Dragonflight - Part Four - The Cold Between - Part 3 and 4 - To the Past!

[kalinara]

Thankfully we get to leave F'lar and Robinton's mutual love affair so that we can see what Lessa and F'nor are getting up to as they go back ten years to explore the Southern Continent.



So, as mentioned, this chapter starts with Lessa and F'nor going back in time. They decide the wisest way to do this is to go back to a day that F'nor remembers at the Weyr and then head south once they get there. Ramoth seems to enjoy outracing F'nor's brown dragon, Canth, as she is apparently still piqued that she didn't get to fight alongside the males.

Fair enough, Ramoth. I'd be annoyed too.

As they fly, they see a flock of "wherries" and realize there must be growth on the Southern Continent, because they need greens to live. Lessa and F'nor communicate through Canth, which is pretty convenient I must admit. F'nor suggests that seed pods and flakes got carried to the Southern Continent by winds and the wherries, and that after four hundred years, the Continent may have had time to revive.

I still don't understand why no one bothered to go looking. If I had a telepathic dragon I could fly literally anywhere and teleport home in a blink of an eye, I'd be flying fucking everywhere. But I've harped on this before, so I'll spare you.

Anyway, once they actually get to the Southern Continent, they see lots of lush growth, but no place to set up a Weyr. Lessa and F'nor decide to have a picnic lunch and enjoy some of the fruit growing nearby.

In a nice bit, both Lessa and F'nor realize that their unease comes from the openness and stillness of the continent. There are no cliffs or caves. I forget sometimes that the Pernese settlements are all very sheltered valleys. It's understandable that open space would be unnerving.

Lessa asks if having no Weyr would upset the dragons. Ramoth "haughtily" tells them that dragons didn't always live in caves, and that she would enjoy the warm sun and cool water. She's a little out of sorts because she won't get to come.

Lessa tells Ramoth to let Pridith have it, "You've the Weyr and all!"

Ramoth wins my undying love and affection by her response. Ramoth ducked under the water, blowing up a froth in disgruntled reply.

You are absolutely right, Ramoth. The Weyr is terrible.

Canth also admits that he has no concerns. He thinks the earth will be warm to sleep on and he wouldn't object to this place as long as there's enough to eat. F'nor realizes they'll need to bring herdbeasts, and I wonder if he means local herdbeasts or herdbeasts brought through time. Can that be done?

I'm now imagining dragons trying to bring cows through time. It's pretty funny in my head.

I'm enjoying how we're getting more of a sense of other dragon personalities now. Mnementh was always delightful. And I really enjoy Ramoth's cool logic and haughty demeanor. Canth seems quieter and more diffident, so far, but hopefully we'll see more of him soon. With the exception of Lessa, I basically find the dragons much more likable than their riders.

Lessa suggests that they choose from people who aren't Hold-reared, as they'd be less uneasy being away from the cliffs and stone. She admits that she's uncomfortable with the open spaces, which seem "indecent".

F'nor on the other hand seems to be really enjoying the fruit. We're told that F'nor and Lessa "stuff themselves greedily" and I'm reminded of F'lar's comments about how little Lessa eats in an earlier chapter, and I feel really sorry for her. It's a shame she's not staying behind. I know she's not really comfortable with the open space, but this is the first time we've ever seen her seem to eat with any joy. I think being away from the idiots at Benden (especially fucking F'lar) would be good for her.

When F'nor and Lessa return, they find the Lower Caverns full of bundles and sacks in preparation for the voyage. They meet F'lar, who is "as usual" bent over some barely legible records. (I will give McCaffrey this: much as I hate F'lar, she has consistently showed him to be a diligent researcher and planner. F'lar's intelligence isn't all talk.)

Anyway, F'lar explains the plan, basically F'nor will be gone for ten years with his group, and hopefully return in three days. He's being sent with thirty two candidates for Pridith's eventual clutch, all in their early teens.

F'LAR. One of the very few things I've praised you about was how you and Lessa raised the ages of your candidates. May I remind you that Ramoth had her mating flight at a year old? And bronzes seem to age at the same rate as golds. Which means that in a year's time, for them, this children in their early teens will be taking part in mating flights?!

