“Now why would Lord Jaxom want to see withies gathered?” Fidello asked, but received no direct answer.
The social amenities discharged, Jaxom directed Ruth aloft, circled while waving down at Fidello, and then took them between to the mountain well beyond the keenest eye of any hold. The brown firelizard followed.
“Shells! Ruth, tell him to get lost.”
Immediately the brown winked out.
“Good, now I can teach you to chew firestone.”
I know.
“You think you know. I’ve been around dragonriders long enough to know that doing so is not quite as simple as that.”
Ruth gave a sort of sniff as Jaxom dug a lump of firestone the size of his own generous fist out of the sack.
“Now think of your other stomach!”
Ruth lidded his eyes completely as he accepted the firestone. The noise as he chewed the lump startled him. His eyes came wide open, making Jaxom exclaim:
“Should you make that much noise?”
It is rock.
He threw one lid over his eyes as he suddenly swallowed. I am thinking of my other stomach, he told Jaxom before he could be reminded. Later Jaxom swore that he could all but hear the chewed fragments rolling down the dragon’s gullet. The two sat and regarded each other, waiting for the next step.
“You’re supposed to belch.”
I know. I know how to belch. But I can’t.
Jaxom politely offered him another largish piece of firestone. This time the chewing did not resound so noticeably. Ruth swallowed, then seemed to settle more on his haunches.
OH!
On the heels of the mental exclamation, a rumble started that made Ruth look quickly at his white belly. His mouth opened. With a startled shout, Jaxom launched himself to one side just as a tiny trickle of flame appeared at the white dragon’s muzzle. Ruth jerked backward, only saved from falling over by the set of his tail.
I think I need more firestone to make a respectable flame.
Jaxom offered several smallish lumps. Ruth made quick work of the chewing. And quicker work of the eruption of gas.
That was much more the thing, Ruth said with satisfaction.
“Wouldn’t do much against Thread.”
Ruth just opened his mouth for more firestone. What Jaxom had brought was all too quickly consumed. But with it, Ruth managed to sear a fair swath among the rock weeds.
“I don’t think we’ve got the hang of it.”
We also haven’t burned any Thread midair.
“We aren’t exactly ready to do that yet. But we have proved that you can chew firestone.”
I never doubted it.
“I never did either, Ruth, but,” Jaxom sighed heavily, “we’re going to need a lot of firestone at hand, until you learn the way of sustaining a continuous eruption.”
Ruth looked so disconsolate that Jaxom hastily reassured him, stroking his eye ridges and caressing his headbone.
“We should have been allowed to train you properly with the other weyrlings. It’s just not fair. I’ve always said so. You can’t help your difficulties today. But, by the First Shell, we’ll eventually succeed together.”
Ruth allowed himself to be reassured, then brightened. We will work harder, that’s all. But it would be easier with more firestone. Brown Wilth never uses much anymore. He’s really too old to chew at all.
“That’s why he’s a watchdragon.”
Jaxom emptied the sack of any firestone rubble, tied it up by the neck thong and looped it around his belt. He hadn’t needed the rope for fighting straps, after all. He was about to tell Ruth to transfer directly to Ruatha when he remembered that he had better consolidate his alibi for future use. He had no trouble finding the withie gatherers by the river island, and Corana eagerly came to meet him. She was very pretty, he realized, with a delicate flush to her skin and round greenish eyes. Her dark hair had escaped the braids about her face and now clung to her cheeks in damp waves.
“Has there been Thread?” she asked, her green eyes becoming round with alarm.
“No. Why?”
“I can smell firestone.”
“Oh, these riding clothes. I always use them during Fall. Smell must cling to them. I just didn’t notice.”