The White Dragon - Chapter Eight

[kalinara]

So last time on White Dragon, Jaxom annoyed me, Robinton infuriated me, and Lytol was still the best character in this book.



So we rejoin Jaxom, who is currently disappointed that Robinton isn't more forthcoming about his trips to the South. I think you might need to get used to Robinton being a massive disappointment, dude. Jaxom himself is pretty much falling asleep at the table (Lytol's the one trying to coax details).

Jaxom’s last waking thought was one of admiration for the Harper’s devious methods. No wonder he had not objected to Jaxom training with N’ton when he saw Lytol was in favor of it. The Harper needed the older man as the Lord Holder at Ruatha. Training Ruth to chew firestone kept the young Lord from wanting to take Hold in Lytol’s place.

...where the hell are you getting this, Jaxom? Nothing about these plans have anything to do with Lytol specifically ruling Ruatha. The fact that you're here at this meeting might be good indication that they see you as being an important part of the plan.

I know that Jaxom will have some kind of growth arc in this story, one that hopefully involves coming to terms with his position as Lord of Ruatha. But I'm finding him very frustrating here. You're not a child, Jaxom. You're an adult, who's been raised since birth to this position. You're finding every excuse to try to duck this responsibility, which I could respect, if it didn't also involve blaming everyone else for your lack of initiative.

The next morning, Jaxom wakes up in a lot of pain, but "[w]ith no regard for his own discomfort, he whipped aside the furs and, grabbing the numbweed pot as he went, burst into Ruth's weyr."

Yes, I remember how noble you were when you were forcing Ruth to choke down firestone unnecessarily earlier.

So Jaxom thinks that he and Ruth might have to wait until they'd healed before joining the weyrlings at Fort Weyr. I agree it's probably a good thing for him to go, but I'm still annoyed that Jaxom is being rewarded for bad behavior. (I'd feel better if Jaxom had confessed his heroics. It's not like Lytol or Robinton would have told Lessa after all.)

Lytol did not share his thought. The reason Jaxom was going to Fort Weyr was to avoid scoring, to learn how to take care of his dragon and himself during Threadfall. If he got teased because he hadn’t ducked fast enough, he deserved it. So, after breaking his fast, Jaxom flew Ruth to the Weyr.

I love Lytol.

Hey, we actually explicitly get an age for Jaxom:

Fortunately two of those in training were near his own age of eighteen Turns-not that being older would have bothered Jaxom as long as he could train Ruth properly. He did have to suppress the insidious urge to excuse Ruth’s scoring with the real reason for the supposed clumsiness. He took refuge in knowing that he had achieved more than they’d ever guess-a small consolation.

You're such a git, Jaxom.

So anyway, there is an initial problem of course: Ruth is still being swarmed by fire lizards. This annoys K'nebel, the weyrlingmaster, while I'm amazed that we found a dude with an even more cumbersome name than "F'lessan".

K'neb is cranky about the fire lizards and asks if this happens all the time. Basically yes, and worse since Benden Weyr. K'nebel notes that one of them will probably get flamed if they don't leave them alone.

...you know, honestly, this isn't convincing me that Lessa is WRONG to banish fire lizards from Benden Weyr. I love cats too, but they're very distracting. And I can't imagine how distracting this is for the more ordinary riders.

So Jaxom has Ruth shoo the lizards away, and eventually they're able to continue undisrupted. At lunch time, Jaxom gets invited to stay, and because of his rank, he gets to sit with the senior dragonriders.

Urgh.

I think it aggravates me more that we're supposed to pity Jaxom for the burdens of his position when he gets all the perks and none of the responsibility.

So anyway, the senior table is all talking about the return of the egg, and which of the queen riders might have returned it. This reinforces Jaxom's decision to stay quiet. Ruth is too busy chewing firestone to talk about it.

The fire lizards have calmed down. They're now focusing on eating and their shedding hides, which itch.

