Bendan Weyr

They began arriving by dragonback in ones and twos starting early in the morning and proceeding through to early afternoon. Dressed in their Gather finery, anyone who could be there was. A goodly number of Lords and their ladies were there. Especially ones who's people had been Searched out as Candidates. Heero spotted Lord Brien and Lady Kelira of Bendan naturally they attended every hatching at Bendan Weyr. Also Lord Trieze and Lady Une of Fort, Lord Milliardo and Lady Noin of Ruatha, Lord Bral and Lady Tirla of Igen, Lord Nistrom of Keroon, Lord Gelveren and Lady Sindara of Telgar, Lord Vanarr and Lady Hellanah of Crom were also in attendance.

<Oh-oh,> thought Heero as he saw a familiar form out of the corner of his eye. It spelled trouble for him if either of them saw him. There was also Lord Kereth of Nabol and Lady Ayvril of Bitrahis blood parents. <Fewmets! Now what?!>

Lady Ayvril of Bitra was still attractive for all that she had to be in her early forties. The dark luxurious hair of her line streamed out behind her like a banner, with small strings of gold and the occasional gems winking out from the mass as they caught the light. She still looked fresh-faced (no doubt hanks to some very subtle and expensive cosmetics), the lines about her eyes and mouth were still very fine as to be unnoticeable and her cheeks still looked like they had the blush of youth. She had also kept her body in excellent condition as well and the Gather dress she wore at the moment only accentuated a fine figure. Her shoulders were straight and proud, her waist narrow and her hips curved, and if there was one thing she knew it was how to accentuate herself. The color and cut of her fine gown flattered her, and the jewelry she wore was ostentatious without being tacky.

Lord Kereth of Nabol was still strikingly handsome even though her was well into his fifties. His form was still trim, his muscles toned, his deep blue eyes (which Heero had inherited) were still bright with intelligence. His broad shoulders filled out his green tunic well. A lot of the older women and a good many of the younger had been eyeing him for some time and Heero knew that it was not just because of his wealth or his station. Lord Kereth was charismatic, maybe not quite as much as Lord Treize of Fort Hold but her still had the ability to make people listen to him one way or another. This was due in no small part to his very commanding physical presence. Lord Kereth was a man who seemed to fill a room, he displaced the air around him exuding an air if confidence and power that drew not a few women to him like flies to honey.

Despite Heero's own broad shoulders and muscular build he took more after his mother in his features. The hair, the facial features, even some of his habits and mannerisms, the way he spoke would be recognized if he spent much time at all near her. Some one was bound to notice!

-Relax, you are vastly different from the ten-year old son who disappeared from their Hold,-Zeroth said abruptly into his mind, quelling Heero's rising alarm like a cold splash of water. -You are a grown man now and they have no hold over you. You are a dragonrider and wingleader and if they argue with you, just introduce them to me!-

Heero could feel Zeroths feirce almost feral grin in his mind, and a small chuckle rippling over his thoughts like water drippling into a pond.

-Thank-you Zeroth. I'll keep that in mind. I believe however it would be better for all concerned if certain truths remained buried. It's a well-known fact that nothing good ever came out of the lines of Bitra or Nabol, they were rotten from the start.-

-I disagree, I think that you are the exception to that 'well known fact.'-

-I do not wish to be identified by them, I'm certain they'll try to use my position to their own advantage whether I have anything to do with it or not. Zeroth, where's Relena? I thought she would have been with her brother from Ruatha.-

-Relena is'assisting' matters for the feast.-

-You mean she's running things down there as if she owned the Weyr,- Heero filled in shrewdly.

-There has been a lack of qualified leadership lately, Relena is merely assisting us until we regain our footing. Her words. She also says to tell you that if you're so curious about her why don't you come down and help her, she got a load of tubers that need to be peeled and cut, and the old auntie has bad arthritis.-

Heero restrained a chuckle and said gamely

-Tell her I'm on my way.-

He could sense Zeroth's surprise. Heero didn't usually venture towards the kitchens unless it was to get something to eat.

