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.
Buthaynah's room, Lower Caverns
Benden Weyr
“I forgave her Turns ago. Why can’t you, Ghaliyah?” Buthaynah asked calmly, her large eyes turned up at her friend.
They were in Buthaynah’s bedroom, a small alcove off of the kitchens. There was little room for more than a bed and a chest but Buthaynah had added her own touches, even having a vase that she kept filled with fresh wildflowers on her nightstand.
Buthaynah sat at her small wooden table. The chair next to her was empty.
Ghaliyah paced, unable to believe what Buthaynah had told her.
“How can I? Buthaynah, you could have been a dragonrider! You could have had the world and she took that from you! She killed the child that was still inside of you-”
“A child I never wanted.”
Ghaliyah stared at her open-mouthed. Then, she shook her head in amazement.
“Do you not remember the pain you felt when you lost the babe? You were bleeding, Buthaynah, bleeding like nothing I’d ever seen! You could have died.”
“But I didn’t. Ghaliyah, you are so angry, it’s frightening. Please, sit down.”
Ghaliyah glared at her but sat.
“Weyrwoman Favanna is just that, a Weyrwoman. You gain nothing by hating her. Look at what you have, Ghaliyah. You are a greenrider and you are alive and healthy. You call Benden Weyr home and you are not chained down in marriage to a holder ten Turns older than you.”
Ghaliyah’s eyes flashed but Buthaynah’s words made sense.
Buthaynah reached out a kind hand to cup Ghaliyah’s chin, bringing the other woman’s eyes up to look at her own.
“Ghaliyah,” Buthaynah said, a small smile on her lips, “Let it go. Do this for me.”
ØØØ
Benden Weyr
S’haiyl stood, tossing the bedfurs onto the man still lying on the bed. He gathered his long blonde hair and tied it into a loose knot behind his head. The bluerider groaned and watched S’haiyl blearily. S’haiyl looked back at him in disgust before gathering up a clean washcloth and some soapsand.
“I am going to clean myself up,” S’haiyl said, “I expect you to be gone when I come back.”
“Aw, S’ail,” the bluerider grumbled, mispronouncing S’haiyl’s name, just like all the other men did, “I heard you let F’joll stay last time.”
A bit of hope bled into P’ror’s voice but S’haiyl only shrugged his finely boned shoulders.
“I will be back in less than an hour,” S’haiyl said.
He left the weyr. P’ror snarled something about prickly greenriders not appreciating their dragon’s choices.
P’ror rolled onto his back. He smiled. The mating flight had been spectacular: Hamseth had been as good a catch as all the other riders had told him, even if S’haiyl had been a bit stiff under the furs. Mimoneth and Hamseth’s shared happiness had smothered any uncomfortable distantness from the greenrider.
Shells, that man was beautiful.
ØØØ
T’yib woke up alone that morning. He had taken his requisite watch duties during Hamseth’s flight just as he had every lonely night since S’haiyl had left him an empty wretch. They were well and truly separate.
He got out of bed, giving Fiyaleth a loving slap. The blue growled playfully and snapped at his lifemate’s shoulder before nuzzling him.
Morning, T’yib said.
We go on Search today, Fiyaleth said happily.
Biheth had Clutched a sevenday before and Candidates needed to be found. A half- Turn had gone by since Fiyaleth and T’yib had passed the rigorous test to become Searchers. Fiyaleth, they had discovered, was best at finding Candidates who Impressed bronze and brown dragonets. That, and their young age, made them prime choices for Searchers. Fiyaleth and T’yib had the patience to sift through potential Candidate after potential Candidate without growing angry or frustrated.
It had been hard at first for T’yib to look at the young men who, if they Impressed, would forever be of a higher rank than him. Other Searchers had warned him about the resentment that would accompany Searching and how from time to time they would all wonder what made this or that boy so much better than them, that he would be bonded to a giant brown or bronze instead of their lowly blues. But, and this was the ironic thought they all clung to, it was only the blue dragons and occasionally a green that could find those Pernese who were suitable to be Candidates. Those boys would get nowhere without their approval.
T’yib saddled Fiyaleth up and climbed aboard his lifemate. Fiyaleth bugled a warning as they took off from his narrow weyr ledge. His great blue wings pumped the air powerfully. Soon, they were riding a thermal up to Ionenth’s weyr.
They landed and T’yib hopped off to rouse L’tuv. He grabbed Ionenth’s saddle on the way in.
The bluerider was curled up next to his weyrmate. T’yib grinned and smacked L’tuv’s back. The older man swore at the rude awakening and jumped out of the bed to chase T’yib around the weyr with only the sheet clutched in his hand covering him. Then, L’tuv looked outside, past Ionenth’s sleeping bulk. He swore again.
“Why didn’t you wake me earlier?” L’tuv grumbled, hastily throwing clothes on, “We’re going to be late!”
T’yib just grinned.
“Old man, you would’ve taken just as long to get up.”
Ionenth, the commotion having woken him as well, blinked.
“Morning, Ionenth,” T’yib said as he fastened the saddle around the blue’s neck.
Ionenth rumbled and pushed his head against T’yib’s chest lightly. He did not like anyone but L’tuv doing his straps.
“Sorry, boy, but your mate’s not got himself dressed,” T’yib said, far too cheerful for the hour, “He can fix them once he’s ready.”
L’tuv growled at T’yib for the slight. He shoved his boot on and tied the laces while T’yib adjusted the stirrups. L’tuv mounted his blue, then, and called a farewell to his weyrmate. T’yib swallowed the pang he felt when the man called back.
Fiyaleth launched off of Ionenth’s ledge and was quickly followed by the older blue. They flew up to the Star Stones, waved to the watchrider, and went between.
Chapters:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20