So now that he's at Fort Weyr in the mornings, Jaxom has to miss his classes at the Harper and Smith halls. This means he won't have to "endure Menolly's tendency to ask searching questions." Lytol has apparently also been giving him several uncommitted hours in the afternoon.

...dude, really? They should make you go to Harper's Hall in the morning and have your flying lessons in the afternoon. You really do get everything.

So Jaxom decides to go see Corana:

Corana was about the hold these days since her brother’s wife was near her time. When she showed a pretty concern for his healing score, he did not abuse her notion that he’d acquired it in a legitimate Fall, protecting the Hold from Thread. She rewarded him for that protection in a fashion that embarrassed him even as it relieved him. He’d as soon save his favors for honest endeavor. But he couldn’t be annoyed with her when, in the languor that followed their pleasure, she made several references to fire-lizards and asked if he’d ever had a chance to find a clutch when he was fighting Thread.

...I don't know why, but this whole passage grosses me out.

Anyway, Corana's got aspirations of her own. She wants a fire-lizard, which leads to Jaxom promising to fly South (the Northern beaches are staked out already) to find her a clutch.

“Could you fly in on your Ruth without those Oldtimers knowing?” Clearly Corana knew little of the most recent events, another relief to Jaxom, who was beginning to be bored by the Weyr’s preoccupation with that topic.

Fly in on Ruth made the whole thing seem simple enough; especially as Ruth would not upset strange firelizards since he had apparently made friends with them all.

“I suppose I could.” His hesitation was due to the complications of planning an absence long enough to allow him to go South. Corana misconstrued what he said, and again, he was too tenderhearted and too gratified to correct her.

How exactly was that misconstrued? It seems pretty fucking straight forward.

Oh and ew:

As he and Ruth winged homeward from the Plateau, it occurred to Jaxom that the ripples from his initial outburst just a short while ago were still spreading. He had finally achieved proper training for Ruth and, if he hadn’t taken Hold, at least he was finally enjoying more of the prerogatives of a Lord Holder. He grinned, savoring Corana’s sweetness. Judging by her sister’s warm welcome, he assumed the Plateau Hold would not object to a half-blooded addition. Success in that area would do him no harm in the eyes of Lord Holders. He considered bringing Corana to the Hold, but decided against it. That would be unfair to the other fosterlings and cause trouble for Brand and Lytol. It wasn’t as if he didn’t have Ruth and couldn’t come and go at his leisure and speedily. Furthermore, if he brought Corana to his quarters, she’d demand more of his attention at Ruth’s expense than he was willing to give.

Everything about this grosses me out.

1) Corana is a person, you fucking asshole, not a perk of rank

2) Maybe Corana wouldn't WANT a "half-blooded addition".

3) I love how "concerned" Jaxom is about fairness even as he notes that he has a FUCKING DRAGON to come and go at his leisure.

4) The only honest thought here is that Corana will be inconvenient.

The next time Jaxom goes to Plateau Hold, Fidello's wife is having a baby, and Corana's too distracted to do anything but beg his pardon. Jaxom makes the appropriate remarks, asks if they need the healer, and goes off feeling put off.

He does laugh at himself a little for feeling disappointed when a few weeks ago, he wouldn't have thought he'd have the opportunity at all. But it's still gross.

He encounters a "second obstacle" when he gets back to the Hold and is informed that the rest of Ramoth's clutch is due to hatch, and Jaxom will have to put in an appearance. Lytol warns him to keep out of F'lar and Lessa's sight, because they'll identify Jaxom's thread scar at a glance.

Jaxom likes that the scar makes him look more mature, but agrees. We're told that Jaxom enjoys Hatchings, especially when Lytol isn't there, because Lytol's memories of Larth are too painful. That's fair. MAYBE, Jaxom, this can be the start of a trend where you go by yourself and Lytol doesn't have to suffer through this?

So when the news comes to Fort Weyr, Jaxom begs his weyrlingmaster's pardon and goes back to Ruatha to change. While there, Lytol (who has Menolly's lizard Rocky with him) asks him to go fetch Menolly, since Robinton's already at Ista Weyr with the Harperhall's dragon and rider.

