The Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey [315]
Jaxom only then became aware that the usual fire-lizard escorts weren’t about, even though Ruth was hunting. He hadn’t meant that Brand should curtail all fire-lizard excursions with them.
Ruth plaintively asked if they couldn’t get on with the hunting since he was hungry. So they proceeded to the suggested area and Ruth let Jaxom down on a grassy rise with a good view of the hunt where he made himself comfortable. No sooner had Ruth become airborne than a flight of fire-lizards appeared, courteously landing to await the dragon’s summons to join him after his kill.
Some dragons took their time selecting their meal, swooping on flock or herd to scatter it and isolate the fattest. Either Ruth made up his mind quickly or else he was influenced by Jaxom’s knowledge that Tegger would not appreciate overrun wherries. Whatever, the white dragon dispatched the first buck in one deft swoop, cracking the creature’s long neck as he brought it down.
Ruth left the delighted fire-lizards picking the bones and killed a second time, eating as daintily as ever. The flock had barely settled at the far end of the meadow when he launched himself unexpectedly for the third.
I told you I was hungry, Ruth said so apologetically that Jaxom laughed and told him to stuff himself with all he wanted.
I am not stuffing, Ruth replied with a mild rebuke that Jaxom would think such a thing of him. I am very hungry.
Jaxom regarded the feasting fire-lizards thoughtfully. He wondered if any were from Ruatha. Ruth replied immediately that they had come from the surrounding area.
So, mused Jaxom, I’ve only solved the problem of keeping Ruathan fire-lizards from following. But what one fire-lizard knew, they all seemed to know so he would still have to keep his activities from their sight.
Jaxom knew a dragon needed time to chew and digest firestone for the best effect. Dragonriders would begin to feed their beasts stone several hours before Thread was due to fall. How fast could Ruth work up a full enough gullet of stone to produce the fire breath? He wondered. He’d have to go carefully. Since dragons differed in capacity and readiness, each rider had to find out for himself what his beast’s peculiarities were. If only he could have trained Ruth in a Weyr and have the benefit of a weyrlingmaster’s experience . . .
Well, firestone was no problem. The old watchdragon had to be supplied so there was a goodly pile on the fire-heights. And Ruth wouldn’t need as much as a big dragon.
When still remained the problem. Jaxom had his morning free because Ruth was to hunt and it wasn’t sound practice to take a full dragon between—all that rich warm food would sour a dragon belly in cold between. So Jaxom would have to take the time to fly Ruth straight to Ruatha Hold. This afternoon would be taken up with overseeing spring planting, and if Lytol were really going to arrange for him to be confirmed as Lord Holder, he couldn’t get out of making an appearance.
Idly Jaxom wondered if the Lord Holders ever worried whether he might try to imitate his tyrannical father’s taking ways or not. They would run on about Bloodlines, and blood telling, but weren’t they the least bit nervous about his Fax blood telling? Or were they counting on the influence of his mother’s blood? Everyone was right willing to discuss his Lady Mother Gemma with him, but did they ever fumble and fight to find another subject if he mentioned his unlamented father. Were they afraid to have him get ideas from his father’s aggressive ways? Or was it merely courtesy not to talk about the dead unkindly? They certainly had no bar about discussing the living in destructive terms.
Jaxom toyed with the idea of conquest. How would he set about reducing Nabol or—since Fort Hold was too big a bite—Tillek? Or Crom, perhaps, though he liked Lord Nessel’s oldest son, Kern, far too much to do him out of what was rightfully his. Shells, he was a fine one to talk of conquest, when he couldn’t even control the destiny of himself and his dragon!
Ruth, waddling with a full, bulging belly, belched happily as he