Chap. 302 The Rogue on the Beach

Chap. 302 The Rogue on the Beach

“Come in, come in!” K’ndar said. D’mitran entered.

“I’m lucky your quarters are right here by the dragon meadow,” the brown dragon rider said. “Otherwise, I’d still be blundering about. I’m an engineer, you’d think this grid layout would be easy for me to fathom. But it doesn’t.”

K’ndar laughed. “Don’t feel bad. I routinely got lost when I first started on here. Only because of Siskin, leading me on like a hunting dog, am I still not out there, lost and hungry.”

D’mitran laughed.

Siskin chipped from his ledge, above their heads.

“He’s a clever one, aren’t you, Siskin?” D’mitran called to the fire lizard.

Siskin merely looked at him.

“Still the snob, what? No matter, you’re a dinkum blue,” D’mitran said, chuckling.

K’ndar poured two mugs of klah and handed one to D’mitran. He led the way to the small main room and motioned to the more comfortable chair.

“Thanks. It’s gotten cold out. Speaking of cold, how’s Risal?”

K’ndar blew on his klah. He’d made it a bit too hot.

“She’s okay, has a stuffed up head. B’rost called it ‘exposure’. I checked on her this morning, she’s working Flight Ops even though she’s feeling miserable. She was closer to hypothermia than even B’rost suspected. He was so angry with himself. I’m, well, I’m thinking of releasing her from the survey team. At least for a while.”

D’mitran nodded. “I bet that didn’t go over well. She’s dedicated.”

“Yes, she is and no, she insisted she could do it. Only because her apprentice asked her to stay and help him did she relent. She did say she felt as if she’d abandoned him to Howel, who’s a real yob. Even so, I felt, well, guilty, at grounding her, even if she’s not a dragonrider.”

“It was the right decision, K’ndar. For the whole survey?” D’mitran sipped at his klah. “Ah, that’s the spot.”

“I dunno. If the last two days of surveying are any indication, maybe Lord Toric IS keeping within his Hold boundaries. If we can keep up the distance we flew yesterday, we might be able to complete the whole circuit in two more legs.”

“Lord TORIC’s boundaries, K’ndar. We haven’t done Lord Dorn’s yet, and he’s had too many reports of unauthorized cotholds on HIS side of the Black River to ignore. He’s been very patient with your decision to do Toric’s boundaries first. But he’d like to have me back full time.”

K’ndar felt the twinge of uncertainty in his mind.

“I’m sorry, D’mitran. If you need to be released, I can do that,” he said.

D’mitran shook his head. “He’s of two minds, K’ndar. He wants me to be available-the temporary dragonriders are doing okay, but you know, it’s just a task for them, like we used to do. I know how he works, now. I like working for him. On the other hand, he wants me to eyeball any illegal cotholds, any people obviously settling on his Hold without his permission.”

K’ndar looked at the ceiling, thinking. “I can put my desk work on hold, D’mitran, if you’re willing, and survey every day. I’m grateful Lord Dorn has released you for this. I guess I should have discussed it in more depth before choosing Big Lagoon as the starting point. So instead of picking it up at the eastern end of the lake, let’s start at the mouth of the Black River and work south. If there are illegal cotholds, I’m betting they’ll be on the eastern shoreline, the boundary for the two holds.”

“That’s fine with me. Is there any reason we can’t go NOW?”

K’ndar shrugged. “It’s early enough. We can get some lunches made up for the day, and I’ll sign out at Flight Ops. I’m wondering if I should bother B’rost on such short notice. I’ll have to call him.”

“Where is he? I thought he was staying here in your quarters?”

“He stayed in my quarters for the training and the night before our first leg, but since then? I don’t know. You know how he can be, a true flutter on the wind at times. And, to be honest, D’mitran, I’ve grown accustomed to living alone. I like it. B’rost and I were roommates in Weyrlingschool, as you probably remember, and B’rost-well, he can get by on four hours of sleep in twenty four. I need eight hours. Those sorts of schedules just don’t click.

Rath is here Raventh and Careth said simultaneously.

The two men grinned at each other.

________________________________________________________________

“What are you, a blooming mind reader?” K’ndar said.

“I had a feeling you two were planning on doing the survey today,” B’rost said, looking injured. “Besides, I was bored.”