I do love these little bits about life post-Dragonquest. F'lar got his way after all, and there IS a rider in each hall. That sounds like a pretty swanky job actually. Good music, classes you can probably sit in on when Thread's not an issue. But of course you'd have to deal with Robinton...

Jaxom put a good face on the request since he could think of no excuse to refuse. Well, he’d hurry her out of the Hall and into the Weyr so quickly that she wouldn’t have time to ask any questions.

When he and Ruth arrived at the Harpercrafthall, Ruth bellowing his name to the watchdragon on the fire-heights, Jaxom became furious. Why, there were enough Fort Weyr dragons on the meadow to take half the Hall. Why hadn’t she asked one of them? He was determined that she wouldn’t have a chance to nag at him and asked Ruth peremptorily to tell her fire-lizards that he was here and waiting in the meadow. He had barely formed the words in his mind when Menolly came dashing out of the archway toward him, Beauty, Rocky and Diver chittering in circles above her head. She began shrugging into her riding jacket, awkwardly juggling something from one hand to the other.

WOW. Has Jaxom taken a level in dickishness this chapter or what?

1) Menolly is your fucking friend, you asswipe.

2) Menolly doesn't have access to her own personal dragon.

3) Those Fort dragons probably have a job to do, since they're not the personal pet of a disgruntled would be Lord Holder who doesn't bother to even try to do the job.

4) Why are you being such a dick about this when last chapter you even thought it might be nice if someone knew what you did?

Menolly, who is reminding me why I really do love her when McCaffrey bothers to give her something to do, orders Jaxom to get down from Ruth. She's got a pot of something that he can use to cover the scar.

Jaxom, idiot that he is, insists he can keep his hair over it. But Menolly says he'll forget and push it back. She's gotten Oldive to make the ointment without scent. She then asks what Corana thinks about the scar, and just laughs when he glares. She compliments him on being clever enough to "cultivate Corana" and thinks he'd make a good harper with his wits.

WOW.

On one hand, Menolly is a far better friend than Jaxom deserves, given that she's clearly planned to help him even when he was dreading her presence.

But on the other, I am not okay with both Jaxom and Menolly treating Corana like some kind of disposable resource. I would have expected a little of that from the Weyr folk, because they're a creepy cult built around the idea of being better than common folk and protecting them. But Menolly and Jaxom are supposed to be normal people.

Jaxom is furious, thinking that it's just like Menolly to find out these things while hoping to aggravate him. He thanks her for the salve, but doesn't mean it, because he's a fucking ungrateful dick.

He does, finally, spare a moment to think about Menolly's lizards, but she reassures him that they're in Brekke's weyr.

Honestly, this seems like a good set up! Well, assuming poor Brekke is on board. She likes lizards and can care for them and they stay out of the way. It's only Beauty and the three bronzes anyway, apparently it's mating season.

Jaxom asks after the egg, and eventually admits Corana wants one, and "she's been very...kind to me, you know".

Ugh.

So there's a bit more banter, and they fly into the Hatchingground. Menolly asks if he'll sit with her and Robinton, and is oddly emphatic about it, which puzzles Jaxom until he sees Robinton himself.

As Jaxom settled his tunic before seating himself, he got a good long look at Master Robinton. He could understand Menolly’s entreaty. The Harper seemed different. Oh, he had greeted Jaxom and Menolly brightly enough with a smile for his journeyman and a buffet on the shoulder for Jaxom but he had turned back to his own thoughts which, to judge by his expression, were sad. The Masterharper of Pern had a long face, generally mobile with quick expressions and reaction. Now, while the Harper apparently watched the progress of the young candidates as they moved across the warm sands of the Hatching Ground, his face was lined, his deep-set eyes shadowed with fatigue and worry, the skin of his cheeks and chin sagged. He looked old, tired, and bereft. Jaxom was appalled and looked quickly away, avoiding Menolly’s gaze because his thoughts must have been all too apparent to the observant Harper girl.

