“I’ve always thought that referred to the time when a queen could rise again,” Fiona said quietly, not surprised to feel heat rising from her cheeks.

“It seems out of place, though, doesn’t it?” T’mar persisted. “Why bring that up when the rest of the verse is about eggs and Impression?”

Kindan thought it over and nodded. “I hadn’t really thought on it too much, as no one’s ever questioned it before.”

“It all seemed to make sense,” T’mar said. “And,” he added with an apologetic grin, “we’re all used to the way harpers take license with the truth.”

“Anything to keep a rhyme,” Fiona said with a sardonic look at Kindan.

“But what else could it mean?” Lorana asked, recalling her own memories of Arith. “Unless that it refers to the time a weyrling can fly.”

“Perhaps,” T’mar said, not sounding convinced. He dismissed the matter with a wave of his hand, saying, “Well, I was just wondering. It’s not something that should concern us at the moment.”

“Nor should thick shells,” Fiona asserted, “especially when we’ve only the one clutch—and Talenth’s first, at that—to gauge by.”

“If Tolarth’s clutch is the same, then we’ll have to reconsider,” T’mar said.

“In the meantime,” Fiona said, “what are you going to do about the next Fall?”

T’mar’s face darkened and he shook his head.

“Fort’s the strongest, they could loan us a Wing,” Fiona suggested.

“They’ve less than five Wings.”

“And we have little more than two,” Fiona said. She cocked her head at him consideringly. “You’re not thinking of timing it with just two Wings, are you?”

“It may come to that.”

“But not now!”

“It might be better to find out now, rather than later,” T’mar said.

“Only if you’ve got support arranged beforehand,” Fiona retorted quickly. She gave him another suspicious look, then declared, “You’ve talked with K’lior!”

“I have,” T’mar admitted, nodding. “I’ve discussed it with H’nez as well.”

“So that explains the strange looks he was giving you this evening!”

“Partly,” T’mar said. Fiona eyed him again and shook her head in exasperated admiration, saying, “He had some suggestions regarding our casualties, did he?”

T’mar’s expression betrayed him and Fiona’s temper flared up and she shouted, “As if he could do any better!”

T’mar raised a hand in a calming gesture but it was pointless.

“Telgar’s going to take more casualties than the other Weyrs because Telgar is fighting over a greater area than the other Weyrs.”

“Not that much,” T’mar said.

“Enough,” Fiona said, glancing at Kindan for agreement. Reluctant to be drawn into the argument, Kindan cleared his throat before saying, “Telgar and Benden tie at six Falls each cycle for the greatest number of Falls.”

“Things would be different if Igen were flying.”