“Sebell takes over the Harper Hall?” Lessa asked.
“Well able for it, too.”
“If only the dear man had had the sense to delegate more to Sebell before this …”
“It’s partly my fault, Lessa. Benden has asked much of the Harper Hall.” F’lar poured himself a cup of wine, looking at Lessa to see if she wanted some as well, and poured another when she nodded. They made an unspoken toast. “Benden wine!”
“The wine that kept him alive!”
“Miss a cup of wine? Not Robinton!” She drank quickly to ease the pressure in her throat.
“And he’ll drink many more skins limp,” the quiet voice of Master Oldive said. He glided to the table, a curious figure with arms and legs apparently too long for his torso until his back was visible, with its hump. His handsome face was serene as he poured himself a cup of wine, regarding the rich crimson color a moment before he raised it, as Lessa had, and drank it down. “As you said, this helped keep him alive. It’s seldom that a man’s vice sustained life in his body!”
“Master Robinton will be all right?”
“Yes, with care and rest. He has rallied well. His pulse and heart are beating evenly again, if slowly. He cannot be fretted by any worries. I warned him repeatedly to reduce his activities. Not that I thought he’d listen! Sebell, Silvina and Menolly have done all they could to assist, but then Menolly took ill … There is so much to be done for his Hall and for Pern!” Oldive smiled, his long face lighting gently as he took Lessa’s hand and put it in F’lar’s. “You can do no more here, Weyrleaders. Sebell will wait to reassure Robinton when he rouses that all is well in his Hall. Brekke and I, and the good people of this Weyr, will nurse the Master Harper. You two need rest as well. Go back to your Weyr. This day has taken its toll of many. Go!” He gave them a shove toward the passage. “Go along now!” He spoke as to recalcitrant children, but Lessa was weary enough to obey and concerned enough to override the objections she saw rising in F’lar’s eyes.
We do not leave the Harper alone, Ramoth said as F’lar helped Lessa mount her queen. We are with him.
All of us are with him, Mnementh said, his eyes slowly turning in quiet reassurance.
CHAPTER XVI
At the Cove Hold, 15.8.28-15.9.7
WHEN JAXOM AND SHARRA blurted out to Piemur the events at Ista Weyr, including the news of the Harper’s illness, the young journeyman treated them to a colorful description of his Master’s follies, shortcomings, stupid loyalties and altruistic hopes that quite stunned the listeners until they saw the tears leaking down Piemur’s cheeks.
At that moment, Ruth returned, scaring Piemur’s runner beast into the forest. Piemur had to coax the animal, cheerfully called Stupid, to come out again.
“He’s really not stupid, you know,” Piemur said, wiping sweat and tears from his face. “He knows that yon,” Piemur jerked his thumb surreptitiously in Ruth’s direction, “like his sort for eating.” He tested the knot on the rope with which he had secured Stupid to a tree trunk.
I wouldn’t eat him, Ruth replied. He’s small and not very plump.
Laughing, Jaxom passed the message to Piemur, who grinned and bowed his gratitude to Ruth.
“I wish I could make Stupid understand that,” Piemur said with a sigh, “but it’s difficult for him to make distinctions between friendly dragons and hungry ones. As it is, his tendency to disappear into the nearest thicket when dragons come within his senses has saved my skin any number of times. You see, I’m not supposed to be doing exactly what I’ve been doing. Most of all, I’m not supposed to be caught doing it.”
“Go on,” Jaxom urged when Piemur stopped to assess the effect of his cryptic statement. “You wouldn’t have told us this much if you didn’t intend to say more. You did mention that you’d been looking for us?”
Piemur grinned. “Among other things.” He stretched out on the sand, grunting and making a show of settling himself. He took the cup of fruit juice Sharra handed him, quaffed the contents and held it out to be refilled.