Jaxom has a moment of fear when he thinks about Robinton aging and thus Pern being deprived of him.

So Ramoth is hovering over the eggs, which is rare when there isn't a queen, and for a moment, it looks like she won't even let the candidates approach. But the Impression does happen.

Menolly wonders if Ramoth's temper will improve now that all the eggs are safely Hatched and Impressed. Robinton asks if she means Lessa as well, because he's a fucking git.

There's some banter about Robinton's trip south, and Jaxom starts getting worried that he may have learned that the Southerners didn't return the egg. So...tell him? Robinton's always been a confidant type and it's not like he'll tell Lessa at least.

There's a moment of chaos at the Hatching, when a bronze egg splits, and Ramoth starts hovering even more protectively. It gets to the point where Mnementh bellows, and the other bronzes react. Ruth translates: Ramoth is still upset. Mnementh is telling her she's being silly. The eggs must hatch and Impress, and then they'll be safe with men.

I kind of love this. Of course Ramoth and Mnementh are as traumatized and upset as F'lar and Lessa. And I LOVE the idea that the dragons themselves have opinions about the Hatching, and even doubts. What if a dragon doesn't want to Impress? What happens?

So Robinton, Menolly and Jaxom talk about the some of the candidates. Apparently Menolly and Robinton had disagreed on the chances of one boy, "Kirnety" (how the fuck is THAT getting shortened?) and Menolly turned out vindicated. There are two from Ruatha, but Jaxom can't spot them from this angle.

Then Menolly and Robinton have a cryptic conversation about a meeting after the Hatching. Menolly wants to go with Robinton, but isn't permitted. Jaxom is expected to attend, which perplexes him. Why isn't Lytol here?

They join the craftsmen and there's some talk of Ruth's training. The Masterminer, for example, hadn't thought Ruth would live long enough for that. He also comments idly on the how firestone supplies seem a little short during the morning.

He kind of hints that he'd like a fire-lizard egg if given the opportunity, but not in a blackmailing sense. Apparently mining is not going well, and fire lizards are really helpful when it comes to dealing with tunnel snakes and gas pockets.

...so there's an actual practical use for fire lizards, but instead they're all diverted toward lords and dragonriders, where they're basically just pampered pets. Has someone bothered to bring this up to F'lar? Because he's practical enough to maybe want to address this.

Jaxom thinks about all the demands on his day and how he can't just risk a hop to the Southern beaches. Um. Weren't you JUST saying how Lytol gives you afternoons off? I'm sure Corana would cover for you if you asked her like a person instead of just used her for entertainment.

The meeting is not very large. Just weyrleaders and major Lord Holders. And Lessa, of course. She's a category onto herself. D'ram arrives from Ista, and Jaxom is shocked by how old and frail he looks. This knocks Lessa out of her brooding, and she immediately comes over to him, offering him wine and welcome.

So D'ram is the one who called the meeting. He wants to step down from Weyrleader. The Queens aren't due to mate, but he really doesn't have the heart to continue longer. His Weyr has apparently agreed with his request, and his wing-second, G'dened...Jesus, Christ, we have a WINNER in terrible names, has been leading during Threadfalls, and his bronze has flown the oldest of the queens.

Gosh, it's almost like maybe, the Weyr might be better off if they chose their leaders as opposed to picking it solely based on which dragon banged.

D'ram says that there's an oldtime custom that when a Weyr is leaderless, they throw open the first queen's flight to all young bronzes and "fairly choose" a new leader. He wants to invoke that custom.

Interestingly, R'mart, the other Oldtimer that sided with F'lar, seems resentful of this. I'm not sure I follow why, but it's interesting.

D'ram thinks G'dened has proven his competence, but ought to prove it to everyone else.

...I'm not going to ask if anyone bothered to get the poor Weyrwoman's input, given that she's going to be banging the winner. Hopefully she's in agreement with the Weyr about G'dened.

