Outside, a dragon appeared from between unnoticed as Kindan continued:
He paused, then opened his eyes, shaking his head. “That’s all I can remember.”
“Has there been a healer lass come to Benden Weyr?” Perigar asked of everyone, looking particularly to Kindan.
“Lorana,” Kindan said instantly, certain of his conviction.
“But she’s not a healer,” Perigar protested. His continued protests were halted by Masterharper Zist’s upraised hand. The Masterharper tilted his head toward the corridor outside. Steps were running toward them.
A figure burst through the doorway.
“Kindan, come quick! Arith is sick,” Lorana cried through her tears.
FIFTEEN
Ecosystems are constantly changing, adapting to new life-forms, while simultaneously life-forms are adapting to the ecosystem. To engineer a change to an ecosystem is to commit to a lifetime of monitoring.
- Glossary of terms, Ecosystems: From -ome to Planet, 24th Edition
I wouldn’t quite call Tillek warm this time of year,” M’hall shouted over his shoulder to Wind Blossom as they spiraled down toward the northern Hold.
“It will do for my purposes,” she replied calmly, although she was enjoying her ride on dragonback too much to let anything like a mere chill in the air, or a foggy day, disturb her.
M’hall’s Brianth was wise and experienced-as was Benden’s Weyrleader himself. All the same, the descent through the foggy air was unnerving for both of them. M’hall was just about to give up and order Brianth between to safety when they broke through the cloud cover and saw land beneath-far too close for M’hall’s comfort.
Brianth immediately shifted from a spiral to a hover, allowing his rider to direct him toward a safe landing spot.
The fog was so dense that it wasn’t until M’hall and Wind Blossom were through the gates of Tillek Hold that anyone noticed them.
“At least it’s not cold,” M’hall admitted as they waved at the startled guards. “Da said old Ireland-on Earth where he lived as a boy-could get like this, in the summer, with a fog coming in off the shore.”
He craned his neck up behind him and let out a whistle as a gap in the fog showed the mountains in the distance.
“It is a beautiful view, isn’t it?” a voice called cheerfully to them.
A shadow in the fog resolved into a figure, which grew clearer as they approached. It was a man. He was bearded and wore a heavy-knit sweater. He had seaman’s hands and the swaggering walk that came from months spent at sea.
“Malon of Tillek at your service,” he said, extending a hand first to Wind Blossom and then to M’hall. “Your fire-lizard messenger told me you were coming, but I wasn’t sure in this fog.”
M’hall recalled from L’can that Malon had taken over the running of Tillek Hold just recently, after Jim Tillek’s successor had passed on. The man was about M’hall’s own height, big-boned, brown-haired and brown-eyed, with a pleasant gentleness in his eyes.
“Pleased to meet you,” M’hall said.
“I think the pleasure is ours,” Malon responded, gesturing toward the Great Hall. “We’ve got a hearty fish stew waiting and a warm spot for Wind Blossom for her stay.” He peered down at the diminutive old lady, his curiosity obvious. “Although why you would prefer our shores to the warmer ones of Southern Boll…”
“You have a spot picked out for me on the beach?” Wind Blossom asked. “No prying eyes?”
Malon nodded, his expression perplexed. “We do, and a shelter for all occasions.”
“I asked for some other things-were you able to provide them?” Wind Blossom continued.
“With pleasure,” Malon said, white teeth flashing bright against the brown beard. “Although I will confess that you’ve got many people scratching their heads in wonder.”
“An old lady’s folly,” Wind Blossom said. She jerked her hand at the Benden Weyrleader. “M’hall said I needed a rest.” She gestured around at the fog. “This will be restful, I think.”
“You are welcome to whatever we can provide you, Wind Blossom,” Malon told her. He shook his head, adding, “Although I don’t quite know what you’ll want with a bell, a coil of rope, and some planking.”
“It is a science experiment,” Wind Blossom told him. M’hall shot her a penetrating look but she waved it aside. “I wish to see how far sound will travel over foggy water.”
A clattering sound behind them caused Wind Blossom to turn around. A watch-wher approached eagerly, only to be hauled short with a hiss of pain by a stout chain attached to its neck with a collar.
“What is this?” Wind Blossom asked, her voice going dangerously soft.
“One of yours, I think,” Malon said, waving a hand affectionately toward the watch-wher.
Wind Blossom turned to Tillek’s leader and looked up at him with a dangerous intensity. “Why is it chained?”
“Oh, Tilsk here was always getting into mischief,” Malon said dismissively. “It’s for its own good.”
“Watch-whers are ‘he’ or ‘she,’ ” Wind Blossom corrected sternly. “This one is a green; that makes her a ‘she.’ ”
“I’m sorry, she was getting into trouble,” Malon said. “I apologize if chaining her up distresses you.”
“More than distress,” Wind Blossom said. She glanced up at M’hall. “This is bad.”
“The Pass is over,” M’hall protested. “There is no danger. And, you must admit, an uncontrolled watch-wher can be a menace.”
“A watch-wher needs training, just like a fire-lizard,” Wind Blossom corrected. “Or a dragon,” she said with added emphasis, glaring up at M’hall until the Weyrleader nodded in agreement.
“What if we start chaining up dragons?” she asked, nodding in satisfaction when both Malon and M’hall recoiled in horror. She looked back up at Malon. “It is the same thing, to chain a watch-wher.”
She glanced again at M’hall. “And when Thread comes again, what if the watch-whers are still chained? You know their purpose.”
“Lady Wind Blossom, I meant no disrespect,” Malon told her emphatically. “I know you are attached to your creation-”
“It’s not that, Malon,” M’hall interrupted. “Wind Blossom is right. The watch-whers serve a greater purpose.”
“They fly at night,” Wind Blossom explained, “when the dragons sleep.”
A look of dawning comprehension flowed across Malon’s face. “That was why we chained her in the first place,” he said with a groan. “She went missing one night!”
Wind Blossom nodded. “Eating Thread,” she said, her eyes showing delight. “Good.”
“If I had known… I’ll release her at once!”
“No,” Wind Blossom raised a hand. “Pick someone to work with her, like a fire-lizard. Train her, earn her respect, then let her free.”
“They are like fire-lizards then?” Malon asked, brows raised. “If so, she’s too old to bond…”