Chapter 8 - High Reaches
Winter, 35th Turn of the Present Pass
The next rest day found D'min and B'lee circling over High Reaches Hold as Aurieth called to the watch dragon and requested permission to land. They landed in the great courtyard and hurried to dismount, sliding down Aurieth's neck and landing neatly on the bare earth. D'min reached up to release the carrying net that held several despatches and parcels for various people in the Hold, and so B'lee was the first to greet the rather pompous-looking man who had come out to meet them.
"Welcome, dragonriders, to High Reaches Hold. How may we help you?"
"Kandis!" exclaimed B'lee. "It's B'lee - Billee - Baras's youngest son."
"Billee! Well, well, well, so it is." The pompous air disappeared at once and was replaced by a warm joviality and a broad smile. "You've done very well for yourself, lad. So this is your dragon, then?"
"No," B'lee's face fell as he was forced to explain. "My dragon, Margroth, was injured in training a few days ago, and can't fly between. This beauty is Aurieth, and her rider, here, is my friend D'min."
"Welcome to High Reaches, Green Rider D'min."
"Thank you. It is a beautiful hold, and I'm looking forward to meeting Blee's family."
"Of course, of course. Willa did mention that her boy would be visiting soon, but I confess that it slipped my mind. I'm sure that the news of your arrival will bring her along very shortly, and your father too."
D'min gestured to the carrying net. "I have some parcels and scrolls here. Where should I put them?"
"Follow me and I'll take you into the main hall. Millat - Lord Kavin's scribe - will no doubt take them and make sure they all get to the right people."
"Thank you. May I send Aurieth to await us elsewhere? She does take up rather a lot of space, I'm afraid."
Kandis hesitated, and D'min hastened to add, "She fed yesterday, and is not hungry. She'll keep well clear of your herds."
Kandis relaxed, and suggested that Aurieth might want to rest in a valley to the east of the Hold, where she would be sheltered from the wind and would get what little sun there was at this time of the Turn.
"Thank you," said D'min, and relayed the information to Aurieth, who butted her head against D'min's side affectionately and then launched herself into the air with a flourish that had everyone holding onto their clothing.
They walked through the courtyard to the large building that jutted out from the cliff. B'lee noted a few changes - they had finally finished repairing the top of the Great Tower after it had been struck with lightning a few Turns ago, and it looked as if they had replaced one or two of the bronze shutters, which gleamed more brightly than the others.
Lord Kavin's work chambers were close to the main hall, up a short stairway. Millat, a thin, spare man with a harried look, took the scrolls and other items and returned the empty carrynet to D'min with a smile before they were ushered in to pay their respects to the Lord Holder.
Lord Kavin was a smallish man, with grizzled hair and a pleasant face, dressed in plain woollen trousers and a knitted jumper in a thick rib pattern. He greeted the two youngsters affably and looked at B'lee with a measure of approval. "I believe that your mother is keen to see you, cousin, so I won't keep you. Millat will have some scrolls for you to take back with you this afternoon, if you agree."
"Of course, Lord Holder," replied B'lee, bowing slightly. "We'll make sure to deliver them to the Weyrleader as soon as we return."
"Good." Lord Kavin nodded dismissal, and the two youngsters followed Kandis back down the stairs.
"Cousin?" queried D'min in an undertone. "You never mentioned that."
"Distant cousin. Very distant. And he wouldn't even have mentioned it if I weren't a rider."
They had barely reached the threshold of the main hall when B'lee heard his mother's voice and turned to see her hurrying towards him. He held his arms out and took her up in a warm hug.
"Oh, Billee, my boy!" she cried as she tried to squeeze the very breath out of him. "You've grown so! I would scarcely have known you! Such broad shoulders you have!"
"Mum!" he squeaked, barely able to speak at all, she was holding him so tightly.
Finally she let go of him just enough that she was able to take a good look at him. "You're too thin. Aren't you eating enough?
"I'm fine, Mum. Honest."
There were more people crowding around them as B'lee was recognised, and he scanned the faces anxiously, looking for his father. Two of his brothers appeared, looking much older than he had expected. Sorin, his eldest brother, was losing his hair already and starting to thicken around the middle, while Tomin looked self-important and slightly discontented, as usual. They both greeted B'lee amicably, though, and Tomin even remembered the honorific contraction.