“We were just talking about pushing on today, see if we can’t finish up the boundaries between Toric and Dorn’s holds.”

“You’re not taking Risal,” B’rost said. It was not a question.

“No. I talked to her earlier today. She’s at work but she sounds as if her entire head is stuffed full of wool,” K’ndar said. “I grounded her.”

“I would have forbidden her going, even against you, K’ndar. She wasn’t hypothermic, but awfully close. A long soak in a hot bath and plenty of warm klah helped her a lot. Still, I’m standing on my healer hind legs and saying she needs to stay inside for the next few days. Had we spent an hour eating lunch, I might not be able to say she’ll be okay. As it is, I’m such an IDIOT!! to have allowed her to fly as long as we did yesterday.”

K’ndar patted the blue rider on his shoulder. “It’s okay, B’rost. You DID catch it, so don’t be so hard on yourself. You made the right call to abort the day’s work and take her home.”

“Odd, I didn’t realize one could be hypothermic in what to me seemed cool, but certainly not cold weather,” D’mitran said.

“You can catch it in a cold draft,” B’rost said. “That’s why hypothermia is so dangerous. It’s sneaky. If it’s freezing out, if it’s snowing, you automatically rug up. You wear suitable clothing. But in temps like yesterday, it was what, ten degrees Celsius? (50° F), you don’t expect to develop hypothermia. She told me later she was embarrassed. “I’m a meteorologist, B’rost! I DO know better.”

“We did a lot of flying yesterday, she’d gotten sweaty, and she wasn’t wearing a riding jacket, like we were. Or a helmet. We lose a LOT of heat through our heads! And mind you, women are more susceptible to hypothermia. My mum was always complaining about how cold she was, and my father couldn’t understand it. He thought she was just complaining,” B’rost said.

“My mum was the same way. Why is it?” K’ndar asked.

D’mitran patted his belly. “We’re meatier beasts, K’ndar. More muscle, or in my regrettable case, belly fat.”

“That’s right,”B’rost said. “So, enough chitchat, are you planning on surveying today?”

“Yes. Are you up for it?”

“K’ndar. That’s why I’m here. Yes.”

“Great. Let’s go over to the dining hall, pick up some lunches, I’ll sign out at Flight Ops and off we go.”

________________________________________________________________

“We should have started at Black River,” B’rost said, much later.

They’d seen several unauthorized cotholds and settlements, all on Lord Dorn’s side of the river.

“Yes. It would have saved us time. But, in a way, starting where we did, was being more than fair to Lord Toric, though he certainly doesn’t deserve such even handed treatment. Now he can’t claim bias. I don’t believe he knows we’re looking for trespassing settlers. This way, I can truthfully report that, at least on his western border, all we’ve seen are those recognized cotholds on dragonrider lands.”

“Whereas, when I talk to Lord Dorn tonight, I can say, sir, the reports are true, there are rogue cotholds on on his lands,” D’mitran said.

“What happens then?”

“Then? That is not my problem, B’rost, for which I am thankful. I’m just the messenger. But I suspect he’ll send out his master-at-arms, perhaps he’ll ask for dragon backup,” D’mitran said.

“And me, I’ll report to the Council of Six, ” K’ndar said. “I’d be lying if I said I don’t get nervous talking to them. I’m always feeling as if my head is on the line. You’re certain you got plenty of data?”

“Every time I saw even the hint of smoke, or clearing, I took photos, K’ndar. Don’t worry. You’ll have plenty of documentation.”

They were eating their lunch atop an outcrop overlooking the Black River. Below them the river had changed from a mild one emptying into the ocean into a roaring, white capped rapids.

Their dragons were sunning themselves in a small meadow at the base of the outcrop.

“This is beautiful country, D’mitran,” B’rost said.

“Aye, it is,” the brown rider said, munching his lunch meatpie thoughtfully. “I’ve brought my boy fishing out here a few times. He’s born to it, I think. He always catches more than me. I swear he can think like a fish.”

I miss the Weyr, he thought, I miss the camaraderie, the argot of the dragonrider clique and, until Thread ended, the sense of purpose. But living at a Hold gives me far more time with my family. That makes up for a lot.

Overhead, a raptor called. K’ndar looked up at the soaring bird, understanding the joy it felt at flying. This IS a beautiful place, K’ndar thought. It’s a wonder there aren’t more unauthorized cotholds.

