Chapter 1

Jessenia was awed and excited! Her uncle Jibben had been speaking to Woodcrafters where they had stopped to perform for the Woodcraft Hall gather; and the female Journeyman he spoke to had been Weyrbred at High Reaches Weyr and assured him that the weyr there took girls to put to green dragons; and that there was no reason the Jessenia would not be welcome!

Jibben had explained this as the family ate their evening meal: and Jessenia had looked at her parents and grandfather hopefully.

"We'll miss her if she impresses of course" said Fordel, her grandfather "but dragons must have the first choice if they want her - Dragons are our saviours."

Fordel was a man of stern duty; the acrobats all joined in walking sweep , all but little Harri who was only nine, whenever Fall happened where they were staying.

The other adults nodded assent to Fardel's pronouncement; though Jessenia's mother Tanni had reservations. "She's too young, Fordel!" She protested "And – and… won't she be raped when her dragon rises? Green dragons, you know…"

Dukkar, Jessenia's father went white. Jessenia has already attracted the unwelcome attentions of a Ranking boy who they dared not rough up as they might any other holderfolk; and they had moved on hurriedly before he could hurt Dukkar's only daughter.

"I asked about it" said Jibben "They sequester little boys who impress green dragons as well as girls; they're no idiots, dragonmen. They don't want their young riders unhappy."

Fordel nodded relief. "That makes sense" he said. I agree, Tanni, she's too young as yet" he fixed Jessenia with his bushy browed stare that could be ferocious to a miscreant and was always piercing. "Jessenia, my child, I should prefer to wait at least the turn round before you attempt impression; but I promise you that this time next turn we will travel to High Reaches if it is what you wish."

"Oh grandfather, YES!" gasped Jessenia. "I think dragons are so wonderful! I love it when we go to Igen Weyr to perform, seeing them all the time!"

"Any objections, Dukkar, Tanni?" the old man asked.

Dukkar shook his head.

"If it's what the girl wants, it's a way we can give to dragonkind in return for their protection" he said "though I'd as soon my little girl WASN'T dragon mad! It'll be hard, missing her."

Tanni sniffed hard.

"She's old enough to make her choice, knowing the ups and downs I suppose" she admitted "And shells know, she walks sweep as boldly as any boy. But I too will miss you Jess."

"Many lads younger than her, or Roban, go off to apprenticeship" reminded Fordel, naming the brother between Jessenia and Harri; Roban was deemed old enough to perform for the public. Fordel liked his family to have a peaceful, happy childhood, training from the age of four or five turns old, but not in the public gaze until they were ten at least, better thirteen or more.

"Go for it, our sis" said Lenner, the oldest; about ten turns older than Jessenia. Quiet Tas, the next one down, nodded.

"Then it is settled" said Fordel: "And no more need to be spoken of it – save any concerns you wish to raise, Jessenia – in the meantime, I've no intention of being driven half between with chatter about dragons that can only be ill-informed until you get to the weyr to find out for yourself. Tanni, I will speak to a rider when we reach Igen to confirm about sequestering."

"High Reaches is the only weyr to routinely take women for anything but Gold eggs – though Benden accepts Green Rider Mirrim" said Jibben "Though I guess their policy with little boys would be the same."

"I realize that" said Fordel, glaring at his younger son, "I was going to ask in general terms. Don't teach your grandmother to snare tunnel snakes".

"Sorry Father" said Jibben: but he grinned on .

