The White Dragon - Chapter Twenty
Dec. 11th, 2020 11:32 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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i_read_whatSo last time in White Dragon, for the first time in thirteen chapters something actually fucking happened. Of course, Jaxom was still a dick, while everyone inexplicably hates poor Mirrim (I'm STILL not sure why, unless they've figured out that her story is much more interesting than theirs is.) But hey, they did find a historical site, so yay!
Before I dive in, I'm just going to say that I peeked at the Pern wiki to see what actually happens to Mirrim, and I was gratified to know that she actually ends up being the de-facto Weyrwoman of what will be the Weyr for this hold! (There's a gold rider in the actual position, but they get along very well and Mirrim tends to take charge! Go Mirrim!)
That's a spoiler, of course, but I can't imagine it's that much of one. It seems pretty obvious that Ms. McCaffrey never intends to allow Mirrim her own book. I honestly wonder if she even realizes that Mirrim even has a really interesting story, seeing as how she's the first woman to ride a non-breeding dragon in hundreds of years. I honestly wouldn't put it past McCaffrey to have made Mirrim a green rider as another way to show that she's not as good as the other female characters.
But perhaps I'm being unfair. I blame this book.
So we rejoin Jaxom and company as they sit near the mountain. Jaxom apparently feels uneasy looking at the eastern face of the mountain, so he's arranged himself, Sharra and Ruth in a way that they don't have to see it. That's okay, I bet it doesn't like the sight of you either.
Really, though, I feel like this is indicative of Jaxom's whole personality. Something is inconvenient or unpleasant for him and he just arranges himself so he doesn't have to look. Jaxom didn't want to deal with the responsibilities of being Lord Holder, so he basically just pushed them onto Lytol, skipped out on them entirely, and constantly put his interest in being a Dragonrider ahead of it. He hasn't asked after Ruatha once while in Cove Hold. He hasn't asked after Corana either. He uses her, loses attraction to her (when she enjoys sex during her rape too much), meets someone else and never once does the courtesy of breaking up with her. Not even in a fucking letter. Deelan's weepy and inconvenient, so he barely thinks of her - the woman who RAISED him and nursed him with her own milk! He never even shows any real gratitude to the Harpers, N'ton or others for all the opportunities that he's handed. Out of sight, out of mind. Don't get me started on his behavior when F'nor actually called him out on avoiding Thread.
I suspect that's why Jaxom dislikes Mirrim so much though. Because Jaxom uses his privilege to ignore or avoid anything that he doesn't want to deal with, while Mirrim's "abrasiveness" means she'll just say it. She's a bit nasty about Ruth, but it's also at least somewhat true: Ruth isn't developing in the way that a normal dragon does. Jaxom can't fly Thread like the Weyr does, because of his rank. Et cetera and so forth.
Anyway, there are a bunch of fire lizards there too, including Robinton's Zair. McCaffrey decides to try to impart a sense of urgency here by telling us that word of the plateau site spread fast, so if Jaxom wants to get anything from the fire lizards' memories, they should act.
So they do:
“Ask them about the first time they saw men.”
Jaxom caught an instant image from Ruth of many dragons arriving over the shoulder of the mountain.
“That’s not what I meant.”
I know, Ruth acknowledged with regret. I will ask again. Not the time with the dragons, but a long time ago, before the mountain blew up.
The reaction of the fire-lizards was predictable and discouraging. They flew up from their perches on and about Ruth and did wild sky-dances, cluttering and bugling in dismay.
Dude, lay off Ruth. It's not his fault that you didn't ask clearly. Also, fire lizards have brains the size of walnuts. Though I like the thought that they're being difficult solely because Jaxom is a dick.
Anyway, Jaxom notices that both Brekke and Menolly are concentrating intently. Ruth says that the fire lizards are seeing the mountain on fire, people running, and the fire following them. Jaxom asks if Ruth can see the mounds before they were covered.
...no. Because they wouldn't be mounds, dude.
But the answer is no because all Ruth can see are people running down to the water. The fire lizards are all quite frightened. They don't like remembering the eruption.
“Any more than they like remembering the Red Star,” Jaxom said imprudently. Every fire-lizard disappeared, including the banded ones.
Smooth move, fuckwad.
Piemur expresses a similar sentiment, while Sebell is thoughtful, pointing out that there are moments that are "branded in the minds of [their] little friends" and when they remember, it excludes everything else.
Piemur suggests finding another spot, with less baggage, but Piemur isn't an authorial favorite and he's not allowed to be right.
“Not so much that,” Menolly considered her words carefully, “as interpretation. I saw something. I think I’m right ... it wasn’t the big mountain that erupted, it was ... ” She turned, and pointed to the smallest of the three. “That’s the one that blew in our dreams!”
“No, it was the big one,” Piemur contradicted, pointing higher.
“You’re wrong, Piemur,” Brekke said with quiet certainty. “It was the smallest one ... everything is to the left in my images. The big mountain is too much higher than the one I’m sure I saw.”
“Yes, yes,” Menolly said, excited. “The angle is important. The fire-lizards couldn’t see that high! Remember they’re much, much smaller. And see, the angle. It’s right!” She was on her feet, gesturing to illustrate her points. “People came from there, running this way, away from the smallest volcano! They came from those mounds. The largest ones!”
See? It's not like the dude with three years of experience scouting and surveying this land, with only a lizard and a runner beast for company could possibly figure out a location like the Harper and...whatever Brekke is now...can.
The next morning, F'lar and Lessa commiserate with the group about the sheer chore in trying to excavate the mounds. Fandarel thinks the area is vast, larger than Fort and Telgar Holds combined. D'ram soon arrives with Toric, which gets this interesting response from Lessa:
“True,” she replied and then smiled at her weyrmate. “I rather like him,” she added, surprised at her own verdict.
“My brother makes himself likable,” Sharra said quietly to Jaxom, a curious smile on her lips. “But to trust him?” She shook her head slowly, watching Jaxom’s face. “He is a very ambitious man!”
...so shouldn't you be telling F'lar and Lessa that, Sharra? They may not be aware of Toric's real personality. Though admittedly, Lessa has a thing for forthright assholes, so she might like him anyway.
Nicat's glad to see Toric, since Toric had found those mine shafts in the west. And with him involved, they don't have to get experienced men from the other Lord Holders. Lessa in particular would prefer they not get too interested in the eastern part of the continent.
We get a description of Toric:
As Toric and the bronze rider walked toward them, Jaxom regarded the Southerner with Sharra’s remarks in his mind. Toric was a big man, as big as Master Fandarel in build and height. His hair was sunstreaked, his skin a deep brown and, while his smile was broad, there was a certain arrogant self-possession in the very way he strode that suggested he felt himself the equal of any awaiting him. Jaxom wondered just how that attitude would strike the Benden Weyrleaders.
...they've met.
Moreover, per this book, Toric went back in time on F'nor's venture. So they absolutely would know each other. And Lessa JUST SAID she liked him. And indeed, he greets F'lar and Lessa with more friendliness than anyone in the fucking book:
“You certainly have discovered the Southern Continent, haven’t you, Benden?” he said, gripping F’lar’s arm in greeting and bowing as he smiled at Lessa."
Toric is, of course, going to play designated villain for this chapter. Because that's what we need in the penultimate chapter of the goddamn book. But I love him, if nothing else, than for this:
He nodded and murmured the name of the other leaders and masters present, glancing beyond them with a raking look at the younger people. When Toric’s yes came back to his face, just briefly, Jaxom knew he’d been identified. Resenting the way Toric’s glance slid from him, as if he were negligible, he stiffened. Then he felt Sharra’s hand lightly on his arm.
You ARE negligible, dude. You're supposedly the Lord of Ruatha, but you haven't been to, or even thought of Ruatha in seven chapters. You've left everything to Lytol, and even as recently as last chapter, whined about not really wanting it to begin with. Why SHOULD Toric acknowledge you?
Sharra is amused, saying Toric does this to irritate people. And Jaxom...oh dear god:
“It puts me in mind of the way my milk-brother used to tease me in front of Lytol, when he knew I couldn’t retaliate,” Jaxom said, surprising himself with such an unexpected comparison. He saw her approval in her dancing eyes.
Oh FUCK OFF. I know McCaffrey is attached to the idea of Jaxom as the quiet put upon victim here. But let's look at the situation! Jaxom was the Lord of Ruatha FROM BIRTH. The reason he has a "milk-brother" is that he was given to Deelan, so she could feed him. Deelan, by the way, has never been given any sort of respect or consideration from Jaxom, ever.
Jaxom is raised in the palace. He has Lytol, right there, who is incredibly conscientious. As a kid, he got to visit crafthalls and Weyrs. He got a FUCKING DRAGON. And we're supposed to feel bad for him because Dorse made fun of him occasionally.
Fuck, I'd love to see this story from Dorse's point of view. Being the normal kid, of this normal lady, who was brought to a palace to take care of an incredibly ungrateful and self-absorbed king-from-birth. I bet he'd have a CONSIDERABLY different interpretation on this.
But even if we take Jaxom at his word. WHO FUCKING GIVES A DAMN? Dorse didn't beat him. He didn't endanger him. He was apparently a bully. Okay. Jaxom is a PRINCE with a FUCKING DRAGON.
I'd like to think Sharra's eyes are dancing because she's trying not to laugh in his face.
Anyway, Toric and F'lar are actually having an interesting conversation:
“Trouble is,” Toric was saying, his voice carrying to them, “that the ancients didn’t leave much behind. Not if they could move it elsewhere and use it. Saving people they were!”
