To me, yes. I seem to attract confidences …
Fire lizard? What about them? I used to spend hours trying to catch one. Never did In fact I never heard of one being caught. How did Meron manage the trick?
Lytol grimaced, the tic beginning in his cheek. They can be Impressed. There always was that nursery tale that fire lizards are the ancestors of dragons.
And Meron of Nabol Impressed one?
Lytol gave a mirthless laugh. Unlikely, I grant you. The fire lizards exhibit a woeful lack of taste. But you can rest assured that Meron of Nabol would not waste time on fire lizards if they werent of use to him.
Robinton considered this and then shrugged. I dont think you need be concerned. But how did Nabol get one? How can they be Impressed? I thought that was strictly a draconic trait.
How Lord Meron of Nabol acquired one is what bothers me the most, Lytol said, glowering. That Southern Weyrwoman, Kylara, brought him a whole clutch of eggs. Of course, they lost most in the Hatching, but the few that survived are making quite a stir in Nabol Hold. The messenger had seen one, and he was all bright-eyed in the telling. A regular dragon in miniature he said, and hes all for trying his luck on the sandy beaches in Southern Boll and Fort from the gleam in his eye.
A regular dragon in miniature, huh? Robinton began to turn the significance of this around in his mind. He didnt like the angles he saw.
There wasnt a boy alive on Pern that hadnt at one time dreamed of suddenly becoming acceptable to Dragonkind, of Impressing. Of having at his beck and call (little dreaming it was more the other way round) an immense creature, capable of going anywhere on Pern in a breath, of defeating all enemies with his flame-ridden breath (also fallacious as dragons never flamed anything but Thread wouldnt knowingly harm a human). Life at the mountaintop Weyrs assumed a glamor all out of proportion to reality, yet dragonmen were not stooped by the heavy labor of the fields, orchards and craft benches; they were straight and tall, dressed in beautifully tanned wher-hides, and seemed somehow superior. Very few boys could become Lord Holders, unless they were properly Blooded. But there was always that tantalizing possibility that a dragonrider might choose you to go to the Weyr for an Impression. So generations of boys had vainly tried to catch a fire lizard, symbolic of that other yearning.
And a regular miniature dragon in the possession of a sly-faced underhanded malcontent like Meron of Nabol, who was sour about dragonmen anyway (with some justification in the matter of the Esvay valley against Tkul of the High Reaches Weyr), could be an embarrassment for Flar at the least, and might disrupt their plans for the day at the worst.
Well, if Kylara brought the fire-lizard eggs to Nabol Hold, Flar will know, Robinton told the worried Lord Warder. They keep pretty close tabs on that woman.
Lytols glower deepened. I hope so. Meron of Nabol will certainly let no chance pass to irritate or embarrass Flar. Have you seen Flar?
They both glanced around, hopefully. Then Robinton caught sight of a familiar grizzled head, bobbing toward himself and the Warder.
Speaking of Benden, heres old Lord Raid charging down on us. Ive an idea what he wants and I will not sing that ancient lay about the Holders one more time. Excuse me, Lytol.
Robinton slipped into the milling guests, working as rapidly away from the Benden Lord Holder as possible. He happened to dislike Lord Raids favorite ballad with a passion and, if Raid cornered him, hed have no choice but to sing it. He felt no compunction about leaving Lytol exposed to Lord Raids pompous manner. Lytol enjoyed an unusual status with the Lord Holders. They werent certain how to treat a man whod been a dragonrider, Weaverhallmaster, and was now Lord Warder of a Ruatha prospering under his guidance. He could deal with Raid.
The Masterharper halted at a point where he could look up at the cliff, trying to spot Ramoth or Mnementh among the dragons lining the edge.