“Dragonriders are healthier than most,” Tintoval mused. “The women are better-fed in the Weyr, too, so they also have a better chance of surviving childbirth. So it’s to a woman’s advantage to stay in the Weyr instead of leaving.”

“And we’ll never run out of work!” Terin exclaimed.

“So,” Tintoval wondered, “are there any spare children we could draft to help us?”

“Ellor would know,” Terin said. “But I can think of at least three by myself.”

“Three would be a start,” Tintoval allowed. “But we’ve fifty-seven sick and injured, I’d much prefer a dozen or more.”

“Too many and you’d never train them,” Fiona warned.

“Train some and have them train the rest,” Terin suggested, glancing at Fiona challengingly.

Fiona grinned and said to Tintoval, “And that’s why I made her headwoman!”

When they approached Cisca that evening at dinner with the suggestion, the Weyrwoman mused, “I wonder why we didn’t think of that before?”

“Perhaps you did,” Fiona said. “But you’ve had a lot of distractions since then, whereas I”—she gestured ruefully at herself—“have had almost three Turns now of dealing with injured dragons.”

As she spoke, she realized once again that she was nearly eye level with the Weyrwoman. Cisca had little more than nineteen Turns of age; Fiona was less than three Turns younger than her now. And, in dealing with the sick, at least, she had at least a full Turn’s greater experience. It was strange and difficult to remember: She was still the junior Weyrwoman, but the difference in age and experience had been nearly erased.

K’lior nodded thoughtfully. “And we haven’t had a healer for so long, there was no one to do the training.”

“We’ve all those helpers when we fight Fall,” Cisca remarked, sounding perplexed. She glanced tellingly at Fiona who, after all, with Tannaz had borne the primary responsibility for dealing with the sick and injured. “Why didn’t we think to use them to help afterward?”

Ellor, who had been checking on the table, heard the exchange and stepped in. “Because too many of them have regular duties during the day. We use them for first aid during the Fall, but afterward we need them elsewhere.”

“How many are clothesmakers?” Tintoval wondered. “Is that why they’re so good with sutures?”

“Some are tanners and good with awls,” Ellor replied. “And others are midwives—”

“I should have thought of them first!” Tintoval exclaimed. To Ellor she said, “Please be sure to send them to me.” When she saw the headwoman’s alarmed look, she added hastily, “I want to talk with them about midwifery.”

“Don’t they teach that at the Healer Hall?” Ellor wondered in surprise.