Dragonheart

“Why?”

“It means we’ve less to worry about when it comes to transport, but also less to bargain with,” she said. “There are a lot of holders who’ve come to see the value of watch-whers.”

“That’s part of the reason why we want to see the wherhold established here,” Fiona told them. “The holders around here were hard hit by the Plague and there are many wild herds that have attracted predators. The watch- whers can guard the herds — ”

“I’m used to the mines,” Nuella remarked. “I suppose it would be nice to be out in the night air.”

“You’ll have Jaythen and the others to help,” Fiona assured her.

“You mentioned gold,” Zenor prompted.

“We saw it marked on the Weyr maps,” Fiona said.

“I’d like to see them.”

“Why don’t you go with Fiona, and I’ll check on Nuellask,” Nuella suggested.

“I’d like to see this map myself,” K’rall said as the others rose.

T’mar and Terin accompanied them. While they walked — slowly, in deference to Fiona’s crutches — Fiona held a quick consultation with them on the injured dragons and riders.

“We’ve three more riders that are now healed and ready for duty,” T’mar reported, “and N’jian has recovered from the worst of the bedsores — we’ve got him resting in his pool most of the day, with a weyrling and his Graneth keeping a watchful eye on him.”

“I’d like to see your injured,” Zenor said from behind them. “Maybe I can learn some things.”

“Or teach them,” Nuella added with a touch of pride. “Zenor became quite the healer during the . . .” Her voice trailed off as she realized what she was saying.

“The Plague happened over nearly twelve Turns in our past,” T’mar told her. “I was about the age you are now.”

“It’s done, we survived, and we press on,” Zenor said in a tone that suggested a change of topic.

“Kindan said much the same thing,” Fiona said in surprise.

“He might have learned it from Master Zist,” Nuella said. She smiled. “After Kindan left, Master Zist picked Zenor to help him.”

“Scared me witless,” Zenor agreed. “I was afraid he was going to make me a healer or — worse — a harper.”

“I would have missed you,” Nuella said fervently.

“I was never so glad as when Kindan sent his fire-lizard calling Zist back to the Harper Hall,” Zenor admitted.

“They’ve had a hard time finding enough healers, since,” Fiona said as they began the slope upward to the queens’ weyrs.

“Is that why you’ve none with you?” Nuella asked.

“There’s only one at Fort Weyr, and that just recently,” K’rall said.

“Perhaps we should send some people from the mine to the Healer Hall,” Zenor said thoughtfully.

Fiona said nothing, deciding not to tell them that they hadn’t.

When they came to the top of the ledge, T’mar said to Nuella, “I could escort you to your quarters while Fiona shows the others the Records.”

“I’d like that,” Nuella said, reaching out a hand toward T’mar. He grabbed it and led her on, telling her, “I’ve only seen a watch-wher once before and not up close.”

“Oh,” Nuella responded with interest. “Whose?”

“Yours, actually,” T’mar replied with a chuckle. “I suppose I’d better not tell you too much or it’ll spoil the surprise.”

“Don’t tell me too much because if Zenor hears, he might want to put a stop to it,” Nuella retorted with a laugh of her own. “From your tone, I was probably doing something that would frighten him.”

“Is that something you do often?”

“At least once a sevenday,” Nuella replied with an impish grin. “It keeps him on his toes.”

“Hmm,” T’mar said thoughtfully.

“See here?” Fiona said, pointing to the map she’d unrolled on the table beneath them. “Those marks are for metals and minerals.” She pointed to one in particular in the legend and then to where she knew the wherhold would be established. “See how large it is there, right at the river’s bend?”

“Gold is heavy; it would tend to accumulate in bends,” Zenor said judiciously. He looked up from the map, his eyes full of longing. “I’d like to see this site.”

“According to this,” K’rall said, gesturing to a dotted line on the map, “the land is bound to Keroon.” He circled a spot not too far away on the map, saying, “That’s Plains Hold there.”

He glanced at Fiona. “What would your father say if Fort Weyr were to annex part of his  Hold to some newcomers?”

“Actually, he’d want to know which part and who the newcomers were,” Fiona replied. “A lot of holds lie empty and he’d be glad of the extra tithe.”

Zenor nodded understandingly. “As a miner, I’m used to tithing to the Hold.”

“There’s plenty of good land there,” K’rall said judiciously. “I’ve flown over it when . . .” He trailed off as he exchanged an understanding look with Fiona. He’d flown over it when the wherhold had been established. The thought of what his knowledge might mean for Zenor and the new holders both excited and alarmed her — was it right to tell them?

“I see more and more why timing it is dangerous,” K’rall said with a heavy sigh. He glanced at Zenor. “What we know about the future could help you or hinder you — and we’ve no way of determining which!”

“I prefer going into a tunnel that’s well-shored,” Zenor replied. “If I know what to expect, then I can make plans.”

“You can also come to grief expecting support where there is none,” Nuella added from behind him. They all turned to see that she and T’mar had arrived. She searched out Zenor and grabbed his hand, saying, “After I checked on Nuellask, I decided that I wasn’t too tired after all, and T’mar offered to bring me here.”

“K’rall is concerned about telling us too much of our future,” Zenor told her.

“I trust the dragonriders here,” Nuella said, emphasizing the word “here.” “They’ll tell us what we need to know.”

“So it’s up to us to decide, is it?” Fiona asked sourly. She heard K’rall’s and T’mar’s gasps at her tone but ignored them, turning to Zenor. “Ask what you want; I’ll tell you if I want.”

“Will we survive?”

“At least until my time you’ll not only survive, you’ll thrive,” Fiona told him. Oddly, she discovered that that revelation perked up her own spirits — probably it meant that their endeavor here at Igen Weyr would succeed.

“Will we have trouble with the holders?” Nuella asked.

“I don’t know,” Fiona said. “But if you do, you overcame — will overcome — them.”

“How many of the wherpeople join us?” Zenor asked.

“I don’t know,” Fiona admitted. She thought of saying more and decided that this question-and-answer session was best.

“Will I mine gold?” Zenor asked.

“I don’t know,” Fiona admitted. She’d only ever heard of all the gold jewelry he’d made, never of his actually mining it.

“Will we find gold?”

“Oh, yes!” Fiona agreed avidly. “Your wherhold will be known throughout Pern for it.”

“Can we ask more questions later?” Nuella said, tugging on Zenor’s arm. “I think we’ve heard enough for the moment.”

“Of course you can,” T’mar assented with an approving look toward Fiona. “Anytime.”

“Will the dragonriders support us?” Nuella asked as they started up the stairs, Zenor carefully bracing her.

“We  will,” K’rall declared stoutly. T’mar and Fiona looked at him with surprise, so he explained, “There isn’t a rider here who doesn’t owe his life or his mate’s life to the efforts of the watch-whers.