And it was practical diplomacy to invite Holders and Crafters to Impressions. There wasnt a man alive in Pern who hadnt secretly cherished the notion that he might be able to Impress a dragon. That he could be linked for life to the love and sustaining admiration of these gentle great beasts. That he could transverse Pern in a twinkling, astride a dragon. That he would never suffer the loneliness that was the condition of most men a dragonrider always had his dragon. So, whether the commoners had a relative on the Hatching Ground hoping to attach a dragonet or not, the spectators enjoyed the vicarious thrill of being present, at witnessing this mysterious, rite. Hed observed that they were also subtly reassured that such dazzling fortune was available to some lucky souls not bred in the Weyrs. And those bound to a Weyr should, Flar felt, get to know the riders since those riders were responsible for their lives and livelihoods.
To have assigned messenger dragons to every major Hold and Craft had been a very practical measure, too, when Benden had been Perns only dragonweyr. The northern continent was broad. It took days to get messages from One coast to the other. The Harpercrafts system of drums was a poor second when a dragon could transport himself, his rider and an ungarbled message instantly anywhere on the planet.
Flar, too, was exceedingly aware of the dangers of isolation. In the days before the first Thread had again fallen on Pern could it be only seven Turns ago? Benden Weyr had been vitiated by its isolation, and the entire planet all but lost. ˇWhere Flar earnestly felt that dragonmen should make themselves accessible and friendly, the Oldtimers were obsessed by a need for privacy. Which only fertilized the ground for such incidents as had just occurred. Treb on a disturbed green had swooped down on the Smithmastercrafthall and demanded not requested that a craftsman give up an artifact, which had been made by commission for a powerful Lord Holder.
With thoughts that were more disillusioned than vengeful Flar realized that Mnementh was gliding fast toward Fort Weyrs jagged rim. The Star Stones and the watchrider were silhouetted against the dying sunset. Beyond them were the forms of three other bronzes, one a good half-tail larger than the others. That would be Orth, so Tbor was already arrived from Southern Weyr. But only three bronzes? Who was yet to come to the meeting?
Salth from High Reaches and Branth with Rmart of Telgar Weyr are absent. Mnementh informed his rider.
High Reaches and Telgar Weyrs missing? Well, Tkul of High Reaches was likely late on purpose. Odd though; that caustic Oldtimer ought to enjoy tonight. Hed have a chance to snipe at both Flar and Tbor and hed thoroughly enjoy Trons discomfiture. Flar had never felt any friendliness for or from the dour, dark-complected High Reaches Weyrleader. He wondered if that was why Mnementh never used Tkuls name. Dragons ignored human names when they didnt like the bearer. But for a dragon not to name a Weyrleader was most unusual.
Flar hoped that Rmart of Telgar would come. Of the Oldtimers, Rmart and Gnarish of Igen were the youngest, the least set in their ways. Though they tended to side with their contemporaries in most affairs against the two modern Weyrleaders, Flar and Tbor, Flar had noticed lately that those two were sympathetic to some of his suggestions. Could he work on that to his advantage today tonight! He wished that Lessa could have come with him for she was able to use deft mental pressures against dissenters and could often get the other dragons to answer her. She had to be careful, for Dragonriders were apt to suspect they were being manipulated.
Mnementh was now within the Bowl of Fort Weyr itself and veering toward the ledge of the senior queens weyr. Trons Fidranth was not there, guarding his queen Weyrmate as Mnementh would have been. Or perhaps Mardra, the senior Weyrwoman, was gone. She was as quick to find exception and slights as Tron, though once she hadnt been so touchy. In those first days after the Weyrs had come up, she and Lessa had been exceedingly close. But Mardras friendship had gradually turned into an active hatred. Mardra was a handsome woman, with a full, strong figure, and while she was nowhere near as promiscuous with her favors as Kylara of Southern Weyr, she was much sought after by bronze riders. By nature she was intensely possessive and not, Flar realized, particularly intelligent. Lessa, dainty, oddly beautiful, already a Weyr legend for that spectacular ride between time, had unconsciously attracted attention from Mardra. Mardra evidently didnt consider the fact that Lessa made no attempt to entice any favorite from Mardra, did not, indeed, dally with any man (for which Flar was immensely pleased). Add to that the ridiculous matter of their mutual Ruathan origin Mardra conceived a hatred for Lessa. She seemed to feel that Lessa, the only survivor of that Bloodline, had had no right to renounce her claim on Ruatha Hold to young Lord Jaxom. Not that a Weyrwoman could take Hold or would want to. The bases for Mardras hatred of Lessa were spurious. Lessa had no control over her beauty and had had no real choice about taking Hold at Ruatha.