“Who doesn’t believe us?”
“Master Robinton, Master Wansor and Brekke. Weren’t you listening to me?”
“No,” he said, grinning, “I was looking at you.”
“Jaxom!”
He laughed as the blush deepened the tan on her face and neck.
I have a severe itch where you are leaning against me, Jaxom.
“There now, you see?” Sharra said, slapping his hand with the bristles. “You’re neglecting Ruth in a shocking fashion.”
“How’d you know Ruth was speaking to me?”
“Your face always gives you away.”
“Say, where’s the Dawn Sister going?” Jaxom asked, noticing the ship, her sails billowing out in the breeze, standing out to sea.
“Fishing, of course. Threadfall always brings out schools. And our escapade this morning is going to bring people down here in droves. We’ll need the fish to feed ‘em.”
Jaxom groaned, closing his eyes and shaking his head in dismay.
“That …” Sharra paused for emphasis, “is our punishment for the unauthorized jaunt this morning.”
They were both dumped into the water as Ruth unexpectedly lunged out.
“Ruth!”
My friends are coming! The white dragon bugled happily as Jaxom saw, bleary-eyed from the ducking, a halfwing of dragons appearing in the sky.
There is Ramoth and Mnementh, Tiroth, Gyamath, Branth, Orth …
“All the Weyrleaders, Sharra!”
She was spitting and choking over the water she’d swallowed.
“Great!” She didn’t sound happy. “My brush!” She began searching about her.
And Path, Golanth, Drenth and he’s here on our watchdragon!
“There’s Lytol! Stand still, Ruth. We’ve still got your tail to clean.”
I must give a proper greeting to my friends, Ruth replied, pulling his tail out of Jaxom’s grasp to sit up on his haunches and warble to the second group of dragonriders appearing over the Cove.
“He may not be clean,” Sharra said with some acerbity as she began to wring her long hair dry, “but I am.”
I am clean enough. My friends will want to swim, too.
“Don’t count on another swim, Ruth. It’s going to be a busy day!”
“Jaxom, did you get a chance to eat anything yet?” Sharra asked. When he shook his head, she grabbed his hand. “C’mon, quickly, the back way, before someone catches us.”
He paused long enough on the shore to collect his flying gear, then they both ran up the old path to the kitchen entrance of Cove Hold. Sharra breathed an exaggerated sigh of relief to discover the place empty. Ordering him to sit, she poured a cup of klah, and served him slices of fruit and warm cereal from the pot on the back of the warming hearth.
They both heard the calls and exclamations from the new arrivals, Robinton’s deep baritone dominating as he called greetings from the porch.
Jaxom half-rose from his bench, gulping down another mouthful, but Sharra pushed him back.
“They’ll find you soon enough. Eat!”
“Ruth is on the beach,” Lytol’s voice was audible suddenly, “but I don’t see Jaxom anywhere …”
“I know he’s about …” Robinton began.
A bronze arrow whizzed into the kitchen, cluttered and zipped away.
“He’s through that door, Lytol, in the kitchen,” Robinton said with a laugh.
“I could almost agree with Lessa,” Jaxom said in a mutter of disgust. He scraped a huge spoonful out of his bowl, cramming it into his mouth. He had to rise, catching the overflow at the comers of his mouth as Lytol came striding in.
“Sorry, sir,” Jaxom mumbled through his food. “Had no breakfast!”
Lytol stood, his eyes so intent that Jaxom grinned in nervous embarrassment. He wondered if Lytol could already know of his excursion that morning.
“You look a great deal better than when I last saw you, lad. Good day to you, Sharra.” His greeting was absent-minded courtesy as he crossed the remaining distance to clasp Jaxom’s arm strongly in his. A smile pulled at his lips before he stepped back. “You’re tanned, you look fit. Now what is this trouble you created today?”
“Create it? Me? No, sir.” Jaxom couldn’t help grinning now. Lytol was delighted, not annoyed. “That mountain’s been there a long time. I didn’t create it. But I did want to see it, close up, first!”
“Jaxom!” The Harper’s bellow was impossible to ignore.