Chap. 380 The Whers

Chap. 380 The Whers

Dinner resting comfortably in his stomach, K’ndar made his way out of the dining hall. He passed the new ‘library’. It was open, even after work hours, and there were a few people in it, perusing the growing number of shelves. One woman was reading to a small child on her lap. Elene, Landing’s Chief Librarian, had begged the Printing Hall to donate a copy of every book that came off the press; badgered Administration to give her a room large enough to accommodate tables,chairs, and shelves that the Carpenters were coerced into building for her, finagled a pair of datalinks to the main computer for people to use, and browbeat Finance into paying for it all.

He smiled inwardly. Elene was gentle, empathetic and generous-but she was an unyielding force of nature that, when she decided Pern needed something, Landing would provide it.

I want to see what new books are available, he thought. But his body had different ideas. It’s been an awfully long day, absolutely chock full of experiences to write up-my report on the speartooth, and write down-my experience winning a race and eating arsters. I’ll just go home.

The cold night air reminded him of when he grew up on the steppe. Winters here aren’t as cold as they are on the steppe, they’re more dry than anything, he thought. I still can’t get over the fact that on Northern, it’s summer weather, with temps in the high 20’s. I know it has something to do with the angle of the planet to the sun, but it certainly seems strange.

Overhead, the stars blazed, the familiar constellations glowing like jewels in a moonless, cloudless sky. Just rising was the The Swordsman, stabbing at the Great Wheel (which he knew, now, was really a lensed quasar). On the other side of the sky, the Horse pranced, the Arrow above its head pointing the way to the center of the galaxy. And at zenith, a double star system glowed, one that he still hadn’t researched the name of.

“Hey, K’ndar! K’ndar!” he heard behind him. A middle aged man had stepped out of his quarters, ­light spilling out into the night. The scent of his family dinner followed him.

He stopped. The man, whom he’d never met before, approached him.

“Hello, sir, I’m sorry, but I don’t know your name,” K’ndar said. The light from the knee high sidewalk bolsters wasn’t good enough to get a good look at his face. Once you stepped out of their meter wide range, they shut off.

“I’m Marklen, I work in R&D. I saw you pass by here at sundown, and kept an eye out for you to return. We see you now and then, I’m thinking you’re just returning from the dining hall?”

“Yes, sir, I’ve just left there. It was a good meal,” K’ndar said, disconcerted by the concept that his actions were being watched. Why would this stranger be interested in my activity? How does he know my routine? Maybe I’ll change my route to my quarters.

“I remember your bringing in the musk lizard, and then that odd jaw, and now you’ve brought in an enormous beast, you called it a speartooth! I didn’t get a chance to ask you about it.”

“Yes, I did, and I’m glad all I had to do was bring it here,” he said. “It’s pretty ripe.” Okay, he thought, it’s nothing nefarious. Still, I do want to get home, I’m not interested in chitchat.

The man laughed. “That it is. I went out to look at it halfway through the dissection, and everyone was hustling because you said the whers were coming to eat it.”

“Yes, sir, and I imagine they’re there, now.”

They are. When you get home you will hear them Raventh said.

“My dragon just said they’re feeding on the carcass now.”

“Have you ever seen them feeding?”

“No, just the remains after they’ve cleaned it up. I’ve seen them in daylight, but always just one at time. They’re usually nocturnal. They’re efficient scavengers, they don’t leave much. The winged scavengers will be all over it tomorrow, picking off the pieces the whers left.”

“Would you LIKE to see them feeding?”

“Uh, yes, of course! But, if you notice, it’s dark out. I can’t see in the dark.”

“Ah, but you can, K’ndar. R&D has all sorts of toys that the Ancients left behind in their hurry to evacuate. One of them is monocular called a ‘night vision device’. It absorbs the ambient light from the stars, and together with infrared light, turns it into something you can see.”

“It lets you see in the dark?”

“Aye. ‘The darker the better,’ as the computer puts it.”

“Wow,” K’ndar said, his intrigue changing to pragmatism, “but it’s past work hours, Marklin, I’m certain everyone at R&D is off for the night and probably would resent me asking for a toy. And honestly, I wouldn’t blame them.”

“It’s MarkLEN, but don’t worry, everyone makes that mistake. And you’re right, I’d resent being called back to the shop for a request for a toy. But,” he turned to see a young boy come out of the quarters. He was dressed for the cold as if ready to be outside for a while. He joined his father. He was carrying three tubes, each with a lanyard.

