24 Aftermath

T'bor spoke at length with Lasolly; and far from being remorseful found her suggesting that she would have done High Reaches a favour for getting rid of some low born brat! T'bor was generally an easy going man; but if push came to shove he could lose his cool as well as any man. He gave the girl a dressing down that gave her a very good idea of his opinion of her; and pointed out that such consequences as exile to the Eastern Isles or being made to drudge for Z'ira for twenty or more turns were both suitable punishments for attempting to kill a Weyrwoman and, to make matters worse, her unborn child! And if she thought the granddaughter of a Queenrider constituted low born where did she think that left a commoner like her, the ill conditioned brat of a minor Holder whose table-sized Hold was scarcely worth bothering to protect from Thread? He was scathing in the extreme about her ideas of Rank; and quoted, amongst others, Lord Groghe on Blood and its obligations; and also pointed out that for attacking a dragonrider, the Weyr could demand total jurisdiction over her punishment.

He left her a badly frightened girl when he stormed out to discuss the matter of her disciplining with Pilgra, R'gar, T'lana, L'rilly, Sh'rilla, L'exa now of courtesy as Queenrider as well as being a candidate with the girl, H'llon and Z'kan. Z'ira was still under Calla's care and nobody told her about the meeting on purpose.

"She's incorrigible" he said, helplessly. "Even L'rilly at her worst…."

"I've calmed down, Weyrleader" said H'llon "And I think my initial urges to send her East are unreasonable. As to drudging for Z'ira, frankly I don't want her anywhere near my love and our child; I'd be constantly afraid of what she might do! As for the Eastern Isles, what I'm concerned about is that she might breed – and how fair is that on the innocent babes born to exile?"

T'bor grimaced.

"Point well taken, lad. I think women are exiled on a different Island, but determined men I guess might reach there….and there are so few women exiled I really am hazy about the rules. If that self styled Lady Holdless Thella were ever caught I should think there'd be a case against her to send, but she's not by all accounts a woman but a monster….I ought to find out, I suppose, in case it does ever become necessary. After all, I can't think what else we might do. Even if we send her home she'll have got off scot free; her father has some idea of the enormity of her behaviour, but her mother makes Lady Bellanda look calm and thoroughly objective about her Belle-baby."

There was some laughter; Bellanda was rather volatile where B'lova was concerned. It was rueful laughter though; the thought of a mother even more besotted was quite frightening really!

"Larnel got off scot free until we caught up with him out of the Weyr" muttered T'lana.

T'bor swung round to her.

"Because Meron was his sire and we knew he WOULDN'T do anything and we dared not!" he said testily. "You know how touchy politics were then!"

"And totally wrong that we should be held to ransom like that for one poor Lord Holder" said H'llon "We should have the Right – we do have the Right – to act if anyone attacks one of our own. It is not necessarily the responsibility of the Lord Holder and I don't see why we had to tread on eggs around Meron."

"Because they were busy hanging together because with the bad behaviour of the Oldtimers we had gotten to an 'us and them' situation" explained T'bor "Where we had to tread too carefully around the Lords Holder because Benden decreed we needed to appease them. And I support F'lar in trying to salvage what he could from a nasty situation."

"I don't" said T'lana "I think my father was wrong to be too ready to appease rather than force the issue of equality of partnership of Hold, Craft and Weyr laid down in the Charter. But he made the decision in the light of the events of the time, and publicly of course I support it. But now we have a better relationship with our Holder neighbours we must be careful not to lose that."

"She's hit the nail on the head" said Pilgra. "The girl's Lord Holder is Bargen. He's a reasonable man; why not exploit the situation and make the suggestion that we are too emotionally involved to make a fair judgement and drop the whole situation in his lap? He can feel flattered that we involve him in what is essentially Weyr business and feel smug that we trust his judgement; and feel pleased too that we have a sense of justice that will not permit us to act emotionally. And we get rid of a difficult problem; something for everyone. Except Lasolly, I hope. But Bargen is NOT going to antagonise us by acting too leniently I wager."

T'bor gave an explosive sigh of relief; and T'lana gave her friend a frankly admiring look.

"That's the most wonderfully devious piece of reasoning I think I've ever heard!" she said. "I bow to your wisdom Pilgra; it's plain why it's you who is senior Weyrwoman. We are as children to your cunning."

