We should land at Bitra Hold, in case we are needed for burrows that might have escaped us, K’vin told Charanth. Tell the wings well-done, and all but J’dar’s may return. He will wait with us for the all-clear. It is M’shall’s pleasure to tell us that! Any casualties?
That was the traditional Weyrleader’s query, though reports would also be made to him during the Fall so that he could assess what replacements might be needed.
Today only some minor burns from char. Nothing bad enough that anyone cared to report to you.
K’vin wasn’t that pleased that news had been withheld, but he could understand the reluctance of any rider in today’s Fall retiring for a mere char burn. Now he noticed that he had quite a few black spots on his own riding leathers, but nothing had penetrated through to his flesh. Would that every Fall would be so trouble-free! And the next one which Telgar flew would show up the foolhardy. He’d have to give the entire Weyr a hard bollocking to prevent the cocksure from disaster.
Today the queens’ wing would join the wing leaders at Bitra Hold, though traditionally they stayed aloft to assist ground crews.
Zulaya sought K’vin immediately she was on the ground and embraced him, seeking his mouth to kiss him with enthusiasm.
“We did it! We did it!”
“This time,” K’vin said, hugging her tightly to him. He could almost have thanked P’tero for getting him so angry. It had done the world of good for his relations with Zulaya.
The way she looked at him now, the way she had to touch him… Well, they were truly weyrmates.
M’shall was moving among the riders, slapping one on the shoulder, thanking each Weyrleader for participating in this almost scatheless Fall, a wide smile plastered on his face.
“I’d say that this was a normal Fall,” S’nan was saying rather portentously.
“How can we possibly tell?” G’don asked.
“The records, man, the records,” said S’nan, glaring. “It’s exactly as Sean described Fall #325, in his records of 11 AL. Exactly.”
“Oh, Fall #325?” asked B’nurrin, his eyes dancing.” Myself, I felt it was more like #499 in 12 AL.”
“B’nurrin?” M’shall’s raised eyebrows suggested that the irrepressible young Igen Weyrleader should stop baiting S’nan.
“We got off much too easily,” said D’miel of Ista, shaking his head. “I mean, we were all on a high. I for one was expecting far worse.”
“Isn’t it nice to be disappointed?” K’vin said, but he agreed with D’miel. Everything had gone too well.
“Nonsense,” said G’don. “We were all flying our best riders.”
“We’ve been keyed up for weeks, and nervous. And I don’t mind admitting I was,” he added, glancing around him, but he winked at K’vin and B’nurrin. Others nodded agreement. “So we were very cautious.”
“It’s when we’re so accustomed to the menace that we’re liable to be careless, to take unnecessary risks, to stop watching out of the backs of our heads.”
A murmur of agreement and nods greeted that observation.
“We must never relax our guard during Fall,” S’nan declared, again sententious. “Never!”
“We’ll have to be doubly cautious during the second Fall over south Benden and Keroon,” Zulaya said softly to K’vin.
“Well, I for one was pleased with the way the wings performed. Not much got through,” he repeated. “Between the upper flights and the queens’ wing, only four incidents of burrow, and those were handled with great dispatch. Thanks to Vergerin.”
The Bitra Lord Holder was directing the distribution of Hegmon’s sparkling wine to those crowding in his courtyard.
“Only think what might have happened if Chalkin was still here!” Irene said, raising her glass towards Vergerin.
“Who wants to think what might have happened?” Laura of Ista Weyr demanded, laughing with exaggerated relief.
“For one thing, we wouldn’t have this champagne,” Irene replied.
“That’s for damned sure!”
“How’d you get the sparkly out of Hegmon, Vergerin?” G’don wanted to know, cradling his glass lovingly.
“We’re old friends, you might say,” Vergerin replied with a droll grin.
“Did any wing report injuries?” asked M’shall, his expression turning sober.
“Nothing above char burns in mine,” K’vin said. And that was what the other wing leaders reported one after another.
“Well, we’re fragging lucky if that’s all. Though I shudder to think how careless the average rider can get,” M’shall said.
“We’ll have to keep them on their toes.”
“And on their dragons,” his weyrmate added.
“Look at it this way,” said B’nurrin, grinning from ear to ear, “We’ve only five thousand eight hundred and fourteen more Falls to attend, give or take a few, before it’s all over for another two hundred years!” There was a moment of dumbfounded silence as that fact was absorbed and then B’nurrin ducked away before the wrath of his peers could descend on him.
“But Fall has begun,” K’vin said softly to Zulaya, standing proudly beside him, “and we have met the enemy again.
“What a time to be alive.”
“And riding a dragon!”
And thus began the Second Pass of Thread on Pern!