"Do you not recognise your friends anymore, then?" came a deep voice from behind him, and he turned to see Johan and Ricon, his friends throughout his childhood, looking at him with amusement. They were both taller than him now - everyone was taller than him, no matter that he'd grown several inches in the last three years - but they still had the same grins and gleam of mischief in their eyes.
"You!" he exclaimed, grabbing them both and getting pulled into a hug. "I'd know you anywhere. Still getting into trouble without me?"
"I'll have you know we're responsible men now," huffed Ricon.
"We are," confirmed Johan. "We're responsible for everything that goes wrong!" He laughed and gave B'lee a hefty blow on the shoulder. B'lee tried not to wince; he'd forgotten that little trick of Johan's.
Then his father appeared through the crowd, and all of B'lee's anxiety flared once more. What did his father really think of him giving up his Harper training in order to become a dragonrider?
"So, son, it's a dragonrider you are now, then?" Baras's tone was neutral, neither welcoming nor disapproving, giving B'lee no clue as to his feelings on the matter.
"Aye, father." B'lee hesitated, wondering what to say next. Should he apologise for upsetting their plans or should he stand up for dragons and their riders?
Then he felt a hand fall on his shoulder, and his father was beaming down at him. "Well done, lad. It's been the talk of the Hold, one of our own impressing at Fort Weyr."
B'lee shrugged and grinned. "Someone has to show those southerners how it's done." There was a ripple of laughter at his pleasantry.
"He's been a good ambassador for both High Reaches and the Harperhall. B'lee is well-respected at the Weyr."
B'lee turned around at the unexpected interruption. D'min had spoken more seriously and less flippantly than B'lee had ever heard him. Baros raised an eyebrow, and B'lee realised that in the confusion, he hadn't introduced D'min to anyone.
"Oh, father, this is Green Rider D'min, who was kind enough to bring me here."
"Pleased to meet you, rider D'min," Baros replied, shaking D'min's hand absently. "And what about your own dragon?"
And B'lee found himself explaining once more about Margroth's unfortunate injury.
His story was interrupted, to his relief, by the sudden and noisy arrival of several youngsters: his nephews, nieces and young cousins, all of whom had to be introduced and exclaimed over. With an apologetic glance to his father, he fussed over the children for a little while, until the youngest ones grew bored and the oldest ran out of questions.
He caught sight of D'min, off to one side, looking on with some amusement and perhaps some envy at B'lee's enthusiastic reception. It was certainly a much warmer welcome than D'min had received at the Weyr on his return from Southern Boll, but B'lee couldn't help that, and he wasn't going to hold back in his greetings just because it might make his friend feel uncomfortable.
"Off with you, brats," Baros proclaimed, suddenly. "Let an old man spend some time with his son by the fire."
B'lee couldn't help smiling at the thought that anyone might think his father old, but after so many years in the south his blood had thinned and he felt quite cold himself.
Baros took B'lee's arm and led him over to the table nearest the fire, calling for some klah, which arrived in the large thick mugs that were just the right size to be held in both hands. Billy checked that D'min had one as well, then sipped it, grateful for the additional warmth.
The group followed them, and soon B'lee found himself in a circle of family and friends, all of them leaning forward, keen to listen to whatever he had to say. It was a very heady feeling. He began to tell them about his Impression of Margroth, and what they'd done in training so far, and how Margroth had been injured. He had to promise to bring Margroth the next time he visited, which he did most willingly, and was pleased when D'min was spontaneously included in the invitation.
Time passed in a blur of talk and chatter. The noonday meal was served around them, and still they talked. A couple of the girls - Samara and Janetta, if he remembered correctly - offered to show D'min around the Hold. D'min agreed, and accompanied them up the stairs with a grin and a wink to B'lee. B'lee caught the somewhat chagrined look on Johan's face and chuckled inwardly. Johan obviously had no clue about D'min's preferences, and while B'lee had no doubt that the girls were quite safe from any improper advances, he wasn't going to say so - he felt he owed Johan for that earlier thump on the shoulder.
He never noticed the time passing until D'min returned and nudged him, gesturing to the window. It was with some alarm that B'lee realised that the light was fading and they really ought to get back to Fort Weyr. He stood up and started to make his farewells, but his mother was reluctant to let him go.
