Chap. 354 Dinner at Lizard’s

“You too?” Lizard said.

K’ndar laughed, feeling his nerves untangle after overhearing his neighbor’s row. “Yes.” He didn’t say he knew that Francie would be coming.

“Francie beat you by just a few minutes. Did you plan on coming with her?”

Motanith was in the front meadow, talking with Raventh. Kelso and Siskin had joined Batu and Machli. Her trio were roosting on Motanith’s neck, their eyes all a whirling, unhappy orange.

“Um, no. She left a little before I did. We didn’t plan it.”

“Francie brought me enough food for a week.” He laughed. I’m tired, he thought, but I’m touched that these two people took time out to bring me something to eat.

“I brought fresh bubbly pies. AND beer.”

Lizard laughed. “Ah. Sweets and alcohol. I’m not much a drinker but the beer will go down just perfectly tonight.” He rubbed his head, glad that the pain was subsiding. “I wonder how long it will take the raiders to find out their cargo is a barrel of beer?”

“I’m sure they’re not happy about it. Oh, that was just so clever, Lizard. It sounds like a story rather than truth. I wonder if Toric’s men caught them.”

“I rather doubt it, K’ndar. I’d be surprised if the two survivors weren’t mere hirelings rather than conspirators. Being locals, they probably know this country like the insides of their eyelids. If it were me, I’d be heading south, into the badlands. They go for a thousand kilometers.”

Lizard wriggled his shoulders. Already this bandage was beginning to itch.

“Francie acted as if something was on her mind when she first got here. Her fire lizards were all in a lather,” Lizard said. “Any idea what went down?”

Francie was in the back meadow, but K’ndar knew better than to assume he wouldn’t be heard.

Her jerked his head towards them, conveying the need to keep them from overhearing him.

“She and her husband had an argument. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard them fight,” he said, in a low tone he hoped only Lizard could hear.

“Not over her coming here, was it?” Lizard asked.

K’ndar was torn. I don’t like to gossip and yet I don’t want Lizard to ask her.

Lizard saw it.

“Uh huh,” the trader grunted. “Understood. Well, I hope she doesn’t stay here long, I don’t want to be the cause of a breakup.”

K’ndar shook his head. “I wouldn’t say a word. Raylan knows she’s here, he knows I’m here. He made me angry, too, wanting to know where I was going, it felt as if he was trying to talk me out of it.”

“Or wanting to come after her, either to continue the fight or to apologize. Either way, I’m glad he didn’t.”

He shook his head. “Women,” Lizard said, remembering Vixen’s mother’s issues with her husband..and him. “When people fight, you must leave it to them to work it out. In many ways, I’m glad I’m still single.”

“ME TOO,” K’ndar said, wholeheartedly.

They moved to the back meadow.

Francie had discovered the sideboard on Lizard’s caravan was large enough to accept her pot and dishes. My stars, this caravan has just about anything you could need to live rough all year long, she thought. If it weren’t for my beloved Motanith, I could see living like this. Me, my fire lizards, and a team of horses. And Donal, a horse of a lifetime and Lizard is why I have him. This is such a lovely spot here.

Not Raylan? Motanith interjected.

Oh, yes. And Raylan. No, I can’t leave him. I love him too much. This sort of life is just an idle what if. I bet I wouldn’t like it after it’d been raining for weeks.

She opened the latched stew pot. Ah, she thought, I packed it perfectly. It slopped a little, but that’s okay, the lid didn’t budge.

She suddenly remembered that Raylan had made it for her, after two tries of working with metal, and that he’d designed it after seeing a drawing of a similar design on the computer.

She sighed. Men.

I tried to land as gently as I could, but the load was unbalanced Motanith said.

Why didn’t you say so?

For the first time in their lives together, she heard a strange timidity in her green’s voice. What have I done?

I’m not mad, please. You should have said something.

You were angry. Your mind was thunder and lightning. I didn’t want you to get any more angry. I was able to correct for the unbalance.

I’m sorry. I’m not angry at you. I will never ever be angry with you. I would never hurt you.

I know. Please don’t fight with your mate anymore. Only now are the fire lizards calming down. They’re here with me, not with the other lizards. The bronze is afraid.