“Oh?” F’lar’s exclamation invited Toric to explain.
The Southerner shrugged. “We’ve been through the mine shafts they left. They’d even pulled up the rails for their ore carts, and’ the brackets where they must have hung lights. One place had a largish shelter at the mouth,” he gestured toward the smallest nearby mound, “about that size, carefully shut against the weather and totally bare inside. Again, you could see where things had been bolted to the floor. They’d prized the bolts out, too.”
Fandarel thinks that if "this thriftiness applies here" then if they find anything, it'll be in the mounds. They'd have been too dangerous for approach. He and Toric have a great exchange here too:
And if too hot to approach, what makes you think anything survived the heat?” Toric demanded.
“Because the mound has survived to this time,” Fandarel replied as if he were only being logical.
Toric regarded him for a moment and then clouted the Smith on the shoulder. He was oblivious to the startled look awarded him by Fandarel, whom men tended to treat with distant respect.
“Point in your favor, Mastersmith,” Toric said. “I’ll dig gladly with you and hope you’re right.”
...I'd read Toric's book if he had one. Right now Toric seems significantly more interesting than Jaxom.
Lessa's interested in the many smaller mounds, while F'lar wonders what they could have had in the bigger places. Toric points out that they've got hands enough, and plenty of shovels and picks! Let's find out.
F'lar and Lessa ALSO get a cute exchange:
“Presuming Toric’s theory is correct, is it worth digging here?” F’lar asked his weyrmate.
“What we found in that long-forgotten room at Benden Weyr was obviously a discard of the ancients. And after all, mining equipment they could have used elsewhere. Besides, I want to see what’s inside.” Lessa said that with such determination that F’lar laughed.
This book is much more fun when Jaxom shuts the hell up. Anyway, Sharra and Jaxom assist Lessa. F'nor and Menolly assist F'lar. Nicat and N'ton head to a loose circle of smallish mounds.
The work is pretty tough. None of them are excavators. Meanwhile, Jaxom feels like he's under surveillance somehow. Ruth warns him that "the big one" is watching him.
I think McCaffrey somehow knew what I said about Toric long after her death and is taking her revenge. Well, sorry, Ms. McCaffrey. You can make Toric an asshole all you want. He's still better than Jaxom. So far Toric hasn't raped anyone.
McCaffrey of course is not remotely subtle about this:
. “Like ash. Gritty. Never thought I’d be dealing in ashes again. Did I ever tell you, Jaxom, that I was cleaning the fireplace in Ruatha Hold the day your mother arrived?”
“No,” Jaxom said, surprised at this unexpected confidence. “But then, few people ever mention my parents to me.”
Lessa’s expression became severe. “Now I wonder why I called Fax to mind ... ” she said, glancing in Toric’s direction and adding, more to herself than to Jaxom and Sharra, “except he was ambitious, too. But Fax made mistakes.”
...really? You JUST told us that Lessa liked Toric. But now you've decided she's going to compare him to Fax? There's a cute bit where she's quite smug about having "rectified" Fax's mistake of taking Ruatha from its rightful bloodline. Except, well, Jaxom isn't Ruathan. Gemma was the lady of Crom. She had some Ruathan blood, but wasn't a member of its royal line. If the mistake were truly rectified, Lessa or F'lessan would be on the throne.
And really, if Jaxom can be Lord Holder and dragonrider, I don't see why F'lessan couldn't.
While Lessa considers drafting more strong backs to help with the digging, Sharra's fire lizards suddenly appear and start digging where she'd planted her shovel. Oh, of fucking course they do.
We've NEVER heard of dragons or fire lizards burrowing in four fucking novels. But now, of course they do. Jaxom decides to ask Ruth to help, which inspires the others to ask THEIR dragons. Even Ramoth helps!
...isn't that dangerous? I mean, if things are fragile in these mounds...there's a reason that archeologists wait to bring out the big equipment, right?
While this is going on, Jaxom and Sharra talk. The gist is that while Sharra loves Jaxom, Toric has "other plans" for her. And Toric doesn't like Northern men. Apparently he's had to cope with a lot of annoying younger sons for the past three years.
Wait. When? This whole bring younger sons to the South JUST happened. Fuck, never mind. I don't care. This is fucking stupid.
Jaxom swears he'll prove himself to Toric, and he'll do it properly through Lytol and Robinton. He asks her to be his lady, and she accepts.
...you've got to be fucking kidding me. We have an entire book of Jaxom wanting absolutely nothing to do with his Lordship, in which he milks the privileges and shirks the responsibility at every responsibility. We've never seen him attend audiences or make rulings, or even watch Lytol at work. We haven't seen him think of Ruatha in more than seven chapters.
But THIS is how we're going to end up with Lord Jaxom at the end of the book, isn't it? Not duty, responsibility, or a mature understanding of how much so many people have given up (like Lessa and Lytol) to make sure he gets to this position. It's just because his love interest's brother doesn't like him.
Oh, and just to show us Jaxom's new resolve:
“Jaxom! Sharra!” cried Lessa, who had been far too engrossed in Ramoth’s industry to notice their quiet exchange.
Jaxom felt Sharra’s hands struggle but, having decided to confront Toric in all his arrogance, Jaxom was not about to defer before Lessa. He kept a tight hold on Sharra as they turned toward the Weyrwoman.
Go fuck yourself, Jaxom. Lytol respects Lessa. You fucking should too.
Anyway, Lessa and Ramoth have found something. And over at the other area, F'lar (and presumably Mnementh) have found something too. The same material, though F'lar's also has an amber panel.
Fandarel says that this isn't an efficient use of time and energy, which makes Toric guffaw, and I think I ship them. He says they concentrate on Lessa's mound first, because it's smaller, then Nicat's, and so on.
"All in one day?” he asked, again with a tone of supercilious derision that irritated Jaxom.
“We will do as much as we can, certainly, so let us begin!”
Jaxom decided that the Smith chose to ignore Toric’s attitude, an example for him to follow.
1) You know, it's awfully interesting how characters that Jaxom has already chosen to dislike are the ones described as having nasty tones of voices. I feel like Jaxom might well be an unreliable narrator here.
2) Especially since, Jaxom, this is not about you? The Smith has no idea what's going on with you guys and has no fucking interest in anyone's romantic foibles. He's not giving you a fucking example.
3) Honestly, Toric came here with manpower and equipment. What exactly did Jaxom contribute that's so valuable? Sure, he found the place, but they had already intended to scout the mountain. Jaxom just got there first. There was no fancy flying unique to Ruth. Anyone could have made that flight.
So maybe Fandarel figures that the guy who brought useful shit can make comments if he wants.
Anyway, Lessa's mound is small, so only two dragons work it. F'lar and N'ton urge Mnementh and Lioth to help Nicat. This is cool though:
By midafternoon the curving sides of Lessa’s mound had been unearthed to the original floor of the valley. Six panels, three on an arc of the curved roof, tantalized, but their surface, once undoubtedly transparent, was now badly scored and darkened. Attempts to see through to the interior were vain. Disappointing, but no openings were found on the long sides so one end was promptly dug out. The dragons, despite the grayblack dust that now dulled their hides, showed no sign of fatigue and considerable interest in this unlikely task. And shortly the access was unearthed.
A door, made of an opaque form of the material used in the roof panels, slid across the opening on rails. The dirt-clogged tracks had to be cleared and dragonhide oil applied to the runners before the door could be forced wide enough to permit entry. Lessa, all set to enter first, was restrained by the Smith’s hand.
Fandarel points out that the air is "sick with age". Like when Felessan and Jaxom found that room in Benden. They let it air out a bit before going inside. Toric continues to charm me:
“Someone could have slept on that!” He turned to the other corner, and then with a sudden movement that made Lessa gasp, he stooped and came up with an object which he then made a show of presenting to her. “A treasure from the past!”
Sorry, Ms. McCaffrey. If you want me to hate Toric, you're going to have to stop making him one of the few characters who show Lessa proper respect!
It's a spoon. But it's not metal or wood. It's like the panels and door, but transparent. Everyone looks around with more enthusiasm. Sadly, the place is empty. Fandarel theorizes that these are living quarters, and that the ancients probably would have taken their personal things with them. So they should devote more effort to the larger and smaller places for now.
Aw. I feel like refurbishing the living quarters might be a good idea eventually though. You'll want to keep some folks here for long term study, right? We could use an Archaeology Craft Hall.
They start digging out Nicat's mound, even getting to the door, but it's only opened a crack. And now it's sundown, and no one thought to bring glow baskets.
Huh, it seems like Toric's "all in one day?" question actually had merit, JAXOM.
They are about to head to Cove Hold. Lessa asks if Toric will join them and oh, oh my god. This is wonderful.
“I think not this evening, Lessa. I’ve a Hold to manage and cannot always please myself,” he said. Jaxom saw the Southerner’s eyes on him, the implication obvious to Jaxom. “All things being equal, I’ll return tomorrow for a time to see if Fandarel’s mound proves more profitable. Shall I bring more strong hands and spare your dragons?”
You're my favorite now, Toric. Tied with Lytol. For completely opposite reasons, but I love you.
Jaxom, maybe you should fucking GO HOME TO RUATHA.
Toric and F'lar have a kind of cryptic exchange about the plateau. Toric would prefer it kept quiet, but F'lar thinks the Plateau should be available to everyone. This is interesting to me, so of course, our viewpoint character doesn't focus on it. Instead, he tries to make us dislike Toric more:
“Imagination? Yes, you’ll need a lot of that here to make sense out of what the ancients have left for you,” Toric said, the faintest hint of scorn in his tone. “When you’re ready, D’ram?”