"Oh, do you have to go so soon?" she asked, putting a hand on his arm as if she could physically stop him from leaving.
"I'm afraid so. Our leave is only good until sunset, and Fort Weyr's an hour ahead of here. We'll only just make it as it is."
They moved out to the courtyard, where B'lee hugged his father and brothers before giving his mother one last kiss.
"Oh, Billee," she said sadly, "you will come back and visit us again, won't you?"
"Of course I will," he reassured her. "It'll be easier next Turn, when I'm in the Wing. I'll try and get over here for a Gather day."
"That would be lovely." She blotted a tear from her eye with her sleeve, and gave B'lee a bright smile. It nearly broke his heart to have to leave her again - to leave them all - but he knew he'd be back, and next time he'd be on Margroth.
D'min had already called Aurieth down from the hillside, and she was waiting for them in the courtyard, looking around rather anxiously as the large group of people approached. D'min scrambled up and started to fasten his riding straps while B'lee made his final farewells to his mother and father. Then he climbed up, warning the others to stand well back.
"All set, then, B'lee?" asked D'min, as he checked that B'lee was strapping himself in.
"All set." B'lee fastened the last buckle and put his arms around D'min's waist.
"Let's go, then."
Aurieth lifted her wings, sprang up on her powerful haunches and gave a mighty downsweep as she launched into the air. The spectators were buffeted by the eddies of dust that were created by the downdraft, and B'lee hoped that his sisters would forgive him for dirtying their dresses. He kept his gaze trained on the small group below, twisting in his seat as Aurieth banked and climbed ever higher above the Hold.
"Do you think we'll make it back before sunset?"
D'min gave a look at the horizon to the west, where the sun was just touching the sea. "We can only try," he muttered. "Hang on, I'm going to send Aurieth between."
There was a moment's delay, and then the terrifying nothingness that they would never get used to, and then they were in the air over Fort Weyr. B'lee glanced west, and saw that it was still twilight - the sun had not yet set, although it had sunk below the mountain range that divided the Boll peninsular. He shook his head in puzzlement. What had happened? Fort Weyr was east of High Reaches - if it was sunset there, it should be past twilight and into night here.
He tapped D'min on the shoulder and pointed to the orange glow over the mountains. "We're too early. What happened?"
D'min looked at the sky, then at the Weyr below them, where the shadows were deep but there was still light enough to make out the few people walking across the bowl, and the weyrmouths on the western rim. "I don't know," he said. "Aurieth says we wanted to be back here before sunset and we are, so why are we worried?"
B'lee considered what D'min said for a moment. "But ... but that's not possible." He looked at his friend. "Is it?"
D'min shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it's one of those things they don't teach us until later."
"But I've never even heard it mentioned. Have you?"
"No. And that's a first."
"That I can believe," said B'lee, wryly.
D'min grinned back at him. "Should we ask F'neldril?"
B'lee shook his head. "Not just yet. If it turns out we're not allowed to do it yet we might get into trouble."
"True. Maybe we should just ask a couple of the riders about it - discreetly."
"Maybe we shouldn't talk about it at all. Not until we're in the wings, anyway. It could be dangerous."
D'min nodded. "I wouldn't want to meet myself in a corridor somewhere." He shivered. "But it has to be of some use, otherwise the dragons wouldn't be able to do it."
B'lee nodded, and they started their descent.
* * *
That night, he found himself thinking of High Reaches, feeling both glad and sorry that he was no longer bound to the Hold. He missed his family, certainly - he would never get over that completely, he suspected - but in other ways he was glad that he no longer lived there. Everything had seemed smaller, more self-concerned, with little appreciation of the Weyrs beyond the necessity of tithing.
It was hard to believe that he had once been so homesick that he'd tried to run away from the Harperhall. But he'd been young then, not even used to sleeping in a bed on his own. Now he was a dragonrider, with all of Fort Weyr's domain to protect, and all of Pern to visit. He had to take a larger view of the world than a Holder did, or he wouldn't be able to fight effectively.
Ricon and Johan would probably never even travel as far as the neighbouring Holds, let alone Nabol or Tillek. Their concerns were all about finding the next ale, or the next willing girl. They had no idea about the complex interrelationships among Hold and Weyr, of the real hardships that the Weyrs faced when tithes were late, of the peril that dragons faced every Threadfall. He realised, with some regret, that he had grown away from them. Had they noticed it too?