I hate the Weyrs. I hate the dragonriders. I hate their fucked up rapey child abusing cult so damn much. I'm #TeamMeron. The Weyr needs to fucking end.

Anyway, F'nor will be bringing Kylara, T'bor, N'ton, and the rest of the dragons/riders of Ramoth's first clutch. F'nor is a little perplexed about what F'lar would have done if they'd found a barren Continent, and F'lar proves himself to be a fucking terrible liar. Fortunately, he's able to distract F'nor with the need to get ready.

Meanwhile, Lessa isn't doing too well. She starts sketching some references for F'lar, and then faints, she seems to be a lot more sensitive to time travel than F'nor, who is merely tired. Though F'nor does admit that time-jumping tends to make one feel "not entirely whole"

There's a section that makes no sense, where F'lar recalls "what F'nor said of Kylara's decline". Actually, F'lar, F'nor said that Kylara was the only one NOT effected. She was making trouble, and watching herself obsessively, but she was the only human not experiencing the ill-effects.

F'lar and F'nor share a rare demonstration of affection as F'lar gives him some last minute instructions. According to one of the later books, there's a three year age difference between F'lar and F'nor, so that would mean that F'nor will be coming back the older brother. This amuses me a little and I wonder if it will be commented on. F'lar seems like the sort of guy who'd find it annoying.

Anyway, Manora checks out Lessa, and determines that there's nothing obviously wrong. Lessa might be simply fatigued from relaying messages throughout the Thread battle yesterday and then traveling between times today.

We get a romance novel moment as F'lar looks at a sleeping Lessa that I'd probably find cute if not for the fact that F'lar is horrible:

"Lessa still slept, one hand curled under her cheek, her dark hair trailing over the edge of the bed. She looked fragile, childlike, and very precious to him. F'lar smiled to himself. So she was jealous of Kylara's attentions yesterday. He was pleased and flattered. Never would Lessa learn from him that Kylara, for all her bold beauty and sensuous nature, did not have one tenth the attraction for him that the unpredictable, dark, and delicate Lessa held. Even her stubborn intractableness, her keen and malicious humor, added zest to their relationship. With a tenderness he would never show her awake, F'lar bent and kissed her lips. She stirred and smiled, sighing lightly in her sleep."

Ramoth stares at F'lar after that, and I'd like to imagine that she's imagining eating him for what he's done to Lessa. Probably not, but I can hope. Anyway, F'lar asks Mnementh to ask Ramoth to send a message to the dragonet at Fandarel's crafthall to arrange a meeting.

Okay, let's get this straight. Crafthalls have dragonets that can talk to dragons. Admittedly, it sounds like not all dragons have the same range if Mnementh had to ask Ramoth to do it. But still. The Weyr has a means to communicate pretty much across Pern.

Why didn't they use this on the Lords' behalf during the 400 year Interval??? Communication is valuable! I bet the Lords would have been a lot less pissy about the food thing if they were getting telephone service out of the deal!

Anyway, Mnementh is still wonderful, as he points out that this sort of "talking about" is easier when Lessa is awake. I love how much Mnementh loves Lessa. It is the best thing.

We move onto the meeting with Lord Vincet of Nerat and Fandarel the Smith. They're looking at an exposed tangle of thread that Vincet found in his lands. Vincet is panicky, but Fandarel has "iron will" and doesn't flinch from the sight. He and his craftsman destroy the thread with a spray of that agenothree stuff, but points out that they can't go digging up every burrow and they'll need a better method.

They take care of the rest of the Thread clumps and we learn that agenothree is often used, in diluted form, to fertilize crops. The sandworms are also effective, but not efficient. Fandarel is still thinking about flame throwers, primarily, but they haven't gotten word about the tapestry.

When they get back to the Weyr, Robinton the bard awaits them with more useful information. He'd found an entry in the Harper records in which the Masterharper had been summoned to Fort Weyr just after the Red Star "retreated" four hundred years ago, and unlike other records, there's no summary of what happened. Then ten months later, the Question Song became a compulsory Teaching Ballad.

Robinton thinks that these things may all be connected to the disappearance of the Weyrs. I find I like Robinton a lot more when he is discovering useful information rather than constantly pressing his lips to F'lar's ass.