F'lar steps in to calm things. He notes that he doesn't doubt that G'dened has a good chance, but that D'ram's offer is very generous. And OH, I see. He means to open it to ALL bronze riders. Not just Ista.

For his part, F'lar only intends to permit Benden riders who have not yet had the chance to mate with a queen. He doesn't think it's fair to pile too many odds against Bamath.

There's question about the queen, Caylith. Is she Benden or Oldtimer? And F'lar very firmly says that Caylith is an ISTAN queen. Moreover, G'dened admits he was born in the old time, but it comes out that he's also D'ram's son. This seems to molify the concerned people.

Everyone is in agreement, including Jaxom. He hopes that G'dened's Bamath succeeds, because it would prove good metal in the younger Oldtimers. And I think that's fair. I wonder what happened to G'narish.

Anyway, D'ram just wants the best leadership for his Weyr, and he thinks this is the best way. I personally think going with the guy everyone likes and agrees with, who has proven his competency makes more sense, but well, creepy cult.

There's a nice moment where everyone rises when D'ram leaves. He may or may not be aware of it. G'dened bows formally and follows. There's an interesting moment where Lessa says his name, incorporating "a wealth of question". But G'dened simply says that he'll inform them when the Queen, Caylith, is ready to fly.

The Lords aren't sure that they approve of the "innovation" that is D'ram's proposal. The Craftmasters are divided, though OF COURSE, Robinton had known of it ahead of time and was neutral. The Weyrleaders like the idea a lot. (Likely because, as Jaxom noted earlier, there's a chance for one of their own to get in.)

Talk leads to Fanna's health. One Craftmaster hopes she doesn't die today,because a death at a Hatching is a bad idea. There's also speculation about G'dened's bronze,and if a Benden bronze had gotten into Ista...

It is actually an interesting set up, because we have heard that Benden dragons are larger and stronger than the Oldtimer dragons. Now we want the Oldtimer to win. So there's some suspense here.

I also like that F'lar specifically seems pretty adamant about Ista Weyr remaining with an Oldtimer head. It seems to fit with his idealism in Dragonquest. He still wants peace with Oldtimers.

Jaxom starts heading out to get some food, when the Nerat lord, Begamon, starts querilously asking about who took the egg and who returned it.

I think they're fair questions, but F'lar isn't inclined to talk about it right now. He says that the egg is back and a Hatching is a happy occasion. He leaves with Lessa (they're called "the two Weyrleaders", which makes me so happy.).

Apparently F'nor was there with Brekke, which is quite bewildering. We were told early on that the other Weyrwomen and Wingseconds weren't there. And it's not like either F'nor or Brekke had anything to contribute at the meeting. But god forbid we not see F'nor get special treatment.

Anyway, Begamon is annoyed that he came all this way and didn't learn anything. He doesn't care about Ista, so much. He wants to know if they're going to let the Oldtimers insult them and not do anything.

N'ton is a bit pompous about it, stating dragonriders aren't free to indulge in their passions or honors at the expense of their duty.

Meanwhile, Groghe, who had been a thorn in F'lar's side in the past, reassures Begamon, stating that it's Weyr business. He expresses sympathy for D'ram and interest in sharing Benden wine.

Jaxom goes out to see a worried Menolly. She asks if F'lar or Lessa addressed Robinton. They didn't, so she asks what happened and Jaxom fills her in. She's interested in the whole thing, but I don't think we really needed to hear Jaxom retell the whole thing that we just saw.

THis is interesting though:

“I don’t know G’dened, but he’s a son of D’ram’s.”

“That doesn’t always mean anything.”

“True.”

“D’ram kept saying that he wanted the best leadership for Ista Weyr and this was the way to achieve it.”

“Poor D’ram ... ”

“Poor Fanna, you mean.”

For clarity, Menolly is the first speaker, Jaxom is the second.

Jaxom does have an interesting perspective here, as the son of Fax and poor dead Gemma. But the conversation moves on to Robinton. She's upset that he and the Weyrleaders didn't speak:

“They’ve been such close friends for so long ... and they’re so unfair about it. He had to speak up. Dragons can’t fight dragons.”

