Anne McCaffrey - The White Dragon

Brushing away the last of the covering dirt with his hands, he stared at what he had unearthed. With cautious fingers, he touched the curious surface. Not metal, not the stuff of the mounds, rather like improbable as it seemed clouded glass. But no glass could be that hard!

«Ruth, is Canth awake yet?»

No. Menolly and Piemur are. They wonder where we are.

Jaxom crowed in triumph. «I think we'll go tell them!»

They were waiting for him and Ruth when they arrived from between in Cove Hold the Harper, Menolly and Piemur. Over their babble of questions about his disappearance to Ruatha the night before, Jaxom tried to explain what he'd found. The Harper had to silence the babble with a huge bellow that stunned every fire lizard into between. Having obtained silence, the Harper took a deep breath.

«Who could think or hear in such noise? Now, Menolly, get us some food! Piemur, get drawing materials. Zair, come here, my beautiful rascal. You've to take a message to Benden. You are to bite Mnementh's nose if necessary to wake him. Yes, I know you're brave enough to fight the big one. Don't fight! Wake! High time those lazy louts at Benden were up anyway!» The Harper was in great spirits, his head high, his eyes sparkling, his gestures broad. «By Shard and Shell, Jaxom, you've started a dull day with a bright promise. I was laggard in bed because there was nothing to rise for but more disappointment!»

«They may be as empty…»

«You said the fire lizards imaged the landing? People emerging? Those cylinders could be as empty as grudging forgiveness but they'd still be worth seeing. The actual ships which brought our ancestors from the Dawn Sisters to Pern!» The Harper expelled his breath slowly, his eyes brilliant with excitement.

«You're not too stimulated, are you, Master Robinton?» Jaxom asked, looking about for Sharra. «Where is Sharra?» He saw Menolly and Piemur running on their errands. Surely Sharra wasn't still asleep. He glanced among the fire lizards for Meer and Talla.

«A dragonrider came for Sharra last evening. There's some illness at Southern and she was urgently needed. I've been selfish, I suppose, keeping you all about me when the real need is over. In fact,» the Harper said, «I'm surprised to find you here and not at Ruatha still.» Robinton's eyebrows arched as an invitation to explain.

«I should have been back in my Hold some time ago, Master Robinton,» Jaxom admitted in a contrite tone, then he shrugged at his reluctance to leave the Cove. «Furthermore, it was snowing when I got there. Lord Lytol and I had a long talk…»

«There'd be no opposition to you taking Hold now,» the Harper said with a laugh, «and no more hedging and hawing about lands and you being a dragon's rider.» The Harper's eyes twinkled as he mimicked Lord Sangel's pinched tones. Then his face altered and he put his hand on Jaxom's shoulder. «How did Lytol react?»

«He wasn't surprised,» Jaxom said, allowing his relief and wonder to color his voice. «And I've been thinking, sir, that if Nicat continues to excavate the Plateau buildings, someone with Lytol's gift for organizing…»

«My own thinking exactly, Jaxom,» the Harper said, giving Jaxom another clout on the shoulder in his enthusiasm. «The past is a fit occupation for two old men…»

«Sir,» Jaxom cried in outraged tones, «you'll never be old. Nor will Lytol!»

«Kind of you to think so, young Jaxom, but I've had warning. Ah, here comes a dragon Canth, if I don't mistake in the sun's glare!» Robinton shielded his eyes with his hand.

The glare might also account for the frown on F'nor's face as he strode up the beach toward them. Zair had given him the most confused images, which had excited Berd, Grail and every fire lizard in Benden Weyr to the point where Lessa had told Ramoth to banish the whole lot. In proof of which, the air above the Cove was filled with fair upon fair of fire lizards, making a tremendous clamor.

«Ruth, settle them down,» Jaxom asked his dragon. «We'll not be able to see or hear for fire lizards.»

Ruth gave such a bellow he startled himself and drew an awed whirl of Canth's eyes. The ensuing silence was broken by a frightened lone chirp. And the sky emptied of fire lizards as they rapidly found perches on the tree ringed beach.

They obeyed me. Ruth sounded amazed, and smug. The display of control put F'nor in a considerably better frame of mind.

«Now, tell me what you've been up to so early in the morning, Jaxom?» F'nor asked, loosening his flying belt and helmet. «It's getting so Benden can't turn around without Ruatha's assistance.»

Jaxom peered intently at F'nor in surprise, but the brown rider gave him such a look that Jaxom realized F'nor was being exceptionally cryptic. Could he be referring to that damned egg? Had Brekke mentioned something to him?

«Why not?» he said in answer. «Benden and Ruatha have the strongest ties, F'nor. Blood, as well as mutual interest.»

F'nor's expression turned from daunting to amused. He clipped Jaxom hard enough on the shoulder to make him lose balance.

«Well said, Ruatha, well said! So, what did you discover today?»

With no little satisfaction, Jaxom recounted his morning's labor, and F'nor's eyes widened with excitement.

«The ships they landed in? Let's go!» He tightened his belt, fastened his helmet and gestured for Jaxom to speed up his dressing. «We've Thread tomorrow at Benden, but, if this is as you say…»

«I'm coming, too,» the Harper announced.

Not even the boldest fire lizard chirped in the silence that followed that remark.

«I'm coming, too,» Master Robinton repeated in a firm reasonable tone to override the protest he saw in every face. «I've missed too much. The suspense is very bad for me!» He placed his hand dramatically on his chest. «My heart pounds harder and harder with every passing moment that I'm forced to wait until you decide to send me dribbles and drabbles of tantalizing details.» He held up his hand as Menolly recovered her wits and opened her mouth to speak. «I will do no digging. I will merely watch! But, I assure you that the vexation, not to mention the loneliness and suspense while you are on making Records, will put a totally unnecessary and dangerous strain on my poor heart. What if I collapsed from the tension, with no one here?»

«Master Robinton, if Brekke knew…» Menolly's protest was very weak.

F'nor covered his eyes with one hand and shook his head at the Harper's base tactics. «Give the man a finger and he'll take a length.» Then he looked up and shook his finger at Robinton. «If you move a muscle, pick up a pinch of dirt, I'll… I'll. .»

«I'll sit on him,» Menolly finished, giving her Master such a fierce glare that he pretended to ward off her glance.

«Get my flying gear, Menolly, there's a dear child.» The Harper, with a cajoling expression, gave her a gentle push toward the Hold. «And my writing case from the worktable in my study. I really will behave myself, F'nor, and I'm certain I wouldn't come to harm in such a short journey between. Menolly,» he raised his voice to a carrying roar, «don't forget the half sack of wine on my chair! It was bad enough yesterday being unable to see the Plateau buildings!»

As soon as Menolly returned with his requirements, the wine sack bouncing on her back, there was no more discussion. F'nor mounted the Harper and Piemur on Canth, leaving Jaxom to settle Menolly behind him on Ruth. Fleetingly he wished that Sharra were still here. He wondered if Ruth could bespeak her all the way to Southern and then restrained the impulse. Day had not yet dawned that far west. The two dragons ascended with a dense escort of fire lizards. Ruth gave Canth the direction and, even as Jaxom worried that the Harper's action was very rash, they had gone between and were gliding toward the three peculiar hills.