Pilgra grinned and cuffed her young friend lightly about the back of the head.

"It is excellent" said T'bor. "Bargen is a fair man and will not shirk an unpleasant duty. And his punishments are always very mete."

"Am I glad she's not from Nabol!" said T'lana.

T'bor looked confused.

"Why? Meron's long gone. Deckter's a good man too; as is Oterel of Tillek of course."

"Oh yes; but I count Deckter as a kinsman and I'd not wish this on him!" said the irrepressible T'lana.

R'gar slapped her backside!

"Bad girl!" he said, chuckling.

T'lana shrugged.

"But I don't have to worry – as 'tis Bargen's problem anyway!" she said demurely. "Though I concur with T'bor; we've a fardling good set of Lords Holder at the moment; and here's long life to them all!"

"I'll second THAT!" agreed H'llon.

T'bor himself took the girl – bound hand and foot and loaded onto Orth like a sack of firestone – to High Reaches Hold, together with H'llon to lay deposition on behalf of his injured weyrwoman. Z'ira complained of course that she could go for herself; but H'llon craftily pointed out that Tiabeth would not like to be parted from her Rider so soon after the upset of her injury; and also that she would risk the baby.

He thought of the arguments to muster without any recourse to asking Z'kan or T'lana; and was quite pleased with himself that he had picked up some deviousness to minimise the risk to his beloved Z'ira. And it was even likely to be true so he could look her in the eye and make the statement with a clear conscience!

What H'llon DID do was to have weyrartist Geriana draw a picture of Z'ira's wound; and took the bloody shard itself as further evidence to show the Lord Holder. Bargen would already know the gist of what had happened; for his steward Nordar had attended in his stead as support for the Ladies Katha and Libethra, Lord Bargen having been out of the Hold to deal with some business that had arisen that took him to the Smithcraft Hall at the time of the Hatching. T'bor regretted in some ways that the Lord Holder had not personally witnessed the incident; but on the other hand it did set him a further and more objective step away, and that point T'bor intended to make.

Lord Bargen was utterly horrified at what had occurred. To attack a Queenrider was unforgiveable; and besides, he knew Z'ira slightly, and thought her a nice child. Furthermore he knew H'llon very well and knew him for a man of unimpeachable integrity; and he liked the young Bronze Rider and felt for his pain over his weyrmate's injury. If it had been his own wife, he wondered if he could have remained so implacably objective giving evidence as H'llon managed to be; and admired him the more for his wooden stoicism when the objectivity slipped a little and the fury erupted briefly before H'llon fought himself back under control.

When Lord Bargen's questioning of Lasolly showed her attitude he was even more furious.

Lasolly could scarcely ignore or discount the wrath of her Lord Holder, a superior she DID consider to be legitimate, in descent of the Blood since time immemorial. And his initially quiet, almost gentle, questioning had become more and more angry until finally he roared at her,

"And do you know what punishment I awarded the last creature that attacked a weyrwoman?"

Lasolly shook her head, finally starting to be fully cowed.

"I had them chained out during Fall!" said Lord Bargen grimly. "And can you give me any reason I should not do the same to you?"

Lasolly whimpered in terror, and lost herself in half sentences of how she was only hoping to support her Blood and do the Weyr a favour.

"FAUGH!" said Bargen "You have no concept of Blood! A true member of the Blood understands duty and hard work and fealty! As you cannot be trusted as a member of the Ranking, I hereby strip your Rank from you" he suited actons to words, ripping off her Knots as a line member of Tolliver Hold whence she came "- and you shall work at this Hold under my eye as a drudge to pay off such Blood Marks the dragonfolk demand for this – this intolerable Shame that you have brought on me!" he looked at T'bor.

T'bor thought quickly. It should be a fine concomitant with the enormity of the act; but not so high as to make Lord Bargen resentful.

"As we are starting a Child Hold for the unwanted" said T'bor "And as she tried to stop the life of a very much wanted baby, the first part of the Blood Mark request is the price it costs to raise a child to the age of choice, fourteen turns; that I calculate conservatively to fourteen hundred marks. As for the price of upsetting a Queen dragon that might have frightened her Between at so young and impressionable an age, and for causing injury, pain and mental distress to the Weyrwoman we set the price at a nominal twenty thousand marks, for we do not wish to fine the Hold beyond what her work will be able to pay off. I hope you think that fair?"