Movement on the river below them caught B’rost’s attention. He picked up his binocular and scanned the river shoreline. “Hello, what’s this?”

“What do you see?” D’mitran asked. He activated his molecular camera. K’ndar put down his meatpie and picked up his own binocular. “Where away?” he asked.

“North north west, Lord Dorn’s side of the river. There’s a very large tree bending over the river, see? Just beyond it, look, it looks like a dragon to me, facing inland, he’s resting on the bank. It’s a brown.”

“Hmm. I see him. It’s-whoa. Do you see a white scar on the right hind leg?” He thumbed the binocular to the farthest distance.

“Um..yes. I do. That’s obviously thread score.”

“Siskin. Go check out that dragon, please?” K’ndar said.

Siskin, uncharacteristically, cringed. He didn’t launch.

“What’s the matter?” he said.

There is a raptor overhead. He is afraid of it Raventh said from his spot below them.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Siskin,” he said. He reached up to scritch the blue fire lizard. Siskin chittered, almost apologetically. “It’s okay, laddie. Just stay here with me.”

“Okay, he’s moved, and I definitely see a long white scar on the leg, K’ndar,” B’rost said.

“What do you want to bet it’s T’ovar’s dragon?” K’ndar said. He dragged the dragon’s name out of his memory. “Firoth.”

“T’ovar. Ah, the lout from when we were on Western Continent.” He took several pictures, doubting whether they’d be worthwhile.

“One and the same, D’mitran. He’s the rider-well, ONE of the riders who’s been terrorizing Lord Toric’s holders, extorting money for transport, he even flamed a man’s cothold for not paying him.”

“T’ovar?” B’rost said. “Do I know him?”

“I doubt it. We had him forced on us when we did the Western Continent expedition. He’s originally from High Reaches, and married a widow at Tillek Sea Hold. He convinced Rahman, the astronomer, that he needed to accompany us on our search for a site on Western for the second telescope. What he had planned, though was to relieve us of any artifacts we may have found. Of which we found precisely none. Now he’s apparently either full rogue, or working for Lord Toric on the sly. Southern Weyr’s riders have been blamed for his crimes, despite the fact that Southern Weyr has nothing to do with Toric, not since he forbade them from his Holdlands.”

“And now he’s here, on my Lord’s Holdlands. What’s he doing? My camera doesn’t seem to have the range,” D’mitran grumbled.

“Here’s my nocs,” K’ndar said, handing his binocular to D’mitran, “I’m going to sent a note to Raylan.” He dug out his datalink and activated it.

“I don’t see anyone, just the dragon,” B’rost said. “Let me move a little.”

B’rost moved perilously close to the edge of their airy perch. “If he’s the rogue, do we confront him?”

D’mitran thought for several minutes. “From earlier reports, he’s armed with a crossbow and is willing to use it. But remember, we were told to not confront anyone, legal or otherwise.”

“We were told not to confront people on TORIC’s lands. Not Lord Dorn’s. I’m calling Landing right now, report what we’re seeing,” K’ndar growled.

B’rost, still with his binocular to his eyes, said, “I see several men with him. They’ve got a fire going, I’m not sure what they’re doing. I see only one dragon. They’ve got one, two boats pulled up on the shore.”

D’mitran moved over til he was beside B’rost and focused on the group.

“Aye. They’re sitting around, drinking, it appears. I see one, two, four men, and if that fifth one isn’t T’ovar, I’m a wherry.”

K’ndar’s datalink called.

“K’ndar here, who calls?”

“Raylan here. Risal told me you and the rest of the team had gone out to survey. Are you sure it’s T’ovar?”

“I am not sure, I’ve not seen HIM, but D’mitran sees him right now and is pretty sure it’s T’ovar. They’re most definitely on Lord Dorn’s side of the Black River.”

“Send me the coordinates? Please?”

B’rost motioned at K’ndar for his attention, but K’ndar almost rudely shook his hand to dissuade him.

B’rost stood up, tucking his binocular into his backpack. He replaced it with his datalink. Activating it, he then hung it around his neck.

“What…” D’mitran said.

“I’m going to go check this T’ovar out. He knows you two. He doesn’t know me.”

“Maybe you should ask your team leader?” D’mitran suggested.

