He bowed before he shook hands, just as he’d been taught, and was rewarded with smiles.
“We want you to be happy here at Benden Hold,” Lady Hayara said.
Robinton thought she looked very young, not much older than Halanna, and Lord Maidir looked older than even Master Gennell.
Lord Maidir gestured for the stocky lad standing just behind him to come forward.
“This is Raid, my eldest son, MasterSinger,” the Lord Holder said with pride, laying an arm across the boy’s shoulders.
A shaft of totally incomprehensible envy swept Robinton. His father had never done that. His father didn’t even touch him – that he could remember. And then a girl, not as old as Raid, pushed through to Raid’s other side, neatly pushing Lady Hayara aside.
And Robinton caught a quickly hidden flare of dismay on Lady Hayara’s face and the indifferent look on the girl’s.
“And this is my eldest daughter,” Lord Maidir said, “Maizella.” “I’m so glad you’ve come, MasterSinger,” Maizella began in a fervent tone, and she stepped forward to grab and cling to Merelan’s hand, her eyes round with excitement and her voice coming out breathily.
“Our Maizella has a lovely voice,” Maidir said proudly, “and Raid, if you can overcome his shyness, has an excellent baritone. Falloner there, the one with all the curls, still has a fine clear treble …”
As Falloner was just then standing close to Robinton, he gave
him a “What can you do with adults?” shrug and grin – and that was their first meeting.
“Oh, you!” said Lady Hayara, stepping closer to her spouse now that Maizella had moved.
Robinton sighed. He knew by the expression on Maizella’s face and by her stance that his mother was going to have trouble with this one. He saw by the quirk of his mother’s mouth that she realized it, too. But Merelan smiled soothingly and said that she’d be delighted to teach any and all who wanted to learn how to sing properly.
“Actually, she shrieks more than she sings,” Falloner said in a low voice to Robinton, the merriment in his eyes conspiratorial.
“Did you like riding Spakinth? C’rob won the toss. He usually does.” Then, when the lad saw that he had confused Robinton with his confidence, he added, “I’m weyrbred, but my father insisted that I get some teaching here. So here I am.”
“You’re weyrbred?” Robinton eyed the lad.
“I am, and I don’t have a tail or fangs, nor will I, even if I
Impress a bronze.” The boy’s thin face momentarily stiffened with determination before the careless grin replaced it. “And I will. And be Weyrleader and save Pern from Threadfall.”
“Really? Cortath said that dragons must fly when Thread is in the sky.”
“You’d better believe it,” Falloner said stoutly. Then he blinked
in surprise. “Cortath spoke to you?”
“Falloner.”
Both boys turned at Lord Maidir’s voice.
“You know the quarters made ready for the MasterSinger and young Robinton,” Benden’s Lord went on. “Why don’t you show him the way and take up his things?”
“Of course, Lord Maidir,” Falloner said with quick courtesy. He turned to Robinton. “Which are yours?”
Robie looked at the pile on the steps and wasn’t quite sure. Their departure had certainly been swift; Mother had packed for him.
“The two with the red straps,” Merelan said, pointing and giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “And that small one there.” Robinton did recognize that as the one in which she had put the contents of his desk and, while that wasn’t very long ago, it seemed to him that a great deal had happened in a very short time.
Falloner threw the school sack at him and then hefted the other two, though Robinton tried to take one from him. quickly, Lady Hayara gestured for Merelan to precede her into the room.
“We even have a bathtub, Mother,” Robinton exclaimed. “Over my head, at least.”
Merelan laughed at him, but behind her Maizella raised her eyebrows contemptuously. Robinton was about to bristle when Falloner winked at him, reminding him of what he’d said about the girl a few minutes before.
“More high than wide like ours at the Hall,” he added defensively.