‘We made it at last.'