-I was looking for a way to get out of the public eye, here's a perfect opportunity. I can make it back up in time for the Hatching itself and make sure she's out there at the same time. I'll have to keep a good eye on her if our plan is to work.-

-Very well then, I intend to cherish the image of you scrubbing greens like and old auntie anyway.-

Heero didn't reply to that but instead quietly made his way away from the bustle near the Hatching Grounds and headed towards the kitchens and lower caverns. Bendans Lower Caverns, instead of being one massive high-vaulted cavern containing a massive open workspace sectioned off into smaller workspaces like Fory Weyr's was, were instead spread out into many smaller workspaces on different tiered levels. Fortunately for everyone the rooms and passages were well-venthilated and cool despite the many firepits in the kitchens for cooking on. The kitchens were the largest of the caverns, naturally with multiple sinks and basins that ran both hot and cold water, heated by pipes built next to the red hot living rock deep in the earth and pumped into the kitchens by a waterwheel pump.

When Heero emerged from the Hatching grounds he was momentarily taken aback by the level of activity going on in the cavernous room. The heat hit him like a palpable wave. It was hotter than the sands of Southern Boll at the height of summer in there! And everywhere he looked there were people moving swiftly and efficiently about a task. People scrubbed greens and tubers at the sinks, weilded meat-cleavers and knives gutting fish or chopping meats or cheeses at massive cutting tables. There was the loud hum of voices raised in chatter or shouting orders, the bang and clang of pots and pans the rush of water as it was filled into pots or poured out. Steam rose from fire pits and sinks alike, lending the air such a wild mixture of different aromas Heero wasn't sure which scent belonded to what food.

And there at the center of it all, shouting out orders and directions from the top of a stool stood Relena of Ruatha.

"Mirin! Start chopping those vegetables. No not those ones, leave those ones aloneyes the ones in your right hand! Good, I want you to start chopping them into fingerlenth slices to be added to the stew on the third firepit," she called over to one of the drudges. "Kuth! I want you to take the fish sauce off the hearth, it should be ready nowIt isn't? Well, in that case just stir it a little and look in on the fish." "Whoa! Bestis, watch your back you there! Be careful with that pan!" "Lorid, I want you to fry up those tubers and spices from the red bowl." "Kelo, is that meat finished marinating? Well then put it in the pan and set it in the third oven, that one's clear. Oris, are those pies done? Good set them on that table to cool!"

Heero made his way over to the stool she stood on, and looked up at her. She had sweat dripping down her face and back and didn't seem to notice. She was about the only thing keeping order in what would have otherwise been a nightmare.

"You know Relena, Your brother is here," he said suddenly. He had the pleasure of watching her jump in startlement.

"Heero! What are you doing here?" she asked, surprised to see him there.

"You said you needed someone to help you wash greens," he said. "You should be up there with the guests, you are a guest after all."

"Yes, I know that. But I'm needed more down here. I'll be up there soon," she said. "The greens are over in the fourth sink to the right."

-I think I've been dismissed,- Heero thought wryly to his dragon.

-It's about time then,- Zeroth said unsympathetically.

"Telli, help with those cheeses! And stir that sauce, be careful of the edges!" she called to one of the kitchen drudges over her shoulder.

Heero gamely went to the large basin of a sink to scrub the sand from the greens collected there, being as thorough and meticulous in that task as he was in any other. He hated it when greens were scrubbed insufficiently and he bit into one only to get that gritty feeling in his teeth. After the greens were scrubbed they were to be taken and torn to pieces, then put in a large wooden salad bowl with vinegary-wine and olive oil and tossed. Heero gamely did as he was bid, helping in the kitchens was a novelty to him. When he had lived at Bitra with his mother he had been declared too important to even know where the kitchens were. And as a young lad at the weyr, hoping to make Candidacy for one of the eggs, Heero had been occupied with cleaning the fields, helping in the beasthold, and hauling firestone sacks. Kitchen duty was never made part of his regimen. So, while certainly tedious, the work at least had the benefit of being a novelty.

Heero was set about various tasks for an hour or so, cutting up meats and the like . Until Zeroth announced that Trowa and Armyth had landed with his sister Catherine, who'd recovered from her injuries and bullied her brother into taking her with him when he left to attend the Hatching so she could finish what she'd started there. Heero figured that now would be a good time to abduct Relena from the Kitchens. Actually, it would have been closer to the truth to say that he knew that if he didn't get her away now, he never would and that wouldn't suit his plans for her. Figuring that it was better to beg forgiveness than ask permission, her neatly swept her off the stool, just as her "replacement" arrived and proceeded to conduct her up to her rooms so that she could change for the festivities. She was surprisingly light, weren't they feeding her properly in the Holds?

