“His name is Tazith!” Xhinna shouted, turning her head back so that her words could echo strongly across the sands.

“Good, blue rider,” Fiona said, grinning at her friend. “Now let’s get him out of this shell.”

“No, you’re not!” Fiona declared firmly. She glanced from Lorana toward Kindan. “I completely understand your desire, Kindan, but Lorana will stay here. She needs her rest and you aren’t going to be getting any for the first fortnight at the least, probably the first two months.”

“Well, you’re too small to keep her warm,” Kindan returned hotly. “And who’s going to help her sore back?”

“T’mar,” Fiona told him simply. She raised a hand imperiously as both partners drew breath for hot retorts. “He’s large enough to keep us both warm and he’s got good hands—” a smile flicked across her face “—I can assure you.”

Kindan gave her a mulish look and opened his mouth to argue, but she beat him to it. “It’s settled, Weyrlingmaster.”

From his look, however, it was clear that it was not settled and Fiona’s choice of title was inappropriate. She held up both hands placatingly. “T’mar’s honorable, Kindan,” she told him in a softer tone. “Let him honor Lorana and help your child grow in a calm environment.”

Kindan snorted, his eyebrows twitching with humor. “If I was hoping for a calm environment, I couldn’t imagine you as part of it.”

Fiona gave him a hurt look which was compounded by defensive noises from Lorana.

“All right, all right!” Kindan declared, raising his own hands in capitulation. “I’ll grant that T’mar is honorable and that my place is with the weyrlings although, to be honest, with Xhinna on hand, I’m not at all certain that they’ve any need of me.”

“Xhinna is good with children, not dragonets.”

“But still,” and Kindan raised a hand to indicate that he hadn’t finished making his point, “I don’t see why Jeila couldn’t stay with you, after all—”

“She’s smaller than I am, Kindan,” Fiona said, stamping a foot impatiently.

“And she’ll soon need all the cosseting she can get.” Fiona regretted her choice of words and went on quickly to cover her gaffe. “Tolarth’s clutch will hatch next week, after all.” Kindan gave her a dubious look.

“It’s too early to say for certain,” Fiona told him, remembering that “nothing is ever kept long from a harper’s hearing” and guessing that he’d already heard rumors of Jeila’s pregnancy.

“Even so,” Fiona persisted, “Lorana’s going to need strong arms to help her up morning and evening.”

“And while we both expect and hope those arms will be yours,” Lorana added smoothly, “I think we all have to recognize that you might not always be available.”

“This is my child we’re talking about,” Kindan said, still not entirely pleased.