Without needing a command, Mnementh landed just short of the Edge. And Flar, fighting an inward revulsion strong that he was sure hed vomit, turned back the nearest hummock, smoking with Thread penetration Grubs feverishly active, populated the concourse of the roots. As he held the hummock up, bloated grubs dropped to the ground and frantically burrowed into the earth. He dropped that clump, uprooted the nearest bush, baring the gray, twisted rootball. It also teemed with grub life that burrowed away from the sudden exposure to air and light. The leaves of the bush were still smoldering from Thread puncture.
Not quite certain why, Flar knelt, pulled up another hummock and scooped up a clump of squirming grubs into the fingers of his riding glove. He twisted it tightly shut and secured it under his belt.
Then he mounted Mnementh and gave him the coordinates of the Masterherdsmans Crafthall in Keroon, where the foothills that rose eventually to the massive heights of Benden range gently merged with the wide plains of Keroon Hold.
Masterherdsman Sograny, a tall, bald, leathery man so spare of flesh that his bones seemed held in position by his laced vest, tight hide pants and heavy boots, showed no pleasure in an unexpected visit from Bendens Weyrleader.
Flar had been met with punctilious courtesy, if some confusion, by crafters. Sograny, it seemed, was supervising the birth of a new mix of herdbeasts, the very swift plains type with the heavy-chested mountain one. A messenger led Flar to the great barn. Considering the importance of the event, Flar thought it odd that no one had left his tasks. He was led past neat cots of immaculately cleaned stone, well-tended gardens, past forcing sheds and equipment barns. Flar thought of the absolute chaos that prevailed at the Smiths, but then remembered what marvels that man accomplished.
Youve a problem for the Masterherdsman, have you, Weyrleader? Sograny asked, giving Flar a curt nod, his eyes on the laboring beast in the box stall. How does that happen?
The mans attitude was so defensive that Flar wondered what Dram of Ista Weyr might have been doing to irritate him.
Mastersmith Fandarel suggested that you would be able to advise me, Masterherdsman, Flar replied, no trace of levity in his manner and no lack of courtesy in his address.
The Smithcrafter? Sograny looked at Flar with narrowed, suspicious eyes. Why?
Now what could Fandarel have done to warrant the bad opinion of the Masterherdsman?
Two anomalies have come to my attention, good Masterherdsman. The first, a clutch of fire-lizard eggs hatched in the vicinity of one of my riders and he was able to Impress the queen …
Sogranys eyes widened with startled disbelief.
No man can catch a fire lizard!
Agreed, but he can Impress one. And certainly did. We believe that the fire lizards are directly related to the dragons.
That cannot be proved! Sograny pulled himself straight up, his eyes darting toward his assistants who suddenly found tasks far from Flar and the Masterherdsman.
By inference, yes. Because the similar characteristics are obvious. Seven fire lizards were Impressed on the sands of a beach at Southern. One by my Wingsecond, Fnor, Canths rider …
Fnor? The man who fought those two thieving weyrmen at the Smithcrafthall?
Flar swallowed his bile and nodded. That regrettable incident had hatched an unexpected brood of benefits.
The fire lizards exhibit undeniable draconic traits. Unfortunately, one of them is to stay close to their Impressor or Id have proof positive.
Sograny only grunted, but he was suddenly receptive.
I was hoping that you, as Masterherdsman, might know something about the fire lizards. Igen certainly abounds with them …
Sograny was cutting him off with an impatient wave of his hand.
No time to waste on flitterbys. Useless creatures. No crafter of mine would …
There is every indication that they may be of tremendous use to us. After all, dragons were bred from fire lizards.
Impossible! Sograny stared at him, thin lips firmly denying such an improbability.
Well, they werent bred up from watch-whers.
Man can alter size but only so far. He can, of course, breed the largest to the largest and improve on the original stock, and Sograny gestured toward the long-legged cow. But to breed a dragon from a fire lizard? Absolutely impossible.