Nope. Sorry.
Jaxom does have a little bit of self awareness here:
For some reason Toric’s manner toward the old Weyrleader was more respectful than to anyone else. At least to Jaxom’s sensitive ears. He was inwardly seething over Toric’s insinuation that he did not manage his own Hold but pleased himself. He seethed because it was a valid accusation. Yet why, Jaxom sought to console himself, would anyone have expected him to return tamely to Ruatha, which prospered under Lytol’s expert management, when all the excitement in the world was happening here? He felt Sharra’s fingers curl around his arm, and he reminded himself of his own analogy between Toric and Dorse.
a) You aren't managing your hold. You are pleasing yourself.
b) Just because Lytol is picking up your slack doesn't actually excuse your dereliction.
c) And honestly, Jaxom, if I were you, I'd consider the fact that no one expects you to "return tamely" to your goddamn kingdom as the insult as it is. They know that you don't give a shit about that.
d) Toric and Dorse are nothing alike. Toric is a fucking LORD. He is your equal! Well, probably not, since Toric actually governs his Hold. But if anything he outranks you. Dorse was a kid with no title or power. Grow the fuck up.
Ugh, they meet Robinton on the beach, who when he sees how dirty and tired and in need of a swim they are, simply strips down to swim between them for an update.
He's a considerate guy, our Robinton.
Later, they sit by the fire, a bit dejected. Robinton notes there's no guarantee of anything of value in any of these mounds. Lessa holds up her spoon. She admits that it has no intrinsic value, but she finds it thrilling to hold something an ancestress might have used.
Fandarel is fascinated too and makes a move to dissect it, which Lessa vetoes. He can experiment with the other items they found, but this is her artifact. I love her.
Anyway, he and Nicat are pretty enthused about what they might learn even from the ancient's discards. Nicat asks for permission to bring some experienced mining teams to methodically go about the excavations. He's sure they'll find some things, like the bed and the spoon, which the ancients would have left behind as unneeded.
Fandarel has an interesting question, namely, once the ancients left the plateau, where did they go. It doesn't seem to have been Fort Hold. Or at least there's no sign of their many possessions there.
Jaxom suggests they were heading toward the sea. F'lar notes there's a lot of land between the Plateau and sea and asks Jaxom to see if Ruth can find out more from the fire lizards about where they went.
They also okay Nicat's mining project, which leads into an interesting discussion about the shafts in the Western Range. Apparently, Toric has claimed them, since his exploring party found them, and he and Nicat haven't come to an agreement yet. (Sharra says that she told Jaxom that Toric was ambitious. Shut up, Sharra. Toric is more interesting than you are.)
Besides, I find it interesting how ambition in Toric is a bad thing and compared to Fax. When Lessa and F'lar were just as ambitious in their own right. Actually, maybe that's the problem I've been having since Dragonquest. None of these other lead characters: F'nor, Brekke, Menolly or Jaxom are very ambitious.
But they SHOULD be. At least a little. They all have things they're supposed to want after all. Maybe not F'nor, who was reasonably content. Or Brekke who was a set of virtues wrapped in a dress. But while Menolly supposedly wanted to be a Harper, she'd actually taken NO steps to achieve that herself. She learned the instruments, but she never sought to play for Elgion or the Benden Harper. She wrote the songs, but it was Petiron that sent them in. Elgion figures out her identity. Robinton tricks her into performing.
Menolly had a dream, not an ambition. And everything was handed to her so she could get there.
Jaxom is the same way. He has wants: he wants to be a dragonrider rather than a Lord. But that's not an ambition either. He does a few proactive things, such as train Ruth with firestone. But it's N'ton who gets him real training. And he bristles constantly at the lack of recognition and acknowledgment when he finally fights Thread. He bristles again when F'nor scolds him like any dragonrider who fucking FORGOT that Thread was coming. He wants the perks, but he doesn't work for them, and he doesn't like the parts that aren't fun.
And Ruatha? Fuck. Just abdicate dude.
So anyway, F'lar's not concerned. An exploring party doesn't convey jurisdiction as he sees it, so this is all Nicat's call. He'll talk with Toric in the morning, and Lessa agrees that they should. God, she's so great.
Nicat should consider asking them about fire lizards too, since they actually have a use here.
Ugh, eventually everyone leaves and Sharra and Jaxom are alone. I hate them as a couple so much. I don't hate Sharra, but McCaffrey hasn't really given her much to do or say even before they got together. And Jaxom is so fucking creepy. Did he ever figure out if she's too old for him?
I'm just saying. If Toric went back in time with F'nor, then he was probably an adult then. This was when Jaxom was four years old. Sharra might be a considerably younger sister, but still. I don't mind a good older-woman/younger-man relationship, but Jaxom's so fucking shallow.
Jaxom wonders if Toric intends to hold the entire South West. Um, so what if he does? What business is that of yours?
And here's an interesting beat:
“Well, if not all, as much as he can,” Sharra replied with a laugh. “I’m not being disloyal to him telling you this, Jaxom. You have your own Hold. You don’t want Southern lands. Or do you?”
Jaxom considered that.
“You don’t, do you?” Sharra sounded anxious and put her hand on his arm.
Of course not. That would actually be interesting.
“No, I don’t,” he said. “No, much as I love this Cove, I don’t want it. Today on the Plateau, I’d have given anything for a cool breeze from Ruatha’s mountain, or a plunge in my lake. Ruth and I will take you there-it’s such a beautiful place. Only a dragon can get to it easily.” He picked up a flat pebble and skated it across the quiet swells that lapped the white sands of the beach. “No, I don’t want a Southern Hold, Sharra. I was born in Ruatha, bred to Ruatha. Lessa obliquely reminded me of that this afternoon. She reminded me, too, of the price of my Holding and of all she’s done to insure that I remain Lord of Ruatha. You do realize, don’t you, that her son, F’lessan, is a Ruathan halfblood. That’s more than I am.”
“But he’s a dragonrider!”
“Yes, and weyrbred, by Lessa’s choice so that I would remain the uncontested Lord of Ruatha. I’d better start acting like one!” He rose and drew Sharra up.
1) So...basically, you only started thinking of Ruatha because you were physically uncomfortable and doing work.
2) I kind of love the implicit insult here where Sharra says that F'lessan's a dragonrider. Because that means Jaxom isn't. And he's not. He rides a dragon, but he's completely not suited to service.
3) It's fascinating how often Jaxom makes things all about him. Like Fandarel ignoring Toric. Lessa didn't raise F'lessan in the Weyr so Jaxom would be uncontested. That was never once mentioned. F'lessan grew up in the Weyr because that's where Lessa and F'lar live! There was no way the son of the senior modern Weyrleader and the most powerful Weyrwoman on the planet wouldn't grow up in the Weyr.
4) If you wanted me to think Jaxom gave one shit about Ruatha, you'd have him GO HOME. He can, you know? They fly between! He can do exactly what Toric did, and go home for the night and come back in the morning. Sure, time zones are an issue, but he can fucking time it!
Ugh.
Actually, I spoke too soon! He announces he intends to go back to Ruatha Hold tonight!
...I still don't buy that he gives a shit about Ruatha. Sorry. Anyway, he kisses Sharra, who reacts with anger. Not at him, but at her brother's fire lizards who are watching her.
“Great! Let him have no mistake about my intentions toward you!” He kissed her until he felt her taut body responding to his, till the angry set of her lips dissolved into willingness. “I’d give him more to see but I want to get back to Ruatha Hold this evening!” He rapidly drew on his riding gear and called to Ruth. “I’ll be back in the morning, Sharra. Tell the others, will you?
I fucking hate Jaxom so much.
I mean, seriously, there are so many ways she could have made this work. But instead:
His abrupt compulsion to return to Ruatha and set in train the formalities of his confirmation as Lord Holder was by no means entirely due to Toric’s barbed comments. His own suppressed sense of responsibility had been heightened by Lessa’s odd nostalgia at the mound. But it had also occurred to him, at the fireside, that a man of Lytol’s vitality and experience might find the Plateau’s mysteries a challenge sufficient to replace Ruatha. His return to his birthplace had the same inexorable quality of his decision to rescue the egg.
A) This is ENTIRELY about Toric. Jaxom has shown NO sign of ANY sense of responsibility all book, suppressed or otherwise.
B) You will NOT convince me that Jaxom has any real empathy for Lessa OR Lytol at this stage.
C) SHUT UP ABOUT THE FUCKING EGG.
So they go home to Ruatha. And it says something that this is how he's greeted:
Ruth landed in the courtyard just as the Great Hall door opened. Lytol, Brand and Finder surged to the steps.
“Is anything wrong, Jaxom?” Lytol cried.
Because there's no other fucking way you'd be at home to do your job.
And because Jaxom can't not make work for people, he has Brand light fires in his quarters. He'd forgotten it was winter here. God, I hate him so much. Lytol fusses, worried about him taking a chill in the changing climates. Brand calling for drudges to bring coal fires. Poor drudges.
Jaxom's explanation is a total lie of course:
“This morning, in the hot sun of the Plateau, while we were digging up one of the mounds the ancients left to puzzle us, Lessa told me that she had been taking ashes out of this fireplace the day my unlamented sire, Fax, escorted my lady mother Gemma to this Hold!” He raised his cup in a toast to the memory of the mother he had never known.
“Which obliquely reminded you that you are Lord of Ruatha now?” Lytol inquired, a slight lift to the corner of his mouth. His eyes, which before had seemed so expressionless to Jaxom, twinkled in the firelight.
