All the Weyrs of Pern - Chapter Eleven

[kalinara]

Hi everyone! I hope you had a good Christmas, if you celebrate it, and a good end of December if you don't!

We're going to jump back into Pern today. Not much to recap from last time, it's a pretty slow book, but not in a bad way.



Oh, hey, I think we've got a time skip here. As this chapter actually starts with a date! (Present Pass 20, for what it's worth.)

We rejoin F'lar and Lessa at a Hatching. Dragonriding is still a popular occupation and there are sixty-two candidates. Apparently Groghe's youngest daughter was chosen on Search, and he's delighted. (Lessa notes that she's a "pretty child" and wonders where she got her looks.)

Groghe apparently is doing well with his kids, since Benelek has been elected "First Master of the Technical Hall." Huh, I'd forgotten that Benelek is Groghe's kid. That probably explains why he gets to be a little irritating but actually competent. He's got two other kids in Aivas's study group.

Lessa seems inclined to appreciate Groghe at the moment, especially his sensible footwear for the hot sands. (Apparently both F'lar and Lessa also have new boots - specially insulated for hot and cold.)

We're told, by the way, that this is Ramoth's thirty-fifth hatching, and has the first queen egg in twelve seasons. It's also a bigger clutch than usual, thirty five. It's good timing because apparently the Weyrleaders had already decided on a ninth Weyr, as the eight they have are completely full.

I feel like a smaller hatching would be better than, but I guess Weyrs need a lot of members? (It didn't seem like Southern Weyr did, but then they weren't doing much actual work. Heh.)

There's also eight Weyrs now, the new one will be equidistant between K'van's Southern and T'gellan's Eastern Weyr. And once more, I regret that Mirrim doesn't get a book, because everything about Eastern Weyr that I've heard on the wiki and other places sounds awesome. (Apparently Mirrim acts as a kind of de facto Weyrwoman leadership wise, with the consent of the actual gold rider in the position. I'd love to see how that works in context!)

Lessa is introspective:

Lessa experienced a flush of pride for what had been achieved over the past Turns by an ex-drudge from Ruatha Hold and the bronze Benden rider whom no one had wanted to believe. She glanced up at her mate, noticing that even more silver strands had appeared in F’lar’s crisp black hair. The sun creases around his eyes had deepened, additional touches of aging, though he seemed to have lost not a jot of his vitality. Maybe they should resign Benden to the energy of younger riders, she mused. With fewer responsibilities, they could devote more time to all the splendid projects at Landing. Not that she thought she had a chance of coaxing F’lar away from Benden until he had eradicated Thread from the skies forever.

I mean, technically, if we go by the ages established in Dragonflight, I think F'lar's gotta be on the wrong side of fifty-five by now. She's seemed to subtly inch him downward, but retirement probably does sound good.

Hey, F'lessan is namedropped:

F’lessan had spent some time explaining to her that once there was a breathable atmosphere in the cargo bay on the Yokohama, even as big a dragon as Ramoth would be able to jump between to view Pern from space. Lessa wasn’t sure either of them wanted to go that far, though she was more than pleased to find her ebullient son becoming a responsible and dedicated part of the Aivas team. She was genuinely fond of the only child she had been able to bear F’lar, but she had no illusions about him.

...what kind of illusions?

It will forever boggle me that the son of the first leads of the series: Lessa who brought hundreds of dragons to the future, and F'lar, who was the only one to truly understand Thread would be back and prepare for it, is so much a background character in this series when he should be at least as much a Marty Stu as Jaxom.

Jaxom, of course, is the utmost studious, responsible, a computer prodigy who knows all the politics. While F'lessan's flaws are unspecified but enough that Lessa "has no illusions about him".

Whatever, at least as far as I know, F'lessan does his job, doesn't complain, and, as far as I know, has never raped someone. He's a step above almost every other man in the series.

Tagetarl is apparently now a "Masterprinter", good for him. He and Benelek are deep in a private dialogue. I'd like to imagine that they're fucking.

