Pern 10 - Dragon's Time by Anne McCaffrey

Author:Anne McCaffrey
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: ePub Bud (www.epubbud.com)
Published: 2011-11-27T06:00:00+00:00

Weyrwoman, to your duty hewWith honors many and comforts fewBronzes may your queen outflyAs you soar about the sky. They made Jeila as comfortable as they could and Fiona insisted on staying with her until H’nez was free from his duties.

“How is she?” the gaunt dragonrider, eyes hollow with fatigue and worry, asked when he relieved her.

“The bleeding’s stopped,” Fiona said. “Bekka’s sure there’s no lasting harm.” She met H’nez’s eyes. “She could get pregnant again.”

“But—just a fall!”

“It was exactly the wrong type of fall,” Fiona said. “It put too much stress on an already stressed body.” She grimaced. “Bekka says that sometimes a person will miscarry because stresses are too great, times too hard.”

“I see,” H’nez said. He looked down tenderly at the sleeping weyrwoman, then glanced questioningly at Fiona.

“She’s still concussed,” Fiona said. “She’ll feel awful in the morning, but we can’t give her any fellis until we’re sure she’s recovered.”

H’nez nodded. “Thank you, Weyrwoman.”

“Call me if you need anything,” Fiona said, rising from her bedside seat. At the exit into Ginirth’s weyr, she turned back. “H’nez, I’m sorry.”

The tall rider had already taken Fiona’s seat beside Jeila and was gently stroking the unconscious weyrwoman’s hair. He waved a hand in acknowledgment. With a sigh, Fiona left.

The injured were all tended, the task ably handled by Birentir and Bekka. Kindan was shepherding the weyrlings back to their quarters. T’mar was in Shaneese’s care; Fiona suspected a lot of wine was involved.

Having run down her list of responsibilities, Fiona turned toward Terin’s quarters.

Jeriz sat beside Terin’s bed, much the same as Fiona had sat with Jeila earlier. He started when Fiona laid a hand on his shoulder.

“How is she?”

“Sleeping,” Jeriz said. He looked up at Fiona with worried eyes. “And Jeila?”

“The same,” Fiona told him.

“Is she still pregnant?”

“No,” Fiona said, shaking her head. She looked down at her still flat stomach and smiled ruefully. “It appears I am the only one with that honor, now.”

“Shaneese,” the boy corrected softly.

“I should say that I’m the only weyrwoman,” Fiona agreed. “What will happen with her?” Jeriz said, nodding toward Terin. “We’ll stay with her, keep her company, help her recover.”

“You’ve never had this happen to you.”

“No,” Fiona said. “But I know a little of what she’s going through.” The young trader boy cocked an eye in her direction, so she explained: “All my brothers and sisters—save Kemin—died in the Plague.”

“He died saving T’mar, warning the others,” Jeriz said. “That was brave.”

“It was,” Fiona agreed. Something puzzled her. How did he know?

“Terin’s still the same,” Fiona said the next morning as she met Shaneese for breakfast.

“It will take a long time for her, she was very much in love,” Shaneese said.

“When I came in this morning, Jeriz was in the bed with her,” Fiona said, smiling at the memory. “He’s barely half her size, but he had her head on his chest.”

“I cannot believe he did that,” Shaneese said, a bitter tang in her voice.

“Jeriz?” Fiona asked, surprised.

Shaneese shook her head. “No, F’jian.

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