“Yes, and showed me where a man of your talents could be better used now, Lord Lytol.”
Oh BULL SHIT, you little weasel.
a) this wasn't about Lessa. This was about trying to one-up your girlfriend's brother.
b) And you didn't ONCE think about Lytol until MUCH later.
I do love Lytol though:
“Oh, tell me more,” Lytol said, gesturing to the heavy carved chair which had been placed to get the most benefit of the fire.
“Don’t let me take your chair,” Jaxom said courteously, noticing that the cushions bore the recent imprint of buttocks and thighs.
“I suspect you’re about to take more than that, Lord Jaxom.”
So Jaxom asks if he's ready to be Ruatha's Lord.
Are you trained, do you mean?”
“That, too, but I had in mind the circumstances which have made it wiser to leave Ruatha in your charge.”
“Ay, yes.”
Jaxom keenly watched Lytol to see if there was any constraint in his manner as he answered.
“The circumstances have indeed altered over the past two seasons,” Lytol almost laughed, “thanks to you, in great part.”
...REALLY.
1) What training has Jaxom actually had? We've never seen it.
2) There were oblique references to "circumstances" but we never actually heard what they were. The ONLY real interaction we had with Lords was Groghe who was pro-Jaxom. If the others were still a problem, then McCaffrey had PLENTY of opportunity to show us.
3) ...how the fuck does Jaxom get credit for this when he has done fucking NOTHING?!
Anyway, Lytol notes that he sees no impediment to Jaxom being confirmed as Lord Holder.
You've got to be fucking kidding me. I thought Menolly's promotion was undeserved but at least she showed some basic ability!
Lytol has some idea what's going on though:
“So,” Lytol almost smiled, “may I know what has prompted you? Surely not just the realization that pressure is eased in the North? Or is it that pretty girl? Sharra, is that her name?”
Yep, your son is an irresponsible fuckwad, who only cares about his job because of his girlfriend.
And now this is interesting though:
“A sister to Toric of the Southern Hold, isn’t she?” Lytol pursued the subject, testing the suitability of the match.
“Yes, and tell me, Lytol, has there been any move to confirm Toric as a major Lord Holder?”
“No, nor any rumor that he’s asked to be.” Lytol scowled as he reflected on that circumstance.
“What’s your opinion of Toric, Lord Lytol?”
“Why do you ask? Certainly the match is suitable, even if he hasn’t rank to match yours.”
“He doesn’t need the rank. He has the ambition,” Jaxom said with sufficient rancor to attract the undivided attention of both guardian and harper.
I resent that we could have had this politicking all along, but instead we got Jaxom on a fucking vacation for more than half the book.
I still don't understand where Jaxom gets off. You literally flew home to get handed a title that you have done nothing to deserve, and TORIC's the one with undue ambition?
McCaffrey must have realized how useless Jaxom is, because she suddenly gifts him with political insight that we've never seen him display ever. He asks what exactly Toric promised the holdless men who come. Apparently Groghe's sons will hold, and keep their rank. Dorse was promised land, but possibly not a hold.
“Dorse? Has he gone south looking for a hold?” Jaxom gave a chuckle of relief and wonder.
“I saw no reason to refuse him the opportunity,” Lytol replied calmly.
Fuck off, Jaxom.
Anyway, Jaxom notes that if a man offered land, you'd be grateful to him and support him against those that denied you land. Lytol agrees. You've got to be kidding me.
What happened to all of Robinton's alleged work, Ms. McCaffrey? Remember? It was his political genius that led to everyone asking F'LAR for land. Which F'LAR grants. Toric has a Hold, but the agreement for the Continent gave the Western Half to the LORD HOLDERS, not Toric!
So basically, if Toric's clever enough to swoop in and convince these idiots that he's the one allowing them to stay and take land, he's only succeeding because the Northern Lord Holders are too stupid to explain to their kids what's really happening. Which means...more power to him!
#TeamToric. I can see why he, F'lar and Lessa get along.
Oh and wow:
“However, it was clearly stated that the best land was too far from the protection of the Weyr. I gave Dorse one of our older flamethrowers, in good repair of course, with spare nozzles and hose,” Lytol added.
“I’d give anything to watch Dorse in the open in Threadfall without a dragonrider in sight,” Jaxom said.
...you know, when Mavi and Yanus said shit like this, we were supposed to think they were awful. What the fuck, Jaxom?! At worst, this kid's a childhood bully. (And successful at that only because you were fucking spineless.)
Anyway, Jaxom's resolve to be Lord Holder is as strong as we'd expect:
“Sir,” Jaxom rose, finishing the rest of his wine, “I’ll return tonight. Our blood’s not yet thick enough for a snowstorm in Ruatha Hold. And there’s a task set for Ruth and myself tomorrow. Would you be free to come South again? If Brand can hold matters in our absence?”
He's heading straight back to fun paradise. God, I hate that he's reward with everything he wants.
So he heads into his bed in Cove Hold, "thinking of the snows in Ruatha". Because he can't fucking deal with ONE NIGHT of discomfort, oh my god.
Anyway, he wakes up unexpectedly, wanders outside, and wakes up Ruth to go flying. Because he's a dick. They fly to the plateau and then glide toward the sea. Oh, of fucking course. As they're flying, he notices some weird shadows. He has Ruth land and the firelizards appear suddenly chattering with excitement and pleasure. Per Ruth, they're thrilled that Jaxom has come back, it's been so long.
Basically, the lizards think that Jaxom is one of the ancients. And Ruth gets their memories:
The cylinders were grayish, with stubby wings that were poor imitations of the graceful pinions of the dragons. The cylinders bore rings of smaller tubes at one end while the other was blunt-nosed. Suddenly an opening appeared about a third of the way from the tubed end of the first ship. Men and women walked down a ramp. A progression of images flashed across Jaxom’s mind then, of people running about, embracing each other, jumping up and down. Then the images Ruth obtained from the cluttering bugling fire-lizards dissolved into chaos-as if each separate fire-lizard had followed one person and each was trying to give Ruth his individual image rather than a group view of the landing and ensuing events.
...of course Jaxom finds this. And not by any study, but just by flying on a whim. And yes, that's just main character luck. But Jaxom gets everything without trying, and I'm not inclined to be generous.
Jaxom thinks he should go back to the Hold to tell them. Ruth points out that they're asleep. Um, you're telepathic, Ruth? YOU could tell them? Especially since Lessa and Brekke are here!
They decide to dig. Because why do we need people who know what they're doing. And they find something cool! They finally go back to report in.
Everyone is excited of course, but then Jaxom notices that Sharra isn't there to fawn on him. Apparently a dragonrider came for her because of an illness at Southern Hold.
Actually, I'll give Robinton credit for this:
“A dragonrider came for Sharra last evening. There’s some illness at Southern and she was urgently needed. I’ve been selfish, I suppose, keeping you all about me when the real need is over. In fact,” the Harper said, “I’m surprised to find you here and not at Ruatha still.” Robinton’s eyebrows arched as an invitation to explain.
“I should have been back in my Hold some time ago, Master Robinton,” Jaxom admitted in a contrite tone, then he shrugged at his reluctance to leave the Cove. “Furthermore, it was snowing when I got there. Lord Lytol and I had a long talk ... ”
“There’d be no opposition to you taking Hold now,” the Harper said with a laugh, “and no more hedging and hawing about lands and you being a dragon’s rider. The Harper’s eyes twinkled as he mimicked Lord Sangel’s pinched tones.
1) Yes, actually, you've both been selfish. Sharra hasn't been necessary here for ages. She's a fucking healer. Thank you for acknowledging that, Robinton. Fuck you for making me compliment Robinton, Jaxom.
2) Fine Lord Holder you'll be, Jaxom, if you can't deal with the snow.
3) So the gist I'm getting is that the Lords STILL had a problem with Jaxom being a rider and a Lord. So how did Jaxom's actions fix that? Let's look at them!
- He trains Ruth to fly Thread.
- He flies thread.
- He gets sick, like an idiot.
- He finds the Plateau, while flying Ruth, on request of the Weyrleader.
Why would any Lord Holder, looking at that sequence of events, decide that Jaxom is not a dragonrider? How would this alleviate their concern?
I feel like McCaffrey has thought none of this through!
4) Can I just say how stupid Jaxom is here? He was busy macking on the guy's sister while the guy was spying on her. Issued a challenge. And now Sharra's been called away to Southern Hold on an "emergency"? HI???
Jaxom does share his thought for Lytol, which is that his gift for organizing would be really helpful for the excavation. I...feel like you're right, Jaxom, but that you might also have asked Lytol?
And now, suddenly Canth arrives. F'nor looks irked. And...fucking hell:
“Now, tell me what you’ve been up to so early in the morning, Jaxom?” F’nor asked, loosening his flying belt and helmet. “It’s getting so Benden can’t turn around without Ruatha’s assistance.”
Jaxom peered intently at F’nor in surprise, but the brown rider gave him such a look that Jaxom realized F’nor was being exceptionally cryptic. Could he be referring to that damned egg? Had Brekke mentioned something to him?
Fuck it, I'm using Copperfyre's present:
Also, I'd hope F'nor and Brekke have better things to talk about than your ass, Jaxom.
Jaxom points out that Benden and Ruatha have the strongest ties: blood and mutual interest. For some reason this amuses F'nor, and he's excited to hear about the discovery. So why was he annoyed to begin with? We'll never know.
Robinton also wants to come to see the new site. He promises not to dig and is very dramatic about how he'll collapse from tension if he's waiting at the beach. F'nor finally agrees, and Menolly threatens to sit on Robinton if he tries to do any labor.