They try to figure out exactly what happened to the other Weyrs. Robinton wonders why Benden specifically remained, when the Weyr on the Island of Ista would have been a more convenient location. They wonder if there was a plague that somehow didn't reach the more isolated Benden.

Lessa enters while they discuss, and F'lar with unusual attentiveness holds out a chair for her and pours her some wine.

...god. What does it say about F'lar that literally pulling out a chair and pouring wine for his wife, for all intents and purposes anyway, is "unusual attentiveness".

Lessa is not a fan of the Question Song, which is one she can't forget from her lessons. Then she hits on the meaning: "Gone away, gone ahead". Lessa realizes that the Weyrs must have gone forward in time, specifically to their time.

F'lar and Robinton realize that this makes sense. And it's why they couldn't leave information, just like F'lar couldn't tell F'nor what was going on. But that would mean that someone would have to go back and give them references. When Lessa points that out, "in a very quiet voice", F'lar shouts that she's mad, pointing out how even ten years made her ill.

...Why does it have to be Lessa? I mean, yes, she figured this out, but couldn't any dragon and rider go back in time? Obviously, it will be Lessa because she's the main character, but still.

F'lar says that not even Pern is worth losing Lessa, which would be sweet if not for the "viselike" grip he has on her. Lessa points out that Ramoth isn't afraid, and when F'lar snaps that Ramoth is young, Mnementh adds that he's neither young nor afraid to try.

I still can't quite figure out why it has to be Lessa. Why not F'lar and Mnementh? Aside from the fact that only Lessa is ballsy enough to do it.

They're interrupted by the arrival of Lytol, who is forever my favorite, because he's both competent and not generally a dick. He's come on dragonback with a rider, and F'lar notes that it's very hard for him to do that. On account of the whole dead dragon thing.

This is why Lytol is the best, of course. I do not like F'lar scolding Lessa on her behavior like she's a child though. Especially not in front of Robinton. I feel like there's a way to ask her to be kind to Lytol without treating her like a petulant child.

Lytol and B'rant, the dragonrider who came with him, are carrying the tapestry. Interestingly B'rant is sweating with the effort and Lytol doesn't appear to be. I'd like to think this is just more indicator of Lytol's awesomeness.

Lessa is indignant when she sees the tapestry, saying that it's Ruatha's and demanding to know where it's been. Lytol tells her that it's being returned to where it belongs. Lytol is avoiding her gaze and I'm realizing that I really really want more interaction between Lytol and Lessa. They've both lost so much, and suffered so much, and the fact that he's essentially ruling her kingdom, while she is living the life that he lost abruptly...

She's prickly and he's dour, and no one seems to be inclined to give either of them enough compassion or understanding about how their lives made them this way... I feel like these are two characters that could truly understand each other. (Especially when we consider how Lytol lost one, and possibly all of his daughters, and Lessa lost her parents.)

We get a description of the tapestry and Lessa notices something interesting about the outline of the Hold: the design on the open door is and isn't Ruatha's. Lytol agrees. F'lar is just happy that the flamethrowers are indeed featured on the tapestry, so that Fandarel can study the design. He seems to think it can be done.

Lessa, much happier now, serves food and klah, and then leaves cheerfully. F'lar notes that he mistrusts her docile tone of voice. (Robinton wisely takes that moment to suggest that they leave.) F'lar muses that Ramoth might be young but she's not foolish, but when he looks to Mnementh for reassurance, he's asleep.

The next chapter is very short, so I'll tack it on here as well:

Basically, we're at the next morning, where Lessa is insisting that she take the tapestry back to Ruatha. Since F'lar had brought up the Southern Continent venture to distract her, he "felt reasonably safe in allowing Lessa the triumph of returning the purloined tapestry to Ruatha."

Have I mentioned how much I hate F'lar and the way he seems to think he can control Lessa's activities? Because I do.

F'lar handles other business, but by the evening, there's still no sign of Lessa. He contacts Ruatha to find out that she brought by the tapestry and then sat for hours looking at it. Then she and Ramoth disappeared. Mnementh can't hear them,

Next time, of course, we find out what Lessa and Ramoth actually did.

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Part 4: 1 and 2 | Table of Contents | Part 4:5 and 6