Chapters (33)
- Other Books by this Author
- Title Page
- Dedication
- Acknowledgments
- For Readers New to Pern
- Chronology of the Second Interval/Third Pass
- Fort Weyr, AL 508.2.2
- Fort Weyr, AL 508.2.5
- Fort Weyr, AL 508.2.6
- Fort Weyr, early morning, AL 508.2.7
- Fort Weyr, later, AL 508.2.8
- Telgar Weyr, later, AL 508.2.8
- Telgar Weyr, early morning, AL 508.2.9
- Telgar Weyr, late evening, AL 508.2.9
- Telgar Weyr, early morning, AL 508.2.10
- Telgar Weyr, later, AL 508.2.10
- Telgar Weyr, late evening, AL 508.2.10
- Telgar Weyr, Threadfall, AL 508.2.11
- Telgar Weyr, morning, AL 508.2.13
- Telgar Weyr, morning, AL 508.2.15
- Telgar Weyr, next morning, AL 508.2.16
- Telgar Weyr, morning, AL 508.4.15
- Ista Weyr, afternoon, AL 508.5.5
- Keroon Threadfall, morning, AL 508.5.21
- Telgar Weyr, evening, AL 508.5.26
- Telgar Weyr, early morning, AL 508.6.19
- Telgar Weyr, evening, AL 508.6.25
- Telgar Weyr, morning, AL 508.6.28
- Telgar Weyr, early evening, AL 508.7.17
- Fort Weyr, second hour, AL 507.11.18,
- Telgar Weyr, evening, AL 508.7.21
- About the Author
- Copyright
Mourn and grieve,
Wail and cry.
Remember those
Who no more fly.
Telgar Weyr, later, AL 508.2.8
“There must be some mistake,” Terin said as she eyed the envelope suspiciously.
“Or perhaps Mother Karina hoped that we would bring it to her,” Fiona suggested. She looked at Shaneese. “Would you keep this for us?”
Shaneese shook her head. “No, I was told to give it to you as soon as I knew.”
“How did you know?”
“The time was right,” Shaneese said with a shrug. She nodded toward the two envelopes. “Besides, I was clearly right. They had your names on them.”
There was no arguing with that. Shaneese stood, silent, for a moment longer before she shook herself back into action.
“You’ll be needing a place to store that,” she said, nodding toward the box. “And you’ll be needing your quarters, too, Weyrwoman.”
Fiona shook her head, not up to the task of cleaning out the old Weyrwoman’s quarters, but Shaneese ignored her. She called out the names of two women who bustled over immediately and told them, “Weyrwoman Fiona needs to have quarters.”
“I’ll go with them,” Terin said after a quick glance to Shaneese.
“You’ll do nothing of the sort,” Shaneese told her. “You stay here and see to the cooking.” She motioned for Fiona to precede her. “The Weyrwoman and I can manage well enough, I’m sure.”
Fiona gave Terin a rueful look and shook her head in resignation.
“She’s like her gran,” Terin murmured as she motioned for Fiona to go. “All bustle and no talk.”
Shaneese snorted a laugh and turned back to Terin with a happy gleam in her eyes. “Child, that’s the first time I’ve laughed this day!”
Outside, as they crossed the Weyr Bowl, Shaneese told Fiona reflectively, “Weyrwoman Lina was a gentle woman.” She shook her head. “I never understood quite why her Garoth let D’gan’s Kaloth fly her so often.”
“Sometimes what is good for the Weyr is not what is expected,” Fiona remarked.
Shaneese nodded in agreement. “This is a sad day,” she said. “But it’s best if we get it—and our grieving—done with at once.”
“What of those who shared quarters?”
Shaneese shook her head. “That’s a different thing.” She frowned. “Today what we can do is start things fresh, with a new Weyrwoman, her new quarters, and proper grieving.” She paused, gesturing for the two women to precede them before adding, “As time goes on, we’ll make adjustments in who lives where.”
Shaneese held Fiona up until one of the women came out of the weyr again carrying a bundle wrapped in sheets.
“Make sure you bring back new sheets,” Shaneese ordered. The other woman nodded and hurried along. Shaneese gestured to Fiona, “I think we can go in now.”