Chap. 237 Wet Turnover

Chap. 237 Wet Turnover

As K’ndar buckled Lord Dorn into Raventh’s harness, he thought, after Turnover, I’ll be going home, I should take something. It’s not right to show up with an appetite and empty hands. What?

He drew a blank.

“Sir, if you were going to go back to your natal home for Turnover, what would you take?” he asked Lord Dorn.

Lord Dorn smiled.

“Why, I’d take a cask of the best wine being grown on Southern!”

K’ndar grinned. “Thank you, that’s an excellent idea! I wish I could say I love it, but I can’t drink it. But I’m betting my family will love it.”

“So you’re up for it?”

“Of course, sir,” K’ndar said, “how much are you charging?”

“The typical amount for a keg or a cask, one mark.”

K’ndar dug around in his pouch and handed him a mark.

“But,” Dorn said, “You dragonriders now charge a mark for scheduled transport, am I correct?”

“Um…” it’d been a while since K’ndar had actually charged someone for transport. “Yes, my Lord.”

“So let’s call it barter. Keep your mark, and I’ll have one of my staff bring up a cask for you. Are you planning on staying for Turnover festivities at my Hold?”

K’ndar pocketed the mark. “It depends, sir. Flight Ops says it’s raining at Singing Waters, and has been all week. Given that, I’m probably going to go to my cothold.”

“Shaff it,” Lord Dorn said, “That’ll piss off a whole lot of folks.” He sighed. “Ah, well, there’s no controlling the weather. Rain or shine, I’ll have one of my staff bring a cask up for you. Thank you for the ride, K’ndar. And don’t forget, if you ever get tired of Landing, there’s a spot for you and this handsome dragon at Singing Waters.”

“Thank you, sir,” K’ndar said, “I shall.”

“And I promise no jealous husbands will knock you in the head!”

_________________________________________________________________________

“Well, if this isn’t a disappointment,” K’ndar said.

It was raining. Not a slight mist, one that could be deflected by a waterproof riding jacket or just toughed out. No, this was a flat out downpour.

He was standing just outside Singing Water’s main hold. Protected from the downpour by a rock overhang, he contemplated the steady drip drip drip coming from one protruding edge. I used to love rain, he thought, but that was when we knew it would kill Threadfall in the sky, and we could relax in our quarters. Now it is an irritation, something keeping me from doing what I want.

“It’s been raining since Lord Dorn left for Selection,” said the man who’d trundled a cask of wine up from the cellars. “It surely puts a damper on Turnover festivities, get it? Damper?”

K’ndar laughed, more out of courtesy than real humor.

“I imagine you’ve been preparing for weeks?”

The man nodded. “Aye, and now it would seem all for naught. People’ve been coming in all week, with their wares, expecting dancing and dining. Not going to be much of the former and if this goes on for very long, the diners will eat us out of hold and home in a day.”

He paused, shaking his head in dismay. “You’re staying, then?” the man asked.

K’ndar wondered if he should unharness Raventh or just give up and head to Kahrain Weyr. Leather didn’t care much for rain.

“Given this rain, and the fact that I’m not much for socializing, I think not, even though I had looked forward to it. I’m guessing there’s not enough room in the Hold for all the festivities, the ones usually done outside?”

“Nay, dragonrider, in fact some folks was here intending to sell their crafts, and turned around and went home. Weather says it’s supposed to rain clear into next week.”

K’ndar sighed.

“That’s what Flight Ops said, too. I may as well then just go on to my cothold, where I grew up. It’s not raining, there.”

“Where’s your dragon, mate, and we’ll lash on this cask. It’s a brand new ‘un, if you don’t mind, please, return it sometime? We’re not a big enough winery yet to have a person designated to deliver and return casks.”

“I’ll return it, or have it returned, but I can’t say when. See that brown dragon in that cavern, the one past your stables? That’s my Raventh.”

“Ah, I see him. I’m no dragonrider, sir, but I did grow up in a weyr, and even from here I see he’s a dandy. I’ll just run this cask over to the cavern, quick like,” the man said, “No use your harness getting any wetter than what it already is.”

He sat aboard Raventh, almost loathe to go out into the rain. Thank the stars it was just rain, with no thunder or lightning. Even being in the air for the few moments it took to go between was risking being struck.

What would you like to do? he asked Raventh.

The brown dragon thought for several moments.

I want to go out onto the steppe and hunt.

He liked that idea, a lot. He’d been wanting to return to the steppe, to see lions and horses, whers and avians. That, and just immerse himself in the peace and silence of the vast wilderness.

Okay. Let’s go, pick up my sister, and head to my cothold.

He ducked his head as they stepped out into the rain.

_____________________________________________________________________

“Rain does put a damper on festivities,” his uncle said.

“I’m glad it’s not raining here,” K’ndar said, “I would probably have just returned to Landing.”

He unlashed the cask.

Raventh shook himself and moved away from the two.

He examined his harness, looking for signs that the leather had sustained any damage from the rain. But he’d oiled it well. I’ll put it out in the sun and allow any moisture on it to dry, he thought.

Fland had stopped a few meters from Raventh, looking him over.

