The work was hot and straining. After her third burrow, Fiona relegated most of the work to the sturdy riders, taking time to divest herself of her wher-hide vest and, later, even of her wher-hide jacket as she labored to support those fighting the burrows.

It was late morning before they had finished. Eleven burrows had been destroyed. Even so, still wary, T’mar left a dozen dragons behind to ride another final sweep.

“You idiot!” Bekka roared as she caught sight of Fiona when the queen landed back at the Weyr Bowl later that day. Bekka squatted and retrieved the vest and jacket that had fallen as Fiona had started to scramble down Talenth’s side.

“What?” Fiona asked, surprised at how sore she felt. Her head felt odd, too.

Bekka ignored her question, pulling on the sleeve of her tunic to drag Fiona down to her height and placing a hand on her forehead quickly.

“Into bed, right now!” Bekka growled, sending the Weyrwoman off to her quarters.

“But Lorana—” Fiona’s protest was cut short.

“Right, tell her she’ll need to move,” Bekka said quickly. “You get into the bath, make it as hot as you can take it, and don’t come out until I get you.”

“I’ve got to use the necessary!” Fiona complained.

“Then the bath, and hot!” Bekka said. Fiona looked at her mulishly. “Do you want to lose the baby?”

Fiona was shocked.

“You’ve got a chill, now get into a bath while I sort things out,” Bekka said, turning to head toward Jeila, ready to perform the same treatment.

Fortunately the other queen rider had remembered to put on her vest and jacket before returning between from the Bitran mountains.

Fiona managed to make it to her quarters without any more fuss even as she realized how her head ached.

“Idiot!” she said to herself as she made her way into her rooms.

“What?” Lorana asked sleepily from the bed where she’d been napping. She glanced more closely at Fiona and sat up. “What is it?”

“I was an idiot and I forgot to put my vest and jacket on when I came back here between,” Fiona said. She started toward the bathroom. “Bekka says I’m to have a hot bath while she figures where to put you.”

“Nonsense,” Lorana said peremptorily. “Come here.”

Fiona grimaced but approached the bed. Lorana lifted a hand to her head, repeated Bekka’s examination and frowned. “Well, you’ve got a fever, there’s no doubt,” Lorana said, her lips pursed tightly. She thought for a moment, then slid farther to the back of the bed. “Get out of your gown and get in here with me.”

“But Bekka—”

“Bekka’s not the only one healer trained,” Lorana said. “Get Talenth to have Shaneese send us some chicken broth and in the meantime, you get in here.”