"Not long," K'net said amiably. "Of course we riders could go and get a few if we needed them." He made to signal F'nor, who was walking towards the door.
"We'll go," the underleader said.
"I'd like you to send someone to collect Bargen from the High Reaches Weyr," Robinton said to F'nor, who was staring at him.
"He's the legitimate heir to that Hold, and we'll have to see if there's any of the Bloodlines left alive in the other ones Fax took over."
"I didn't know he survived," F'nor said, surprised.
"I've a list of where the other survivors got to," Nip said. "Oterel at Tillek Hold has given refuge to several, you know."
"No, I didn't, but it's like him. We've a lot of work to do, then, haven't we?" Robinton smiled happily at the thought. One hold, one holder. That point had been well proven over the past turns.
He hoped it could be a moral lesson for a long time. "And we must do something about--' He stopped, realizing that Fax's dead body had already been removed from the Hall.
"First thing I had my fellow drudges do," Nip said. "They took an uncommon pleasure in dumping him into the midden. In the old days, he could have been left out for Thread to dissolve. Neater that way." Then he added, as the MasterHarper shuddered, "Well, that was a deterrent, you know."
A hungry wail alerted them to another problem which required an immediate solution.
"And a wet-nurse for the new young Lord of Ruatha Hold," Robinton said, trying to remember if there were any nursing women back at Harper Hall. The others regarded him blankly.
"I doubt any female here has succour for him, and I intend to keep the babe alive since he had such trouble getting here," Robinton said.
"We'll find one, somewhere," F'nor said firmly.
"Get Tuck to send another message," Nip suggested.
Before they could start that search, F'lar appeared on the steps, racing down them. "Has that creature come this way?" he demanded, catching F'nor by the arm. F'nor seemed to know that F'lar was referring to the drudge.
"No. Is she the source of power, after all?" F'nor was astonished.
"Yes, she is." F'lar looked angrily about him. "And of Ruathan Blood, at that!"
Robinton grinned with intense satisfaction.
"Oh-ho, does she depose the babe then?" F'nor asked, gesturing to the birthing-woman who occupied a seat close to the blazing hearth.
F'lar looked blank, his body half-turned to go about his search for the missing Lessa. "Babe? What babe?"
"The male child Lady Gemma bore," F'nor replied, surprised by
F'lar's uncomprehending look.
"It lives?"
"Yes, a strong babe, the woman says, for all that he was premature and taken forcibly from the dead dame's belly."
F'lar threw back his head with a shout of laughter. Then they all heard Mnementh's roar, followed by the curious warble of the other dragons.
"Mnementh has caught her," the bronze rider cried, grinning with jubilation. He strode down the steps and into the darkness of the main court.
Robinton could just see the huge bulk of the bronze dragon, settling awkwardly on to his hind legs, his wings working to keep him balanced. Carefully Mnementh set the girl on her feet and formed a cage around her with his huge talons. Robinton could see that she was facing the wedge-shaped head that swayed above her.
Not afraid of a thing, that one, the MasterHarper thought, and wisely he decided to let F'lar handle the interview with the recaptured Lady of Ruatha.
The two fragments of bread that he'd managed to eat were insufficient to calm his growling stomach, and for once hunger got the better of his harperly curiosity. There had to be something edible on that roast carcass, and he meant to have it before he expired of starvation. Besides, F'lar had better learn to handle the girl now, before she Impressed a queen. Then he grinned to himself.
He rather thought the young bronze rider would be up to the task.
He did find some edible if tough bits off the roast, quite a few, and he shared them with Nip, and Tuck, who had descended from the Drum Tower.
"Good lad," Robinton mumbled, his mouth full of the hard-to-chew meat.
"Where were you hiding, Master Robinton?" Tuck asked, accepting slices from the harper's knife.
"I was a drudge during the day, before I changed into a soldier," Robinton said with a sigh. "I never understood the word 'drudge' properly before now. I shan't be one again, I assure you."
Nip and Tuck smothered their chuckles at his vehemence.
"All well and good for you two. You're used to it," the MasterHarper went on, finding yet another not-too-scorched bit of meat.
A sudden bestial scream startled them and brought them to the Hold door. Then Lessa's cry: "Don't kill! Don't kill!" They raced to the front door. F'lar was on the stones, where evidently the watch-wher had pushed him. They saw the beast launching a second attack on the fallen dragonrider. But Mnementh's great head swung around to knock the watchwher out of the air. Motivated by Lessa's shriek, the watchwher, trying to avoid F'lar, performed an incredible twist mid-air and fell heavily to the ground. They all heard the dull crack as the force of its landing broke its back. Before F'lar could get to his feet, Lessa was cradling the hideous head in her arms, her face stricken.
"It was truly only defending me," Lessa said, her voice breaking.
She cleared her throat. "It was the only one I could trust. My only friend."
Robinton watched F'lar pat the girl's shoulder awkwardly. The bronze rider would have to do better than that, and yet the awkwardness was appealing.
"In truth a loyal friend," F'lar said. The light in the watchwher's green-gold eyes dimmed and died.
All the dragons gave voice to the eerie, hair-raising, barely audible high keening note that signified the passing of one of their kind.
"He was only a watchwher," Lessa murmured, obviously stunned by the tribute.
"The dragons confer honour where they will," F'lar said drily.
Lessa looked down for one more long moment at the repulsive head. She laid it down on the stones, caressed the clipped wings.
Then, with quick fingers, she undid the heavy buckle that fastened the metal collar around its neck. She threw the collar violently away.
She rose in a fluid movement and walked resolutely to Mnementh without a backward glance at Ruatha Hold.
So, thought Robinton, F'lar did manage to persuade her to abandon Ruatha Hold and become Weyrwoman. He was not surprised, though he did wonder just what F'lar had said – or done – to convince her to leave her beloved Ruatha Hold.
F'nor, C'gan and four others remained on the steps as the other riders strode into the court to wait for their dragons.
"We need to get Lytol from High Reaches," F'nor said as one by
one the riders mounted their dragons. "To take charge here." "Good idea," Robinton agreed.
"And who might you be?" F'nor spoke without rancour, but he had clearly not missed the fact that Robinton was wearing Fax's colours.
C'gan chuckled. "The MasterHarper of Pern, F'nor." He turned to Robinton. "I thought I recognized you standing on guard at the wall, but the light was poor and I couldn't imagine how you'd been able to sneak yourself into Ruatha."
While F'nor regarded Robinton with growing respect and interest, Mnementh launched himself up and out of the courtyard, the other dragons following in quick succession.
"Do you think I would have missed tonight for anything?" Robinton asked. Then he looked past the others, to the dining tables in the Hall, and asked wistfully: "There wouldn't be any decent wine, would there?"