grub penetration. He brought with him maps and writing material so he
could make accurate records.
The morning had its moment of humour: getting Tisha aboard brown Branuth
had been a struggle, involving not only Branuth’s rider, T’lel (who
laughed so hard he had hiccups), but four other riders, the strongest
and tallest.
Branuth, an extremely quizzical expression on his long face, craned his
head around to watch and got a bad cramp in his neck muscles doing so.
T’lel and Z’ran had to massage him.
Stop that and get up here, T’lel,’ Tisha was yelling, her thick legs
stuck out at angles from her perch between the neck ridges. I’ll be
split. And if I’m split, you’ll suffer. I never should have said I’d
come. I should know better than to leave my caverns for any reason
whatsoever. This is very uncomfortable. Stop that guffawing, T’lel.
Stop it right now. It isn’t funny where I’m sitting. Get up here and
let’s go!” Getting Tisha aboard Branuth had taken so much time that
everyone else was in place and ready to go by the time T’lel did manage
to take his place in front of Tisha.
Not only am I being split, I’m also been bisected by these ridges. Did
you sharpen them on purpose, T’lel? No wonder riders are so skinny.
They’d have to be. Don’t dragons grow ridges for large people? I
should have had K’vin take me up.
Charanth is a much bigger dragon Why couldn’t you have put me up on your
bronze, K’vin?” Tisha shouted across the intervening space.
K’vin was trying to preserve his dignity as Weyrleader by not laughing
at the sight of her, but he didn’t dare look in her direction again.
Instead he swivelled his torso so he could scan everyone, pleased to see
all eyes on him, rider, passengers and dragon. He peered upwards to the
rim where more dragons awaited their departure, poised well clear of the
newly positioned Eye and Finger Rocks. Now he raised his arm.
Charrie, they are to assume their wing positions in the air.
They know, Charnath sounded petulant, for this was a frequent drill.
K’vin slapped his neck affectionately with one hand while he gave his
upheld right arm the pump.
All the dragons in the Bowl lifted, swirling up dust and grit from the
Bowl floor with a battery of wings, and then those on the Rim lifted,
sorting themselves out in the air to form their respective wings. Zulaya
and the other queens rose above the others.
And in formation in jig time, too. Let’s go, Charrie.
With a great leap, Charanth was airborne. One wing-sweep and he was
level with the wings, another and he was in front of the queens.
Heads turned upwards and Charanth dutifully angled himself earthward so
that all could see the Weyrleader.
Inform the Weyr that our destination is the Sea of Azov.
I have!
K’vin pumped his arm in the continuous gesture to signal, Go between’!
The entire Weyr blinked out simultaneously.
Steady, he cautioned Charanth, pleased with that disciplined departure.
Now we go!
r
Three seconds he counted, and then the warm air above the brilliantly
blue Sea of Azov was like the smack of a hot towel in his face. Charanth
rumbled in pleasure.
K’vin was far more interested in discovering that the ranks of the
dragons, wing by wing, had arrived still in formation.
He grinned.
Please inform the wing leaders to take their riders to their separate
destinations.
One by one the wings disappeared, with the excep,fion, of T’lel’s which
had picked the Sea area for their excursion site.
The queens started to glide towards the shore too, for they carried
quite a few of the supplies which Tisha would need to set up her hearths
for the evening meal.
Let’s wait and let them all get safely to the surface, K’vin told
Charanth, although part of him wanted to see how Tisha managed to
dismount Branuth. He was therefore somewhat surprised, and at first a
little concerned, when he saw a brown dragon detach itself from the main
wing and glide in a landing, on the water, just short of the shore.