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By Root 2285 0

dragon required more frequent meals than the larger ones. The Hold’s fire-lizards usually accompanied Ruth, feasting with him. Most people fed their pets daily by hand, but the urge for hot, fresh-killed or self-caught food could never be trained out of the fire-lizards and it had been decided not to interfere with that instinct. Fire-lizards were quixotic creatures and although there was no doubt that they became genuinely attached at Hatching, they were subject to sudden fits and frights and would disappear, often for long periods of time. When they returned, they acted as if they’d never been gone, except for transmitting some rather outrageous images.

Ruth would be ready to hunt today, Jaxom knew. He heard his weyrmate’s impatience to be off. Laughing, Jaxom shrugged on the heavy riding jacket and stamped into his boots as he politely inquired what sort of eating Ruth fancied.

Wherry, a juicy plain wherry, none of those stringy mountain ones. Ruth emphasized his distaste for the latter with a snort.

“You even sound hungry,” Jaxom said, entering the dragon’s weyr and approaching him.

Ruth laid his nose lightly on Jaxom’s chest, his breath cool even through the heavy riding jacket. His eyes were wheeling with the red overtone of active appetite. He made his way to the huge metal doors that opened onto the stable courtyard and pushed them open with his forelegs.

Alerted by Ruth’s hungry thoughts, the Hold’s fire-lizards swirled about in eager anticipation. Jaxom mounted and directed Ruth aloft. The old brown watchdragon called good hunting from the fire-heights, and his rider waved.

From Hold tithings, the six Weyrs of Pern maintained their own herds and flocks on which the Weyr dragons fed. No Lord Holder ever objected to an occasional rider feeding his dragon off his land. As Jaxom was Lord Holder and technically had the right to anything within Ruatha’s borders, Ruth’s hunting was primarily a matter of courtesy. Lytol had not needed to instruct Jaxom to spread his beast’s appetite so that no holder was overburdened.

On this particular morning Jaxom gave Ruth coordinates of a rich grass holding where Lytol had mentioned buck-wherries were being fattened for spring slaughtering. The holder was out on his runner when Jaxom and Ruth appeared, and he greeted the young Lord politely enough and replied to Jaxom’s courteous inquiries for his health, the progress of the flock and the laying weight of the hens.

“A thing I’d like you to mention to Lord Lytol,” the man began, and Jaxom detected resentment in his manner. “I’ve asked for a fire-lizard egg time and again. It’s my due as a holder and I’ve the need. I can’t hatch wherry eggs proper if vermin burrow under and crack shells. There are four or five from each clutch gone, lost to snakes and the like. Fire-lizard would keep ’em off. They do for your man down at Bald Lake Hold and others I’ve spoken to. Fire-lizards are mighty handy creatures, Lord Jaxom, and being a holder now these past twelve Turns, it’s only my due. Bald Lake Palon, now he’s got a fire-lizard and he’s only held for ten Turns.”

“I can’t imagine why you’ve been slighted, Tegger. I’ll see that something is done about it. We haven’t a clutch at the moment but I’ll do what I can when we have.”

Tegger gave surly thanks and then suggested that Jaxom hunt the buck flock to be found browsing at the far end of the plain meadow. He wanted to take the nearer flock for slaughter and a hunting dragon ran a seven-day’s weight off bucks.

Jaxom thanked the man and Ruth warbled his gratitude, startling Tegger’s runner into bucking. Tegger grimly yanked the beast’s head about, preventing a bolt.

Tegger was unlikely to Impress a fire-lizard, Jaxom thought as he leaped to Ruth’s shoulder.

Ruth agreed. That man had an egg once. The little one went between and never returned to its hatching place.

“How did you remember that?”

The fire-lizards told me.

“When?”

When it happened I have just remembered it. Ruth sounded very pleased with himself. They tell me many things that are interesting when you’re not with me.