Even though Relena had only been at Bendan for a few days, her stuff was all already there. Heero had sent one of the bronzes in his wing to tell the Lord Holder fostering her (who was beside himself with worry at that point) that she was well and safe at the Weyr and that they had extended their hospitallity to her for the Hatching. The Holder-folk, considerate as they were, bundled up the few possessions that Relena had brought with her, including her Gather finery, and gave it to the rider to bear back with him.

"Excuse me, Heerobut, you can put me down now," Relena reminded him from her position of being casually slung over his shoulder. "I'd like to have a bath first if you don't mind, so I'll simply meet you there on the grounds. And you shouldn't be lifting heavy stuff, your wound is just barely healed over."

Relena had taken a single-minded tenacious interest in his health. She seemed to think it was her duty to keep Heero from "hurting himself further." The fulfillment of that particular duty usually involved a lot of nagging and fussing at him on her part. Heero was beginning to think she actually enjoyed it. If she wasn't fussing at him, she was running other matters to her satisfaction.

-I think it may just be that she has finally found an outlet for all of her training. She was brought up to know how to manage a household, but so far no one has needed those skills. Now that someone does, she seems determined to show what she can do. She knows that the Headwoman and her assistant won't stay ill for long and she wants to enjoy having free reign to do things her way for as long as possible,- was the opinion ventured by Zeroth.

-You might have something there. Well anyway as long as she's where I can convince her to get out onto the sands I don't care how long she takes to get ready.-

-You may regret those words. And you should change into your nice tunic, the blue one. You can't walk around at an event like this looking like a drudge.-

Heero sighed resigning himself to his dragon putting his two marks worth into every aspect of his life, and went to change his tunic.

*

Relena heard Heeros' footsteps retreating down the hall and peeked out from her quarters. Good, he was gone. Being hold-bred had instilled in her a very prevalent sense of modesty and even though she'd noticed that things were done very different from what she was accustomed to in a Hold, it was difficult to let go of an entire lifetimes worth of admonishions about ones own modesty. Really, the people in the Weyr had been very understanding about it all, even setting up one of the small pools with a privacy curtain so she wouldn't have to use one of the "communal bathing areas." ((A.N. I'm not exactly sure if the Weyrs do in fact bathe communally, but what I've read certainly seems to make the insinuation.)) Relena sank into the pleasantly warm water, but instead of lingering like she usually did began immediately to soap herself off with soapsand and rinse her hair. As usual her fair of fire lizards joined her in the water, sporting about. Relena had a good many scratches on her skin from carelessly placed claws, but she took such mishaps with a philosophical sigh. They were young, but she had finally gotten them to understand the knack of transporting messages. She had sent correspondence to her brother telling of her adventures and about how she was faring in the Weyr. She truly couldn't wait to see her elder brother and Noin.

Jewel chirruped at Relena from her perch on Relena's knee. The Fire lizards were growing so fast! They had almost trippled the size that they had been fresh from the egg. Judging by the size of the adults on the beach (a little longer than her own arm from nose tip to tail tip with a wingspan a little smaller than both of her arm outstretched) Relena judged that they were going to grow even mor in the coming months.

Relena plugged her nose and submerged herself for a final rinse before standing up and toweling off. Her hair would dry a little naturally before she got around to styling it. She padded over to her quarters where she had laid her Gather outfit on the bed earlier to get rid of any last remaining wrinkles. It had felt good to rinse off the sweat and purely imaginary itchy feel that accompanied it. She felt refreshed, ready to take on the social mingling and large crowd that was part of Hatching. She had heard and sensed the vague dis-ease that signalled something amiss. She had been attuned to picking up such subtleties from her earliest recollections, it was all part and parcel of her duties. And in this case, her duty was clearfind out what was going on and mediate a way into relieving the pressure. She would use this Hatching to listen and gather information, people were always willing to talk when the wine started flowing (especially if it was good Bendan White) and guarded their tongues only loosely. What one source was unwilling or unable to say she could find out just as easily from another. One might be surprised by how open a person could be to a little subtle suggestion, a bit of nudging in the right direction, once they were heavy in their cups. Relena intended to use both to full advantage.