Robinton and D'ram are there too. Apparently they rarely miss an Impression. I'd judge, but it makes some sense and I bet poor Lytol appreciates NOT having to go to these anymore. Lessa muses about how the men have embraced Aivas, when others, like Sangel, Norist, Corman, Nessel and Begamon (in case we forgot who we're supposed to dislike) have rejected all the new information.

I do like this bit a lot:

It’s almost time, Ramoth told her driver, swinging her head possessively over the queen egg.

Now don’t scare the girls, dear.

Ramoth’s eyes glittered in a rainbow gamut as she looked straight at her rider. If they scare, they’re not worthy of my daughter.

You liked them well enough yesterday.

Today it is different.

Yes, Lessa agreed affably, versed in her dragon’s whimsies. Today your daughter Impresses.

Aw. Apparently Hatching Day is a romantic thing for F'lar and Lessa and they hold hands.

Oh, ugh, I'm less happy about this all of a sudden:

Then Lessa cast an appraising glance over the five young women confronting the queen egg. Groghe’s daughter, barely fifteen Turns old, was the smallest, a daintily made child. She had already Impressed two bronze fire-lizards, and Lessa hoped that they would contain themselves until after Impression was over. Ramoth might tolerate the creatures in the Hatching Ground, but not flying about her head. Still, Nataly had been sensibly raised, and her two fire-lizards had behaved themselves admirably since arriving at Benden.

Fifteen is way too young for this dragonriding sex cult. At least she'll have some time for the dragon to mature, but fuck. I don't like that.

We learn more about the other candidates. A "wraithlike" blonde named Breda who was from Crom, twenty-two, and a quiet weaver. Nessel of Cron opposes Aivas, but not the Search. Lessa finds this odd, but it makes sense to me. The Weyrs keep Thread from destroying the land, he can support that even if he doesn't agree with everything they do.

...sometimes I wonder if that isn't the problem with McCaffrey's writing in general. She seems to have a problem with the idea that you could appreciate some aspects of a person while disliking other aspects. It doesn't need to be an either or case.

I admit, this part makes me smile a bit:

Cona was Neratian, and Manora had reported that in the sevenday that the girl had been at Benden Weyr, she had already been in the weyrs of three bronze riders. That was not a bad trait in a queen’s rider; it was certainly preferable to a lack of sensuality.

I remember early Pern, how Lessa and Brekke were emphasized as virgin compared to horrible Jora and Kylara. The fact that we're now acknowledging that having an active sex life is not an inherently bad thing (and might be a benefit in this environment, with how mating flights work) feels like character growth on the part of McCaffrey.

The last girls are Silga, a girl who had been terrified of Between (not a good sign, both Lessa and I agree), and Tumara, a cousin of Sharra who was so delighted to leave her isolated fisher's island home that she's been wearing Manora out trying to be useful.

Hm. I was assuming with this set up that Nataly would be the shoo-in, but Tumara has that connection to a favorite character. Let's see what happens.

But Tumara might be an issue, as Lessa notes that compliancy is a good trait, but subservience is not. Though this pair is not expected to become senior in a Weyr any time soon.

We hear a bit about what's needed for the Weyr:

Much had to be done, besides finding a suitable place for the new Weyr. Then, whichever junior queen—in whatever Weyr—next rose to mate would be flown by all unattached bronzes. The triumphant pair would be temporary Weyrleaders only until they had proved themselves. As fully three-quarters of the other queens on Pern were likely to come into season over the next few months, this was as fair a method as any to determine the leadership of the new Weyr.

...that seems like a stupid plan. Much like picking leaders based on who fucks the queen. You'd think they could do something sensible like LOOK at the queen riders and pick the one that would be best suited to running a Weyr. And if that treats the women with too much dignity, they could at least pick the one whose sexual partner is more likely to be able to run things.

Oh well. We have dragon hatching. This is cute, I'm not going to recap it all though. F'lar lets us know there are twelve bronzes. Four browns (he thinks they could have done with more of them). But he's pleased by the distribution of greens and blues. Which if we're doing math means out of thirty-five eggs, eighteen are blues and greens. Okay. Seems reasonable.