He belonged to Fort Weyr now. He belonged to his dragon and his fellow riders. His friends would never understand that, and even his parents could have little understanding of what it really meant to be a dragonrider. He had more in common with D'min now than with any of his former family or friends, no matter that their upbringings had been so different. D'min was a part of his life, now, more than his blood family.
He fell asleep at last, thinking not of the past, but of the present and future - of D'min's generosity, and of the day that Margroth would be cleared to fly again.
* * *
The weather turned very cold the week before the winter solstice, and everyone scurried around for their warmest clothes. D'min complained loudly that he couldn't find his scarf and turned the collar of his wherhide jacket up to his ears.
"I was sure I put it back in my chest, but I can't find it anywhere. I'm going to freeze out there today."
S'gan told him not to be such a sissy, but B'lee looked at him and sighed. He'd noticed that D'min needed a new scarf some months ago, and had knitted him one over the autumn, intending it to be a Solstice gift. If he waited any longer to give it, though, D'min might well buy himself another and his effort would be wasted. He beckoned D'min to follow him, and retrieved the gift from the bottom of his chest. He held it out to D'min, saying, "Here you are. It's a bit early, but I think you need it."
D'min's eyes lit up when he saw the scarf, and he gasped with delight when he felt how soft and light it was. B'lee had chosen a soft wool from the long-necked herdbeast in a bright grassy green that he hoped would tone well with Aurieth's hide, and he'd used an old High Reaches rib stitch that made a thick, warm layer to keep the heat in and the wind out. He smiled as he watched D'min unfurling the length and then wrapping it around his neck.
"It feels like a cloud," said D'min, wonderingly, as he played with the ends of the scarf. "I can't believe you made this for me." Then B'lee was enveloped in a tight hug as D'min thanked him. "You're the best friend ever, you know."
"Just don't lose this one," he admonished, though he couldn't help smiling.
"I won't. I'll keep it safe." D'min squeezed him tight for a few more seconds, then added, a little anxiously, "I have a Solstice gift for you, too, only it isn't quite finished yet."
"I can wait," said B'lee.
"I can show you, if you want."
B'lee shook his head. "Wait until it's finished. Then you can surprise me."
D'min grinned. "I'll try and get it done by Solstice."
He was as good as his word, and B'lee woke up on Solstice morning to find two lengths of braid, in shades of blue, sitting on the table. He picked it up and admired the evenness of the weave and the way that the colours blended in. A small movement startled him, and he looked up to see D'min hovering uncertainly at the doorway.
"I love it!" he said, immediately, and saw D'min relax and come into the room. "It's so intricate - it must have taken you ages."
D'min shrugged. "A bit longer than I expected. I had to stop in the middle to do a braid for K'lon - that's why it's in two parts."
"I don't mind. I can use one length for the cuffs and the other for the neckline. It'll be perfect for a new summer gather shirt."
"That's what I hoped you'd do with it." D'min grinned and sat on the bed, tucking his feet under the furs.
"What are you doing here, anyway? I thought you'd be with M'ken, since there's no Fall until this evening."
D'min grimaced. "We've broken up."
"I'm sorry."
"Oh well, it was never going to last, anyway."
"Why not? You seemed to get on pretty well."
"Oh, he's a great guy, and lots of fun. But he's a green rider like me, and that's never works out. A blue and a green is a better match. Or a brown rider, if you can find one that isn't het."
"I didn't think it made such a difference. If you like men, you like men. Isn't that enough?"
D'min laughed aloud. "Oh B'lee, you sweet innocent! No, it isn't enough."
B'lee bristled at being called a "sweet innocent" by a boy four years younger than himself. "Well, spare me the details."
"I could give you a demonstration..."
"No, thank you. I'm content to live in ignorance for the time being."
D'min looked at him speculatively. "Only for the time being? One of these days, B'lee, I'm going to bring you over to the homo side. I just know it."
"Not in this lifetime, you're not."
"We'll see."
They both laughed, and then B'lee had to explain the joke to S'gan, who wandered in with his own Solstice gifts. B'lee handed over another scarf - this one in a dark green - and received a belt in return. With that and the braid he could see that he was going to cut quite a dashing figure at the next gather. He couldn't wait for Spring.