<Hmmm, I think this dress could last me out another year. I may have to take the hem down a little though,> she thought critically, holding the gown out in front of her. She had chosen the fabric, cut and pattern herself, had done the sewing and embroidery herself and had designed the seams and hems of the gown so that they could be taken out or brought in easily as she grew without destroying the pattern of the dress. Dyed in a very lovely, colorfast blue(slightly lighter than the color of her blue fire lizard now that she looked at it) the fabric was light for summer, but tightly woven to preserve modesty. It had a high, modest neckline and the shoulders were covered by loose folds of fabric draping down to her elbows. The skirt fell in soft loose folds to her ankles, with an outer layer of filmy light fabric made of beaten and pulped sisal thread from Southern Boll Hold and the Weavercrafthall that resided therein dyed to match. The neckline, hem, and waist had been embroidered with a complex repeating geometric pattern that Relena had thought was going to ruin her eyesight before she had finished it. Her design had started a rage among the Mastertailors of the tailorcrafthall who were always on the lookout for new styles and new ideas to inspire their new "seasonal" garb. Most of the conservative Holders ignored the Tailorcrafthall and their never-ending quest to find the perfect new look. And for those Ladies and daughters or granddaughters of Holders who had the wherewithal to keep up with the changing fashions, Relena was happy to let them have at it to their hearts content. She was normally too much of an individualist to pay much attention to the fashions that others wore. If it was comfortable and served its purpose, and for a gather looked nice as well as being comfortable, why should she care if it was in fashion or not?

She took purely feminine delight in the way the fabric slid against her skin, so smooth! Jewel was about to swoop down and perch on her shoulder but was stooped firmly by Relena. There would be no shoulder perching today, not while she was in this dress. The talons on the fire lizard would wreak havoc on the delicate fabric, no Jewel was just going to have to find a perch nearby for today.

Jewel gave a small resigned croon, but philosphically sent that she would find a nice place in those sun-warmed sands that the large dragon had laid her eggs on, at least until she was shooed off by the queen dragon. Relena, by now bing abl to interperet the images and floods of emotions coming from her tiny gold queen, smiled at her friend's and told them to have at it but not to blame her if they got flamed for their impertinence.

Relena checked herself over one last time, making sure her small pouch of marks was hidden carefully in the folds of her gown and went to work on her hair. By the time she'd finished combing the mass of golden silk, a task which took half as long as it normally did because the people here at Bendan made some sort of treatment cream for the hair to be added and then rinsed out when one bathed that made the hair as smooth as water itself and almost magically removed tangles, her hair was nearly dry. She brushed half of it back with her wooden brush with boars bristles, and secured it there with a hair-clip that her brother had given her for her Naming day one year. The brushed half she sectioned off into strands and those strands she further separated into smaller strands for braiding. Relena fetched out her carved wooden trinket box (a gift from her warder Darlian) and took out her jeweled hair pins and the tiny strands of bells and crystal she had inherited from her mother. She proceeded to braid the strands into her hair, the chains and bells made small musical chiming sounds when she moved her head. They were heavy, but no one would ever be able to take her now for anyone less than a full member of the Blood. She was counting on that. The bottom half of her hair was left hanging free to sport about in the breeze like her own private banner.

<There, now just a touch of berry to the lips and a minute application of colored talc powder to the eyes and I'll be ready to go,> she thought suiting actions to idea. She surveyed her face one last time in he mirror, she wasn't a striking beauty, nothing that any Harper would write songs aboutbut she'd do she decided.

She emerged out in the hall and was surprised to find Heero waiting for her, leaning against the stone wall opposite her room with his head down and his arms crossed looking for all the world as if he'd just up and decided to doze there for no particular reason. Relena wasn't fooled by his casual almost indolent manner for one moment, she knew he was watching her covertly from beneath his unfairly long eyelashes.

She gave a small curtsy upon seeing him and said

"Well? How do I look?" Relena was shamelessly fishing for compliments and she knew that if this young bronze rider gave her any they wouldn't be anything less than the truth.

Heero paused for a minute before saying

"Everything you have chosen for yourself suits you. You are an ornament to the festivities."

Relena hid her surprise at his sudden gallant eloquence and moved to take his arm and allow him to escort her to the Hatching Grounds so she could meet with her brother and Noin.

"Then pray allow me to ornament your arm on the way to the Grounds for the Hatching, I hear that these are always quite an event."

"You have never attended a Hatching before?" he said, surprise coloring his voice.

"Personally? No, but Noin went to one at Fort once and told me about it. I believe you know one of the people she saw Impress at that one. A lad named Trowa? Impressed a bronze?"

"Yes, we are associates," Heero allowed. He didn't really have "friends" he had associates.

Relena opened her mouth, as if she were about to say somethingbut seemed to think better of it. Zeroth faithfully reported what she had been about to say.