B’rost grinned. “I will. When I come back.” He turned and hurried down the slight slope to where the dragons were resting.

K’ndar didn’t hear it.

“Got them. What are they doing?” Raylan asked.

D’mitran, not taking his eyes from the binocular said, “Drinking. Arguing, it looks like. A lot of hand waving and head shaking going on.”

“Coincidentally, no, fortuitously, Southern Weyr’s Leaders are here. Their riders have been blamed for many of T’ovar’s crimes, both from Toric’s Holders as well as Lord Dorn’s.”

“I know that, I’ve met them,” K’ndar said. “Ask them if they wants to join us? We can use the help. Southern’s got a big bone to pick with T’ovar. And a bronze and a gold won’t get any noise from T’ovar’s dragon.”

“Right. Give me a minute, oh, wait. Jansen? Jansen! Yes, please, would you be so kind as to advise the Council that our survey team has found what appears to be a rogue dragonrider on Lord Dorn’s Holdlands, and Southern’s Weyrleaders are requested to join the team?”

He heard Jansen’s voice agree in the background. It sounded happy.

“When they get there, K’ndar, document whatever action taken with T’ovar and the others thoroughly. Let the Weyrleaders do the talking, they’ve suffered more from the rogue’s actions than any other weyr. I need pictures, recordings, as much proof as you can get. Have you seen any illegal cotholds on Lord Dorn’s lands?”

“Several. All well hidden from the Yokohama’s cameras and cursory aerial view. Sir, ask the Weyrleaders if they’ll come in from the south, behind us, so that Firoth doesn’t see him. I don’t want T’ovar to bolt.”

“Aye. By the way, they brought two of their dragonriders, so you’ll have four to help. In the meantime, let me know immediately if the people move. How did they get there?”

“There’s two boats on the sand,” he said. Then the thought hit him.

“Raylan. What happens now? Do we take T’ovar into custody? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“Um..” There was an uncomfortable silence as Raylan cogitated the significance. “K’ndar, I admit, I am completely stumped on how to deal with this novel situation. But there’s enough eye witness accounts, personal interactions, and evidence on T’ovar that, if he weren’t a dragonrider, there’d be no doubt he’d be put in a cell until judged.”

“Do you mind if all I do, if all my survey team does, is, um, witness?”

“Oh, come on, K’ndar, I’m about ready to give T’ovar a thrashing,” D’mitran protested, “I’ve not forgotten what he did to us on Western, never mind what he’s done here.”

“I’m not afraid of a fight,” K’ndar lied, “but we are just supposed to be surveying.”

D’mitran shook his head in irritation, but let it ride.

“D’mitran, I understand your frustration, and that of your Lord Dorn,” Raylan said, having heard the undertone in the brown rider’s voice. “There’s knots in this situation, ones I am not qualified or even knowledgeable on how to arrest a dragonrider. So put it on my shoulders. This isn’t K’ndar’s decision, it’s mine. For now, arresting T’ovar is the best way I can think of to keep him from committing more crimes. We’ll let the Council decide how to punish him while he cools his heels at Southern Weyr. For the moment, though, I think you should, uh, well, as I said earlier, the more proof we can get the better. I think you should back up the Southern riders, but if you can, yes, just witness. Protect yourself by all means, of course. If it comes to fighting, fight.”

“And should we just take T’ovar? Or all the rest, the four men?”

D’mitran interrupted. “That’s my task, K’ndar, Raylan. I’m representing Lord Dorn. If I determine these men are indeed trespassing, I’ll arrest them, but I want to talk to them, first. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve served in this capacity for Lord Dorn.”

“That’s fair, D’mitran. T’ovar needs to be taken to Southern Weyr as he is a dragonrider. What you do with the four boatmen is your decision. I don’t think I need to remind you that discretion is the better part of valor. Be careful.”

“We’ll be careful, Raylan,” K’ndar said, and thumbed off the datalink.

“This reminds me of the time we found that big illegal cothold on Lord Dorn’s steppe land, remember?” he asked D’mitran.

“I do, and I feel it, too,” D’mitran said.

“How do you arrest a dragonrider? And what will we do if he manages to escape on his dragon?”

Then it hit him.

“Where’s B’rost?”

D’mitran shrugged and pointed at the men on the beach.