Fort Station was full that night, with runners coming from other stations for the Gather the next day. Tenna bunked in with Rosa and Spacia and a southern runner, Delfie, took the fourth bed in their room. It was a front room with a window, and you heard the traffic on the road, but Tenna was tired enough to sleep through anything.
‘Which is as well because the comings and goings up the main track kept up all night long,’ Rosa said with cheerful disgust. ‘Let’s eat outside. It’s so crowded in here.’ So they all sat on the front benches to eat.
Spacia gave Tenna a conspiratorial wink as Tenna followed the others outside. There had been a few spare seats but not all together. It would be nicer to eat outside instead of the packed tables. Penda and her drudges had their hands full pouring klah and distributing bread, cheese and porridge.
Actually, it was much more interesting to sit outside to eat. There was so much going on. Gather wagons kept arriving from both directions and rolled on to the field set aside for their use. Stalls which had been bare boards and uprights last night were being decorated with Hall colours and craft insignia. And more stalls were being erected on the wide court in front of the hold. The long tongue and groove boards for the dancing surface were being slotted into place in the centre and the harpers’ platform erected. Tenna wanted to hug herself with delight at all the activity. She’d never actually seen a Gather gathering before . . . especially in such a big hold as Fort. Since she had run yesterday, she felt a little better about not having made a push to finish her first Cross. And she had the chance to see the dragonriders pop into the air above Fort Hold.
‘Oh, they are so beautiful,’ she said, noticing that Rosa and Spacia were also watching the graceful creatures landing, and the elegantly-clad dragonriders dismounting.
‘Yes, they are,’ Rosa said in an odd tone. ‘I just wish they wouldn’t keep going on about Thread coming back.’ She shuddered.
‘You don’t think it will?’ Tenna said, for she had recently had several runs into the Benden Station and knew that weyrfolk were certain that Thread would return. Hadn’t the Red Star been seen in the Eye Rock at the Winter Solstice?
Rosa shrugged. ‘It can for all of me but it’s going to interfere with running something fierce.’
‘I noticed that the Benden Thread halts are all repaired,’ Tenna said.
Spacia shrugged. ‘We’d be fools to take any chances, wouldn’t we? ‘Then she grimaced. ‘I’d really hate to be stuck in one of those boxes with Thread falling all around me. Why, the wardrobe in Silvina’s storeroom is larger. What if it got in a crack, Thread got in, and I couldn’t get out?’ She pantomimed terror and revulsion.
‘It’ll never come to that,’ Rosa said confidently.
‘Lord Groghe certainly got rid of all the greenery around the hold,’ Spacia remarked, gesturing around.
‘That was as much for the Gather as because the dragonriders said he had to,’ Rosa said dismissively. ‘Oh, here come the Boll runners . . .’ and she jumped to her feet, waving at the spearhead of runners who had just appeared on the southern road.
They were running effortlessly, their legs moving as if they had drilled that matched stride. They certainly made a fine sight, Tenna thought, pride swelling in her chest and catching her breath!
‘They must have started last night,’ Rosa said. ‘Oh, d’you see Cleve, Spacia?’
‘Third rank from the rear,’ Spacia said pointing. ‘As if anyone could miss him!’ she added in a slightly derisive tone, winking at Tenna. Then murmured behind her hand for Tenna’s ears only. ‘She’s been so sure he wouldn’t come . . . Ha!’
Tenna grinned, now understanding why Rosa had wanted to sit outside that morning and why she had sent Spacia in when they needed more klah.
Then, all of a sudden, as if the arrival of that contingent had been the signal, the Gather was ready. All stalls were up and furnished, the first shift of harpers on the platform and ready to entertain. Then Rosa pointed to the wide steps leading down from the entrance to the hold and there were the Lord and Lady, looking exceedingly grand in brown Gather finery, descending to the court to formally open the Gather Square. They were accompanied by the dragonriders as well as a clutch of folk, young and old and all related to the Lord Holder. According to Rosa, Lord Groghe had a large family.