-She was about to mention the odd goings-on involving the Raiders as well as the odd tensions she's been sensing between Holds and Weyrs,- said Zeroth. ­And her fair of Fire Lizards seems to have caught her mood. They are restless as well. Go away, and stop picking at my hideI don't care if you say I am peeling, that's what I have Heero for!-

-Then she is every bit as perceptive as I had hoped.- sent Heero, ignoring the little side conversation with Relena's fair. -Many ladies and even some young men of her station and position don't pay attention to these matters. I'm glad she's different. Do you think she'll Impress?-

-She stands a better chance than half of those women quaking out in the sands, the ones who are high-born or merely lovely. Benden needs a strong Weyrwoman in these times. Relena is the one I would pin my hopes on, and one I would chose if I were the dragon inside that egg.-

-Good enough. Then I will do my part and make certain she is on those sands when the time comes.-

He led the young Lady down through the corridors of Benden and out onto the one of the Terraces over-looking the Hatching grounds sands and conducted her to her brother, Lord Holder Milliardo's side. The two embraced with all due decorum, but Heero could sense the underlying warmth and affection to the simple gesture.

"Relena, I'm glad you're safe. I received your message telling me what happened to you."

At this point Milliardo turned to Heero and bent his formidable gaze on him. Heero got the distinct feeling that he would never want to be under that stare with the blonde man displeased with him. Instead of quailing, Heero straightened his stance and stared back with open scrutiny. Millirdo gave a small smile of apology for his rudeness and inclined his head slightly.

"I owe you a lot."

Interesting, Heero noted. This Lord Milliardo wasn't using the "Lordly Plural" as so many of the more stuck up and rank-conscious lords were wont to do. He said "I" when he was speaking of himself and did not pretend to speak for others when the matter regarded only him. Some Lords spoke as if every word they said came by the unanimous consent of all they governed, but anybody with any leadership experience at all knew that lots of people meant lots of different opinions. He had always found it pretentious in the extreme for those Lord Holders in the habit of using the plural reflexively to think they spoke on behalf of their people at all times. Often he noticed they used the plural even when they expressed their own personal opinions. His father was one such. Which rather reaffirmed his good impression of Lord Holder Milliardo.

"We both do," said a dark-haired lady at his side. She was tall for a woman and carried herself well for all that she was just beginning to show her own pregnancy. "Thank-you for saving Relena's life. If there is ever anything Ruatha Hold can do for you, you have only to ask."

"Rescues during Threadfall are part of a dragonriders duties," was all Heero said and looked for a diplomatic way of turning the subject away from himself.

"Be that as it may, we are both very grateful to you anyway for saving her life," said Lady Noin insistently.

Heero said nothing, simply nodding diplomatically in acknowledgement of their gratitude. Dragonmen did not face danger Fall after Fall simply to earn praise. Often it was a thankless job. They did it because they felt a higher calling, one to serve all of Pern.

Lord Milliardo and Lady Noin were soon joined by Lord Vanarr of Crom and Lord Meitch of Southern Boll. Relena hung around in the background, serving wine like a good girl and listening in on their conversation unobtrusively. Heero noted that she was a past master at blending into the background. He'd have recommended her for spy duties (if he didn't already have other plans for her, that was). He also noted that she didn't relinquish his arm either. He also found that he rather liked the feeling of her arm tucked securely in his, her body flowing gently next to his. She had this way of seeming to anticipate his next move. He imagined they made a rather striking pair, like shadow and sunlight. His darker midnight visage contrasting sharply with her own golden-hued tones.

They strolled about in the background, a small patch of blue in a swirling mass of rainbow colors. A two-person island of silence in a sea of noise. The sound of music and laughter drifted through the air in the bright afternoon sun and by mutual agreement, the heir-apparent of Ruatha and the young bronze rider of Benden drifted from group to group, pausing to listen but never speak. Feeling the waters and listening for the undertow of discontent and unease. Heero could tell immediately that Relena was a defter hand at it than he was. He had only the partially-remembered training of his youth at Bitra Hold, Relena had a lifetimes worth of experience. He was certain that she could tell exactly who was likely to cause trouble and who was not, as well as read precisely what they were really saying between the diplomatic nothings they spouted or when they said nothing at all.

Eventually, their first circuit led directly back to her brother and her sister-by-marriage, where they were standing about in a small huddled group of fellow Lords, the Lords of Crom and Southern Boll specifically.