So there is digging. Apparently F'lar and Lessa had gone home, because once they get the landing ship clear, Robinton suggests they contact them. And points out that they can't exclude Fandarel. F'nor wants to keep this quiet. Which is a weird reversal to the plateau. But okay. While F'nor goes off to alert them, Robinton proves he's a terrible mentor again:
“If they flew in those things ... ”
“If, my dear Piemur. No doubt obtains. They did. The fire-lizards saw those vehicles land,” Master Robinton said.
“I started to say that if they flew in those things, why didn’t they fly them away from the Plateau after the explosion?”
Robinton does admit that's a good question.
So F'lar, Lessa and Fandarel arrive. They manage to get it open by pressing a green button. (Red has always meant danger, a tradition passed down from the ancients.)
And wow, they're all kind of stupid aren't they:
“Wait!” Fandarel restrained the others from entering. “Give fresh air a chance to circulate. Did anyone think to bring glows?”
No. Jaxom goes to Cove to get some. Because it's not like they didn't literally JUST have this come up.
They go inside. And it's pretty fucking cool of course. F'nor and company find the controls of the ship, but Robinton, of course, finds the best part:
“No, F’nor, this is important to us!” And F’lar seconded the Harper’s vibrant claim. As everyone gathered about the two, their glow baskets adding to the illumination, it was clear what had arrested their attention. The walls were covered with maps. In great detail, the familiar contours of Northern Pern and the not-so-familiar Southern Continent, all of it in its immensity, had been drawn eradicably on the wall.
With a sound-half-moan, half-shout-Piemur touched the map, tracing with his forefinger the coast which he had so arduously tramped, but which was only a small portion of the total shoreline.
MAAAAPS.
Menolly figures out that one map measures ocean depths and water currents, because she recognizes Nerat Deep, the sea near Half Circle Hold. I like that a lot. The land markings are less discernable.
Fandarel finds a map of the star system! Which includes the Red Star and Pern itself! Piemur spots something interesting on the map, something that looks like a dark colored world on the other side of the sun!
(...I have no idea what that could be! This is fun!)
There are also lines coming from the Red Star.
Lessa and F'lar are still great:
“I prefer this map,” Lessa said, smiling with a great deal of satisfaction at the two continents.
“You do?” F’lar asked, turning from his examination of the star map. “Ah, yes, I take your point,” he said as he watched her hand cover the western section. Then he laughed. “Yes, I quite agree, Lessa. Very instructive.”
Hehehe.
But again, tell me why ambition is a bad thing. Tell HER.
Piemur doesn't like the map because it's inaccurate at parts. The Great Bay, for example is wrong, and he knows because he walked it. Robinton agrees that the map isn't accurate NOW, but he thinks it probably was THEN. So many passes ago.
Menolly points out a spur of land, which her great grandfather apparently remembered falling into the sea.
Fandarel is the one who figures out, maybe, the land shadings on the sea map. He notes that Fort, Ruatha, Benden, Telgar all have the same coloration. He wonders if that's where people could settle. Piemur points out that the Plateau, where they first settled, is NOT the same brown. He suggests getting Wansor and Nicat's opinion.
F'nor wants Benelek to look at the controls, though Fandarel points out this is all beyond his skill. Gotta start somewhere.
F'lar, being F'lar, has priorities:
“Perhaps one day, we will know enough to fathom all the ships’ mysteries,” F’lar said, smiling with intense pleasure as he tapped the maps. “But these ... are current and exceedingly valuable to us, and Pern.” He paused to grin at Master Robinton, who nodded his head in comprehension, and Lessa, who continued to smile, her eyes dancing with a mischief only the three seemed to share. “And, for the time being, no mention is to be made of them!”
Ambition is bad, yo.
Anyway, he's good with sharing the equations and drawings with Wansor, and having Benelek poke around. But he thinks this should be kept secret for now. (...ugh. F’lar’s glance, direct and intense, caused Jaxom an inner pang because he was certain then that the Benden Weyrleader did know of his episode with the dratted egg.. NO ONE CARES ABOUT THE EGG.)
They suddenly remember Toric is coming, so they head out. Jaxom stays behind to copy the maps. Since he'd already gone to Ruatha when Sharra was picked up, Toric won't notice he's missing.
While copying, Jaxom realizes why F'lar, Lessa and Robinton were so happy:
Of course. Toric didn’t know how large the Southern Continent was! And now the Weyrleaders did. Jaxom regarded the Hold peninsula, estimating how much Toric and his holdless men had managed to explore. Never could Toric, even with his Hold swollen by younger sons from every Hold and cothold in Northern Pern, explore this vast continent. Why, even if he tried to Hold as far as the Western Range in the south, to the Great Bay in the west ... Jaxom smiled, so pleased with his deduction that he nearly smeared the line he was drawing. Should he mark in the Great Bay as they now knew it, or copy the old map faithfully? Yes, it was this one that mattered. And when Toric finally saw it ... Jaxom chuckled, imagining with intense pleasure the chagrin which Toric would feel at first sight.
...or he'd be okay with it?
Toric doesn't seem to want to rule the WORLD. He wants power and influence. And again, I'm still not sure why that's worse than any other character. Why would he be unhappy that there's even more land out there?
Oh well. The chapter ends here. One left and an afterword, and I'll be DONE. FINALLY.
Before I dive in, I'm just going to say that I peeked at the Pern wiki to see what actually happens to Mirrim, and I was gratified to know that she actually ends up being the de-facto Weyrwoman of what will be the Weyr for this hold! (There's a gold rider in the actual position, but they get along very well and Mirrim tends to take charge! Go Mirrim!)
That's a spoiler, of course, but I can't imagine it's that much of one. It seems pretty obvious that Ms. McCaffrey never intends to allow Mirrim her own book. I honestly wonder if she even realizes that Mirrim even has a really interesting story, seeing as how she's the first woman to ride a non-breeding dragon in hundreds of years. I honestly wouldn't put it past McCaffrey to have made Mirrim a green rider as another way to show that she's not as good as the other female characters.
But perhaps I'm being unfair. I blame this book.
So we rejoin Jaxom and company as they sit near the mountain. Jaxom apparently feels uneasy looking at the eastern face of the mountain, so he's arranged himself, Sharra and Ruth in a way that they don't have to see it. That's okay, I bet it doesn't like the sight of you either.
Really, though, I feel like this is indicative of Jaxom's whole personality. Something is inconvenient or unpleasant for him and he just arranges himself so he doesn't have to look. Jaxom didn't want to deal with the responsibilities of being Lord Holder, so he basically just pushed them onto Lytol, skipped out on them entirely, and constantly put his interest in being a Dragonrider ahead of it. He hasn't asked after Ruatha once while in Cove Hold. He hasn't asked after Corana either. He uses her, loses attraction to her (when she enjoys sex during her rape too much), meets someone else and never once does the courtesy of breaking up with her. Not even in a fucking letter. Deelan's weepy and inconvenient, so he barely thinks of her - the woman who RAISED him and nursed him with her own milk! He never even shows any real gratitude to the Harpers, N'ton or others for all the opportunities that he's handed. Out of sight, out of mind. Don't get me started on his behavior when F'nor actually called him out on avoiding Thread.
I suspect that's why Jaxom dislikes Mirrim so much though. Because Jaxom uses his privilege to ignore or avoid anything that he doesn't want to deal with, while Mirrim's "abrasiveness" means she'll just say it. She's a bit nasty about Ruth, but it's also at least somewhat true: Ruth isn't developing in the way that a normal dragon does. Jaxom can't fly Thread like the Weyr does, because of his rank. Et cetera and so forth.
Anyway, there are a bunch of fire lizards there too, including Robinton's Zair. McCaffrey decides to try to impart a sense of urgency here by telling us that word of the plateau site spread fast, so if Jaxom wants to get anything from the fire lizards' memories, they should act.
So they do:
“Ask them about the first time they saw men.”
Jaxom caught an instant image from Ruth of many dragons arriving over the shoulder of the mountain.
“That’s not what I meant.”
I know, Ruth acknowledged with regret. I will ask again. Not the time with the dragons, but a long time ago, before the mountain blew up.
The reaction of the fire-lizards was predictable and discouraging. They flew up from their perches on and about Ruth and did wild sky-dances, cluttering and bugling in dismay.
Dude, lay off Ruth. It's not his fault that you didn't ask clearly. Also, fire lizards have brains the size of walnuts. Though I like the thought that they're being difficult solely because Jaxom is a dick.
Anyway, Jaxom notices that both Brekke and Menolly are concentrating intently. Ruth says that the fire lizards are seeing the mountain on fire, people running, and the fire following them. Jaxom asks if Ruth can see the mounds before they were covered.
...no. Because they wouldn't be mounds, dude.
But the answer is no because all Ruth can see are people running down to the water. The fire lizards are all quite frightened. They don't like remembering the eruption.
“Any more than they like remembering the Red Star,” Jaxom said imprudently. Every fire-lizard disappeared, including the banded ones.
Smooth move, fuckwad.
Piemur expresses a similar sentiment, while Sebell is thoughtful, pointing out that there are moments that are "branded in the minds of [their] little friends" and when they remember, it excludes everything else.
Piemur suggests finding another spot, with less baggage, but Piemur isn't an authorial favorite and he's not allowed to be right.
“Not so much that,” Menolly considered her words carefully, “as interpretation. I saw something. I think I’m right ... it wasn’t the big mountain that erupted, it was ... ” She turned, and pointed to the smallest of the three. “That’s the one that blew in our dreams!”
