“Nerat has fellis juice to spare, Moreta,” he announced cheerfully, swinging the bulging pack from his back. “And Lemos says they’ve aconite and willow salic.”
“And how was A’murry when you stopped at Igen?” She gave him a warm smile to show that she didn’t object to a short detour.
“He’s much, much improved.” K’lon radiated relief. “Of course he’s still weak, but he sits in the sun all day, which is good for his chest, and he’s beginning to get an appetite.”
“Done a lot of sunning with A’murry, haven’t you, K’lon?” Leri asked.
Moreta shot her a quick look for her voice was suspiciously coy.
“When I’ve had the time.” K’lon stammered slightly, fussing nervously with the pack.
“You mean”Moreta had at last reached Leri’s conclusion “you’ve taken time to be with A’murry!”
“When I think of how hard I’ve worked” Rogeth bugled outside the weyr.
“No one is faulting you, K’lon,” Leri said quickly. Holth crooned reassurance, her eyes whirling bluely. “But, my dear boy, you’ve been taking a dreadful risking timing it. You could meet yourself coming and going”
“But I haven’t. I’ve been very careful!” K’lon’s tone was defiant and fearful.
“Just how many hours have you been putting into your days?” Leri spoke with great understanding and compassion, even a hint of amusement.
“I don’t know. I never counted hours!” K’lon jerked his chin up, rebellious. “I had to, you know. To get everything done and still make time to be with A’murry. I had promised him that I’d be in 1 sen every afternoon no matter how busy I was. I had to keep that
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promise. And I felt compelled to render Master Capiam the assistance he had to have”
“Believe us, K’lon,” Moreta said when he turned to her in appeal, “we are profoundly grateful to you for your courage and dedication over the past week. But timing is a very tricky business.”’
“And something our Weyriingmaster certainly never mentioned,” K’lon replied with an edge to his voice.
“The information is restricted to bronze and queen dragons, K’lon. I presume you discovered it by chance.”
“Yes, rather.” K’lon’s expression mirrored the surprise he must have had. “I was late. I knew A’murry would be worried. I thought of him, waiting for me, anxious, when I didn’t appear on time, and the next thing I knew, I had!”
“Bit of a shock, isn’t it?” Leri had a grin on her round wise face.
K’lon grinned back. “I wasn’t all that certain how I’d managed
it.”
“So you practiced again the next afternoon?”
K’lon nodded, relaxing imperceptibly since the Weyrwomen had apparently accepted his feat with good humor. “I report to Master Capiam in the morning and he tells me the schedule. I’m at Igen in the afternoons and everywhere else on Pem in the mornings and evenings. I’m very careful.” His smile was broad delight.
“You’ll be more careful from now on,” Leri said, her voice austere and her manner forbidding. “A’murry has improvedso you’ve informed us. But you cannot keep on being in debt to yourself for double time. Therefore, instead of flying Fall this afternoon, you will spend itand only this afternoonwith your friend. From now on, you will keep to the normal number of hours in a day. Holth will supervise. And we will see that Master Capiam schedules you to drop in at Igen frequently.”
“Butbut …”
“Only one mistake, K’lon,” Leri pointed her forefinger, oddly twisted now by the joint disease, shaking it at him in dire emphasis, “and you’re too tired timing it to realize the risks you’ve been taking. Only one mistake, and you will deprive A’murry of yourself forever. Not just for an afternoon.” Leri paused, judging the effect of her warning on K’lon, who lowered his eyes. Holth crooned on an admonitory note and Rogeth answered, startled, from outside. K’lon looked up at Leri, his eyes wide with astonishment. “Oh yes, we can,
you know, when the matter is disciplinary. I think you’d prefer Holth to Sh’gall and Kadith in the matter of this infraction?”
K’lon cast a look of entreaty at Moreta, who shook her head in slow denial. K’lon looked bereft, quite different from the energetic assured man who had entered the weyr, but he had to be restricted.