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concern.
"I'm all right, I just lost my footing," she lied. "Besides, I wanted to
offer
my help. M'tal thought that my ability to speak to any dragon might be
useful."
"It would be very useful," B'nik agreed immediately, surprised at her offer.
"I-I didn't think that you'd-"
"I would be happy to help," Lorana told him firmly.
"Then I shall happily accept your help," B'nik replied cheerfully.
"Retanth says that all is ready," Lorana said.
"Tell him to have the Weyr assemble up by the Star Stones," B'nik replied.
"Hopefully there'll be no fog up there."
"The watch dragon reports that the air is clear and the sun is just visible
on
the horizon."
"Excellent!" B'nik said, already seeing the value of Lorana's abilities. The
one
thing neither he nor M'tal could figure out was how to direct the wings and
keep
in contact with the Weyr at the same time. He turned back to his dragon.
"Caranth, let's ride."
"Good Fall, Weyrleader," Lorana called after him. She and Ketan could not
quite
make out his parting wave in the growing light.
"So," Ketan said when the last of the dragons had cleared the Bowl, "suppose
you
tell me which new dragon has the sickness?"
"Caranth," Lorana replied mournfully.
"Are you sure you have the coordinates right?" B'nik asked his dragon
anxiously
as they prepared to guide the Weyr between to Threadfall over Bitra.
I am sure, Caranth returned unflappably. B'nik was reassured by his dragon's
calm manner but still toyed with the idea of asking M'tal to have Gaminth
guide
the Weyr to the Fall. I am just coughing, not confused.
"Very well," B'nik said, letting out a deep sigh. "Let's go, Caranth!"
Following the visual image from the Weyrleader, one hundred and seventy-four
fighting dragons went between.
Lorana didn't realize that she had tensed up until she felt Caranth's calm
report of the arrival of the Weyr over Bitra-and then she found herself
gasping
in a deep lungful of fresh air.
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Ketan gave her a surprised look, then nodded in realization. "You were
worried
about Caranth?"
"B'nik was worried about Caranth," Lorana said. "Caranth seemed fine to me.
Sick
but still clearheaded, able to fly. Eager, even."
Ketan cocked his head at her in curiosity. "Do I gather that if you were
worried
about Caranth, you might have stopped him from bringing the Weyr between?"
Lorana allowed a ghost of a smile to cross her lips. "I might."
"Lorana," Ketan began, cautiously choosing his words, "you do understand that
the Weyrleader is responsible for the fighting dragons, don't you?"
Lorana cocked her head at him. "Are you asking whether I know my place in the
Weyr, Healer?"
Ketan pursed his lips uncomfortably. "I doubt if anyone knows your place just
now," he said judiciously.
"I agree," she said with a small nod. "But I think it would be wrong, don't
you,
if I knew that Caranth was too sick to give good coordinates not to stop him."
A
small crease appeared between her brows. "What would happen if Caranth gave
bad
coordinates and the Weyr followed him?"
Ketan shuddered and his face went white. "They would be lost between."
"Oh," Lorana said, her eyes going wide. Ketan's expression answered her
question
better than words.
B'nik was bone-tired and bone-cold when, six hours later, Caranth relayed
that
the sweepriders had reported the end of the Fall.
"Send the other wings back to the Weyr," he told J'tol, "and have half our
wing
check for burrows."
J'tol waved in acknowledgment and veered off, his wingmen following in close
formation.
B'nik was glad that he had listened to M'tal's advice and had kept his wing
in
reserve during the fighting. He had been able to quickly order his riders to
fill gaps in other wings when needed-which had not been as often as he'd
feared.
M'tal sends his congratulations, Caranth relayed.
Tell him thank you, B'nik responded, grinning unabashedly. While he hated the
reason for it, he had to admit that it really was nice to have an
ex-Weyrleader
available and willing to give him honest praise when he earned it.
Let's go chat with the Lord Holder, he added, his grin disappearing as he
imagined the sour expression of Gadran, Bitra's aging Lord. Even if no
burrows
were found, he was sure that Gadran would find some reason to moan or bicker.
J'tol reports three deep burrows in the northern valley, Caranth told him. He
says they'll have to fire the forests to contain them.
"Is something wrong?" Gadran asked, taking in B'nik's worried expression.
"I'm afraid there is," B'nik told him. "We fought the Fall as best we could,
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