Free Dragonriders of Pern 6 - Dragondrums by Anne McCaffrey

Piemur could hear the sneer in the journeyman’s voice. He took a deep breath and continued to gather his things.

    “In point of fact,” and now Menolly sounded puzzled, “he’s not been talkative at all, apart from commenting on the weather and the condition of my fire lizards. Should he have reason to bleat, Dirzan?”

    Piemur half-ran back into the room, to forestall any explanation by the journeyman. This opportunity was playing beautifully into his hands.

    “I’m ready to go, Menolly.”

    “Yes, and we have to move fast.” It was obvious to Piemur that Menolly had wanted to hear Dirzan’s reply. “I’ll be back to you on this, Dirzan. C’mon, Piemur!”

    She led the way down the steps at a clatter, and only when they had passed the first landing did she turn to him.

    “What have you been up to, Piemur?”

    “I haven’t been up to anything,” he replied with such vehemence that Menolly grinned at him. “That’s the trouble.”

    “Your reputation’s caught up with you?”

    “More than that. It’s being used against me.” As much as Piemur wanted to expand, the less he said, he decided, even to Menolly, the stronger his position.

    “The other apprentices against you? Yes, I saw their expressions. What did you do to set them so?”

    “Learned drum measures too fast is all I can think of.”

    “You sure?”

    “I’m bloody sure, Menolly. D’you think I’d do anything to get in the Masterharper’s bad record?”

    “No,” she said thoughtfully as they skipped down the last flight. “No, you wouldn’t. Look, we’ll sort it out when we come back. There’s a Gather today at Igen Hold. Sebell and I are to be there as harpers, but Master Robinton wants you to play scruffy boy apprentice.”

    “Can I ask why?” Piemur delivered the question on the end of a long suffering sigh.

    Menolly laughed and reached out to ruffle his hair.

    “You can, but I’ve no answer. We weren’t told either. He just wants you to wander about the Gather and listen.”

    “Has he got Oldtimers on his mind?” Piemur asked as casually as he could.

    “I’d say he probably does,” Menolly answered after a thoughtful moment. “He’s been worried. I may be his journeywoman, but I don’t always know what’s on his mind. Neither does Sebell!”

    They had reached the archway now and turned toward the Gather meadow. “I’m to ride a dragon?” asked Piemur. He lurched to a stop, his eyes bulging out at the scene before him. Bronze Lioth was shaking his wings out in the sun, his great jeweled eyes gleaming blue-green as he turned his head to watch the antics of the fire lizards. Dwarfed by his bulk, the tall figures of N’ton, Fort Weyrleader, and Sebell stood by his shoulder.

    “C’mon, Piemur. We mustn’t keep them waiting. The Gather at Igen is already well started.”

    Piemur struggled into his wherhide jacket, making that an excuse for falling behind Menolly. Actually he was both terrified and overjoyed at the prospect of riding a dragon! All those cloddies up there in the drumheights! He hoped that they were watching, that they’d see him riding off on a dragon! That’d teach them to smear his reputation. He pushed from his mind the corollary that the privilege of flying a dragonback would make his lot with his fellow apprentices that much harder. What mattered was the now! Piemur was going to ride a dragon.

    N’ton had always been Piemur’s ideal of a dragonrider: tall, with a really broad set of shoulders, dark brown hair slightly curled from being confined under a riding helmet, an easy, confident air reflected by a direct gaze and a ready smile. The contrast between this present Fort Weyrleader and his disgruntled predecessor, T’ron, was more vividly apparent as N’ton smilingly greeted the harpers’ apprentice.

    “Sorry your voice changed, Piemur. I’d been looking forward to Lord Groghe’s Gather and that new Saga I’ve heard so much about from Menolly. Have you