I'm not sure why more browns would be preferable to bronzes, since any bronzes that don't mate with the queens would be doing the same work, but maybe he wants more middle sized dragons?

OH. INTERESTING.

The queen hatches, and F'lar seems taken with her personality already, calling her "queen of all she surveys". He wagers she picks Cona. Lessa things Nataly is the perfect match. I'd guessed Tumara.

Actually, she picks Breda! The Crom girl who'd been a weaver. I didn't expect that.

This is cute too:

The girl wouldn’t have been Searched if she wasn’t suitable. We’ll see how she copes with Amaranth. This one is a true daughter to me. From his high perch, Mnementh added a stunning triple-noted bugle. Ramoth craned her head up at him, her eyes dazzling with pulsating color. You flew me well.

Awww. I love the implication that Ramoth and Mnementh are as in love as their riders. The comment about Amaranth makes me wonder if Breda will be in later books.

We do get to learn a little about Breda: she's an orphan who was raised by the Crafthall and has never been out of Crom. Lessa is very friendly and tells her to call her by name (instead of title) as they're both queen riders. Lessa explains how to feed the dragon.

This is interesting though, now Lessa and F'lar get the "less enjoyable" task of comforting unsuccessful candidates. I don't think the books have ever really talked about this part much. We know from Kylara (who'd been a candidate during Ramoth's Hatching first), that some candidates do stay on in the Weyr anyway. So presumably that's still an option (though the talk of lack of space may mean it isn't.)

She checks on Natoly, who's with her dad, and nobly hiding her disappointment. Silga and Tumara are in tears. Cona is nowhere to be found, and Lessa figures that "the girl's preferred kind of consolation might mend matters more effectively than any other available method."

Damn, we have gotten a lot more sex-positive lately, haven't we. Good to see!

Robinton, ugh, turns up to chat with F'lar and Lessa. He wonders if Amaranth is why F'lessan's so interested in vacant stakeholds. I don't know if it's Amaranth specifically, after all. Since we've already been told an older queenrider will likely be Weyrwoman. But apparently he volunteered.

We learn more about his romantic entanglements:

“He’s more in Landing than he is here,” Lessa added wryly. With three sons by as many weyrgirls, F’lessan had need to be absent from their entreaties. He had provided well for each of his children, but he was no more ready to settle down with one than any young, handsome, and popular bronze rider. Manora had even suggested that the absence of that young charmer for a while might result in one or more of the girls settling for an older rider in a more stable, lasting attachment.

Not terribly surprising really. Though one wonders how much support he has to give when Weyr kids are supposed to be communally raised. Also, do they even get paid?

But it's good to know that F'lessan's not a deadbeat dad. It does seem like he's a little young for this though. As I recall, he was six to Jaxom's eleven in Dragonquest. If Jaxom's twenty-three or twenty-four now (Lessa says she's been Weyrwoman for twenty-three years, but it's possible it didn't count until the mating flight), then F'lessan's all of nineteen!

Oh, apparently now that Toric's not distracted, he's been making up for lost time with Aivas. He's looking to have Halls for the new crafts and had a confrontation with Hamian about filler material. (He'd prefer they use a more prevalent weed than the big forests.)

Lessa wonders if they'll have to fight Toric for Holdings, but well, as Robinton points out: not many people will challenge someone with a dragon.

Oh hey, continuity:

“Southern Weyr?” F’lar reminded the Harper severely.

“Well, yes, now, but that was not aggression—it was abduction.” Robinton had good cause to remember the time Ramoth’s egg had disappeared from the Hatching Ground and how very near Benden dragons had come to fighting the Oldtimer Southern dragons. Not wishing to remind the Weyrleaders that they had ostracized him at that point in time, Robinton held up his glass, looking plaintively at the wineskin hanging on Lessa’s chair. She filled it for him. “Mind you, I think you’re wise to send F’lessan to explore the tantalizing potential of Southern. When is he going?”

You got ostracized because you were a fucking dick, you asshole.

