Chap. 376 The Theft

Chap. 376 The Theft

Raventh came out of between so close to the drop point that K’ndar whooped.

Now he wouldn’t have to worry about moving the speartooth carcass.

“Incredible! Raventh! It’s almost as if there’s a target beneath us!”

Raventh said nothing, but K’ndar felt a surge of pride surge from his dragon.

“Siskin, guide us down, please?”

Now that he was safe from airborne predators, Siskin chipped and launched.

He knows where to put it Raventh said, In the summer it’s a good spot for the lizards to catch crawlers

If Raylan heard that, he’d probably forbid it. They do a great job of cleaning a skeleton.

They’re everywhere and lay many many eggs. More than any fire lizard can ever eat. I have to listen, please.

K’ndar unbuckled his riding harness. The downdraft from Raventh’s wings buffeted him.

If you can, when the beast is on the ground, hover, and I’ll get off and unhook your talons.

Yes, because right now they’re tangled deep. I don’t want to die tangled up like this beast.

I would NEVER let that happen.

Raventh dropped slowly, controlling his descent with great concentration, then said It’s on the ground.

K’ndar threw his right leg over Raventh’s back to clear the ridges, rolled onto his belly and let himself fall feet first. Raventh’s wings pounded the air, sending great gusts over him. K’ndar grimaced as he landed atop the dead speartooth, sending up a smell that no wings of any dragon could stop. He slipped and fell onto the beast. The ropes were slimy, muddy and disgustingly bad smelling.

The speartooth was far more degraded than he’d thought. It was squishy. And the smell would gag a scavenger.

He gulped to keep his breakfast of arsters from coming back up.

He slid off the speartooth and turned to release Raventh’s talons, only to find them too deeply tangled for the dragon to pull them out. “Phew”, he said, then realized talking wasn’t a good idea. I needn’t have worried about him losing the load, he thought, his talons are deep. He tried to get the first paw loose, but the talons were too tightly roped. He could see all four feet were tightly entangled.

Damn nets, he thought. What fisherman was so lazy as to allow this one to be lost? But if it hadn’t, I’d never have brought home an entire speartooth. I wasn’t sure if I’d be lucky enough to find even a spear, never mind a skull or an entire animal.

While Raventh was athletic and strong, still, hovering was a lot of work, especially when he was tied to a weight.

He pulled his dagger, the blade flashing in the sunlight. I’m going to have to cut the ropes. It will take a long time to get them all worked loose.

Don’t cut off my toes!

K’ndar couldn’t resist.

Only if you promise to never eat a horse.

Raventh squawked. Siskin did, too.

I promise! I promise! Raventh squeaked, making K’ndar wonder if he was just playing along or if the dragon really feared that he would cut off one of his toes.

Hover as steady as you can, okay?

It’s not easy.

I know, but you have to. Or maybe land? Ah, that’s it. Land on it and lift each foot, that will be easier.

I will, but it is, I don’t know the word. Soft and?

Squishy.

Squishy?

Aye. It can’t be helped, just land as gently as you can, we don’t need more stench to hit us.

Raventh allowed his weight to settle on the speartooth.

Yes. Much better, this won’t take long.

He began to slice at the ropes, being very careful to not score the talons, never mind the warm toes!

You will definitely need a bath. This gunk is all over your feet.

Siskin came to help. He landed on the netting and grasped an end of a cut rope and pulled it out.

“Siskin! How clever of you! Yes, that helps a lot!” he gasped, trying not to breathe in too deeply.

Siskin chipped in happy agreement. With the blue helping, K’ndar quickly cut the ropes keeping Raventh bound to the carcass.

This smell doesn’t bother Siskin

Me, neither. We can shut our noses if it gets too bad. It’s how we can swim without having to breathe, and when we were fighting Thread, we’d shut our noses when flaming. It’s not a pleasant smell, but I can see it’s worse for you than for me or Siskin. Can’t you shut your nose?

