“Rest,” Bekka ordered, jerking a thumb toward Fiona’s quarters. She glanced up. “It’s too hot to argue out here and we’ll need our strength for later.”

“Come on, Fiona, I’ll get you settled in,” Terin told her kindly. “You’ve been going nonstop since you woke up this morning, don’t think we haven’t noticed.”

“Do you really want to be in bed with that fever for another four days?” Bekka asked menacingly, her arms on her hips.

“Sometimes,” Fiona said phlegmatically as she allowed Terin to escort her away, “I think it was a mistake to let Bekka come back here.”

“Only sometimes,” Terin said, smiling. “But that’s just a sign that you’re still feverish, you know.”

Fretfully, Fiona allowed herself to be settled in to her quarters, but she stoutly refused to get into her bed.

“I’ll sit here with Talenth,” she said with a pout. “You can bring me some blankets.”

“I’ll bring you a chair,” Terin said. “You can’t get comfortable on all that stone and dirt, not if you’re going to sleep by yourself.”

“I can’t sleep by myself,” Fiona said. “I can never sleep by myself.”

Despite her words, propped up in a comfortable chair with cushions cheerfully plumped up by Terin, Fiona found herself dozing as the heat of the midday sun warmed the Weyr and the susurrus of Talenth’s steady breathing seemed to lull her into a daze.

She reached out with her mind, hazily, toward Lorana and felt a comforting, humorous response; not quite a rebuff but a gentle pushing away, kind and amused. She heard Kindan’s voice in the distance and opened her eyes long enough to pick him out of the group of weyrlings busily bagging more firestone and stacking it in readiness for the reserve Wing.

Soon, she thought. The Wings would meet Thread, be joined by the High Reaches riders, and the battle would commence.

It was odd, she mused; once before High Reaches had come to Telgar’s aid. Only then—and a chill ran through her—there were no Telgar dragons to fly with. Her eyes snapped open in fright at the thought and she reached out desperately for T’mar, for Zirenth—she couldn’t find them!

They’re fine! Lorana’s voice came to her quickly, soothingly. They’ve just come out of between.

Chagrined, Fiona felt her cheeks burn with shame and sent an apology toward Lorana. The older woman certainly didn’t need such reminders of the grim past.