'How did you know about that?' The apprentices did not tell anyone, certainly not the girls.
Merelan chuckled. 'There's a lot that goes on in the Hall that is known but not talked about, lovey. Not that, for a single moment, I would think you'd be frightened of just an empty place.'
Robinton puffed out his chest. 'But aren't all the Weyrs different?'
Merelan considered this. 'Yes, and in fact there are maps of the interiors lodged in the Archives ... or should be. Another thing that I must check on when we get back.'
'When are we going back, Mother?' Not that he really wanted to, if he was being honest with himself. He really, truly liked it here at Benden, and especially Falloner. He had never had a best friend before.
He felt his mother smoothing his hair. 'Do you miss the Hall?' she asked.
'Not when I get my lessons from you,' he said, grinning up at her. 'You're harder on me than Master Washell or Kubisa.'
'I am, am I?'
'And it's great to have you to myself,' he added and felt her hand hesitate.
'But you don't, Robie,' she said, and her voice sounded so funny that he looked up at her to see why. He caught the hint of her frown.
'You share me with Benden Hold and all its students.'
He thought that over for a moment. 'Yes, but it's not the same.'
'No, it isn't,' she said very slowly. 'However, you and I must do some practising so we'll show them our mettle.'
Later, Robinton told Falloner about the invitation. 'Will you be coming up too?' he asked, practically dancing in his delight.
'Me? No, why should I be?'
'But ... but ... but ...'
Falloner dismissed the 'but' with an indifferent hand and a wry grin. 'I'm lucky to be down here at the Hold. I lost my birth mother when I was born, and my foster-mother died of a fever the healer couldn't cool down, and there's no one up there I want to see.'
'Not even your father?'
Falloner cocked his head at his friend. 'No more than you want to see yours.'
'I never said anything like that ...'
'But you never mention him, do you? So you don't miss him, do you? Besides, I prefer to stay out of Carola's way, and Lady
Hayara's fairer to me than even Stolla ...' His voice altered to a kinder tone. 'But she's nice, even being headwoman in the Lower Cavern and all. She the one who made S'loner send me down here until it cooled off--' He stopped short, making a horrible grimace as if he'd let his mouth run away with him.
'What cooled off?.'
Falloner's expression turned to bland innocence. 'Cooled what off?'
'You just said ...' And then Robinton stopped, shrugged and dropped the subject.
It was Lady Hayara's intervention that saw Falloner going with Robinton.
'For the company,' she told Merelan. 'Falloner will show Robinton around without letting him go where he shouldn't.' She
fixed a stern look on Falloner, but let it turn into an understanding smile. 'But I expect you not to tease Lama so much any more.'
'She follows me everywhere,' Falloner complained, screwing his face up. 'Lama's Carola's daughter,' he explained to Merelan, 'and a real pain.'
'Now, Falloner,' Lady Hayara said, wiggling a warning finger at him, 'I know that Rob will be asked to sing, but it's good for an upcoming harper to learn more about the Weyr than what is sung.'
The brown dragon who collected the invited guests did not quibble about adding Falloner to his back. Nor did his rider, who greeted the boy with a wry grin.
'Allowed back, are you, weyrling?'
'It would seem so, C'vrel. Thanks, Falarth,' Falloner added to the brown as he competently mounted and settled himself behind Robinton.
Robinton would have given anything to know exactly what that meant, but he suspected he'd never be told by Falloner. Before he could reflect further, he felt the brown launch himself off the ground with the usual neck- snapping lunge and Robinton braced himself for between. He was especially grateful when he felt Falloner's hands grip his arms and tighten the moment they went into that bone-searing cold. In between he could feel nothing, but he knew that Falloner still gripped him. It wasn't as bad, now he knew what to expect – and then, suddenly, he had the incredible good fortune to see a Weyr from on high.
Benden was unusual in that it was situated in an old double volcanic crater. As Falarth swung round, almost on wingtip, Robinton saw the watch dragon and his rider, just beyond the massive Star Stones which would bracket the Red Star on its next return at Solstice. He saw dragons lying on the western-facing ledges, asleep in the sun... and then the several black maws which gave into the Hatching Ground where a queen's clutch of eggs hardened until it was time for the weyrling dragons to Hatch and Impress their lifelong partners. As Falarth glided downward, Robinton saw the great golden bulk of Feyrith on her ledge, Chendith lying just above her, his eyes whirling in slow circles as he watched Falarth land lightly in front of the Lower Cavern.
CHAPTER SEVEN
So here he was. Falloner had diplomatically slid down the off-side of Falarth, thus avoiding a meeting with Carola who, with S'loner, greeted their MasterSinger guest and her son, thanking them profusely for accepting the invitation.
'Come to Benden?' Merelan laughed. 'I've been dying to.' Then she was introduced to Stolla, the headwoman of the Lower Cavern, a tall woman of middle years who in turn introduced the MasterSinger to the blue rider, C'gan, who was Weyrsinger, a slight man whose boyish face was eager and earnest, and so was obviously thrilled to meet Merelan. The other woman, Miata, handled basic lessons at the Weyr. Robinton made his best bow to them all, and then S'loner took him by the shoulder.
'Go off with Falloner, Robinton,' he said, grinning broadly.
'We'll take good care of your mother, never fear.'
'I don't worry, not when she's in the Weyr,' Robinton answered boldly and, before his mother could reprimand him, he slipped around behind Falarth to join his friend.
'C'mon, there's a lot to see,' Falloner said and led the way, running across the Bowl to the black maws of the Hatching Ground.
'This is the most important place in the Weyr. Any Weyr ...'
'Is that son of yours to be a harper, Merelan?' Robie heard S'loner asking.
He didn't hear his mother's exact answer and he wondered, once again, if maybe he could possibly be harper and dragonrider. And he'd Impress a bronze, too. Well ... he'd settle for a brown and be in Falloner's wing and fight Thread when it came back.
Falloner showed him everything. The Hatching Ground was awe-inspiring, with the great vaulted roof, the steep ranks of seats where guests could watch Impression and the raised stone couch where the queen stayed, guarding her clutch and viewing the Hatching. Then there were some places which Robinton wasn't sure visitors were usually shown. Falloner took him up steps at the side of the Hatching Ground and pushed through a door into what had to be the Weyrwoman's quarters. Robinton gulped, hoping that Feyrith was still fast asleep on her ledge and that Carola did not take a sudden urge to leave his mother. He walked on tiptoe and noticed that Falloner was putting his feet down more quietly than usual. From there, they went to the Council Chamber, with its immense stone oval table and the massive stone chairs where the Weyrleaders and wingleaders sat for meetings. Then down into the musty-smelling rooms which housed the Weyr's Records.
'Our Archives smell exactly like this too,' Robinton remarked, feeling a little safer this far from the Weyr and Feyrith. As he ran one finger across the spine of a bound volume, leather rubbed off, and he hastily cleaned his finger and hoped the mark wouldn't show. The Weyr really needed to have these seen to: they were in far worse condition than those Master Ogolly worried over.
Falloner had noticed and now snorted. 'That's another thing I like about Benden Hold – they keep their Records in good condition so that you can actually read them.'