“No, it was the big one,” Piemur contradicted, pointing higher.
“You’re wrong, Piemur,” Brekke said with quiet certainty. “It was the smallest one ... everything is to the left in my images. The big mountain is too much higher than the one I’m sure I saw.”
“Yes, yes,” Menolly said, excited. “The angle is important. The fire-lizards couldn’t see that high! Remember they’re much, much smaller. And see, the angle. It’s right!” She was on her feet, gesturing to illustrate her points. “People came from there, running this way, away from the smallest volcano! They came from those mounds. The largest ones!”
See? It's not like the dude with three years of experience scouting and surveying this land, with only a lizard and a runner beast for company could possibly figure out a location like the Harper and...whatever Brekke is now...can.
The next morning, F'lar and Lessa commiserate with the group about the sheer chore in trying to excavate the mounds. Fandarel thinks the area is vast, larger than Fort and Telgar Holds combined. D'ram soon arrives with Toric, which gets this interesting response from Lessa:
“True,” she replied and then smiled at her weyrmate. “I rather like him,” she added, surprised at her own verdict.
“My brother makes himself likable,” Sharra said quietly to Jaxom, a curious smile on her lips. “But to trust him?” She shook her head slowly, watching Jaxom’s face. “He is a very ambitious man!”
...so shouldn't you be telling F'lar and Lessa that, Sharra? They may not be aware of Toric's real personality. Though admittedly, Lessa has a thing for forthright assholes, so she might like him anyway.
Nicat's glad to see Toric, since Toric had found those mine shafts in the west. And with him involved, they don't have to get experienced men from the other Lord Holders. Lessa in particular would prefer they not get too interested in the eastern part of the continent.
We get a description of Toric:
As Toric and the bronze rider walked toward them, Jaxom regarded the Southerner with Sharra’s remarks in his mind. Toric was a big man, as big as Master Fandarel in build and height. His hair was sunstreaked, his skin a deep brown and, while his smile was broad, there was a certain arrogant self-possession in the very way he strode that suggested he felt himself the equal of any awaiting him. Jaxom wondered just how that attitude would strike the Benden Weyrleaders.
...they've met.
Moreover, per this book, Toric went back in time on F'nor's venture. So they absolutely would know each other. And Lessa JUST SAID she liked him. And indeed, he greets F'lar and Lessa with more friendliness than anyone in the fucking book:
“You certainly have discovered the Southern Continent, haven’t you, Benden?” he said, gripping F’lar’s arm in greeting and bowing as he smiled at Lessa."
Toric is, of course, going to play designated villain for this chapter. Because that's what we need in the penultimate chapter of the goddamn book. But I love him, if nothing else, than for this:
He nodded and murmured the name of the other leaders and masters present, glancing beyond them with a raking look at the younger people. When Toric’s yes came back to his face, just briefly, Jaxom knew he’d been identified. Resenting the way Toric’s glance slid from him, as if he were negligible, he stiffened. Then he felt Sharra’s hand lightly on his arm.
You ARE negligible, dude. You're supposedly the Lord of Ruatha, but you haven't been to, or even thought of Ruatha in seven chapters. You've left everything to Lytol, and even as recently as last chapter, whined about not really wanting it to begin with. Why SHOULD Toric acknowledge you?
Sharra is amused, saying Toric does this to irritate people. And Jaxom...oh dear god:
“It puts me in mind of the way my milk-brother used to tease me in front of Lytol, when he knew I couldn’t retaliate,” Jaxom said, surprising himself with such an unexpected comparison. He saw her approval in her dancing eyes.
Oh FUCK OFF. I know McCaffrey is attached to the idea of Jaxom as the quiet put upon victim here. But let's look at the situation! Jaxom was the Lord of Ruatha FROM BIRTH. The reason he has a "milk-brother" is that he was given to Deelan, so she could feed him. Deelan, by the way, has never been given any sort of respect or consideration from Jaxom, ever.
Jaxom is raised in the palace. He has Lytol, right there, who is incredibly conscientious. As a kid, he got to visit crafthalls and Weyrs. He got a FUCKING DRAGON. And we're supposed to feel bad for him because Dorse made fun of him occasionally.
Fuck, I'd love to see this story from Dorse's point of view. Being the normal kid, of this normal lady, who was brought to a palace to take care of an incredibly ungrateful and self-absorbed king-from-birth. I bet he'd have a CONSIDERABLY different interpretation on this.
But even if we take Jaxom at his word. WHO FUCKING GIVES A DAMN? Dorse didn't beat him. He didn't endanger him. He was apparently a bully. Okay. Jaxom is a PRINCE with a FUCKING DRAGON.
I'd like to think Sharra's eyes are dancing because she's trying not to laugh in his face.
Anyway, Toric and F'lar are actually having an interesting conversation:
“Trouble is,” Toric was saying, his voice carrying to them, “that the ancients didn’t leave much behind. Not if they could move it elsewhere and use it. Saving people they were!”
“Oh?” F’lar’s exclamation invited Toric to explain.
The Southerner shrugged. “We’ve been through the mine shafts they left. They’d even pulled up the rails for their ore carts, and’ the brackets where they must have hung lights. One place had a largish shelter at the mouth,” he gestured toward the smallest nearby mound, “about that size, carefully shut against the weather and totally bare inside. Again, you could see where things had been bolted to the floor. They’d prized the bolts out, too.”
Fandarel thinks that if "this thriftiness applies here" then if they find anything, it'll be in the mounds. They'd have been too dangerous for approach. He and Toric have a great exchange here too:
And if too hot to approach, what makes you think anything survived the heat?” Toric demanded.
“Because the mound has survived to this time,” Fandarel replied as if he were only being logical.
Toric regarded him for a moment and then clouted the Smith on the shoulder. He was oblivious to the startled look awarded him by Fandarel, whom men tended to treat with distant respect.
“Point in your favor, Mastersmith,” Toric said. “I’ll dig gladly with you and hope you’re right.”
...I'd read Toric's book if he had one. Right now Toric seems significantly more interesting than Jaxom.
Lessa's interested in the many smaller mounds, while F'lar wonders what they could have had in the bigger places. Toric points out that they've got hands enough, and plenty of shovels and picks! Let's find out.
F'lar and Lessa ALSO get a cute exchange:
“Presuming Toric’s theory is correct, is it worth digging here?” F’lar asked his weyrmate.
“What we found in that long-forgotten room at Benden Weyr was obviously a discard of the ancients. And after all, mining equipment they could have used elsewhere. Besides, I want to see what’s inside.” Lessa said that with such determination that F’lar laughed.
This book is much more fun when Jaxom shuts the hell up. Anyway, Sharra and Jaxom assist Lessa. F'nor and Menolly assist F'lar. Nicat and N'ton head to a loose circle of smallish mounds.
The work is pretty tough. None of them are excavators. Meanwhile, Jaxom feels like he's under surveillance somehow. Ruth warns him that "the big one" is watching him.
I think McCaffrey somehow knew what I said about Toric long after her death and is taking her revenge. Well, sorry, Ms. McCaffrey. You can make Toric an asshole all you want. He's still better than Jaxom. So far Toric hasn't raped anyone.
McCaffrey of course is not remotely subtle about this:
. “Like ash. Gritty. Never thought I’d be dealing in ashes again. Did I ever tell you, Jaxom, that I was cleaning the fireplace in Ruatha Hold the day your mother arrived?”
“No,” Jaxom said, surprised at this unexpected confidence. “But then, few people ever mention my parents to me.”
Lessa’s expression became severe. “Now I wonder why I called Fax to mind ... ” she said, glancing in Toric’s direction and adding, more to herself than to Jaxom and Sharra, “except he was ambitious, too. But Fax made mistakes.”
...really? You JUST told us that Lessa liked Toric. But now you've decided she's going to compare him to Fax? There's a cute bit where she's quite smug about having "rectified" Fax's mistake of taking Ruatha from its rightful bloodline. Except, well, Jaxom isn't Ruathan. Gemma was the lady of Crom. She had some Ruathan blood, but wasn't a member of its royal line. If the mistake were truly rectified, Lessa or F'lessan would be on the throne.
And really, if Jaxom can be Lord Holder and dragonrider, I don't see why F'lessan couldn't.
While Lessa considers drafting more strong backs to help with the digging, Sharra's fire lizards suddenly appear and start digging where she'd planted her shovel. Oh, of fucking course they do.
We've NEVER heard of dragons or fire lizards burrowing in four fucking novels. But now, of course they do. Jaxom decides to ask Ruth to help, which inspires the others to ask THEIR dragons. Even Ramoth helps!
...isn't that dangerous? I mean, if things are fragile in these mounds...there's a reason that archeologists wait to bring out the big equipment, right?
While this is going on, Jaxom and Sharra talk. The gist is that while Sharra loves Jaxom, Toric has "other plans" for her. And Toric doesn't like Northern men. Apparently he's had to cope with a lot of annoying younger sons for the past three years.
Wait. When? This whole bring younger sons to the South JUST happened. Fuck, never mind. I don't care. This is fucking stupid.
Jaxom swears he'll prove himself to Toric, and he'll do it properly through Lytol and Robinton. He asks her to be his lady, and she accepts.
...you've got to be fucking kidding me. We have an entire book of Jaxom wanting absolutely nothing to do with his Lordship, in which he milks the privileges and shirks the responsibility at every responsibility. We've never seen him attend audiences or make rulings, or even watch Lytol at work. We haven't seen him think of Ruatha in more than seven chapters.