Anyway, we switch scenes to F'lessan and Golanth. He's feeling guilty for enjoying the scouting trip, because he should be working on equations (unlike dutiful Jaxom who NEVER neglects his duties. Has he BEEN to Ruatha for longer than a trip???) but got out of it by implying to Aivas that he was needed at the Hatching.

Since he'd rather not have to explain to his three paramours why he can't choose between them, he's glad to have this assignment.

So this is actually the first time we're meeting F'lessan as a character. I think I like him:

One thing he hadn’t dared to ask Lessa and F’lar: If he found a suitable site for another Weyr, was he in line to be Weyrleader? He dismissed that notion almost instantly. F’lessan had few illusions about himself. He was a good Wingleader, he understood draconic abilities, he knew which were the best riders in every Weyr and who were the most likely weyrlings in Benden, but he didn’t think he was anyone’s immediate choice for the next Weyrleader. And he was well aware of how such matters were decided: open mating flight for all unattached bronzes.

He seems pretty self aware. Golanth also points out that he's big and fast and nearly caught Lamanth (presumably a queen), if Litorth (presumably a rival bronze) hadn't done a maneuver. Apparently he'd been practicing with greens.

I kind of love that. I think McCaffrey's been doing more to give greens credit in this book than she used to, and I like the implication that they have skills that the bigger dragons could learn.

...of course now we get reminded of skeevy dragonrider politics:

F’lessan soothed his dragon with hand and voice. He had been a bit provoked about that himself. Of course, Celina was nearly as old as Lessa, but it was becoming a matter of honor for Golanth to fly a queen, and Celina was a nice sort. Anyone could get along with her.

A) We don't know what Celina herself wants. We have seen enough to at least imply that the queenrider's preferences influence the mating most of the time, which may be another reason why Litorth beat Golanth. But as we've seen with Moreta and Sh'gall, it's not universal.

B) I'm not one to condemn an age difference straight out, I think I've proven that. But my skin crawls at the idea that these mating flights might force cross-generation pairings with unwilling people. I get that F'lessan is sexually active, with three children to boot, but he's NINETEEN. Lessa should be about forty-four or forty-five.

I suppose we have some consolation that Weyr environments mean that everyone knows each other and has some idea of who they're dealing with but it's still a gross set up.

So they do scouting, spotting some tasty looking beasts that don't interest Golanth for now, but might later. F'lessan, we're told, owns a wristwatch, a gift from Jancis, who'd only made six. Piemur, Larad and his wife, Robinton and Fandarel received the others.

I'm irrationally pleased that Jaxom did NOT get one. What, I'm petty. And in a couple of pages, F'lessan's interested me far more than Jaxom ever has.

And he even seems a little aware of the narrative favoritism:

Still and all, F’lessan enjoyed being first at something. He was not by nature an envious sort, but it did seem that Piemur and Jaxom had the larger portion of luck with their discoveries. He was very pleased that Lessa and F’lar had entrusted this search to him. They could have sent one of the older bronze riders, or F’nor. Nevertheless, it was F’lessan and Golanth who were winging over the great plains, toward the huge inland sea that the settlers had named Caspian, to a Hold called Xanadu.

Aw.

He thinks he glimpses water, and this is sweet:

To our right, Golly, F’lessan said excitedly.

A very big water, Golanth added.

As he often had, F’lessan wondered if he would see clearer, better, farther if he had faceted dragon eyes.

I can see anything you wish for you, Golanth replied meekly.

F’lessan pummeled his neck affectionately. I know, big fellow, and I’m always grateful for your help. I was just thinking what it might be like, that’s all.

Golanth began to stroke the air, beating upward. Thermal, he said cryptically, and F’lessan leaned down against the great bronze neck so as not to impede the ascent. He felt the alteration in the wind current and let out a triumphant yodel when Golanth flattened out and set his wings to glide on the hot air.

This is a cute dynamic. Quite different from the others we've seen. "Golly" is an adorable nickname. (I suppose Ruth isn't easy to nickname, but Jaxom also seems a bit too status conscious to indulge like that.)