“But,” he repeated, pulling the lad close, ‘this is my son, Seth, who’s bonkers for whers. “

The boy nodded. “Today, once school let out, I came running to see the wher being cut up,” the boy said. “I even helped pile up the pieces.”

K’ndar couldn’t help but laugh. “I would bet my lunch Mum wasn’t too happy about that.”

“She wasn’t,” Seth offered, “I had to clean up my boots and gloves. Outside. And she said the next time I decide to do something stinky, to just move outside for the rest of the season.”

K’ndar laughed. “Well, our mothers were of the same mind. I can remember my mother said, if I was going to get all stinky, I’d better learn to like living in a tent.”

“Yes,” Marklen said, “Even standing upwind, it was pretty rank.”

He began to get impatient. I would love to be back in my quarters, he thought, I’d love to see the whers in the dark, but it is what it is.

“Well, Marklen, Seth, it’s been a pleasure, I think I’ll write up my reports of the day.” He made to move off, but Marklen held up his hand.

“K’ndar, the reason I stopped you was, well, my boy wants to see the whers feeding, and so do I.”

“I do, really, sir, I’ve been studying them,” the lad said.

“Me, too, but it’s not doable,” K’ndar said.

“It is. Pardon me for anticipating your actions, but I’ve signed out three night vision devices, one for you, me and my boy. And I would like to go NOW. Would you mind?” He handed a monocular to him. K’ndar looked at it with growing excitement.

Mind? Mind? I can write tomorrow, he thought. “Yes, yes, I would love that!”

——————————————————————————————————–

The boy chattered like a river running after a flood. He really is into whers, K’ndar thought, he’s obviously done a lot of studying.

The bolster lights threw their shadows as they made their way to the drop point. But he knew that at the corner where his quarters were, the bolsters stopped. Beyond was inky blackness, only the stars providing light.

“They don’t come in colors, not like dragons, and it’s because they are nocturnal, color isn’t necessary. And when the Ancients came and began using them for guards, someone took their DNA, I don’t know why, but she made a mistake in coding and the whers came out all crippled and blind. It was just that once, I think. And they wouldn’t let them off the chain, not once. That was so sad. Now there’s no whers left on Northern because they couldn’t mate or lay eggs. But now they’re not blind anymore because the wild ones are still here on Southern and no one is messing with their DNA anymore, so they don’t have to worry about being chained up in a dark cave anymore.”

“Seth, Seth. Quiet. “

“But Dad,” the boy protested.

“He’s right, Marklen. Maybe Northern whers had colors, although I doubt it, but our Southerners are primarily dark and drab. And they have excellent eyesight, at least in the daylight.”

I’ll have to research them, he thought. Maybe they’re two different species. That would make sense, the genus having been separated by the ocean for who knows how many years. Millions.

“You sound as if you’re interested in biology, Seth,” K’ndar said.

“I am. But that’s not all, I want to learn everything. But not weaving or sewing. I don’t like that, it’s boring. And…”

“Seth, shh. See how quiet it is? I’m sure you know whers have excellent hearing. We might frighten them off,” his father said.

K’ndar nodded. “That’s true, Seth. They’re afraid of us humans, and if they know we’re watching, they may just run away.”

“No, they’re very brave. We won’t hurt them, they know that.”

“Seth, please. Ssh,” Marklen said.

“Here’s my quarters,” K’ndar said, stopping. “Can you give me a lesson in how to use this marvelous thing before we get to the drop point? There’s no artificial light there,” he said, handling the tube. It was heavier than it appeared.

“It’s easy, sir, “the boy started, “It works really great, it has a power cube so you don’t have to worry about charging it up.” He flourished the device.

“Seth! Be careful with that, don’t drop it. My boss will behead me if I bring it back broken,” Marklen cautioned.

“No, she won’t, she’s nice.”

“Just don’t break it. Understand?”

“Yes, sir,” Seth said, mastering his eagerness. Clearly he thought his father was being a bit too anxious.

“K’ndar, I should have showed you how to operate it in my quarters. It’s far darker here than at my own.”

“No problem, we can use the lights in my dragon bay.”

“You’re a dragonrider? Like Lord Lytol was?” the boy asked.

“I am, and just because his dragon is dead doesn’t mean Lord Lytol isn’t still a dragonrider. How do you think I recovered the speartooth? There’s not a horse on Pern who would let me put that thing on their back, even if one was strong enough to carry one.”