No, unfortunately not. And the word is nostrils. The nostrils are inside the nose, the nose is the outside part.

I feel sorry for humans, sometimes. Can’t fly, can’t swim, can’t go between without us. You can’t even talk in other human’s heads, like we do.

I know. Okay, this is the last one, Raventh! There you go, you’re free!

I won’t launch, I’ll fly up

Good idea. Your launch is always powerful.

Raventh lifted off the speartooth and landed next to it.

Now I can say, it was heavier than I thought it would be.

But you still did it, didn’t you! Just like you said you could! Thank you, this is quite a haul for us, Raylan will be so impressed.

Impressed? Like when you and I did?

K’ndar laughed despite the stink. Not the same, not at all. It’s just a way to say he will be very happy and will say you are the best dragon.

I am. But don’t let Motanith hear him say that, she will be jealous.

Siskin flew happy circles over their heads.

“Siskin, you are the best fire lizard, the smartest one in all the world.”

Siskin beamed, then landed on his shoulder.

I’ll unharness you and then you can go get a bath in the new dragon lake!

I will. I helped dig it. That was fun. And the digging wher! She is amazing. She can outdig any dragon.

She is, isn’t she? My brother is training them to work for humans. It’s so much better than keeping them as watchers. I guess I wasn’t here when she was brought in, I would have liked to have seen Sandriss.

That’s good. I never thought it kind, how some weyrs and holds keep them in dark caves, never going out, never mating, never being free. How can they do that?

Raventh, if you only knew what some humans do to animals, no dragon would have anything to do with us. It’s too depressing.

I’ll shed these clothes and get a shower. How in the world am I going to get them clean? I don’t dare take them to the main laundry, I’d be drawn and quartered. I’ll strip outside the dragon bay, I sure don’t want to walk into my quarters smelling like this.

He looked up at the sky. It was disconcerting to see that it was just barely ten in the morning here, and he’d spent much of the day at Western Hold.

I do NOT do time zones at all well, he thought. But it looks like rain, maybe I’ll leave them out, let them get good and wet, and try to get the stink out with what mom used to use, baking soda.

He looked at the speartooth with a huge swell of pride. He ran his hand down one of the spears protruding from the net. This is incredible luck. It might stink but so what, this is what I love about my job.

Raventh launched and flew to the dragon lake. K’ndar rolled up the harness, checking it for cracks or wear, out of long, ingrained habit. He walked up the hill towards the barns, which were quite a ways from his quarters. He was facing into the wind, grateful that his quarters were on the very edge of Landing. If I meet anyone, I’ll be able to avoid them.

As he passed the barn, he could see the entire interior length, as the cavern was open at both ends. He saw Francie riding Donal. Even from this distance, he thought, you can’t mistake Donal for any other horse in the barn. Not because he’s the only black horse here, it’s how he moves. Like a big cat rather than a horse. Even at just a walk, he’s smooth as ice.

He wanted to shout a hello at Francie’s retreating back, but didn’t want to chat. I need to get out of these smelly clothes.

Huh, he thought, that’s odd. She’s not wearing a helmet. She always wears one. And she’s riding away from the covered arena. Maybe she’s just going to walk him around the immediate area.

When he reached his quarters, he looked around to see nobody. Why he bothered, he didn’t know. No one on Pern was all that concerned with nudity. Not when most people lived in one communal cavern, where privacy was unheard of.

He stripped to his skivvies and socks, lay his clothes out next to the dragon bay door, and was about to enter when his ears were pierced by a metallic screech.

It was Francie and Raylan’s dragon bay door opening. They still haven’t got that door lubed, or maybe it’s just so old?

Motanith came out, fully harnessed.

Francie was on his back.

“Hi, K’ndar! What in the world, why are you just about naked? It’s too cold for sunbathing!” she called.

Slack jawed, he spent several moments trying to grasp how she could be in two places at the same time. “Uh..uh, I stink, I just brought home a new specimen, how did you do this?”