"Thermal" makes me wonder if draconic vision includes some kind of infravision.

And indeed:

And that’s something else you can do which I can’t—tell where the air currents are. How ever do you know where the thermals are?

My eyes see the variation of air, I smell the difference, and my hide feels the altered pressure.

Really? F’lessan was impressed with the explanation. Been listening in on my aerodynamics lessons with Aivas?

Golanth thought that over. Yes. You listen to him, so l thought I should. Ruth does, and Path certainly. Ramoth and Mnementh don’t. They prefer to sleep in the sun while Lessa and F’lar are here. Bigath listens, and Sulath and Beerth. Clarinath occasionally, but Pranith always and Lioth whenever his rider’s down. Sometimes the listening is very interesting. Sometimes it’s not.

Not only was that an unusually long speech for Golanth, but it gave F’lessan such food for thought that he was kept occupied with the ramifications until the edge of the vast inland sea became visible.

So this is fascinating. It's not just a long speech for Golanth, I don't think we've ever seen a dragon say THAT much to a rider in this entire series. And it's quite analytical. I like the idea that, just like people, some dragons are more intellectually inclined than others.

I also like that F'lessan is impressed and thoughtful, rather than dismissive or skeptical as some other characters would be.

They seem like a very equal pairing actually, with F'lessan asking Golanth how the air currents seem and if they should cross or fly around. (He says cross_.

They explore the coastline, F'lessan is happy then disappointed by the bluffs as they're solid granite. No caves.

Golanth points out that the Dragons in Southern and Eastern don't have cliff weyrs and are happy, which F'lessan acknowledges, but he was supposed to find a useful old crater.

Golanth also spots something that doesn't look natural, so they explore. They're in Xanadu now and the location seems like it would be perfect for an open-air Weyr, if Pernese skies are ever Threadfree.

I admit, I'm suddenly a little curious about the Skies of Pern. I know that's going to be less McCaffrey and more one of the kids writing, but I actually like F'lessan and I'm suddenly rather interested to see what they'll do after Thread.

...ugh, that means I'll have to read Masterharper of Pern and all its bullshit retcons first.

...then they head to Honshu. HMM. I wonder if Kenjo's missing fuel will suddenly be relevant again. It still doesn't excuse the fact that he stole a valuable resource and no one cared, McCaffrey. But I'd rather like that as a plot beast.

They do spot the ruins of the Hold at least (cut with the ancients' stone cutters and thus very recognizable). They banter about whether or not the evil cats will come so far south, but Golanth is confident in his ability to fight them. I THINK I remember the cats being a thing in F'lessan's book. So that's kind of funny.

So they end up sleeping for the night and then exploring more in the morning. F'lessan ends up finding a cave, with an ancient sled inside. Jackpot. He ponders why it was left behind and figures it was lack of fuel.

He thinks Aivas will be happy about this and decides to survey the whole place for a complete report. There's more exploration and the place is FULL of neat stuff.

Then we see some cool shit:

“I—th—think so.” F’lessan heard his own stammer echo back from the vaulted ceiling, a ceiling that had been decorated in brilliantly colored murals that had lost nothing of their brightness. And he now knew part of the story they depicted. “This ought to shut up the doubters—an independent verification of what Aivas told us!” he murmured, more to himself than to Golanth, as he gave the walls a fleeting glance before beginning a more studied perusal. So involved did he become with the mural scenes that it took him a moment to realize that the scrabbling noise he heard was Golanth’s claws on stone.

Sadly the doorway is too small for Golanth. His head and neck is through the opening though. F'lessan is thrilled by the murals that depict the landing, the vehicles, the holds and Thread, and even, farther out, they have Rukbat and the planets. F'lessan's thrilled to have been first to discover it.

He decides not to investigate further, so others "might have the pleasure of seeing the place as it had been left."

Aw. I don't know why. Maybe it's just my massive and mostly irrational dislike of Jaxom, but I really really like F'lessan.

Golanth also thinks the dragons would like this place and that it will make a good Weyr. So F'lessan's accomplished his mission AND found some neat shit. Yay!