Now Mallan shook his hand, grinning, and at last Robinton was ready to leave.
"When's the mating flight?" he asked F'lon when he settled on Simanith's back behind his old friend.He spoke teasingly.
"I'm not sure Nemorth'll ever get off the ground the way Jora acts," he said in disgust."The girl is afraid of heights.She only takes the steps to her weyr if someone walks on the outside to keep her,' he altered his voice to a squeaky falsetto, ‘from tipping off."
"But doesn't she…"
"Fortunately," F'lon went on, "when Nemorth's lust is up, it won't matter a pile of old ashes what Jora wants." He grinned wickedly back at the harper."Nemorth's blood will be up, and nature will take its course."
"And S'loner?"
"He'll take his chances with the rest of us."
Just then Simanith, who had surprised Robinton by walking to the edge of the High Reaches court, scared him half to death by falling off the edge into the long drop down to the valley floor.His stomach lurched and he clutched frantically at F'lon, wondering what ailment had taken the dragon so suddenly.
F'lon was howling with laughter at his reaction, and then they were between and the chill was almost welcome as the alternative to being dashed on the rocks.
"That was a damned nasty trick," Robinton said, leaning forward so that F'lon could hear him as they circled above the Harper Hall.
He also gave F'lon an angry punch between the shoulder-blades to show his displeasure.
"Why should Simanith waste energy leaping when he can glide off?"
"You might have warned me."
F'lon's chuckle whipped back to Robinton's ears and he knew it was useless to complain.
Simanith, the next time F'lon does that, would you please give me a second's warning?Robinton asked.He'd had little occasion to initiate conversations with Simanith, so he wasn't sure if the bronze would hear him.
I will try to remember since you don't like falling.At least Simanith sounded reasonably apologetic, which somewhat mollified Robinton.
Not above another display, F'lon had Simanith glide in a lazy spiral down to the Harper Hall courtyard, making certain that their arrival was witnessed.By the time Simanith had folded his wings to his back, a welcoming committee had gathered on the steps.
Robinton would really have preferred a less public arrival.His mother, who did look well to his searching gaze, was standing by Lorra, who had her arm about the shoulders of a very pretty, tall brunette who looked somewhat familiar.Kubisa and Master Ogolly completed the smiling group.Glancing up at the rehearsal room where Petiron spent so much time, Robinton could neither see nor hear any activity.He breathed a sigh of relief and then dismounted, striding to the steps to embrace his mother.
She was not quite as frail in his arms as when he had bid her goodbye three turns before, but there were a lot of white streaks in her carefully braided hair and he thought her face looked more lined.Those marks of ageing disturbed him terribly, he didn't like to think of his mother growing old.But he hid his fears with smiles and all the glib, silly phrases people say when renewing contact.
In the fuss to thank them all for coming, he kept glancing at the very pretty brunette who was also pretending to be composed, a state belied by the flush that kept coming and going on hercheeks.
Then he put a name to her face.
"The turns have done you well, Silvina," he said, holding out a hand to Lorra's youngest daughter while still embracing his mother.
"And you're not so bad yourself now, Harper," she said pertly, grinning.
"You've filled out a great deal," Merelan said, patting his chest and feeling the muscles in his arm."You're even taller," she added with a sort of accusatory wonder, as if he had no right to alter his appearance while separated from her.
"Master Lobira worked me hard," he said, pretending weariness.
"Nonsense," Kubisa said in her forthright fashion."You look in fine shape.In fact, you've improved quite a bit."
Betrice appeared in the doorway."Ah, he has come.Good.
Lorra's laid a spread for you, and we're all waiting to see if she's done you proud.Come in, come in, Robie." She grabbed his hand away from Silvina and led him in.
Robinton released his mother only when they were in the small dining room and he could settle her in a chair Just as he was about to seat himself, Master Ogolly came rushing in.
"Oh, I did want to be on time," the Archivist said peevishly."My dear boy, it's so good to see you!" Then he looked at the laden table and beamed."How marvellous.I'll just stop for a cup of klah, and maybe one of those little cakes, but I've got such clumsies as apprentices this Turn.You don't know how much I miss your neat copying, Robie.Oh, I should give you your full name now, shouldn't I, Journeyman Robinton?"
"You can call me what you will, Master Ogolly.I'm always yours to command."
"Master Gennell will want to see you sometime this afternoon, Rob," Betrice said, "when his class is over"
"Any ideas about where I'm to be posted next?" He winked at Betrice to assure her that he didn't expect her to tell him.
"Oh, we'll keep you busy enough," she assured him with a mock scowl.
The conversation went to general topics, such as who had been posted where, and Robinton asked after his old dorm-mates who now were journeymen too, and heard about Shonagar's latest wrestling successes.That made him think of Fax.
"What's wrong, Rob?" his mother asked, a gentle hand on his arm, as she caught his change of mood.
"Nothing," he said.His response didn't fool her, but he didn't feel that Fax's delinquency in educating his holders was a subject for this table.
When he did have a chance to bring the subject up to Master Gennell during his interview with the harper, Gennell nodded soberly.
"Lobira has acquainted me with that situation.Unfortunately, without Faroguy's consent, the Hall can do nothing."
"But that's not right," Robinton protested.
Gennell nodded again, sympathetically."We can only do so much, Rob, and are wiser not to trespass where a harper's life might be endangered."
Robinton blinked in surprise."Endangered?"
"There have been such problems before, lad, and there will be again, but somehow it comes right.As long as Fax keeps his ideas to his own hold, I can do nothing.Nor is it wise to do so.That's something you learn as you go on.Cut your losses when you have to.One small hold in the northern lands is not as vital as a larger one nearer home, as it were.And I'm assigning you to shed the light where there has been darkness.Now,' Gennell swivelled and pointed to a peg," that's your new assignment.And I think you'll do quite well there.You got a fine recommendation from Lobira, and he's not easy to please.But first…Petiron is away for several days, so you might like to relax and spend some time with your mother."
"She's not well?" Robinton leaped on the wording.
"Yes, yes, she's fine, lad.No need to fret about her as you'll discover," Gennell said.He sounded so sincere that Robinton relaxed."There's a ship due in at the Fort Harbour and you can passage on that…and let's not prevail too much on a dragonrider's favour for transport."
"F'lon insisted…"
"Now, now, I'm not faulting you, Rob, but I think it better that you arrive at Benden? "
"Benden?" Robinton couldn't believe in such luck.
"Yes, Benden, but arrive this time without benefit of Simanith's wings.That young lad is a thorn in Lord Maidir's side, both he and that father of his, the Weyrleader."
"But, when Mother and I were there, Lord Maidir? "
Gennell held up his hand."As I said, it would be better if you didn't arrive on dragonwing.I don't want you considered an alarmist too.Harper Evarel is looking forward to your assistance.
He's retiring soon and, if you suit Lord Maidir, in fact, he asked if you were available now, you'll probably stay on there."