Dragonheart

her much younger, smaller grasp and shook it firmly.

“So, do you know how to prepare lentils, headwoman?” Karina asked. “Or how to make desert bread?”

“Could you show me?” Terin asked politely.

Karina nodded and gestured for Terin to precede her to the kettles.

In short order J’keran and the traders arrived with barrels and more sacks of goods. The first barrel contained klah  bark, which was quickly put to the boil. The first sack contained some small hard disks that none of the riders had ever before seen.

“These are lentils,” Karina explained. “They are full of protein and good eating, hardy enough for our desert climes. They make an excellent soup — which can be our first course.”

She started to lead Terin away, talking about garlic, ginger, and carrots. Fiona was torn between following and checking on the work unloading supplies.

Glancing back at her, Karina said, “Go on, Weyrwoman! Terin and I can handle this.”

The relaxed smile on Terin’s face was the final assurance Fiona needed, so, with a half-wave, she took off into the corridors toward the storerooms.

“We’ll be done shortly, Weyrwoman,” T’mar told her when she arrived. Quietly, just for her ears, he added, “I hope that we’ll eat soon — we’re building quite an appetite.”

“Terin and Karina are working on it,” Fiona replied. “But it’ll be close to another hour.” Seeing T’mar’s face fall, she added hurriedly, “But we’ve got fresh klah  for those who need it.”

“We can wait until lunch,” he decided.

Fiona nodded and left, wondering what to do next. She decided to check on the injured riders and their supplies, and ended up in the small herbal room, sorting through medicines. It took Talenth to break through her concentration.

T’mar says that lunch is ready,  the gold dragon told her.

Good!  Fiona replied, suddenly aware of the amazing aromas that were filling the Weyr. How about you?

I’m not hungry,  Talenth assured her. A little itchy, maybe.

Her words reminded Fiona that she needed to be sure there was enough oil on hand for all the young and old flaky dragonhide. She almost turned back to check the stores, but her stomach grumbled again and she headed for the Kitchen Cavern.

In addition to the promised lentil soup, there was something she’d never encountered before: a spicy mixture of onions, sweet potatoes, and black beans, all wrapped up in a very thin, soft flatbread. It was both sweet and piquant.

“It tastes good,” Fiona said as soon as she swallowed. “Good, but different.”

“Hot food for hot climes,” Tenniz told her with a grin. “You’ll get used to it soon enough.” His eyes held some hint of mystery, but Fiona was too busy enjoying the new tastes and smells to linger upon it.

“Early afternoon in this climate tends to be too hot for work,” Azeez said to T’mar, “so usually we take a nap.”

“That make sense,” Fiona said before T’mar could object. “It will be particularly good for the injured riders and those with injured dragons.”

“Why the dragons?” T’mar wondered, frowning.

“If their riders are resting, they’ll rest, too,” Fiona reminded him.

“But we don’t have — ” T’mar began, gesturing toward Azeez.

“We have gear we could set up in your unused living quarters,” Azeez assured him.

Karina shot him a glare and Fiona noticed.

“You’ve stayed here before,” she stated. Tenniz looked down, avoiding her eyes, but Karina nodded.

“No one was using it,” Azeez said.

“We kept the water flowing,” Karina said.

“I’m glad you did,” Fiona said. “I’m sure the Weyr would have been much harder to clean if you hadn’t used it.” She turned to T’mar, then added, “I see no reason why you can’t continue to use it while we’re here.”

T’mar thought about it, then nodded. “We will be using less than a third of the weyrs, and would be glad of your company.”

“Let me be clear,” Azeez said. “We’re traders; we need to move to trade. We’d only be here occasionally, for no more than a night.” “Not if I can help it,” T’mar replied, then laughed as he caught Azeez’s bemused look.

“We talked about this when we met,” T’mar continued. “We could carry supplies for you.” Azeez nodded, still no closer to comprehension. “And you would need to store them, occasionally?”

“We could store them here?” Karina asked, eyes alight with the prospect.

“Whatever we can do to help,” T’mar offered.

“For a reasonable fee, of course,” Terin added from her place at the table. She caught Karina’s eyes challengingly and locked with them until the older woman threw up her hands in surrender.

“Another with the soul of a trader!”

THIRTEEN

The stars shine so cold at night,

The sun burns so hot by day,

The wind whips in wild delight:

The weather at Igen is fey.

Igen Weyr, Early Morning, AL 498.7.3

Talenth woke Fiona early the next morning. The watchdragon says that they are getting ready to leave.  Fiona propped herself up on an elbow and looked at Terin sleeping next to her on their makeshift bed of blankets, considering whether to wake her. She decided against it; the younger girl had had a busy enough first day as headwoman.

She made a mental note to send a party of weyrlings to get mattress fillings and started to crawl over Terin to the edge of the bed, but stopped when she saw her open her eyes.

“What is it?”

“The traders are leaving,” Fiona told her quietly.

Terin rubbed her eyes and sat up. “I’ll come with you.”

“It’s still dark outside,” Fiona cautioned as she rose and hastily pulled on the clothes she’d been wearing the day before. Terin followed suit and in short order the two followed the gleam of Talenth’s eyes into the queen’s new lair.

Did you want to come, too?  Fiona asked her dragon.

Will it be fun?  Talenth asked. Fiona shrugged. Talenth glanced around her lair and decided that she’d got herself too well settled to want to move. I’ll stay here, then.

One of the moons was high enough to provide some dim light in the Weyr Bowl outside — enough for eyes to see, if not in color. Fiona picked out the shape of the watch dragon on the heights near the Star Stones to the east. The night air was chill, fresh, expectant. She made out a shape: T’mar.

He must have seen them, for he stopped and waited for them to catch up. Together, the three of them made their way to the Kitchen Cavern.

“Klah  or tea?” Terin asked, grabbing a glove to snag a pot of water from the hearth.

“You will find that it’s best to change your hours when you live in the desert,” they heard Mother Karina say from somewhere behind them. They turned to face her. “Night is your friend.”

“Thread falls when it will,” T’mar told her.