"Heard that many of the Weyrs have begun "Patrols" around our lands and borders," said the Lord of Crom, sipping on his wine, a foxy Tillek red.

"They're all coming dangerously close to overstepping their bounds. Hold matters are always dealt with by the Holds. That's the way it's always been, can't very well go against tradition," said Lord Meitch.

"I most certainly agree," chimed in Lord Estren of Lemos. "I have yet to see how these supposed Raider attacks have anything to fighting Thread. Dragonriders fight Thread. I say let them all look to the skies and let the Lord Holders Look to their lands. That's tradition. What say you, Lord Milliardo?"

Lord Milliardo took a long sip of his own wine, weighing his words carefully before he spoke. His next words would have a lot of impact upon his future standing and-

>>Crash!<<

"Oops! Oh! I'm so clumsy!" said Relena, accidentally knocking over a stack of empty trays and sending them loudly crashing to the ground causing everyone to look over at her. Milliardo hid a smile, knowing full well that she had used it as a distraction tactic, and was grateful to her for her quick action. He would be able to avoid taking sides for a while yet and nobody would guard their toungues around him.

The Lord Holders turned back to their discussion when Rellens directed a drudge to take care of the mess (which was fully expected of a Lady of her standing). Thinking Quickly, Relena called those of her fai of Fire Lizards to her that were willing to come. She was willing to brave having a lot of attention centered directly on her if it meant soothing the troubled waters she'd sensed between Lords and Weyrleaders. The people of the Weyrs had been nothing but kind to her, she would assist them in whatever manner she could. After all, whether of not she held lands, Relena was still a Lady of Ruatha.

Jewel, Yin and Skie appeared in the air before her, causing gasps of surprise and not a few Lords or Ladies to choke on their drinks. Relena mentally directed them into an aril display of skills and aerobatics that caused gasps and oohs from her audience. They were playing the "ribbon game" but without the ribbons attached to their legs, Relena "heard" some of the dragons in the weyr snort and say they could do better. Relena directed her fair into a final swooping dive that took them just barely over the heads of the people to land on a cliff-edge nearby. The little dears were terrible show-offs, basking in the glow of attention as easily as they sunned themselves on cliffs. Relena grabbed a nearby towel and wrapped it around her forearm to keep the talons from digging into her skin as she called her "pet queen" over to visit and preen in front of her enchanted audience.

Relena found herself the unwilling center of attention and was very glad of her brother and Noin at her back. Heero, for some reason or another had slipped off. Relena wondered absently if her was somehow displeased with her or her Fair. That would have to keep. She was going to spend a good while fielding questions she could tell. She would have to wait until this evening to gather information

<Hmmm, maybe I can use the attention to good advantage,> she thought consideringly. She had always worked from the background before, quietly, subtely. She had never considered using open bluntness as a tool. Perhaps she would be able to get just as much or more done if she persuaded openly and plainly.

<Well then, let's look at what I know so far. Many of the Lord Holders are troubled about the recent patrols started by the Weyrs, seeing them as an infringement upon their autonomy, instead of an effort to prevent more raids by the Raiders. I wonder if there is some conection between the Raiders and the sudden interest taken by the weyrs to patrol their lands borders. I may be able to use my Fire Lizards to curry favor with the Lord Holders on behalf of the Weyrs. I don't know what they're up to, but the Weyrs have always existed to protect Pern, and despite all of the politics involved I believe that that is precisely what they are doing!>

"Cheep! Karreeeet!" said Jewel, looking at Relena with gently whirling blue-green eyes. Jewel fanned out her wings and arched her long neck, enjoying the attention as people gazed at her. Relena looked at her little golden queen in amusement.

"Ah truly? And I'm betting you think it should be like this all the time. Me carrying you around and you being adored by a flock of admirers?"

In answer Jewel flipped her wings onto her back with a short little chirp and bobbed her head down once. This caused the audience to chuckle. If anything the queen was a showman alright.

"Well then, your Ladyship," said Relena, forcing herself to play up to the audienceshe could do this! "I don't suppose you would care to tell these fine, good people about your part in a daring and noble rescue by one of the riders of this kind and venerable weyr?"

Jewel gave a little trill, followed by a soft croon as Relena briefly flashed back to the harrowing experience in the sea. She saw Heero waving at her frantically from out in the crowd. He seemed to be trying to signal her to stopor at least?

Relena looked at him in confusion, she was going to help them, why wouldn't he want her to tell the story? He was frantically signaling at her, trying to tell her somethingShe tried to read his lipsSomething, something main? Maim? Oh! Name! Don't say his name?

