“Not his fault,” Jaxom mumbled through half-chewed bread.
“Wasn’t Lytol furious? You shouldn’t be risking yourself.”
Jaxom shook his head vigorously. He did wish Menolly hadn’t brought Mirrim with her.
“And I just don’t see what good it’s going to do you. You can’t expect to fight Ruth.”
Jaxom choked. “I am too going to fight Ruth, Mirrim.”
“He already has,” Menolly remarked, indicating the Threadscore. “Now shut your mouth and let the man eat.”
“Man?” Minim’s voice took a derisive swoop and she gave Jaxom a scathing glance.
Menolly made an exasperated sound. “If Path doesn’t fly soon, Mirrim, you’re not going to be on terms with anyone!”
Surprised, Jaxom looked at Mirrim, who was flushing deeply red.
“Oh ho. Path’s ready to be flown! That’ll sort out some of your high-headed notions.” He couldn’t resist crowing at her dismay. “Has Path shown a preference? Ha! Look at her blush! Never thought I’d see the day you’d lose the use of your tongue! And you’ll be losing something more soon. I hope it’s the wildest flight they’ve had at Benden since Mnementh first flew Ramoth!”
Mirrim exploded, her eyes narrowed with her anger, hands clenched into fists at her sides. “At least my Path will be flown! That’s more than you’ll ever do, with that white runt of yours!”
“Mirrim!” Menolly’s sharp voice made the girl wince, but not soon enough to erase the angry retort that sank coldly into Jaxom’s mind. He stared at Mirrim, trying to reject her taunt. “You take too much on yourself, Mirrim,” Menolly was saying. “I think you’d better leave.”
“You just bet I’ll leave. And I don’t care if you have to climb down from this weyr, Menolly. Indeed I don’t.” Mirrim ran from the room.
“Shells and Shards, but it’ll be a relief when that green of hers rises to mate. And it might even be today the way Mirrim’s reacting.” Menolly spoke in a casual tone, almost chuckling at her friend’s behavior.
Jaxom swallowed against the dryness in his mouth. Rigidly he controlled his intense emotional reaction for Ruth’s sake. A surreptitious glance at the white dragon showed that his friend was still stretching and extending wings and legs. Jaxom only hoped that the dragon had been too sleepy to attend to what they had been saying. He leaned toward Menolly.
“Do you know anything about …” he jerked his head at Ruth, “that I don’t know?”
“About Path?” Menolly deliberately misconstrued his direction. “Well, if you’ve never seen a rider reaction to a proddy dragon, Mirrim’s given you a classic example.”
Path is a well-grown dragon, Ruth said thoughtfully. Jaxom groaned, covering his face with one hand; he should have known that Ruth missed little.
Menolly tapped his hand imperiously, her eyes demanding an explanation.
“Would you like to fly Path?” Jaxom asked Ruth, his eyes meeting Menolly’s.
Why should I fly her? I have already outflown her in every race we flew at Telgar. She isn’t as fast as I am in the air.
Jaxom repeated to Menolly exactly what Ruth had said, trying to keep his voice as close to Ruth’s puzzled tone as possible.
Menolly burst out laughing. “Oh, I wish Ruth had said that in Mirrim’s hearing. That would bring her down a peg or two.”
Mnementh wishes to speak to me, Ruth said in a very respectful manner, raising his head and turning toward Mnementh’s ledge.
“Do you know something I don’t? About Ruth?” Jaxom asked in a fierce whisper as he caught hold of Menolly’s hand to bring her closer to him.
“You heard him, Jaxom.” Menolly’s eyes were bright with amusement. “He’s simply not interested in dragons, not that way yet.”
Jaxom gave her hand a hard squeeze.
“Just think logically,, Jaxom,” she said, leaning over to him. “Ruth’s small, he’s maturing more slowly than other dragons.”
“You mean, he may never mature enough to mate, don’t you?”
Menolly regarded him steadily and he searched her eyes for pity or evasion, and found neither. “Jaxom, aren’t you enjoying Corana?”
“Yes, I am.”
“You’re upset. I don’t think you need be. I have never heard a word to suggest you should worry. Only that Ruth is unusual.”