As he picked up the cask, K’ndar took a surreptitious glance at his uncle, searching for any signs of emotional distress. Fland had lost his dragon years before, and was one of the few people who’d survived the loss. But there was always a huge part of one’s heart and mind that was forever empty.

I hope I never survive losing Raventh, he thought.

“He’s looking very fit, K’ndar,” Fland said, watching as Raventh headed for the dragon meadow.

“Aa are you, sir. Marriage looks good on you.”

Fland laughed, allowing it to soothe the ache in his soul. Will I ever get over losing Lenarth?

“Here, give me that, I’ll carry it. Let’s go up to the cottage,” Fland said, to cover his sadness, “your sister wasted no time heading there.”

K’ndar nodded. “Aye. I wasn’t sure if she would want to come, she is doing so well at the Weyr,” he said.

He stopped suddenly, noticing something wrong with his memory of the spot the last time he’d stood here.

As always when he returned to his natal cothold, there were glaring changes. Some, though, like now, were not so obvious, ones that refused to be remembered. There had been something over there, right? Or am I imagining it? Something had changed, but what? It was aggravating. Horses had excellent memories for where things were placed, even something as unremarkable as a shrub. How is it that the master species of the planet couldn’t remember from one day to the next?

Ask Siskin. They have far better memories than either of us.

Ah! But I have no idea how to even frame the question!

Let me see if I can figure it out.

Siskin chittered. Suddenly a picture bloomed in his mind. It was obviously from the past.

A tree was missing from the spot he was looking at.

Something as simple as a tree, or its absence, had triggered the question in his mind. And Siskin had remembered it right away. What an amazing creature, these fire lizards!

Thank you. I will remember that, at least, don’t forget how to ask him, because I just don’t seem to understand it. Just how far back CAN he remember?

Raventh was silent for a while.

I think it’s a group memory. I think he can share memories with other fire lizards, remember things others have seen or done.

I’ve heard that, but up until now I wasn’t sure if that was true.

It seems to be true.

Teach me how to ask him.

“K’ndar? Did you hear me?” his uncle interrupted.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Uncle Fland, I was…” he said, firmly squashing his sudden irritation at being interrupted while talking to Raventh. Not polite, K’ndar. Not at all.

“Talking to Raventh. I understand. Are you coming up to the house? I’m sure your mum is anxious to give you a hug and a kiss.”

He shook his head to dispel his concentration. “Of course!”

_______________________________________________________________________

“You brought an entire cask of wine? Thank you, K’ndar!” his mother said. Fland put the cask down on her stone table.

“I wasn’t sure what to bring for Turnover, so I brought this. It’s a new wine being bred by a journeyman at Lord Dorn’s hold.”

“That had to have been expensive, K’ndar,” Mardriss, his eldest brother said.

He shrugged. “Not at all. It was barter. We charge a mark for scheduled transportation now. Lord Dorn charges a mark for a cask of wine. He’d like it back, please? So when it’s empty, either contact me or…”

“We’ll get it back to him, one way or another,” Mardriss said.

“A mark for transport! That’s new, isn’t it?” Sandriss said, coming into the room.

“Hello, Sand! Where are your fire lizards?”

“All over Raventh, at the moment,” his middle brother said. “Siskin is bossing my bronze around. It’s HIS Raventh, he’s saying.”

They laughed.

“Yes, it’s a relatively new thing. Lord Toric…boy, can I tell you some stories about HIM…was the real cause of the charges, and now all dragonriders not specifically leased by Holders ask the same price. If it’s someone requesting an unscheduled ride, the rider can say yes or no, and then it’s two marks. It’s not a bad way to make money, I guess, and I’ve made a little, but so far I’ve not had to spend it,” K’ndar said.

“Spend it on me!” Glyena piped up. The adults in the room all went silent for a moment, glaring at the girl.

She withered. “Just joking, K’ndar.”

He lightened his frown.

“I believe you, but you know as well as I do that that wasn’t polite,” K’ndar said.

She hung her head.

“I’m sorry.”

Daryat reflected that being fostered out had done so much good for Glyena. Still, it still gave her a slight pang of guilt.

“Apology accepted. And, it just so happens, I DID spend money on you.”

He dug around in his backpack and pulled out a leather bundle.

She looked at him in surprise.

“What is it?”

“Look and see. Literally,” K’ndar said, smiling.

She unwrapped it.

“Ooooooooooooh!! A binocular! Look, everyone, I have a binocular, now I can go watch the birds and the wherries!”

“Here,” he said, realizing he no longer had to squat to be eye to eye with her. She was getting tall.”I’ll show you how to use it.”

It took just a moment for him to show her the various functions. She excitedly put them around her neck and darted for the entrance to the cottage.

“Glyena?” Daryat said, in a tone that froze everyone save Fland. There wasn’t a soul in that room who mistook its meaning.

The girl froze. She turned and gulped, feeling her mother’s eye crisping her hair.

“Yes,’m. I forgot,” she said, returning to K’ndar. “Thank you, K’ndar, thank you very much,” she said. She stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek.

“You’re welcome. Happy Turnover.”