Robinton watched, with fond pride, as Lessa and Flar mounted the steps to their hosts. They were both wearing the soft green of new leaves and the Harper wanted to applaud. However, he restrained himself and, signaling to the dragonmen, began to thread his way toward the new arrivals. Another dragon, closely followed by a bronze, swept in at dangerously low altitude. Gold wingtips showed above the outer wall of the Court and the wind from her backstrokes flung up dust, dirt and the skirts of the ladies nearest the Gate. There was a spate of screams and angry protests from those discommoded which settled into an ominous murmur.
Robinton, his height giving him an advantage, noticed Lord Larad hesitate in the act of bowing to Lessa. He saw Lord Asgenar and the ladies staring intently beyond. Irritated that he was missing something. Robinton pushed urgently on.
He broke through to the corner of the stairs, took the first four in two big strides and halted.
Resplendent in red, her golden hair unbound like a maidens, Kylara approached the Hall entrance, her smile composed of pure malice, not pleasure. Her right hand rested on the arm of Lord Meron of Nabol Hold, whose red tunic was slightly too orange in cast to blend with hers. Such details Robinton remembered at another time. Now all he saw were the two fire lizards, wings slightly extended for balance; a gold one on Kylaras left arm, a bronze on Merons. Regular miniature dragons, beautiful, evoking a feeling of envy and desire in the Harper. He swallowed hastily, firmly suppressing such unbecoming emotions.
The murmur grew as more people became aware of the newest arrivals.
By the First Shell, theyve got fire lizards! Lord Corman of Keroon Hold bellowed. He stepped out of the crowd into the aisle that had been opened to the Hall entrance, and stalked forward to have a good look.
The golden lizard screamed at his approach, and the little bronze hissed in warning. There was an irritatingly smug smirk on Merons face.
Did you know Meron had one? Dram demanded in a harsh whisper at the Harpers elbow. Robinton raised a hand to still further questions.
And here come Kylara of Southern and Lord Meron of Nabol Hold with living examples of this small token of our best wishes for the happy couple, Flars voice rang out.
Utter silence fell as he and Lessa presented felt-wrapped round bundles to Lord Asgenar and his bride, Lady Famira.
They are just now hard, Flar said in a loud voice that carried over the murmurings, and must be kept in heated sands to crack, of course. They come to you through the generosity of one Toric, a seaholder at Southern Weyr, from a clutch he discovered only hours ago. Weyrleader Tbor brought them to me.
Robinton glanced back at Kylara. Her flushed face now matched Merons tunic while he looked ready to kill. Lessa, smiling graciously, turned to Kylara.
Flar told me hed seen your little pet …
Pet nothing! Kylara blazed with anger. She ate Thread yesterday at High Reaches …
What else shed had to say was lost as her words, ate Thread, ate Thread, ricocheted back through the assembly. The raucous screams of the two lizards added cacophony and Kylara and Meron had all they could do to soothe their creatures. To Robinton it was plain that whatever effect Meron of Nabol had planned had been foiled. He was not the only Lord Holder to own a regular miniature dragon.
Two minor Holders, from Nerat to judge by their devices, bore down on Dram and Gnarish.
As you love your dragons, pretend you knew about the lizards, Robinton said in an urgent undertone to the two. Dram started to protest but the anxious Holders closed in with a barrage of eager questions on how to acquire a fire lizard just like Merons.
Recovering first, Gnarish answered with more poise than Robinton thought hed have. Pressing against the stone wall, the Harper inched his way up the stairs, to push in around the women clustered about Lord Asgenar, his lady Famira and Flar.
LORD HOLDERS, OF MAJOR AND MINOR DEGREE, PRESENT YOURSELVES FOR THE CONCLAVE, boomed out the Telgar Hold guard captain. A brass chorus of dragons echoed from the heights, satisfactorily stunning the guests into momentary silence.