"Eminently; I thank you for your generosity in that matter" said Bargen, inclining his head. "Her father will be paying some at least of it for the fact that this nasty little piece's behaviour sits at least partly at his door. I will be visiting his Hold to explain a few things to him; and to see what of this girl's effects may be sold too towards the fine. A drudge won't need fancy clothes or expensive musical instruments or whatever."

"Speaking of fathers" said H'llon "may I request that if she did get with child in the Weyr – some Blue Riders will take anything if disappointed in a mating flight – may we request custody of the child? A Weyr-sired child should be weyrbred, especially when the mother proves to be inadequate."

Lasolly had started to make protest at H'llon's blunt comments but was quelled by a Look from Lord Bargen.

The Lord Holder nodded.

"It is a fair request, Bronze Rider H'llon" he said. "It shall be so. Moreover" he cleared his throat "I shall organise a collection for your childhold, and I shall keep the collection an open one, especially on race days when winners sometimes feel more generous" he smiled soberly.

T'bor nodded.

"Thank you Lord Bargen" he said. "You are a fair man and all consideration."

"Hold and Weyr must act together" said Bargen "And your people have always dealt more than fairly with me, T'bor; H'llon and Z'kan and M'gol have been helpful and discreet on more than one occasion. And to have Z'kan's daughter and H'llon's wife – uh, weyrmate – as the victim here saddens and angers me even more than if it were someone I did not know. Frankly, I'd not have felt any disgruntlement towards you if you'd dumped the brat in the Eastern Isles to be raped into submission by whichever surviving renegades may be there. I appreciate your forbearance in not doing so."

T'bor shrugged.

"Unfair on any brat she might bear as a result" he said. "Besides, she's quite young. She MIGHT learn from the experience." His tone was not hopeful. "As you say it is her parents fault for over indulging her, her mother's most of all I believe. I have some hope that a cessation in that indulgence may give her furiously to think. If" he added "She DOES ever learn, and in your opinion and judgement contrite and ready to move on, we will take her back to the Weyr if she so desires, regardless of whether she has paid of her debt; we would return the excess to you if she shows us willing. We hate to abandon totally anyone who has been weyrfolk."

Bargen was surprised.

"That's an uncommonly generous gesture, Weyrleade" he said "To even think of taking her back. And you would NOT return any of the fine; that is due from her father as much as from her own work for his failure in responsibility; and the just due of your Queenrider. I'm amazed you can still hope for changes!"

T'bor shrugged.

"We've had other people who turned themselves around" he explained. "It would be letting the dragons down not to accept that." Besides, he reflected, I might get a lecture from that mercurial little creature T'lan if I don't make the offer. And there's no real expectation that it will ever need to be taken up!

Z'ira was satisfied enough with the outcome and promptly donated her award to the child hold fund. She was utterly contented to have Impressed Tiabeth; and when Calla assured her that it took more than a bump on the head to dislodge a baby she stopped worrying about that!

There were plenty of people willing to help with Tiabeth whilst the girl felt shaky and dizzy for a few days, not least the woodcraft apprentices Radall and Diccon, Serelis and Ipominea; and Geriana was always ready to help her friend too, as well as a large list of Z'ira's friends from the already Impressed!

Those NOT deeply involved in the drama sorted themselves out according to whether they were too busy and tired to take a lot on through having the care of a voraciously hungry dragonet; or whether they were amongst the ranks of the unImpressed disappointed. Of the girls who did not Impress, Prisca was one of the happiest; and went home dragonback in almost high spirits! Shuba too was happy enough; and she and Joana established a cothold outside the weyr, but with a passageway through the walls. Joana's brother Josend was disappointed not to have Impressed; but he had found himself a tentative weyrmate in the person of a Blue Rider, and hoped to try again.

Katha too had the possibility of another life to look ahead to, with cotholder Argan and his infant son Teegan; under the auspices of J'nara, Katha had found herself gaining a quiet sense of intimacy with the well-off cotholder, staying as Teegan's nurse for several days at a time to get to know Argan and his hands better. Argan had come, with M'gol's invitation, to the hatching; and had asked Katha bluntly,

"Very disappointed?"

