As M’tal peered down from his perch on Gaminth, he sketched a quick salute to Kindan, calling out, “As you seem to be something of the acting Weyrleader, I thought you might like to know that I’ll be sending J’lantir and his wing to you.” He smiled drolly as he added, “Try not to lose them, will you?”

From the ground, Kindan smiled and waved an acknowledging salute, calling back, “We’ll do all we can!”

Gaminth leaped into the air, beat his wings twice, and was gone between even before he’d cleared the watch heights.

“Show off!” Sonia swore affectionately as she sat astride her Lyrinth alongside D’vin on his bronze Hurth.

“I’d prefer it if he were less flashy,” D’vin said with a frown. M’tal was now the oldest Weyrleader left and the High Reaches Weyrleader could not help feeling a sense of foreboding.

Across the distance of dragonlengths, Sonia shot him a probing look and nodded in silent agreement, her expression shifting to match his.

“Fly well!” Fiona called up to them.

“Don’t be strangers!” Jeila added in agreement, her arm wrapped possessively around H’nez’s lanky waist.

The High Reaches Weyrleaders waved back and then they, too, were gone, between.

“They should have flown to the watch heights first,” H’nez commented sourly.

“They know what they’re doing,” Jeila said in their defense.

“They’re tired, and tired people should never deviate from tradition,” H’nez groused. “Not only that, but we’ll be certain to have those here foolish enough to think they can do the same—and I’ll have to show them otherwise.”

Tullea and B’nik were more careful, particularly as Norik had achieved his ambition of attaching himself as Benden’s harper, and rode clinging to Tullea’s back, talking ingratiatingly to the Weyrwoman. The dour Gadran eyed him critically from his position behind B’nik on Caranth.

“It’s not as though we’ll see Kindan, at least until T’mar has healed fully,” B’nik had allowed when the notion had been proposed to them.

“And he seems a lot more competent than Kindan,” Tullea had agreed, her eyes flashing sharply toward the younger harper. She added venomously to Fiona, “Not that I’m sure you didn’t get the better of the bargain, my dear.”

“Two for one, and both the most famous on Pern?” Fiona purred in response. “I cannot thank you enough.”

“Of that I’m certain,” Tullea rejoined, not willing to let the exchange go in Fiona’s favor.

Fiona merely nodded, lips pursed tightly, in response.

Cisca and K’lior were the last to leave and they left reluctantly, clearly tempted by the offer of a warm meal.

“We’ve much to do ourselves,” K’lior said by way of apology, as he and Cisca headed out the archway of the Kitchen Cavern and into the Weyr Bowl.