The door screeched as it rattled shut behind her. Her fire lizards appeared, chittering in excitement. Raylan came out of the pedestrian door and looked askance at K’ndar’s appearance.

“How did I do what?”

“Why are you undressed?” Raylan asked.

“Um, um, Francie. I just saw you riding Donal out of the barn, heading west.”

“Me? No way! I fed him at dawn, but since then I’ve been here at home. We’ve had a late breakfast and we’re going to Woochick Beach.”

“Phew, have you been digging something dead?” Raylan asked, as the wind had shifted and was blowing the scent off K’ndar’s clothing.

“Yes, um, no, I brought home a new specimen, it’s dead, we dropped it by the compost piles, and Francie, I swear I saw you riding Donal out the barn.”

A sick feeling hit Francie’s stomach.

“A black bay horse, not a bit of white on him save for his forehead. Donal, right?”

“Francie,” K’ndar said, beginning to feel the cold hitting his bare skin, “It was Donal. I swear it. I know horses better than I know my own name, come on, Francie, I could find Donal in the dark without so much as a glow.”

She looked at Raylan. “Something’s not right, here. Honey, I have to go to the barn. Would you call Lorenzo? Ask him if he let someone take Donal out?”

Raylan pulled his datalink out. He saw K’ndar beginning to shiver. “You. Go in and get some clothes on, then come out and we’ll go and see what’s up.”

He obeyed.

It’s mostly my clothes, he thought that stinks, not ME, except for my boots, jacket and gloves.

Siskin appeared inside their quarters.

He sent images of Francie’s trio joining her as she launched on Motanith.

He dressed hurriedly, wearing a heavy sweater and his brand new boots, then went back outside. He grabbed his datalink on the way. No use giving Raylan a chance to nag him yet again about not carrying it.

Raylan was walking fast down the hill to where the speartooth lay.

Raventh swooped in and landed next to their quarters.

I heard you, something is wrong.

Yes. I’m going to harness you and we’re going to the barns. It’s quicker than running.

Siskin appeared, having been bathing with Raventh.

“Raylan! Need a ride?” he shouted, but the man had begun to run.

She is at the barn. She jumped off Motanith. I can hear her yelling. She is scared and angry. She sent her fire lizards off to find her horse.

“Siskin? Help the others. Help them search for the black horse.”

Siskin chipped, launched and vanished.

He’d never harnessed quicker and climbed aboard. Raventh launched, and he could see Motanith pacing outside the barns.

Without needing to be told, Raventh landed next to her.

K’ndar dismounted and ran into the barn.

The barns had pens instead of stalls. Donal’s stall held his friend, an elderly grey who was calling out for Donal. A new horse had been put in the pen. That horse was cowering at the far end of the pen. The grey had pushed him as far back as possible, as he was a stranger.

The new horse hung it’s head, so tired it couldn’t even nibble at the hay in the manger.

Lorenzo had just come out of his quarters.

“What in the world? Francie, where is Donal? Who’s this scrawny beast, by the stars, he looks like he’s half dead. What idiot put him in with Sky?”

“I didn’t, I don’t know, K’ndar here said he saw “me” riding Donal out of the barn, heading west.”

The elderly Herdmaster looked at K’ndar. “You saw SOMEONE riding Donal?”

“I did. I thought it was Francie, but obviously it wasn’t.”

“It wasn’t the Farmer’s son, Jak? Francie’s been teaching him to ride?”

“No. The person was an adult female, I saw her hair, she wasn’t wearing a helmet.”

“And Jak, he’s a good kid. He loves horses but he’d NEVER take Donal out without my permission.” Francie said, her face going white as she realized what was going on.

“No one on Pern would ever take a horse without permission,” K’ndar said.

Thunderstruck, Lorenzo gaped for a moment, then fury crossed his face. Out of my barn, he thought, she walked in bold as brass and stole a horse. Right from underneath my nose.

“No decent person, K’ndar. Francie. Donal’s been stolen.”