She had looked up at him and felt colour rise to her cheeks.

"No" she said honestly.

"Will you wed me then?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Gladly."

Argan never offered her love; but Katha was woman enough to recognise admiration in his eyes when they rested on her; and she knew she had made a good showing when she had volunteered to help with the harvest baking for his men, including a large number of itinerant workers. Love would grow; and Katha was patient.

Siselly had mixed feelings about failing to Impress. If she had Impressed, nobody could force her to leave and marry where she did not want to. On the other hand, she was a fair minded child, and recognised the selfishness in that thought! If she was not likely to Impress, she needed some other duty to keep her of Right in the Weyr, to be definite weyrfolk; and it was only fair in any case to pay her way. She was young as yet, and many possibilities lay before her, but it was as well to plan for the future and take training as well as look to convivial work. Hence she presented herself to Allessa, Headwoman of the Harperweyr complex, and asked for a position as her deputy, being well used to helping to run a Hold. Allessa was startled.

"Lady Siselly, you could get a better position than that" she said.

Siselly shook her head.

"I'm too young to be considered as a steward anywhere, and I haven't given up hope of Impressing anyway. If I could work under you it would all be good experience; and if I don't Impress after a couple of turns, I'll think again about my options, and if I prefer to seek a more stretching position perhaps you can then give me references to seek a stewardship or Headwoman's post elsewhere. And the name's just Siselly; we don't have ladies here."

Siselly had grown up a lot watching the weyrchildren; and watching the likes of Vorinia and Lasolly! She had no desire to emulate either, especially the latter!

Jarla too had learned much from watching Lasolly; and cringed when she recalled the tantrums she had herself thrown. They were not pretty or dignified to watch! And as R'gar now let her help more with the leatherwork now she had proved herself there was that to do; and she was also pleased to take on the job of dealing with the growing number of Weyr runnerbeasts, for those that D're had brought with his fair of children had remained at the Weyr, growing like the children in health. They proved useful for fetching supplies when dragons were stretched or from places dragons other than Denth, T'mon's sport Brown, found hard to go. And one particularly canny and courageous beast had proved very clever at helping with mountain rescue, and was being trained to permit being carried in a sling beneath a dragon to be lowered to the ground to reach and evacuate casualties. D're was in nominal charge of the beasts; but he was, as he said, glad of an experienced hand to take more of the load!

Elena too was not entirely displeased not to have the responsibility of being a Green Rider. That her mother was a Rider – and hailed Queenrider at that – gave her some status and the undisputed Right to stay, even if she never stood for Impression. Elena was undecided about what to do with her life. Her friend Siselly had found herself a job; and D'lon had Impressed. Elena still hoped one day for romance and marriage – though not for a good number of turns – and was uncertain what to do in the meantime.

T'lana found her kicking a stone about and sighing; and asked what was the matter.

Elena poured it all out while T'lana fed her on klah and sweetcakes, in T'lana's mind and essential part of hearing confidences.

"Well, dear one, the problem is" said T'lana "That you've never had to make a decision before in your life because all your autonomy has been taken from you – by your uncle, and by your mother though her attempts to keep him from hurting you" she shot a sideways glance at Elena, who coloured. The girl had finally worked out what her uncle's interest in her had been; it was hard to remain a total innocent in a Weyr, though T'lana reflected that H'llon had managed for a considerable while! T'lana went on, "Learning to make decisions is a very big thing. I suggest that at first you help out where you can – you know how to cook, and sew, and now we're all realising how much we were relying on L'beth's clever needle! – and whatever you see people struggling with, most people appreciate an offer of help, even if they prefer to turn it down because they don't want to be beaten by it. And when you find something that you're happy with, be it helping with the runnerbeasts or other beasts, sewing, woodcrafting or whatever, learn whatever you may. There's no bar to you taking an apprenticeship if you wished; in Weavercrafting, say, with a sewing speciality, for it comes under that. You can stand as a candidate again; or not as you so choose. And deciding what that choice is will be one of your first decisions. And the beauty of it is, we shan't take it as binding if you say you prefer not to, then change your mind in a few turns! And mean time we need massive support to run High Reaches; for every fighting pair we require five other people to get them into the sky, feeding them, cleaning up after them, healing them, clothing them – the list goes on. Everyone who pulls their weight is important. But by all means take the time you need to find out what weight Elena is best at and happiest pulling. Try everything! People will be glad to show you, you know!"