<I wonder why not? Maybe he just wants to keep his privacy. Well, I guess I can respect that>

Relena nodded at him to show that she had gotten his message, and began her narration. If the Lord Holders heard of how a person of the weyrs had risked life and limb to save not just a person, but one of Their Own (and Relena could quite rightfully be considered one of their own) they might just possibly be more favorably inclined towards the weyrs. Perhaps give them the benefit of the doubt.

She began her narration, starting out slowly, laying the scene with sparkling clarity for them, the cloudy grey morning, the winds picking up, the storm gathering on the horizons. Then, the realization that the storm was not the only thing she had to concern herself with! The frantic minutes spent trying to figure out a way to survive. The chill shock of the water as it stole the breath and heat from her body, the incredible weariness she got as she struggled with tired muscles to stay afloat in the water for just a little longer Then the new waves of panic as she saw the Thread hissing in the water so close she was afraid it would swim over and eat her, the amusement she felt at being guarded by fish. And the feeling of fear born anew once again as she realized that the cliff sheltering her from the Thread was going to turn into a death-trap at high-tide!

"And was Thread falling mere feet away from where I tread in the chill waters. The tide was coming in and the storm tossed waves were carrying my death by drowning ever nearer. My time was swiftly running out."

<Maybe I should have become a Harper,> she thought in amusement as the audience hung on her words. Her stomach was knotted so tightly she felt ill, she hated people staring at her. But her duty lay in getting those Lord Holders that would listen securely in favor of the Weyrs.

-You are doing a splendid job,- Zeroth complimented. ­Even I am riveted, and don't forget to mention how handsome and mighty the bronze dragon that rescued you was.-

Relena hid her amusement at Zeroth's mental asides and continued building the suspense in her narrative. There was still plenty of time until the eggs were due to hatch. Why not help it pass with a good yarn? It would suit her purpose nicely, after this tale perhaps the Holders would consider all of the good that the Weyrs did for the lands under their protection and for all of Pern. That was the general idea at least, whether it would work or not was anyone's guess.

<Too little information,> Relena thought privately as she paused. Ostensibly it was to take a sip of wine to wet her parched throat, but really it was to hold the moment of suspense just a little while longer (would the little golden queen be able to find the dragonman and bring him to save her?) and also to weigh her audience and see who was listening to her words and slowly thinking them over.

"And just when it looked like I was going to either burn or drown, a magnificent bronze dragon appeared in the sky, flaming Thread to ash and dust! He swooped down in a mighty streak, a flash of wings and wind"

-Heero says, 'don't you think you're over-doing it a bit there?'- Zeroth said.

-Tell him that I'm doing this for a reason,- she sent back. -The better my story is told, the more it will stick. We want the story to stick because if it does and the Lord Holders remember it, some of them may think 'that could have been my child out there' and they will all support the Weyrs as serving in the best interests of Pern.-

-A good plan. I hope it doesn't backfire.-

-Me too.-

"The kind and brave bronze rider helped me up onto his dragon's back, my fingers too numb and my body to weary to even haul myself up and out of the frigid waters. With mighty beats of his big, great wings, thbronze dragon ascended from the waves, flaming Thread as he went" and with a few final flourishes, Relena finished her tale to the applause of her audience. There were not a few Weyr-bred mingled in to listen to her yarn, and they were the ones who probably cheered the loudest.

"Now there is a tale suited to a ballad if I have ever heard one!" boomed a baritone from behind her. Relena jumped and whirled around, causing Jewel to squawk and flap her wings to retain her perch.

"Masterharper Corliss!" she said in surprise, sweeping immediately into a graceful and respectful curtsey.

"I trust you wont mind my stealing the events to turn into a song, most extraordinary. But, you didn't mention how you ran across this little beauty?"

"That sir, is a story in and of itself."

"You'll have to have a sit with me one afternoon when we have time and tell me all about it. In the meantime, have some wine and gad about. A lovely young lady such as yourself shouldn't spend all of her time with her nose to the grindstone as the old saying goes."

"Oh, ahyes sir," she said respectfully. She didn't know quite what to make of this man before her, her was old in body, but the youthful shine in his eyes and vigor in his step seemed to belie what her eyes told her. When he covertly winked at her and gestured to return to the matter she had been attending to she also realized that the Masterharper was incredibly observant as well. He acted like they were co-conspiritors in a game known only to them. Relena turned back to the knot of Lords she'd been "working on" as her brother slipped in beside her and listened carefully. Music drifted in from nearby and Relena noted with carefully hidden amusement that the tune being played was the old ditty "Dragonlove." It matched perfectly with the occasion, as well as with the point she was trying oh-so-subtlely to make.