Jibben was much younger than his brother Dukkar; and got away with much for being precious to his father, having survived the birthing that killed his mother. Their three sisters had chosen more sedentary lives, Rupa marrying into a trader family, Relda taking a position as a physical trainer to a holder's daughters; and the third, Della, unable to tumble for being born with a twisted leg, had been taken into the Smithcraft as an apprentice and was now a successful journeyman. Della took her craft to seriously to marry; but Rupa had several children and Fordel was hopeful that one or more might join their cousins as acrobats. Relda was busy raising a quiverful of half-bloods to the holder she worked for, having been his mistress since his wife died. Fordel did not approve: but it was Relda's choice, and his disappointment did not stop him visiting her and entertaining the full of Kunder's Gorge Hold where she lived! Indeed, Holder Ranyer was good to the acrobat's family, treating them as honoured guests, where many would expect such itinerants to crowd into such quarters as they had for travelling holdless. Fordel HAD saved the man's arm turns back, by quick work with agenothree when a thread had dropped from a treetop; it had prompted the offer to Relda to take a settled post later when Ranyer found she wanted one. Fordel just wished he did not believe that Relda had been warming Ranyer's furs while his wife still lived. Weyrfolk were one thing; holderfolk and crafters were something else, and he had reared his daughters and Jessenia to the view that enough people would view holdless itinerants as loving wenches without encouraging such promiscuous behaviour!

oOoOo

Jessenia hoped the troupe would be visiting Kunder's Gorge. She liked all her little cousins – starting with Ranee, a little older than Harri and going down to turn-old Danya - and the older children mostly treated the acrobats as family too, her especial crony being Carya, her own age. She liked her trader cousins too, Caytreen also of an age with her, though seventeen-turn-old Myra was less inclined to lark with "the kids"; an attitude shared by Ranyer's 18-turn oldest child Carra and her brother, Ranis, one turn younger. Carra might have been married by now save for an indulgent father who swore she should wed from choice, which to Jessenia said a lot about his relationship with his dead wife.

Meeting up with the traders was a bit pot luck; but they could easily travel to the High Reaches via Kunder's Gorge!

Meantime they would wander Northern Lemos until the weather started cooling, and then make their way South to Igen Weyr, who always appreciated a good performance, then to overwinter in Igen Hold Holdless caverns from turnover. Where they went after that depended on Fordel's whims; into Keroon sometimes, or up to upper Igen and even into Telgar. Jessenia shivered, They would NOT repeat the experiment of going to Telgar Weyr; the arrogant dragonmen there were a far cry from the happy-go-lucky types at Igen, and Fordel badly insulted, though he had not let any of them express frank opinions of such behaviour. They were still, he said severely, dragonmen, and were owed respect for what they did.

Jessenia disagreed, but she kept such thoughts to herself. Disrespecting dragonmen was one of the few things Fordel would take off his belt for to administer corporal punishment.

oOoOo

As it happened, the acrobats ran into the traders family Rupa had joined at Far Cry Hold, the most northerly larger Hold in Lemos, though there were isolated cotholds and a few small Holds now running up as far as the foothills of the Northern Barrier Range, all the way up the valley of the Igen River. Far Cry did not rank as a major Hold, but it was a prosperous Hold with fine fields and good logging and a large number of sugar maple groves, as well as being the centre to which the products of several small mineholds were brought: and there was always hunting. Rupa's husband and his family had brought fine clothes and metal articles to sell, trading for furs and gems in the main as well as maple sugar and syrup, preferred by some to the white sugar from southern canes. The trader, Killin, greeted Fordel and family cheerfully, and Rupa ran to embrace her father and brothers.

They arrived in time for a gather; and the acrobats must set up their pitch to tumble before Jessenia might gossip with cousins, picking the square on which they would tumble free of any stones that could cut hands or feet, or even small pebbles that might bruise a foot or disrupt balance. Lenner, the dramatic one, went around banging a drum calling to all and sundry of the impending performance. It was some time before Jessenia could draw Caytreen to one side and tell her news!

"Shells!" breathed Caytreen "You really WANT to? I mean, dragons… They're so big and scary!"

Jessenia snorted.

"Dragons are beautiful!" she said "I love watching them at Igen… maybe I'll try saying 'hello' this time too!"

"You watch you don't get in trouble, you" said Caytreen, half-envious at such daring and half shocked. Jessenia tossed her short blue-black locks, cut for convenience not to foul her acrobatics.

"Dragons are all right" she said.

"Well rather you than me!" declared Caytreen. "Anyway, I've got my own news… I'm to be wed this autumn, to Jaro, one of the boys in our train."

