The Dragonriders of Pern - Anne McCaffrey [358]
“Where’re those mines located that Toric’s trading from?”
“Here.” Robinton’s finger dropped to the foothilled shading, slightly to the west of the settlement and well inland.
F’lar considered the location, walking his fingers back across the well-stretched hide to the Weyr’s location. “And where’s this cove of yours?”
Robinton pointed to a spot which was as far distant from the Southern Weyr as Ruatha was from Benden. “In this area. There’re quite a few small coves in the coastline. I couldn’t say exactly which one it was, but in this general location.”
F’lar mumbled about his recollection being all too general and how would a dragon take the specific direction he’d need to go between.
“Dead center in the cove is the cone of an old mountain, perfectly symmetrical.” Robinton gestured appropriately. “Zair was with me and could give Ruth the proper image.” Robinton turned his head slightly and gave Jaxom a private wink.
“Could Ruth take a direction from a fire-lizard?” F’lar asked Jaxom, frowning at the unreliability of the source.
“He has,” Jaxom remarked, and Robinton caught the glint of amusement in the lad’s eyes. He began to wonder where fire-lizards had already led the white dragon. Would Menolly know?
“What is this?” F’lar demanded suddenly. “A conspiracy to restore fire-lizards to good odor?”
“I thought we were forming a cooperative venture to locate D’ram,” Robinton replied in mild rebuke.
F’lar snorted and bent to study the maps.
The cooperation, Robinton realized, would be all on Ruth’s part. The outcome would finally depend on whether or not the Southern fire-lizards were attracted to the white dragon. Otherwise, Jaxom had agreed to try judicious time jumps backward in the cove . . . if, F’lar amended, Jaxom was able to find the proper one.
The subject of fire-lizard memory was discussed again; F’lar unwilling to concede that, unlike the dragons they otherwise resembled, the little creatures were capable of recall. Their tales might all be imaginary, the results of sun-dreams and insubstantial. To that Robinton replied that imagination relied on memory—without one, the other was impossible. The afternoon drew to a close, emphasized by the return of the fosterlings to the Hold after a day’s field tour with Brand. F’lar noted that he’d been gone far longer than he had intended when he set out from Benden. He cautioned Jaxom to be careful timing it—advice which Robinton suspected F’lar had best take to heart himself—and to take no risks with himself or his dragon. If he didn’t locate the cove, he was not to waste time and energy but return. If he did find D’ram, preferably he was to mark the time and place and return immediately to Benden with the coordinate for F’lar. F’lar did not want to intrude on D’ram’s grief unnecessarily, and if Jaxom could avoid being seen, so much the better.
“I think you could trust Jaxom to handle the situation diplomatically,” Robinton said, watching the young man through the side of his eyes. “He’s already proved to be discreet.” Now why would Jaxom react so to a simple compliment, Robinton wondered and smoothly made a fuss of rolling up the charts to divert attention from the discomposed young rider.
Robinton told Jaxom to get a good night’s sleep, a good morning’s breakfast, and to report to the Harpercrafthall immediately thereafter to acquire his guide. Then Robinton and F’lar left the Hold. As the Weyrleader and Mnementh brought the Harper back to his Hall, Robinton forebore to go beyond offering ordinary courtesies. The needs of Pern had brought the Benden Weyrleader back to the Hall. One step at a time!
As Robinton watched F’lar and bronze Mnementh climb above the fire-heights and wink out, Beauty appeared, scolding