“Well, you’ll get it tonight,” Fiona said, her tone grumpy. Her worry for Kindan and Lorana increased with each passing moment.

J’lantir frowned and looked over at H’nez. “This is going to be a difficult Fall, even with the aid.”

“How so, sir?” H’nez asked. Fiona was surprised to hear the amount of respect in the usually self-possessed bronze rider and leaned forward to better hear J’lantir’s answer.

“We’ll be flying into the setting sun,” J’lantir said. “It may make it much harder to spot Thread.”

“It could also light it up,” H’nez countered.

“Or both,” Fiona said. She turned to J’lantir. “I see your point. With such conditions a rider could get too self-assured, especially with the falling chill of night to dull the senses.”

“Indeed,” J’lantir said. “And I’m concerned that it may not be dark enough for the watch-whers to use their abilities.”

“Or even to fly,” H’nez said, his face set in a grim frown.

“What can we do, then?” Fiona asked, feeling more desperate than before.

“Fly Thread,” H’nez answered simply.

“Hope for the best,” J’lantir said in agreement. He took a long sip of his klah and toyed with the eggs on his plate before saying to H’nez, “If anything happens to me, you lead.”

“Yes sir,” H’nez said and for once Fiona could tell that the bronze rider held no joy in the thought of leading the Weyr.

“You’ve done a good job,” Fiona said as she inspected the set of the riding straps on Zirenth’s neck and shoulder. “You’ve room enough for four sacks of firestone and yet you’ll all be secure in your mount.”

Kindan nodded. “I should, for all the times I’ve been made to inspect weyrlings.”

“Just part of your training, love,” Lorana assured him with a smile that she extended with a nod toward Fiona. Fiona answered it with the same look, causing Kindan to mutter, “You’d think you’ve got my egg all picked out.”

“I haven’t,” Fiona said, her eyes dancing as she jerked a hand toward her weyr and the sleeping Talenth, “she has.”

Kindan snorted in amusement, a sound that died quickly as he began his climb up to his place on the great bronze dragon’s neck. He reached a hand down to Lorana, who climbed quickly to her place behind him, leaving the rearmost position for Nuella.

“Don’t hurt my dragon!” T’mar bellowed from his bed, forcing good cheer into his voice.

“We’ll do our best,” Kindan called back in promise.

“Fly safe,” Fiona said, looking up at the pair of them. “I need you back.”