include him.'
Robinton stared at her, shocked. He'd never mentioned anything about his father.
'That's just it, Rob,' Kasia put in gently, touching his arm and peering into his face. 'You don't mention Petiron, ever. But you mention your mother at least forty times a day.'
'I don't ... that's exaggeration,' he said, but he relaxed and smiled at her teasing. 'I don't want you to think that I don't admire Petiron's music ...'
'That's what I meant,' Juvana said. 'He's never your father.
Always Petiron.' She paused, watching the shock on his face. 'It gives a clue to those who have your good interests at heart. Not something a casual person would look for.' She wrinkled her nose. 'Then, too, I've met your father and I agree: he's a remarkable composer. It's your songs, however, that everyone sings.'
Robinton didn't know what to say, since he had no idea that he had given himself away simply by not mentioning a subject.
'You've heard me go on and on about my father,' Kasia said, now earnestly trying to ease the shock of their casual disclosure.
'Mind you, I can see why he'd be hard to emulate.'
'Nonsense, I'd far rather have music I can hum or whistle than those intricate and – yes, I'll say it – tortured musical forms.'
Robinton couldn't stifle a nervous chuckle at Juvana's remark.
'There, that's better,' Kasia said. 'If I ever meet him, I'll be oh so punctilious and formal. Now your mother... she's a dear and loving person.'
Robinton gawked at her. 'How do you figure that? Have you met her?'
'Not really, but I've heard her sing. And her face is so expressive that she must be loving. And if she brought you up the way you are now, she's a dear.' Then she gave him a warm hug and a loving kiss before she relaxed against his arm. He covered her hand with his.
'Should I ask the MasterHarper's permission?' he asked.
'You're a journeyman,' Juvana said, lifting one shoulder.
'You've the permission of your contract holder and have officially announced your intent. But I think it would do no harm to tell Master Gennell.'
'I'd like to tell the whole world,' Robinton said, beaming down at Kasia, still marvelling that she would love him. That was when the music poured into his head and he knew exactly how he could publish his happiness. Sonata to Sea-Green Eyes, he would call it, and he hung on to the lyrical line as he often did when there was no opportunity to write music down.
'As Kasia's sister and as your Lady Holder, I will expect you to come to me with any problems you might encounter as you start your lives together,' Juvana said, coming to the real purpose of her interview with the pair. 'I have already discussed this with Kasia, and she will protect herself, which is her duty, until such time as you are settled enough to contemplate children.'
Robinton blushed. He and Kasia had not discussed the natural outcome of their love-making and he realized that he had been remiss in this regard.
Juvana went on. 'I offer the suggestion that you should spend several years enjoying each other's company, consolidating your new relationship, especially since it is unnecessary for either of you to need children to help in your professions.' She was quite matter-of-fact, and Robinton knew that she spoke common sense. 'You're both young. You have time. I have told Kasia that I would gladly foster any child of yours should your work make it impossible to give that child the advantages of a permanent home.'
Robinton managed to stammer out his astonishment at such a magnificent offer: an honour that he had never imagined being offered him. Usually it was the grandparents who offered fostering, or a very close friend. To have his child fostered at Tillek Hold would be a privilege.
'That's an incredible offer, Juvana,' he said, getting his wits together. 'I'd like to think I'd be a sufficiently good father that a child would not need more than his parents to reassure him, wherever we went.'
Juvana regarded him solemnly for a moment. 'Yes, you would want to be a good father. And I think you would be. I've watched you with the slow ones, and you're kind and patient, though some of their antics would be enough to drive me to sea in a leaky boat.'
Kasia laughed. 'Juvana gets seasick just looking at a rocking boat.' 'This is all' – he gestured with the hand Kasia was not holding to indicate being overwhelmed – 'rather more than I thought espousing entailed.'
'That's why there are such wise women as myself,' Juvana said portentously, grinning to take any sting out of her tone. 'So we'll plan the formal vow-taking for the Autumn Equinox. I doubt our parents can come ...
'If they wouldn't mind riding a dragon, I think I can arrange conveyance,' Robinton said, wondering at himself for speaking out since he had been delighted her parents lived as far away as Nerat and he'd be unlikely to meet them. But that was just faint-heartedness on his part, and silly of him, since he'd been reassured by Melongel, as well as Juvana, that Kasia's parents had no objection at all to a harper in the family.
'Can you arrange such a ride?' Juvana was surprised.
'Yes, sister dear,' Kasia said, beaming on her intended. 'He's been friends with F'lon, bronze rider of Simanith, ever since he and his mother spent a winter at Benden Hold.'
'Really? How useful.'
'You wouldn't mind a dragonrider?'
'Who could possibly be so dense as to ignore that sort of a connection?' Juvana asked parenthetically.
Robinton thought of Fax. And he had occasionally encountered the notion – from men who knew little beyond their cotholds – that the Weyr and the dragonriders were an encumbrance, maintained long past their usefulness.
'I'll see if F'lon is willing. I think he might like to come to the espousal.'
'I think my parents would very much enjoy coming a-dragonback,' Juvana said wistfully. 'Is it as exciting as I've heard.'?'
Robinton was quite happy to give her a full accounting of his various trips a-dragonback.
He and Kasia enjoyed the next two seven-days, until they were separated by his duties as the Turn moved into summer, fair weather and long days when the journeymen had to travel to the outlying holds to make sure the Teaching Ballads were being correctly taught and sung. Mumolon and Ifor envied Robinton his smooth-paced Ruathan runner, so he volunteered to take the furthest assigned sweep.
'If I can travel faster and more smoothly than you can, it's only right for me to go further,' he said, grinning. It also meant longer distances, which he could use to work on his sonata. He had done no more than the opening measures so far, and the music was plaguing him.
'You won't get a protest from me,' Mumolon said.
'You'll learn, you'll learn,' Ifor teased him. 'Days more away from the lovely Kasia, though.'
Robinton controlled the spurt of rage he felt, reminding himself that, with his intentions announced, his claim to her affections would no longer be challenged. So he made his lips smile and sloughed off the irritation ... and retired to his room to write a few more measures of the music that wouldn't leave his head.
Before he left, he had an ecstatic and very long letter from his mother, delighted by his news, asking for a sketch of Kasia and so many details that, laughingly, he suggested that Kasia had better answer. Which Kasia immediately did, including a sketched portrait which Marlifin was able to do for her. Master Gennell sent felicitations and thought he would accompany Merelan, to be sure she made it safely to Tillek Hold. Kasia's parents, Bourdon and Brashia, expressed delight in her upcoming espousal and readily accepted the possibility – though Robinton was still waiting for an answer from F'lon – of a quick and safe transfer to the west coast.
At last F'lon sent a drummed message that he would be there -with whoever needed conveyance.
After a loving and reluctant farewell to Kasia, he set his runner on the north-eastern route, up to the Piro River which separated Tillek from High Reaches Hold. From there he headed across the plateau into the highlands and down the Greeney River to the sea in the corner of Tillek and Fort. There was a rapidly expanding series of holds along the Greeney River, some so new that the hard-set was still drying – or so the longer-established holders said with grins. That tour took him most of the summer and into the cooler nights and shorter days of the autumn. Occasional runner notes from Kasia sustained him. And each evening he faithfully recorded his doings to be returned, often by the same runner.
He was very grateful when he reached the apex of his journey, a hill holding right below the High Reaches