“Your dragon lives in your quarters?” Seth asked. “He goes inside?”

“Of course. All dragons live with their partners. Always.”

Raventh, I have two guests, would you please open the bay door?

Is it that young one who’s been doing all the talking?

He laughed in his head. Yes.

Siskin just dropped down to open it. He likes operating the doors.

I know

“There’s good lighting in the bay,” he said, and snapped his fingers. It would make the boy think he operated it, when in reality, Siskin would open it.

The bay door opened smoothly to reveal Raventh supine on his couch, looking like a great cat. His tail was tucked up alongside his body, the tip just reaching his fore paws. His eyes were an amused light blue.

“Whoa,” Seth said, gobsmacked, but whether it was from the bay door opening or the sight of Raventh, K’ndar couldn’t tell. Siskin hovered over the dragon, then flew up to his shelf near the arched roof.

“Thank you, Siskin,” he called to the blue.

Marklen was astonished at the sight of Raventh. A thrill of fear ran up his spine. It’s enormous, he thought. And it’s just a brown? I hear the bronzes are bigger than browns and the golds bigger yet.

His mouth suddenly dry, he said, “I’m ashamed to say this, K’ndar, but this is the closest I’ve ever been to a dragon.”

It was K’ndar’s turn for surprise. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am. I’m cothold bred, the only time we saw dragons was when they were way up in the sky, flaming Thread.”

“You’ve not even been down to the dragon meadow? It’s right there,” he pointed off into the darkness.

“No, not ever, K’ndar. I stay busy at work.”

“He’s gigantic!” Seth said, feeling suddenly very small and vulnerable. “He’s friendly, right?” he said, hoping for reassurance.

Gigantic is good, yes? Raventh asked.

Yes. It means very very large he said.

I like that

“Of course! Dragons are friendly, they’re very kind, they like humans. Do you want to pet him?”

The boy unconsciously moved closer to his father, who didn’t seem to be all that eager in getting any closer to the dragon.

“Uhhhhh, no thank you.”

“No problem, maybe sometime in the future, when it’s daylight?”

“Uh, okay,” Seth said.

Is he Impressible? he asked Raventh. Searching for a dragon candidate had become a habit.

I don’t hear it in him, so I say no.

“Thank you for the offer, K’ndar, maybe later,” Marklen said, hoping the dragon didn’t sense his fear. Something that big, I don’t know, maybe they’re not friendly to everybody. Maybe if its rider isn’t near it, it might turn on a stranger? But I’ve never heard of such a thing.

To cover his misgivings, he used his own monocular as a teaching aid. “It’s easy squeezey. You press this button, here, to activate it.” He pushed a depression on the side of the black tube. A moment later, a green light turned on and it emitted a short high pitched beep. “This is the eyepiece. Don’t put it right up to your eye, just look through it. We can’t use it here, in the light, but once we get outside, we’ll let our eyes adjust to the dark, and then head out to the speartooth!”

K’ndar nodded.

“Will your dragon come with us? Or that fire lizard up there?” Seth said, not sure if he wanted something that big behind him in the dark.

K’ndar smiled, and turning to Raventh, said, “Raventh, do you want to join us?”

No, me and Siskin are in for the night. Besides, both the humans are afraid of me.

Afraid? That’s stupid, but don’t take it personally. Obviously they know nothing about dragons.

“No problem, then,” K’ndar said, and motioned to the two to exit the bay.

“Did you ask the dragon?” Seth asked.

“Yes, of course, he understands everything we say.”

“What did he say?”

“He said no, he wants to stay home. He’s probably a little tired after carrying that heavy speartooth.”

“I didn’t hear him say anything,” Seth said.

“Seth, didn’t you know that dragons communicate with their minds? It’s called telepathy.”

The boy shook his head. “I heard they talk to their riders, but I thought it was with their mouths.”

Foreboding filled K’ndar’s soul. This generation, even his father! knows little if anything about dragons. We have GOT to start teaching the kids. We can’t have a day when there’s a dozen hatchlings on a hatching sands and no one to Impress them. Maybe we’ll go extinct, like the poor wher on Northern.

I can’t think of anything more dreadful.

The two filed out of the bay and following them, K’ndar reached to turn off the lights and activate the door. “I’ll be back, Raventh, Siskin,” he called out.

___________________________________________________________

Marklen led the way, holding a glow to help them negotiate the way to the drop point. They could see just enough to keep from stumbling over the many rocks near the drop point.

