Wirenths ready to rise, Brekke. Ive called back the riders! Shes on her way to the Feeding Ground. You know what to do, dont you?
Brekke stared at the girl, stunned. In a daze she let Pilgra pull her toward the Bowl. Wirenth was screaming, as she glided into the Feeding Ground. The terrified herdbeasts stampeded, keening their distress, adding to the frightening tension in the air.
Go on, Brekke, Pilgra cried, pushing her. Dont let her gorge. She wont fly well!
Help me! Brekke pleaded.
Pilgra embraced her reassuringly, with an odd smile. Dont be scared. Its wonderful.
I I cant …
Pilgra gave Brekke a shake. Of course you can. You must. Ive got to scoot with Segrith. Vaniras already taken her queen away.
Taken her away?
Of course. Dont be stupid. You cant have other queens around right now. Just be thankful Kylaras at Nabol Hold with Prideth. That ones too close to rising herself.
And Pilgra, with one last push at Brekke, ran toward her own queen.
Rannelly was at Brekkes elbow suddenly, batting at the excited fire lizard who darted above their heads.
Get away! Get away! You, girl, get to your queen or youre no Weyrwoman! Dont let her gorge!
Suddenly the air was again full of dragon wings the bronzes had returned. And the urgency of mating, the necessity of protecting Wirenth roused Brekke. She began to run toward the Feeding Ground, aware of the rising hum of the bronzes, the expectant sensuality of the browns and blues and greens who now perched on their ledges to watch the event. Weyrfolk crowded the Bowl.
Fnor! Fnor! What shall I do? Brekke moaned. And then she was aware that Wirenth had come down on a buck, shrieking her defiance; an altered, unrecognizable Wirenth, voracious with more than a blood urge.
She mustnt gorge! someone shouted at Brekke. Someone gripped her arms to her sides, tightly. Dont let her gorge, Brekke!
But Brekke was with Wirenth now, was feeling the insatiable desire for raw, hot meat, for the taste of blood in her mouth, the warmth of it in her belly. Brekke was unaware of extraneous matters. Of anything but the fact that Wirenth was rising to mate and that she, Brekke, would be captive to those emotions, a victim of her dragons lust, and that this was contrary to all she had been conditioned to believe and honor.
Wirenth had gutted the first buck by now and Brekke fought to keep her from eating the steaming entrails. Fought and won, controlling herself and her beast for the bond love she had with the golden queen. When Wirenth rose from the blooded carcass, Brekke became momentarily aware of the heavy, hot, musty bodies crowding around her. Frantic, she glanced up at the circle of bronze riders, their faces intent on the scene on the Feeding Ground, intent and sensual, their expressions changing them from well-known features into strange parodies.
Brekke! Control her! Someone shouted hoarsely in her ear and her elbow was seized in a painful vise.
This was wrong! All wrong! Evil, she moaned, desperately crying with all her spirit for Fnor. He had said hed come. He had promised that only Canth would fly Wirenth … Canth! Canth!
Wirenth was going for the throat of the buck, not to blood it, but to rend and eat the flesh.
Two disciplines warred with each other. Confused, distraught, torn as violently as the flesh of the dead buck Brekke nevertheless forced Wirenth to obey her. And yet, which force would finally win? Weyr or Crafthall? Brekke clung to the hope that Fnor would come the third alternate.
After the fourth buck, Wirenth seemed to glow. With an astonishing leap, she was suddenly aloft. Trumpeting roar reverberated painfully back and forth from the sides of the Weyr as the bronzes leaped after her, the wind from their wings sweeping dust and sand into the faces of the watching weyrfolk.
And Brekke was conscious of nothing but Wirenth. For she was suddenly Wirenth, contemptuous of the bronzes trying to catch her as she sped upward, eastward, high above the mountains, until the land below was hollow black and sand, the flash of blue lake in the sun blinding. Above the clouds, up where the air was thin but speed enhanced.