Not the greens?

Motanith laughed. No. Green or gold, we know all males need a bite on the tail now and then.

Francie laughed despite her inner turmoil. How many times have I seen a mare kick the daylights out of male, just to keep him in his place?

Even so, Raylan isn’t a horse. Or even a dragon. I just blew up, it was such an odd day, with that woman calling then, then coming out here to help Lizard, and then Raylan acting as if I were up to no good. I am emotionally exhausted.

He didn’t have that coming. That horrid woman certainly did and I’m so glad I told her where she could stuff her bloated sense of self importance. Do I know who she is. I sure in shaff do.

She pinged her trio. They came to her, chittering.

“It’s okay, gang, I’m not angry anymore.” Coora, always her pet, chittered softly, curled his tail around her neck, wanting reassurance. The greens, didn’t give a rip, as Motanith had noted. She stroked the bronze’s finely chiseled head. His eyes changed color from orange to green and then blue. How like a cat you are, my Coora.

She forced herself to project calmness. “I am good now. No more fighting. Why don’t you go play with the others?” They chittered and flew off to join the other fire lizards.

She opened the pot and was hit by the scent of her Fabulous Beef Stew, Raylan’s favorite.

It helped settle her nerves. I shouldn’t have shouted like that, she thought, but Raylan made me feel as if I’m running off for some intimate little dinner with Lizard. I have never cheated and never will, but damn why is he like that? It makes me angry that he doesn’t seem to see that everyone at Landing considers me as nothing more than a dragonrider with nothing to do but give them free transport. Dinner party my arse.

Stop. Get off this treadmill, Francie, she told herself. When you get home, apologize.

Crunch crowded Francie’s legs, moaning in anticipation of sharing the meal. She moved them aside, and he took it as an invitation to press even harder.

When a dog the size of a small pony pushes, you move.

“You, off with you, doggo!”

Crunch whined and gave her his sad puppy face. You don’t mean ME, do you? I’m just a poor starving doggy.

Francie bit her lip to keep from laughing. Dog, you’re as smart as a kid. If you could pout, you would be, you phony.

“Lizard, call this dog from me.”

“Um, you ARE cooking on his caravan, you know.”

“I know, and I have a meaty bone for him, but I just pulled it out of the stew and it’s much too hot to give to him right now.”

Lizard snapped his fingers.

Crunch immediately turned and trotted to Lizard’s left side.

“Sir, you have the touch. I’ve never seen animals respond like they do to you,” K’ndar said.

“It’s called empathy, K’ndar. And don’t short yourself. You have it in aces, yourself. Even my fire lizards know it. Who did they go to for help? Did they go to find Sandriss? They know he has no dragon. No. They went looking for you because they knew where you and Raventh are. They know all about instantaneous travel. Batu knew I needed help right now.”

“That took intelligence. You’re right. Batu wasn’t going to take no for an answer.”

Raventh and Motanith bugled a welcome.

They looked up and between the tree canopy, saw B’rost on Rath circling overhead.

The blue dragon was carrying a saddle in his front paws

“THERE you are! Permission to land, Cotholder Lizard?”

“Cotholder? ME?”

K’ndar laughed. “That’s just B’rost being B’rost. No matter what you say, he’ll turn it into a joke. I’ll wave him off to the front meadow,” K’ndar said, his heart swelling. B’rost. What a strange fellow you can be. Some days I want to throttle you when you’ve worn my patience to a frazzle. But you’ve become such a good friend, he thought. And there’s no one more ready to charge headfirst into any fray.

He went through the passageway to meet the blue rider.

At Rath’s feet was a saddle. “Where’d you get the saddle?” K’ndar asked, unbuckling the bundle from behind B’rost.

“Thank you, Rath,” B’rost said for the dragon’s offered knee. “We overshot when we came out of between. We came out a few kilometers east of here. This saddle was on the brim of a gully, with a human skeleton in the bottom. It’s fresh and picked fairly clean except for the clothing. The crawlers were everywhere on it, picking off the last bits. Plus there’s another human skeleton, same condition, further east., just off the trail. Both were surrounded by scavengers so stuffed they couldn’t fly.”