“Can’t we use the devices to navigate?”

“We could, but I think it gives you motion sickness until you get used to it.”

He heard a series of low rumbling growls emanating from the area where he’d dropped the speartooth.

“Dad, I can hear them!”

“Softly, Seth, speak softly. I can, too.”

“This is a good spot, I think,” Marklen said. In the glow, one could see several rocks that were a safe distance from the drop off point.

They sat down. The rocks were cold, K’ndar realized, and rugged. It made him wish he’d brought something to ease the rough spots that made their presence known on his rump.

Seth was the first one to activate his monocular.

“Dad, Dad, look. There’s a bunch of them.”

“Shh,” Marklen said,” be very very quiet.”

K’ndar raised the monocular to just in front of his dominant eye-and was dumbstruck. At first, nothing filled the green hued field of view except for stars. The monocular provided enough light to possibly read a book. The field was grainy and sparkling. He moved the monocular back and forth-and suddenly, the field was filled with a dark mound with regularly spaced bones.The carcass was rapidly being skeletonized by a number of whers.

His heart began to pound, just from the excitement of seeing them.

They were fairly featureless in the field, but their eyes were lit up like tiny fires. He could even see them blink.

“Dad,” Seth whispered, “One has babies. She’s big!”

K’ndar saw the biggest of the whers dominating the carcass. Not far from her, two tiny whers were in a tug-of-war with a long strip of hide. Adult whers were on either side of the carcass, their heads buried in it. One clawed off a limb and carried it off to eat in peace. He stifled the urge to shout “don’t break the bones!” I appreciate that they’re doing a big favor for us, but I don’t want the skeleton damaged, he thought.

Can they hear humans thoughts, like dragons and fire lizards? he asked Raventh.

Two of the whers raised their heads, staring in the direction of the dragon bay, then resumed feeding.

The dragon was silent for a moment. I touched them, but I don’t think you can. I don’t know. Their minds are very different than ours

He could see the fenestrated rib cage arching upwards. It was apparent that they had, as he’d predicted, turned the carcass over to get at the meat.

He could see a few more whers behind the group on the carcass, ones that had secured a meal and taken it away from the scrum to eat in peace. “I count ten,” he said, “and maybe there’s even more farther downwind. “

“I see ten, also,” Marklen said, “by the stars, who would have thought we’d have this many whers so close to Landing?”

Something big swooped over the carcass but didn’t attempt to land.

“What was that? Did you see that big wherry?” Seth asked.

“I’m not sure what it was,” K’ndar said. He’d not seen enough of it to be able to even guess what the beast had been, only that it flew. Night flying wherries? That was new.

He was grateful that it was cold enough to keep the smell down.

“What’s that?” Seth asked.

“What’s what?”

“See, to the side of the skull? There’s an animal, it’s got long legs, it ran past the whers with something in its jaws and now it’s running away.”

K’ndar turned his NVD to that area but saw nothing. But he trusted that the boy wasn’t imagining things. He’s quick with the monocular, he thought. I need to use one of these more often.

“There’s more creatures out here than I would have thought, ” he said, softly. “Animals that we’ve never seen or even knew existed!”

One of the whers approached the female. She rumbled in challenge, and the other rumbled back, raising it’s vestigial wings. He judged the wings to be about the length of his arm. Whers couldn’t fly, and over the generations, the wings had atrophied to mere suggestions.

Or so he’d always assumed.

The large female snarled a threat and raised her wings in response. They lit up with an odd, pulsating, colorless light. The light rippled as it moved along the bone struts, starting at the joint on the wher’s back and moving up to the ends of the wings. The light started out slowly but sped up, faster and faster, until it appeared to be one long stream of flashing light.

“Huh,” K’ndar breathed, amazed.

The smaller wher dropped its wings and backed away. The big female stared at it for long moments. The lights faded, and she tucked her wings next to her spine and resumed feeding.

“I guess we know who’s in charge there, what?” Marklen said.

“Aye, if that wasn’t a dominance display, I don’t know what it was.”

No one had ever mentioned such a display, but then, no one had ever written much about whers other than they were considered stupid, smelly beasts to be chained up. These creatures were exhibiting behaviour unlike anything people knew. His biologist’s soul sang.

“How long does the power in this thing last?” K’ndar asked, in a whisper. He had no desire to leave now.

“I don’t know,” Marklen said, “but I’m certain we’ll find out tonight.”