'You've filled out a great deal,' Merelan said, patting his chest and feeling the muscles in his arm. 'You're even taller,' she added with a sort of accusatory wonder, as if he had no right to alter his appearance while separated from her.
'Master Lobira worked me hard,' he said, pretending weariness.
'Nonsense,' Kubisa said in her forthright fashion. 'You look in fine shape. In fact, you've improved quite a bit.'
Betrice appeared in the doorway. 'Ah, he has come. Good. Lorra's laid a spread for you, and we're all waiting to see if she's done you proud. Come in, come in, Robie.' She grabbed his hand away from Silvina and led him in.
Robinton released his mother only when they were in the small dining room and he could settle her in a chair Just as he was about to seat himself, Master Ogolly came rushing in.
'Oh, I did want to be on time,' the Archivist said peevishly. 'My dear boy, it's so good to see you!' Then he looked at the laden table and beamed. 'How marvellous. I'll just stop for a cup of klah, and maybe one of those little cakes, but I've got such clumsies as apprentices this Turn. You don't know how much I miss your neat copying, Robie. Oh, I should give you your full name now, shouldn't I, Journeyman Robinton?'
'You can call me what you will, Master Ogolly. I'm always yours to command.'
'Master Gennell will want to see you sometime this afternoon, Rob,' Betrice said, 'when his class is over'
'Any ideas about where I'm to be posted next?' He winked at Betrice to assure her that he didn't expect her to tell him.
'Oh, we'll keep you busy enough,' she assured him with a mock scowl.
The conversation went to general topics, such as who had been posted where, and Robinton asked after his old dorm-mates who now were journeymen too, and heard about Shonagar's latest wrestling successes. That made him think of Fax.
'What's wrong, Rob?' his mother asked, a gentle hand on his arm, as she caught his change of mood.
'Nothing,' he said. His response didn't fool her, but he didn't feel that Fax's delinquency in educating his holders was a subject for this table.
When he did have a chance to bring the subject up to Master Gennell during his interview with the harper, Gennell nodded soberly.
'Lobira has acquainted me with that situation. Unfortunately, without Faroguy's consent, the Hall can do nothing.'
'But that's not right,' Robinton protested.
Gennell nodded again, sympathetically. 'We can only do so much, Rob, and are wiser not to trespass where a harper's life might be endangered.'
Robinton blinked in surprise. 'Endangered?'
'There have been such problems before, lad, and there will be again, but somehow it comes right. As long as Fax keeps his ideas to his own hold, I can do nothing. Nor is it wise to do so. That's something you learn as you go on. Cut your losses when you have to. One small hold in the northern lands is not as vital as a larger one nearer home, as it were. And I'm assigning you to shed the light where there has been darkness. Now -' Gennell swivelled and pointed to a peg '– that's your new assignment. And I think you'll do quite well there. You got a fine recommendation from Lobira, and he's not easy to please. But first ... Petiron is away for several days, so you might like to relax and spend some time with your mother.'
'She's not well?' Robinton leaped on the wording.
'Yes, yes, she's fine, lad. No need to fret about her as you'll discover,' Gennell said. He sounded so sincere that Robinton relaxed. 'There's a ship due in at the Fort Harbour and you can passage on that... and let's not prevail too much on a dragonrider's favour for transport.'
'F'lon insisted ...'
'Now, now, I'm not faulting you, Rob, but I think it better that you arrive at Benden--'
'Benden?' Robinton couldn't believe in such luck.
'Yes, Benden – but arrive this time without benefit of Simanith's wings. That young lad is a thorn in Lord Maidir's side – both he and that father of his, the Weyrleader.'
'But, when Mother and I were there, Lord Maidir--'
Gennell held up his hand. 'As I said, it would be better if you didn't arrive on dragonwing. I don't want you considered an alarmist too. Harper Evarel is looking forward to your assistance. He's retiring soon and, if you suit Lord Maidir – in fact, he asked if you were available now – you'll probably stay on there.'
Robinton forbore to ask further questions, knowing that he could find out for himself what the situation was. It was very odd that the Weyr's own Hold was doubting the Weyrleaders.
F'lon had expressed himself on this score during the informal party. The young bronze rider had also given him something more to think about as they crossed the courtyard to the waiting Simanith.
'That pretty girl – Silvina – fancies you, lad,' he said. 'She wouldn't give me the time of day, but she couldn't keep her eyes off you. Don't let a good opportunity pass you by, Rob.' And F'lon winked as he clapped the harper on the back before taking the jump-step he always used to reach Simanith's forearm. And then he was waving farewell from his bronze's back.
Robinton was so surprised by the comment that he had no time to tell F'lon that he'd known Vina as a child and she was probably just happy to see him again. She was much too young, anyhow. He retreated a good dragon- length to avoid getting dust and grit in his eyes when Simanith leapt upwards.
But later that night, after he and his mother had caught up on some of his more amusing adventures at High Reaches, he was too restless to sleep. Though she had told him his room was ready, he had insisted that he sleep in the journeymen's accommodation. He knew she was disappointed, that she wanted to see to his comfort herself and enjoy his proximity. What he couldn't say was that his old room would bring back far too many memories he had no desire to recall. Or maybe she understood that, because she didn't press him. Casually she mentioned that Petiron was doing special music for a Tillek Holder espousal, and that was why the Hall seemed almost deserted. She had also noticed Silvina's intentness.
'She's grown into such a lovely young woman. A nice rich contralto. Have you written any songs for that voice?'
Yes, actually, I have,' Robinton said, reaching for the leather folder which contained his scores. It gave him something to divert her from thinking more about Vina's so-called interest in him. 'In fact, I've copied out the best of my new tunes for you.' He put an emphasis on the word 'tunes' – Petiron's sarcastic name for them.
'Now, Rob ...' His mother gave him a reproving look.
That was when he told her about Master Lobira's laughing fit, and she was appropriately amused by the incident. She insisted on looking at all his new songs, and played them, singing along half-voice, although occasionally singing out fully for the ones she particularly liked. He hummed along with her because he couldn't help himself: singing his own songs with his mother was a pleasure long denied him.
'Ah, dear love, you have such a knack for song and ballad,' she said when she had gone through them all. 'And you've developed so much ...' She sighed. And Robinton, deciding she was tired, gathered up the scores, telling her that she must rest.
There was something about his mother that was different, not quite right, despite all the assurances he had been given. He gave her a goodnight hug and kiss.
'I've several days before I have to take ship,' he told her.
'Where did Gennell assign you?'
'You didn't know?'
She laughed. 'Gennell keeps his own business to himself, but he did assure me that it was a posting worthy of your abilities.'
She was delighted when he informed her that he'd been assigned to Benden.
'I'd hoped that you might be. I know Evarel is thinking about retiring,' she said, hugging him fiercely. Then she gave him a mock coy glance. 'Why, I'd even thought of asking Gennell if he wouldn't consider you, but that would be favouritism.'
'And my mother wouldn't stoop to that?' he said, teasing her lightly. 'Even for her own son?'
'I have my scruples, dear,' she replied, affecting a prim manner.
Silvina served him dinner first at the journeymen's table, gave him larger portions than she gave the others, and hung around, asking him about High Reaches and being not quite a nuisance. Two or three harpers he didn't
