| Impression! |
| Killaria could barely Stand still. The Squareline’s fate still unknown, the Dockmaster waiting to catch her as soon as this crazy business was done, and Garez, for reasons unknown, Standing as well. She hadn’t even gotten to talk to her loyal second mate--scarcely had he been brought in then the dragons had started to hum. She’d only been here a day and a half, and was still so frazzled that she didn’t know what to hope for. It was just as well, the Captain thought with a trace of amusement, as she didn’t have much choice either way. She watched the Hatchlings slip by, fascinated by the difference between them. Dragons, in her mind’s eye, were very much the same, but these had personalities from the moment they cracked shell. Garez was claimed by a stocky, muscular brown that could have been sculpted after him, and she smiled, a trifle sadly. Where on Pern am I going to get such a second mate again? The crew’ll go to rack and ruin without him. Still, she could see it in his eyes that he was actually happy, happy with his rough-and-ready Nowyrth. She knew she missed a few hatchings while she was staring, but she hadn’t realized how many until she looked around at the Sands. Five hatchlings out so far--ten eggs left! As if propelled by her astonishment, a smooth egg rolled over, and then split. A blue like the morning’s first light on the ocean slipped forth and began to examine the candidates. The beauty of him, and the way he walked--not proud, but in control, easily commanding--drew her with such force that Killaria felt she must do something. "I believe you’re looking for me," she said, greatly daring, and the blue whirled around, meeting her eyes with approval. <<I am Liosliath,>> her lifemate bespoke her firmly. <<You are Killaria?>> Her smile grew as wide as the sky. As soon as she slipped off the Sands with Liosliath, Garez--G'zon, she reminded herself firmly--stepped up to her with a silent congratulations. Before he could say a word, the Dockmaster came swaggering up through the rain, looking distinctly uncomfortable. “Captain Killaria, I apologize on behalf of your Craft. Second mate and weyrling G’zon did some investigating after you left, and found out who sabotaged you. Canharian and your cabin boy have been apprehended, and the ship turned over to acting Captain Jandeci. We’d also like to know what you’d like us to do with your ship, since everyone in the chain of command is unavailable.” Liosliath’s hunger dwindling down to unimportance, Killaria stared, feeling as if she’d just been sucker-punched. The joy of Impressing and the relief of knowing she was no longer considered guilty was well-dampened by the fact that Canharian, who she’d known since she was a babe, had betrayed her so. <<It is not important, Killaria,>> Liosliath said impatiently, and she acquiesced. “Ah, Jandeci deserves the rank, Dockmaster. Let her be. Now, if you will excuse me, I’ve a higher authority demanding that I take out the reefs in the new life. Do you know the way, Lios?“ <<If I don’t, I’m certainly not letting on.>> |
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| To Ryslen Weyr |
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| To the old Killaria |