But THIS is how we're going to end up with Lord Jaxom at the end of the book, isn't it? Not duty, responsibility, or a mature understanding of how much so many people have given up (like Lessa and Lytol) to make sure he gets to this position. It's just because his love interest's brother doesn't like him.
Oh, and just to show us Jaxom's new resolve:
“Jaxom! Sharra!” cried Lessa, who had been far too engrossed in Ramoth’s industry to notice their quiet exchange.
Jaxom felt Sharra’s hands struggle but, having decided to confront Toric in all his arrogance, Jaxom was not about to defer before Lessa. He kept a tight hold on Sharra as they turned toward the Weyrwoman.
Go fuck yourself, Jaxom. Lytol respects Lessa. You fucking should too.
Anyway, Lessa and Ramoth have found something. And over at the other area, F'lar (and presumably Mnementh) have found something too. The same material, though F'lar's also has an amber panel.
Fandarel says that this isn't an efficient use of time and energy, which makes Toric guffaw, and I think I ship them. He says they concentrate on Lessa's mound first, because it's smaller, then Nicat's, and so on.
"All in one day?” he asked, again with a tone of supercilious derision that irritated Jaxom.
“We will do as much as we can, certainly, so let us begin!”
Jaxom decided that the Smith chose to ignore Toric’s attitude, an example for him to follow.
1) You know, it's awfully interesting how characters that Jaxom has already chosen to dislike are the ones described as having nasty tones of voices. I feel like Jaxom might well be an unreliable narrator here.
2) Especially since, Jaxom, this is not about you? The Smith has no idea what's going on with you guys and has no fucking interest in anyone's romantic foibles. He's not giving you a fucking example.
3) Honestly, Toric came here with manpower and equipment. What exactly did Jaxom contribute that's so valuable? Sure, he found the place, but they had already intended to scout the mountain. Jaxom just got there first. There was no fancy flying unique to Ruth. Anyone could have made that flight.
So maybe Fandarel figures that the guy who brought useful shit can make comments if he wants.
Anyway, Lessa's mound is small, so only two dragons work it. F'lar and N'ton urge Mnementh and Lioth to help Nicat. This is cool though:
By midafternoon the curving sides of Lessa’s mound had been unearthed to the original floor of the valley. Six panels, three on an arc of the curved roof, tantalized, but their surface, once undoubtedly transparent, was now badly scored and darkened. Attempts to see through to the interior were vain. Disappointing, but no openings were found on the long sides so one end was promptly dug out. The dragons, despite the grayblack dust that now dulled their hides, showed no sign of fatigue and considerable interest in this unlikely task. And shortly the access was unearthed.
A door, made of an opaque form of the material used in the roof panels, slid across the opening on rails. The dirt-clogged tracks had to be cleared and dragonhide oil applied to the runners before the door could be forced wide enough to permit entry. Lessa, all set to enter first, was restrained by the Smith’s hand.
Fandarel points out that the air is "sick with age". Like when Felessan and Jaxom found that room in Benden. They let it air out a bit before going inside. Toric continues to charm me:
“Someone could have slept on that!” He turned to the other corner, and then with a sudden movement that made Lessa gasp, he stooped and came up with an object which he then made a show of presenting to her. “A treasure from the past!”
Sorry, Ms. McCaffrey. If you want me to hate Toric, you're going to have to stop making him one of the few characters who show Lessa proper respect!
It's a spoon. But it's not metal or wood. It's like the panels and door, but transparent. Everyone looks around with more enthusiasm. Sadly, the place is empty. Fandarel theorizes that these are living quarters, and that the ancients probably would have taken their personal things with them. So they should devote more effort to the larger and smaller places for now.
Aw. I feel like refurbishing the living quarters might be a good idea eventually though. You'll want to keep some folks here for long term study, right? We could use an Archaeology Craft Hall.
They start digging out Nicat's mound, even getting to the door, but it's only opened a crack. And now it's sundown, and no one thought to bring glow baskets.
Huh, it seems like Toric's "all in one day?" question actually had merit, JAXOM.
They are about to head to Cove Hold. Lessa asks if Toric will join them and oh, oh my god. This is wonderful.
“I think not this evening, Lessa. I’ve a Hold to manage and cannot always please myself,” he said. Jaxom saw the Southerner’s eyes on him, the implication obvious to Jaxom. “All things being equal, I’ll return tomorrow for a time to see if Fandarel’s mound proves more profitable. Shall I bring more strong hands and spare your dragons?”
You're my favorite now, Toric. Tied with Lytol. For completely opposite reasons, but I love you.
Jaxom, maybe you should fucking GO HOME TO RUATHA.
Toric and F'lar have a kind of cryptic exchange about the plateau. Toric would prefer it kept quiet, but F'lar thinks the Plateau should be available to everyone. This is interesting to me, so of course, our viewpoint character doesn't focus on it. Instead, he tries to make us dislike Toric more:
“Imagination? Yes, you’ll need a lot of that here to make sense out of what the ancients have left for you,” Toric said, the faintest hint of scorn in his tone. “When you’re ready, D’ram?”
Nope. Sorry.
Jaxom does have a little bit of self awareness here:
For some reason Toric’s manner toward the old Weyrleader was more respectful than to anyone else. At least to Jaxom’s sensitive ears. He was inwardly seething over Toric’s insinuation that he did not manage his own Hold but pleased himself. He seethed because it was a valid accusation. Yet why, Jaxom sought to console himself, would anyone have expected him to return tamely to Ruatha, which prospered under Lytol’s expert management, when all the excitement in the world was happening here? He felt Sharra’s fingers curl around his arm, and he reminded himself of his own analogy between Toric and Dorse.
a) You aren't managing your hold. You are pleasing yourself.
b) Just because Lytol is picking up your slack doesn't actually excuse your dereliction.
c) And honestly, Jaxom, if I were you, I'd consider the fact that no one expects you to "return tamely" to your goddamn kingdom as the insult as it is. They know that you don't give a shit about that.
d) Toric and Dorse are nothing alike. Toric is a fucking LORD. He is your equal! Well, probably not, since Toric actually governs his Hold. But if anything he outranks you. Dorse was a kid with no title or power. Grow the fuck up.
Ugh, they meet Robinton on the beach, who when he sees how dirty and tired and in need of a swim they are, simply strips down to swim between them for an update.
He's a considerate guy, our Robinton.
Later, they sit by the fire, a bit dejected. Robinton notes there's no guarantee of anything of value in any of these mounds. Lessa holds up her spoon. She admits that it has no intrinsic value, but she finds it thrilling to hold something an ancestress might have used.
Fandarel is fascinated too and makes a move to dissect it, which Lessa vetoes. He can experiment with the other items they found, but this is her artifact. I love her.
Anyway, he and Nicat are pretty enthused about what they might learn even from the ancient's discards. Nicat asks for permission to bring some experienced mining teams to methodically go about the excavations. He's sure they'll find some things, like the bed and the spoon, which the ancients would have left behind as unneeded.
Fandarel has an interesting question, namely, once the ancients left the plateau, where did they go. It doesn't seem to have been Fort Hold. Or at least there's no sign of their many possessions there.
Jaxom suggests they were heading toward the sea. F'lar notes there's a lot of land between the Plateau and sea and asks Jaxom to see if Ruth can find out more from the fire lizards about where they went.
They also okay Nicat's mining project, which leads into an interesting discussion about the shafts in the Western Range. Apparently, Toric has claimed them, since his exploring party found them, and he and Nicat haven't come to an agreement yet. (Sharra says that she told Jaxom that Toric was ambitious. Shut up, Sharra. Toric is more interesting than you are.)
Besides, I find it interesting how ambition in Toric is a bad thing and compared to Fax. When Lessa and F'lar were just as ambitious in their own right. Actually, maybe that's the problem I've been having since Dragonquest. None of these other lead characters: F'nor, Brekke, Menolly or Jaxom are very ambitious.
But they SHOULD be. At least a little. They all have things they're supposed to want after all. Maybe not F'nor, who was reasonably content. Or Brekke who was a set of virtues wrapped in a dress. But while Menolly supposedly wanted to be a Harper, she'd actually taken NO steps to achieve that herself. She learned the instruments, but she never sought to play for Elgion or the Benden Harper. She wrote the songs, but it was Petiron that sent them in. Elgion figures out her identity. Robinton tricks her into performing.
Menolly had a dream, not an ambition. And everything was handed to her so she could get there.
Jaxom is the same way. He has wants: he wants to be a dragonrider rather than a Lord. But that's not an ambition either. He does a few proactive things, such as train Ruth with firestone. But it's N'ton who gets him real training. And he bristles constantly at the lack of recognition and acknowledgment when he finally fights Thread. He bristles again when F'nor scolds him like any dragonrider who fucking FORGOT that Thread was coming. He wants the perks, but he doesn't work for them, and he doesn't like the parts that aren't fun.
And Ruatha? Fuck. Just abdicate dude.
So anyway, F'lar's not concerned. An exploring party doesn't convey jurisdiction as he sees it, so this is all Nicat's call. He'll talk with Toric in the morning, and Lessa agrees that they should. God, she's so great.
Nicat should consider asking them about fire lizards too, since they actually have a use here.
Ugh, eventually everyone leaves and Sharra and Jaxom are alone. I hate them as a couple so much. I don't hate Sharra, but McCaffrey hasn't really given her much to do or say even before they got together. And Jaxom is so fucking creepy. Did he ever figure out if she's too old for him?
I'm just saying. If Toric went back in time with F'nor, then he was probably an adult then. This was when Jaxom was four years old. Sharra might be a considerably younger sister, but still. I don't mind a good older-woman/younger-man relationship, but Jaxom's so fucking shallow.