“Pern’s sanitary engineers,” K’ndar said. One of these days I’ll have to watch a mob of them cleaning a carcass. Right. Just another addition to a constantly growing lists of ‘what I want to learn’.

Rath waddled off to join Raventh and Motanith.

B’rost picked up the bundle. “Any bets the skeletons were connected with the attack on Lizard?”

K’ndar shrugged. “The only bet I ever made was on a horse, who, I have to admit, paid off very well. That was just beginner’s luck. My mum used to say you only get so much luck in life, don’t waste it on frivolous things.”

B’rost grinned. “Your mum was wise.”

“What’ll you do with the saddle?” he asked, “It’s a good one.”

“Give it to Lizard. I don’t have any use for it, and I can’t see it just rotting away in the rain. Will you take it into the back meadow? I’ve got my hands full with the bundle.”

K’ndar nodded, picked up the saddle and led the way to what he was beginning to think of as “Lizard’s Meadow.”

“Whoa,” he said, “This place is beautiful! And it looks like I’m late to the party.”

He saw Francie next to the caravan. He could smell her cooking, so he carefully put down his bundle near her.

“You’re not late, B’rost. I was so glad you were here today. I didn’t know what to do for Lizard other than basic Basic aid,” Francie said.

“I am, too,” Lizard said. “Thank you for all your healing talents this morning,” Lizard said.

“It was my pleasure, sir,” he said. “I’ve brought you some fresh bread, a jar of jam from Healer Hall’s pantry, and some eggs for your breakfast. I thought you might have problems cooking.”

“Uh, I’m going to need help eating all this,” the trader said. “I hope all of you are planning on staying for dinner?”

“I NEVER turn down a meal,” B’rost said,” patting his belly, “Especially one cooked by Francie. All Pern knows there is no better cook.”

“Oh, you,” she said, pretending to swat him with a serving spoon.”Okay, folks. Five more minutes and it’s dinner time. The stew needs to cool down just a wee bit. onger. B’rost, please, hand me that bread, I’ll cut it up while the stew is cooling.”

“I’m also here to apply some smanda gel to that wound, Lizard. I don’t want it to get infected. I still think you should have it sewn up. But I understand why you don’t want to leave. And I must tell you, Lizard, that my healer work isn’t free,” B’rost said.

“Uh…it’s not?”

B’rost laughed, then turned serious.

“Not monetary. I want to know, in detail, what in the name of Pern happened today?”

“Yes,” K’ndar said, “I would, too.” I don’t know how much I should admit knowing, now that I know that Vixen told Francie ‘everything’.

Lizard looked at the repast being spread out, for him. “How about after we eat first? I AM a bit peckish.”

“I want to dress that wound even before that. It won’t take but a few minutes.”

Lizard shrugged, and took his jacket off. He was still bare chested beneath it. He didn’t want to admit that at the moment, the shirt Seven had cut off him was the last clean one he’d had-and now it was bloody as well as cut up.

B’rost removed the bandage, smelled it, then carefully cleaned around the wound and applied smanda gel. “Yes. Good. It’s going to hurt for a couple of days, I want you to keep it clean. And take it easy. If anything should go bad, you have Batu call Rath, and I’ll come down here to help. Okay?”

Lizard was amused by the change in the young man. One minute, B’rost, you’re a carefree, happy go lucky dragonrider, and the next you’re issuing medical advice and orders as if you were Pern’s Master Healer.

“Yes, Healer.”

“And now,” B’rost returned to his bundle.

He pulled out a very well made shirt.He looked at Lizard with a calculating eye, then said, “Your shirt was destroyed this morning by my apprentice. I want to compensate you for that.” He handed it to the man.

Lizard reached for it, obviously having trouble reaching with his left arm. He turned it back to front. Then he looked at B’rost.

“Nonsense. I’d planned on mending my shirt, and I have another that right now needs laundering.”

Francie came over to look at it. “Oh, my. That’s well made. Wow. B’rost, did you make this?”

“Me? I can’t sew a button,” B’rost admitted.

“NO! A healer that can’t sew?” Lizard gasped, touching his bandaged shoulder.

B’rost dissolved in gales of laughter.The others giggled, but it was with just the slightest bit of apprehension.