Fuck that shit, Menolly. Robinton told a grieving and traumatized woman that she was an idiot to her face. Lessa has every right to be furious. And yes, dragon shouldn't fight dragon, but F'lar talked her down from that by respecting her! So fuck Robinton.

F'lar and Lessa are the victims here. Or at least mentally bonded to the actual victims here (Mnementh and Ramoth.) So no, it's not their job to be fair. It's Robinton's job to fucking apologize.

So they go on to the feast, which we're told is not the most memorable one, nor particularly merry. Gosh, I wonder why. He doesn't like sitting with Menolly because he thinks she knows and isn't saying anything so as to keep him in suspense on purpose. He also doesn't want to sit with F'lessan or Mirrim, who might notice his scar. Benelek is a dick, and Jaxom "certainly wouldn't have been at ease taking the place at the main tables to which his rank entitled him."

You literally just did that at Fort. So we're supposed to buy that you're modest now?

Eventually Menolly gets called away to sing. Ruth and Jaxom discuss the firelizards:

Ruth was enjoying the emotional feast of the newly Hatched dragons but he did miss the ministrations of the fire-lizards.

They don’t like being cooped up in Brekke’s weyr, Ruth told his rider. Why can’t they come out? Ramoth’s asleep with a very full belly. She wouldn’t even know.

“Don’t be too sure of that,” Jaxom said, glancing up at Mnementh, curled on the queen’s ledge, his softly glowing eyes bright points on the other side of the darkening Weyr Bowl.

I like the idea that both Mnementh and Ramoth are on the same page here.

So anyway, Jaxom and Ruth head home as soon as courtesy allows. Jaxom starts worrying about Lytol, who'll be very upset about Fanna's death and her queen's impending suicide. He wonders how he'll react to the open flight.

Actually, Lytol just grunts and asks if there's been any further development over the theft of the egg. It's funny to me that Jaxom assumes Menolly knows, because I kind of think Lytol knows. He also asks if there are any fire lizard eggs available as two small holders have been pressing him.

Later, when talking to N'ton (who doesn't have eggs), N'ton notes that Fort Weyr will be flying with High Reaches to deal with Threadfall, and Jaxom can't come. Jaxom does wheedle an agreement out of him that when Thread reaches Ruatha, he CAN fight thread.

In fact:

“I discussed it with Lytol.” N’ton grinned, his eyes twinkling. “Lytol’s reasoning is that you’d be so far above ground no Ruathan would realize his Lord Holder was risking his life and word wouldn’t get back to Benden.”

Lytol is so great.

Anyway, Jaxom points out that he risks his life and limb on the ground with the flamethrower crew, which is maybe the first acknowledgment that non-riders take risks too. (So why is the glory of fighting Thread in the air so important, Jaxom?) N'ton acknowledges that this might be true, but they don't need anyone blurting the truth out to F'lar and Lessa.

K'nebel's given a good report too. Ruth is very quick in the air and has a knack for changing direction in his tail.

Later, when tending Ruth, the fire-lizards pause and Ruth whimpers: Fanna died. They hurry back to the Hold. Jaxom notes that the watchdragon isn't reacting to the news, and Ruth indicates that he'd timed them back to right before the alarm. Interesting that he could do it without Jaxom's initiative.

Jaxom says that he'd promised not to time, and Ruth says "You promised. I did not."

So Jaxom goes to find Lytol, just in time for when the lizards start keening for the Queen's suicide. Lytol's face drains of color, and Jaxom hands him some wine, encouraging him to get drunk enough not to hear or remember.

And on that depressing note, the chapter ends.

I'm not really sure why it was necessary for Jaxom to be quite as much of a jackass as he is here, but I really appreciated the politics.

Also, and as always: fuck Robinton.

Comments

[copperfyre]

Yay for politics and plot!

But Jaxom is terrible.

[kalinara]

It's weird to enjoy everything about a book except the lead character, but here I am.