I have told Mnementh what he wishes to know. They go now, Ruth said. Do you think I could take a bath in the lake?
“Didn’t you get enough bathing yesterday in the cove?” Jaxom was relieved to find himself answering his dragon calmly.
That was yesterday, Ruth replied equably. I have eaten since then and slept on a dusty surface. You need a bath, too, I think.
“All right, all right,” Jaxom replied. “Go along with you then. But don’t let Lessa see you with any firelizards.”
How will I get my back properly cleaned? Ruth asked in mild reproach. He stepped down from the bedstone.
“What’s his problem?” Menolly wondered aloud, grinning at Jaxom’s expression.
“Wants his back scrubbed.”
“I’ll send my friends to you, Ruth, once you’re at the lake. Lessa won’t notice.”
Ruth paused in his progress to the weyr entrance, cocking his head, patently considering. Then he arched his neck and moved forward confidently. Yes, Mnementh has gone and Ramoth with him. They will not know that I will have a real bath with firelizards to scrub my ridges property.
Jaxom couldn’t help but laugh at the smug satisfaction in Ruth’s tone as he left the weyr.
“Sorry about inflicting Mirrim on you, Jaxom, but I couldn’t get up to this level without Path. And her.”
Jaxom took a long sip of klah. “I suppose, if Path’s proddy, she has to be excused.”
“Mirrim usually is, one way or another.” Menolly’s tone was acid.
“Huh?”
“Mirrim generally gets away with outrageous behavior.”
A sudden thought caused Jaxom to interrupt the harper girl abruptly. “You don’t think Mirrim did sneak onto the Ground before that Hatching? I know she swears she didn’t but I do know she wasn’t supposed to Impress. …”
“Not any more than you were! Oh, for goodness sake, Jaxom, can’t I tease you? No, I don’t think she tried to influence Path in the shell. She had her firelizards and was always content with them. Who wouldn’t be with three? Also, you surely know how furious Lessa was after she Impressed Path? Well, no one came forward then to say they’d ever seen Mirrim sneaking onto the Ground and they would have! Mirrim can be managing, tactless, difficult and exasperating, but she’s not devious. Weren’t you at the Hatching? Oh, well, I was. Path came staggering over to the spot where Mirrim was sitting, crying her heart out and refusing every single candidate on the Ground until F’lar was forced to decide that Path wanted someone sitting among the spectators.”
Menolly shrugged. “Someone who turned out to be Mirrim. Oddly enough, her firelizards never uttered a chirp of objection. No, I think the partnering was as much … well, destined to be as you and Ruth. Not at all like my acquisition of Poll. As if I needed another firelizard.” She grimaced ruefully. “But his shell cracked just as I was passing him to that addle-handed child of Lord Groghe’s. He’s never faulted me, and the child got a green. A bronze would have been wasted on that brat!”
Jaxom pointed a forefinger at Menolly. “You are blathering! What is it you’re hiding? What is it that you know about Ruth that I don’t?”
Menolly looked Jaxom straight in the eye. “I don’t know anything, Jaxom. But, by your own account to me a few minutes gone by, Ruth greeted the news of Path’s imminent mating with all the enthusiasm of a weyrling asked to change glow baskets.”
“That doesn’t mean-”
“Doesn’t mean anything. So don’t get defensive. Ruth is maturing late. That’s all you need to think about it… especially with Corana on hand.”
“Menolly!”
“Don’t explode! You’ll undo all the good rest you had last night. You were faded!” She put her hand on his arm, giving it a squeeze. “I’m not prying about Corana. I’m commenting, although you might not appreciate the distinction.”
“It does occur to me that Ruatha Hold is not Harper business,” he said, gritting his teeth against the words he’d like to use.
“You, Jaxom, rider of white Ruth, are the Harper’s business-not young Jaxom, Lord of Ruatha.”
“You’re making distinctions again.”
“Yes, I am, Jaxom,” and although her voice was serious, her eyes twinkled. “When Jaxom influences what happens to Pern, then he becomes Harper business.”