“No, I meant sew a button on a shirt! And I can sew, everyone on Pern knows how to sew. It’s just that, I’m better at stitching skin than fabric. I didn’t make the shirt. A VERY talented seamster did, and he sent it to you with his apologies for ruining yours.”

For several moments, the others pondered that information.

Francie unpuzzled it first. “Seven?”

“Aye. Before he applied to Healer Hall, he wandered Northern, applying at Holds and Crafthalls, looking for a way to stay fed and housed. His family turned him out for, um, being an arsehole. He’s a seamster, from a Northern tweaver’s crafthall.”

“Try it on,” Francie said. She helped Lizard run his arms into the sleeves. “My word, but he’s talented. It fits you, Lizard. And just look at these stitches!”

“Yes. I’ve done a lot of thinking in a very short amount of time about Seven and…”

She held up her hand. “It’s your personal business, B’rost, and none of us want to hear it. Okay? Just-if you’re happy with him, carry on.” I’m lying, she thought, I couldn’t see anything but an ambitious, unprincipled man taking advantage of a lonely young man with a dragon. But if I were to tell you to leave him, it would most likely end up you staying on with him. Hormones. They make us make stupid decisions that we end up regretting later in life.

No, you are right. Rath does not like that human Motanith said. He is not to be trusted.

K’ndar thought, Francie, you were willing to let me hear your argument with your husband. The more I think of it, the more I believe that was done intentionally. There are times I don’t understand females.

“Um…well, uh, I can explain. It took this morning to show me who he truly was. Is. So we’ve parted ways. My Master wanted to send him back to his home crafthall.

She called us into her office, which is scary enough. I told her everything and had the datalink recording to back me up. Then she asked him for his take on it, and he didn’t so much lie as to make it sound not as bad as it was.

But she’s not the Master Healer of Pern for nothing. She said, ‘if you’re repulsed by a something as easily managed as a knife slash, what will you do when a woman’s baby has died in her womb and you need to get it out of her before it kills her? How would you do that? Think, Seven. It requires cutting.”

Oh, he went green at that. To be honest, so did I, but I can manage my stomach.

So he admitted that he wasn’t Healer material, but please, let him stay because he was a seamster. He showed her some of his work-this shirt, for instance. Even I had no idea how good he is! And Healer Hall always need fabric and the people to work it, for all sorts of things. So she relented but put him on probation.

I tell you, when she looks at you with that expression, you want to shrink down into your boots. ‘I don’t like people who manipulate others for their own ends’, she said, and ‘that’s what I see with you taking up with B’rost.’ That’s when it finally became crystal clear to me why he chose me. ‘We have need of your obvious talent,’ she said. ‘If you leave my staff alone you may stay, but if I get so much as a hint of a complaint of pressure on the lowest scullery lad, you’re out.”

Francie said, “B’rost, I’m sorry you were taken advantage of. When we love someone and find they have ulterior motives, it’s hard to believe we we were fooled.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” B’rost said, grinning. “I’m just relieved that I have my quarters to myself again. I can put my things back on the shelf rather than hiding them because he said they were ‘childish’. I don’t care if he thinks they’re childish, they’re mine and I like them. Now I have ME all to myself! Being with him as a partner was nice for a while until I found myself constantly being corrected and criticized. Living with him as a partner became a job, one I didn’t like.”

I have you to myself, too Rath said.

“He didn’t resist? Or complain?”

“Oh, nooooo,” B’rost said, chuckling. “The Master Healer has this ability to see right through a lie. Right past the bones. She’s fair and willing to listen, but when it comes to “her healers’, or the reputation of the Hall, she’s merciless. She won’t budge a centimeter.”

He felt a thrill of pride. I belong there. I made it through the grueling training on my own. I’m trusted there. It’s an honor to be there. It’s like being the member of a fighting wing of dragonriders, only better.

“Anyway, Lizard, Francie, K’ndar, he asked me to tell you that he apologizes for his being an arse, and would you please forgive him, Lizard, and accept this shirt as a token of his esteem.”

“It IS a nice shirt, and it fits. Tell him thank you, and I accept his apology,” Lizard said. “Now then, as you all brought something to eat, shall we?”

Crunch woofed. It said, clearly, “That bone is cool, now.”

They laughed.