Bitra's Bite: The Story of Pern's Most Hated
Bitra Hold decides to reform ties with Benden Weyr by opening its Hold once more to Search. Those chosen, however, are faced with the hatred of Pern's illustrious dragonfolk.
Ghaliyah watched the queenrider. She had seen her once or twice in the distance during mealtimes, sitting at the High Table with the other leaders. The woman, Favanna, was a remarkable beauty. Her hair was long, filled with bouncing curls and highlights. Her eyes were large and thickly lashed and her body was muscled in the way of dragonriders.
Favanna crooked her finger at Buthaynah. The girl’s eyes widened, uncertain around such foreign authority.
Ghaliyah and Buthaynah had been coached by Lady Misra to be polite and subservient to the Weyrwomen but that had been distant, formal communication. Ghaliyah fervently hoped that Favanna had some task in mind that would rid them quickly of her presence.
Another woman, a tall, dark Igen from her looks, dropped from her queen and walked up to Favanna. She leaned familiarly against Favanna’s shoulder, smiling down at Buthaynah. The smile did not reach her eyes.
“You, girl,” Favanna said to Buthaynah, “Come closer so I may take a look at you. You are one of the Bitrans, are you not?”
Buthaynah relaxed slightly, so that only Ghaliyah noticed. The conversation was formal, then. Buthaynah walked up to the Weyrwoman and stood before her proudly, her chin raised.
Favanna looked her up and down quickly.
“Very well, then,” she said, “How would you like to ride a queen?”
The other queenrider laughed.
“Look at the poor girl, Fav. You’re scaring her senseless,” she said, snidely.
Ghaliyah, who had been watching Buthaynah closely, would not have said as much. Buthaynah had not changed her expression during the inspection. Ghaliyah assumed the remark had been meant to cause such a reaction.
“That is a kind offer, Weyrwoman Favanna,” Buthaynah said, “But I would prefer to stay here, with my friend.”
Favanna frowned.
“You dare to insult us, Bitran?” Favanna asked, her voice cool.
“No, Weyrwoman.”
“Then you will mount Alibith and your friend will mount Minnath.”
The other queenrider looked alarmed. She whispered something into Favanna’s ear. Favanna smiled.
“Laia tells me that Minnath would prefer not to be ridden-”
Ghaliyah suppressed the urge to raise an eyebrow- why was the Weyrwoman pushing this issue?- as Favanna looked at her.
“-so you both shall ride Alibith.”
ØØØ
In short order, Ghaliyah and Buthaynah were sitting astride the great queen dragon. Favanna stood beside her queen, tightening the riding straps. Ghaliyah could feel Buthaynah’s anxiety and was uneasy herself. Alibith appeared agitated, her head inclined back to look at Favanna.
Favanna placed a hand on her queen’s nose, her eyes slightly unfocused. Alibith calmed somewhat. Ghaliyah’s feeling that the queen did not want them there increased.
With a light slap from her rider, the queen launched herself into the air. Minnath rumbled audibly from below.
Alibith caught a thermal and rose rapidly, gaining hundreds of meters in mere moments. Gold wings surrounded the girls.
They continued to climb, the Weyr fading below them. The wind was strong around them, whipping Buthaynah’s unbound hair into Ghaliyah’s face. Ghaliyah wrapped her arms around Buthaynah as they flew through the air.
Alibith turned abruptly from the tip of her great left wing, spinning one hundred and eighty degrees without warning. She then spun a figure eight, descending as she turned so that the second loop was far below the first. Ghaliyah wanted to smile at the gracefulness of the move but the wind tore at her face. She huddled behind Buthaynah, grateful for what little protection she had from the blasts.
The queen pumped her wings one more time before pulling them tight against her body. They plummeted towards the ground, Alibith spinning in increasingly narrow circles so that the grass came into sharper and sharper focus with each passing breath. Ghaliyah hugged Buthaynah with all her strength, certain that the queen was about to crash into the ground.
Suddenly an awful commanding voice came into her head:
I go between.
Everything went black.
ØØØ
Buthaynah shuddered that night. Riding Alibith had not been at all like riding the Search dragon. She had never felt so hated, so unwanted in her whole life. She knew the queen had not wanted her or Ghaliyah there. Alibith had been frightened to have the unfamiliar girls riding her. Buthaynah remembered the way her eyes had changed color from a contented blue to a reddish yellow.
Of course, Buthaynah had ridden a runner before. The smaller animals were much more docile and willing to accommodate humans. They rarely cared who was on their back: if they were fed and kept away from tunnelsnakes and other slithering creatures, they were content.
Alibith had been huge. Such a gigantic creature…Buthaynah wondered if, in her unfamiliarity, she had seemed like a tunnelsnake. Why, then, had Favanna told them to ride her? Had she not felt her queen’s distress?
Buthaynah pondered these questions all night long, getting little sleep;
In the morning, there was a dull ache in her stomach. Buthaynah groaned to herself. There is no food to be done away with, she thought, Can’t you leave me alone?
Her stomach did not listen, naturally, but it also did not protest too much. Buthaynah lay on her cot for a long time, just staring at the dark ceiling. She wondered when the eggs would be ready for Hatching. She wondered when the other Candidates would wake up. She wondered if Alibith had calmed down yet. She wondered a great many things, alone in that crowded cavern.
All of a sudden, her stomach clenched. Here we go, she thought.
Buthaynah stood up to make her way out to the latrines only to have a severe pain stop her. She put a hand to her stomach. Her breathing increased as wave after wave hit her. It was not nausea though, more like monthlies-
With an incredible outpouring, more blood than Buthaynah had ever seen flowed out of her. It did not stop. Nor did the pain.
Buthaynah screamed and collapsed against the soaking-wet floor.
Chapters:
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