Elena gave a watery smile and promised to try.

It was not long before she found a niche.

Pilgra was fed up with records and threw the lot out of her weyr in a fit of disgusted pique.

They landed on Elena.

Pilgra was all apology; and Elena asked what the problem was that made her feel so addled.

Shortly thereafter, Pilgra had acquired herself a secretary who found accounting and record keeping easy and absorbing: and the little Weyrwoman heaved a sigh of relief!

"The only thing to worry about now" Pilgra grinned "Is how much of a muddle I shall get into if you Impress another time, during the period that your dragon is a 'walking tummy' as L'rilly would have it."

Elena laughed.

"I don't think I'm dragonrider material" she said candidly. "I'm too used to mother protecting me to take a more protective role myself. Now I've something to do, and that I enjoy, I'm quite happy as I am!"

Elena did reflect that as part of Pilgra's personal staff – and sporting the same knots as any senior supervisor in the double High Reaches dark blue to show she was weyrstaff, decorated with a golden tassel as the personal assistant of a Gold Rider – it gave her the status to have respect on her own merits, not on her mother's; and when she was older she might pick and choose mates wherever she wished. For growing up Ranking with a good teacher like Elexa, understanding the dynamics of politics and alliances and relative status was second nature to her. It did NOT mean, however that she was bound to pursue someone of high status: the reverse in fact was true, since her own position was secure now!

Most disappointed of the un-Impressed candidates was probably Carlinna. Thanks to L'rilly's ploy of inviting Master Artist Agatta to judge work, the girl had managed to significantly adjust her attitude and was learning a great deal from Geriana. There were still some frictions between the two, of course; but Carlinna had learned enough to realise how much she had to learn!

Geriana had given her hand a squeeze as she forlornly left the hatching ground.

"Next time, huh?" she suggested.

Carlinna pulled a face.

"Haven't I used up all my permitted opportunities?"

Geriana laughed.

"Oh, that was the old Carlinna. I'm sure Pilgra will be flexible about counting this the first go of the new Carlinna!"

Carlinna looked wistful.

"I hope so….you only stood once; why's that?"

Geriana shrugged.

"T'lana explained it to me….she said that my art came first for me before dragons – that I'd not fight Thread, I'd try to draw it. She's right. I AM selfish about my art, it's such a central part of my being. I'm lucky that I can talk to a lot of dragons because they care to chat to me; but I'm not prepared to give up time to care for one of my own."

Carlinna stared.

"You, selfish? You've been very generous to me! Though….yes, I suppose I see what you mean. But I'm not as good as you – and I'd do almost anything to share with a dragon!" she said wistfully.

"Then you're probably just waiting for your dragon to shell" said Geriana "And it's as well, for you may as well improve your technique first; in fact you might want to skip a couple of Hatchings to get acquainted with the new Carlinna and learn to love her, and the rest of us!"

Carlinna almost took umbrage at that; then laughed at Geriana's practical approach. And it wasn't such a bad idea at that!

Of course, much was made of the number of female Impressions; and L'rilly was glad to remark, rather tartly, to a stuffy and conservative Holder whose own son had failed to Impress any colour,

"I don't quite see what you mean about a LOT of women riders. After all the female Green Riders only constitute about twelve per cent of our total Green complement, rather less than six per cent of our riders over all."

As most people glazed over when any of T'lana's famous mathematics were trotted out, this had the desired effect of shutting up the man who made the comment and any who would back him!

"Besides" added L'rilly "It is no more than the revival of a tradition that got lost, like others, in the Long Interval; we have discovered records about female Green Riders in the past, which vindicates utterly T'bor's excellent decision to implement the opening of Green eggs to girls. If indeed the choices of the dragons does not prove it more vindicated than any tradition might do. The dragons are always right!"

And that was an end to THAT talk – to High Reaches people at least!

the end if only the beginning for the Impressed