"Truth of the matter is gentlemen that the Weyrs have always taken care of the lands, from time immemorial. They are part and parcel of your own duties and despite the different meathods they use, they all have the best interests of Pern at heart."

"That may be so," said Lord Kereth of Nabol with open pomposity. "But having the best interests at heart and acting in a manner that reflects those interests are two different matters altogether. I find it most unusual that the Raiders have never been captured, even with all of these new patrols that the Weyrs are running along all of our borders."

Relena knew an insinuation when she saw one and she hated them with a passion. They had to be squelched immediately and with rutheless logic or they would take sprout in he minds of otherwise reasonable and sensible people and grow like tenacious weeds. Rumors and nebulous near-accusations were insidious, and hard to disprove. The ones trying to disprove them generally had only a few spare facts, that while certainly truthfull did not stand much chance when weighed with logic, the lies on the other hand were "backed" by all the things that the liar cared to concoct. Which was why, as far as Relena was concerned, the Truth needed a person like her, a passionate individual who could speak the truth with passion, weild it as cleverly as any warrior did a sword. She would make these people feel the truth, make them see the truth with their hearts and simple facts and logic would be spurred by emotion and th lies would have less hold in their hearts.

"Well, I for one am certainly glad of this proof of their continuing interest in the well-being of the Holds and the lands surrounding those Holds. Despite their already tight schedules they're patrolling to keep the lands safe. And who knows, it might not be entirely altruistic after all they rely on you Lords for support just as surely as you rely on them for protection. It is in their own best interests to see that the Holds supporting them are kept running at peak efficiency."

"One might question as to whether the Weyrs have taken a trifle too much interest," said the Lady of Bitra smoothly. What was her name? Ah yesAyvril. She certainly was a beauty despite her advanced years. She was one of those people who aged well, her face looked an indeterminate age between twenty-five and fifty. She was beautiful, much in the way an ornate blade was beautiful, lovely to look at in its sheath, deadly when drawn.

"Why whatever do you mean?" inquired 'Lady Relena.'

"I mean that tradition states that Holds are autonomous within their own borders. It treads a very dangerous line to have dragonriders and their dragons watching those same borders. One might begin to wonder if the Weyrs are taking more than a passing interest in those lands."

<careful,> Relena warned herself. <That's a two edged statement. I can't take this Lady and her opinion too lightly or it will worry in the back of the minds of the others.>

Relena pitched her voice and facial expression to show all the necessary gravity as she said

"Tradition does indeed state that Holds have complete autonomy within their lands, and for all that I see, the Weyrs have respected that autonomy very carefully. And natually they have more than a passing interest in those lands, they protect them."

"When they fly daily over our lands with the express purpose of looking for something?" questioned Lord Kereth. "It most certainly looks unusual."

Relena tried for a bit of humor.

"What? Dragons flying, I suppose you would rather they all walked over your lands then?"

To her gratification many of the Lords gathered about her did indeed chuckle. They were agreeing with her! She couldn't afford to be careless just yet however, she needed to make certain that the Lords had plenty to take home with them and think about. She had their attention, now it was time to use that and make them take notice.

"As far as the patrols along the borders go, I do not see them as being an entirely bad thing. In fact, they make me feel more relieved then anything else," and here she looked out into the small crowd standing about her and tried to look as though she were meeting all of their eyes individually as she said her next words with quiet passion and dignity. "I wish they had been in patrol several years ago when my own family was attacked and slain. Things may have turned out quite differently had the Raiders known that they would be caught by dragonmen. And as far as I can see, the problem with the Raiders is vastly more important than the small matter of a few more dragons in the sky protecting the lands that they fight so bravely fall after fall to preserve. I would not for the world have any Hold or its Lord suffer through the tragedy of a Raider attack. They are generally as thorough as they are ruthless and it is the kind of experience that stays with a person all of their lives. If the Weyrs wish to see that the lands they love and cherish are served better than usual this Pass, I would not stand in their way simply in memory of the loved ones I have lost as a result of Raider attack."

"Of course Miss Relena," said one of the Lords, Lord Bral of Igen if she recalled correctly. He seemed to have taken her words to heart at least.