Jessenia was not a little shocked; it seemed rather young for her to settle down and be wed; but Caytreen seemed pleased enough with her bargain. It was disappointing; Jessenia had half hoped that her cousin would want to come with her so she would have a friend to stand with; but Caytreen was decidedly poor spirited about the idea, even without this Jaro in the story.

Caytreen went on, "It'll work out nice though, because Roby and Ruri were keen to join the troupe – Ma's been training them – and she didn't like to ask if Grandfather would take them."

The youngest of the traders' cousins were twins, some ten turns old, with a talent for mischief and falling onto trouble. Jessenia thought cynically that Uncle Killin would be glad to shift responsibility onto someone else's shoulders. Not that she doubted for a minute that her formidable grandfather was not equal to the task of keeping them out of trouble and away from dragging young Harri into trouble below them! Almost indistinguishable from each other, the twins would be a draw if Aunt Rupa had taught them well; and grandfather would work them into shape if they lacked any skills. Fordel did not tumble or juggle for the public anymore – he claimed he was too old and stiff to give value for marks – but he practiced as hard as any of them!

oOoOo

Jessenia had little time for any more gossip, she must run and change into her tumbling costume. She wore tight trews cut on the bias to stretch when needed – a trick known to acrobats long before the High Reaches weyrwomen introduced the idea to the fashion-conscious – and over it a short sleeveless tunic, belted about the waist to prevent it riding immodestly up. Some finale acrobats made their bodies obvious with short loose tunics but Fordel was strict, and Jessenia was not displeased. With her breast bands fully in place, her femininity had only been apparent for the last half-turn or so; and the one unpleasant incident had left her confining her small breasts more firmly than she had done so before, and glad to dispense with what she now saw as childish vanity!

oOoOo

Jessenia tumbled whilst throwing and catching her pair of clubs deftly, gratified as always at the spontaneous applause as she tossed them seemingly negligently into the air and performed a cartwheel and somersault across the square before catching one in each hand with the merest of glances from the splits position; then juggled with these before swinging lazily up for the next tumbling trick.

She would miss the applause as much as the tumbling with her family, she reflected; so she might as well enjoy the whole atmosphere while she had it. Her muscles were well developed and she recalled that she could easily toss and catch bags of firestone as she had seen weyrlings do at Igen, and probably with more economy of effort too!

She resolved to keep tumbling, no matter what; High Reaches did Mountain Rescue in its dangerous terrain and someone lithe and skilled might prove useful. And a skill like the High Wire might come in handy too, she reflected as she climbed the ladder to perform on the rope her brothers had rigged between two convenient trees. It was a pity the Gather at Woodcraft Hall had no trees near the Gather Ground: it would have been worth impressing that weyrbred journeyman.

Jessenia had no fear of heights; and had been tumbling on a thick cable since she could walk. Walking along a thinner rope was child's play, and the crowd gasped as she stayed in the middle to make it bounce and sway with controlled movements of her body. Confident though she was, Jessenia never let her mind wander performing on the tightrope; falls could be fatal, and everyone still spoke in hushed whispers about Fordel's sister who had fallen and broken her neck, but horrifyingly survived the fall. The acrobat had asked for an overdose of fellis and Jessenia did not blame her in the least.

The high rope thrilled the crowd, but Jessenia preferred this low thick rope. It was still possible to be horribly injured on falling, but three feet off the ground it was less likely. This ship's cable was about three thumb-joints wide; and Jessenia could cartwheel and somersault on it, forwards, backwards and even the difficult, if less elegant, sideways somersault. Jessenia loved to invite members of the public who were less impressed than they ought to be to try their hand on it - with hay stuffed sacks for them to fall on – and watch the expressions change on the faces of those who had scoffed that it was easy!

Sometimes there were surefooted people who surprised her; usually young girls, but on this occasion the volunteer was a big, heartily built carter lad whose fall she thought would be imminent; but clumsy as he looked, once he had stopped his boots off he strolled across the rope like he was on the ground.

He winked at her, registering her chagrin. .

"Misspent youth among River People" he said, reaching the mark she had set up as a prize for any who could cross the rope. It would explain a lot; the river people were about as nimble as acrobats, leaping form boat to boat in midstream!