Jaxom wonders if Toric intends to hold the entire South West. Um, so what if he does? What business is that of yours?
And here's an interesting beat:
“Well, if not all, as much as he can,” Sharra replied with a laugh. “I’m not being disloyal to him telling you this, Jaxom. You have your own Hold. You don’t want Southern lands. Or do you?”
Jaxom considered that.
“You don’t, do you?” Sharra sounded anxious and put her hand on his arm.
Of course not. That would actually be interesting.
“No, I don’t,” he said. “No, much as I love this Cove, I don’t want it. Today on the Plateau, I’d have given anything for a cool breeze from Ruatha’s mountain, or a plunge in my lake. Ruth and I will take you there-it’s such a beautiful place. Only a dragon can get to it easily.” He picked up a flat pebble and skated it across the quiet swells that lapped the white sands of the beach. “No, I don’t want a Southern Hold, Sharra. I was born in Ruatha, bred to Ruatha. Lessa obliquely reminded me of that this afternoon. She reminded me, too, of the price of my Holding and of all she’s done to insure that I remain Lord of Ruatha. You do realize, don’t you, that her son, F’lessan, is a Ruathan halfblood. That’s more than I am.”
“But he’s a dragonrider!”
“Yes, and weyrbred, by Lessa’s choice so that I would remain the uncontested Lord of Ruatha. I’d better start acting like one!” He rose and drew Sharra up.
1) So...basically, you only started thinking of Ruatha because you were physically uncomfortable and doing work.
2) I kind of love the implicit insult here where Sharra says that F'lessan's a dragonrider. Because that means Jaxom isn't. And he's not. He rides a dragon, but he's completely not suited to service.
3) It's fascinating how often Jaxom makes things all about him. Like Fandarel ignoring Toric. Lessa didn't raise F'lessan in the Weyr so Jaxom would be uncontested. That was never once mentioned. F'lessan grew up in the Weyr because that's where Lessa and F'lar live! There was no way the son of the senior modern Weyrleader and the most powerful Weyrwoman on the planet wouldn't grow up in the Weyr.
4) If you wanted me to think Jaxom gave one shit about Ruatha, you'd have him GO HOME. He can, you know? They fly between! He can do exactly what Toric did, and go home for the night and come back in the morning. Sure, time zones are an issue, but he can fucking time it!
Ugh.
Actually, I spoke too soon! He announces he intends to go back to Ruatha Hold tonight!
...I still don't buy that he gives a shit about Ruatha. Sorry. Anyway, he kisses Sharra, who reacts with anger. Not at him, but at her brother's fire lizards who are watching her.
“Great! Let him have no mistake about my intentions toward you!” He kissed her until he felt her taut body responding to his, till the angry set of her lips dissolved into willingness. “I’d give him more to see but I want to get back to Ruatha Hold this evening!” He rapidly drew on his riding gear and called to Ruth. “I’ll be back in the morning, Sharra. Tell the others, will you?
I fucking hate Jaxom so much.
I mean, seriously, there are so many ways she could have made this work. But instead:
His abrupt compulsion to return to Ruatha and set in train the formalities of his confirmation as Lord Holder was by no means entirely due to Toric’s barbed comments. His own suppressed sense of responsibility had been heightened by Lessa’s odd nostalgia at the mound. But it had also occurred to him, at the fireside, that a man of Lytol’s vitality and experience might find the Plateau’s mysteries a challenge sufficient to replace Ruatha. His return to his birthplace had the same inexorable quality of his decision to rescue the egg.
A) This is ENTIRELY about Toric. Jaxom has shown NO sign of ANY sense of responsibility all book, suppressed or otherwise.
B) You will NOT convince me that Jaxom has any real empathy for Lessa OR Lytol at this stage.
C) SHUT UP ABOUT THE FUCKING EGG.
So they go home to Ruatha. And it says something that this is how he's greeted:
Ruth landed in the courtyard just as the Great Hall door opened. Lytol, Brand and Finder surged to the steps.
“Is anything wrong, Jaxom?” Lytol cried.
Because there's no other fucking way you'd be at home to do your job.
And because Jaxom can't not make work for people, he has Brand light fires in his quarters. He'd forgotten it was winter here. God, I hate him so much. Lytol fusses, worried about him taking a chill in the changing climates. Brand calling for drudges to bring coal fires. Poor drudges.
Jaxom's explanation is a total lie of course:
“This morning, in the hot sun of the Plateau, while we were digging up one of the mounds the ancients left to puzzle us, Lessa told me that she had been taking ashes out of this fireplace the day my unlamented sire, Fax, escorted my lady mother Gemma to this Hold!” He raised his cup in a toast to the memory of the mother he had never known.
“Which obliquely reminded you that you are Lord of Ruatha now?” Lytol inquired, a slight lift to the corner of his mouth. His eyes, which before had seemed so expressionless to Jaxom, twinkled in the firelight.
“Yes, and showed me where a man of your talents could be better used now, Lord Lytol.”
Oh BULL SHIT, you little weasel.
a) this wasn't about Lessa. This was about trying to one-up your girlfriend's brother.
b) And you didn't ONCE think about Lytol until MUCH later.
I do love Lytol though:
“Oh, tell me more,” Lytol said, gesturing to the heavy carved chair which had been placed to get the most benefit of the fire.
“Don’t let me take your chair,” Jaxom said courteously, noticing that the cushions bore the recent imprint of buttocks and thighs.
“I suspect you’re about to take more than that, Lord Jaxom.”
So Jaxom asks if he's ready to be Ruatha's Lord.
Are you trained, do you mean?”
“That, too, but I had in mind the circumstances which have made it wiser to leave Ruatha in your charge.”
“Ay, yes.”
Jaxom keenly watched Lytol to see if there was any constraint in his manner as he answered.
“The circumstances have indeed altered over the past two seasons,” Lytol almost laughed, “thanks to you, in great part.”
...REALLY.
1) What training has Jaxom actually had? We've never seen it.
2) There were oblique references to "circumstances" but we never actually heard what they were. The ONLY real interaction we had with Lords was Groghe who was pro-Jaxom. If the others were still a problem, then McCaffrey had PLENTY of opportunity to show us.
3) ...how the fuck does Jaxom get credit for this when he has done fucking NOTHING?!
Anyway, Lytol notes that he sees no impediment to Jaxom being confirmed as Lord Holder.
You've got to be fucking kidding me. I thought Menolly's promotion was undeserved but at least she showed some basic ability!
Lytol has some idea what's going on though:
“So,” Lytol almost smiled, “may I know what has prompted you? Surely not just the realization that pressure is eased in the North? Or is it that pretty girl? Sharra, is that her name?”
Yep, your son is an irresponsible fuckwad, who only cares about his job because of his girlfriend.
And now this is interesting though:
“A sister to Toric of the Southern Hold, isn’t she?” Lytol pursued the subject, testing the suitability of the match.
“Yes, and tell me, Lytol, has there been any move to confirm Toric as a major Lord Holder?”
“No, nor any rumor that he’s asked to be.” Lytol scowled as he reflected on that circumstance.
“What’s your opinion of Toric, Lord Lytol?”
“Why do you ask? Certainly the match is suitable, even if he hasn’t rank to match yours.”
“He doesn’t need the rank. He has the ambition,” Jaxom said with sufficient rancor to attract the undivided attention of both guardian and harper.
I resent that we could have had this politicking all along, but instead we got Jaxom on a fucking vacation for more than half the book.
I still don't understand where Jaxom gets off. You literally flew home to get handed a title that you have done nothing to deserve, and TORIC's the one with undue ambition?
McCaffrey must have realized how useless Jaxom is, because she suddenly gifts him with political insight that we've never seen him display ever. He asks what exactly Toric promised the holdless men who come. Apparently Groghe's sons will hold, and keep their rank. Dorse was promised land, but possibly not a hold.
“Dorse? Has he gone south looking for a hold?” Jaxom gave a chuckle of relief and wonder.
“I saw no reason to refuse him the opportunity,” Lytol replied calmly.
Fuck off, Jaxom.
Anyway, Jaxom notes that if a man offered land, you'd be grateful to him and support him against those that denied you land. Lytol agrees. You've got to be kidding me.
What happened to all of Robinton's alleged work, Ms. McCaffrey? Remember? It was his political genius that led to everyone asking F'LAR for land. Which F'LAR grants. Toric has a Hold, but the agreement for the Continent gave the Western Half to the LORD HOLDERS, not Toric!
So basically, if Toric's clever enough to swoop in and convince these idiots that he's the one allowing them to stay and take land, he's only succeeding because the Northern Lord Holders are too stupid to explain to their kids what's really happening. Which means...more power to him!
#TeamToric. I can see why he, F'lar and Lessa get along.
Oh and wow:
“However, it was clearly stated that the best land was too far from the protection of the Weyr. I gave Dorse one of our older flamethrowers, in good repair of course, with spare nozzles and hose,” Lytol added.
“I’d give anything to watch Dorse in the open in Threadfall without a dragonrider in sight,” Jaxom said.
...you know, when Mavi and Yanus said shit like this, we were supposed to think they were awful. What the fuck, Jaxom?! At worst, this kid's a childhood bully. (And successful at that only because you were fucking spineless.)
Anyway, Jaxom's resolve to be Lord Holder is as strong as we'd expect:
“Sir,” Jaxom rose, finishing the rest of his wine, “I’ll return tonight. Our blood’s not yet thick enough for a snowstorm in Ruatha Hold. And there’s a task set for Ruth and myself tomorrow. Would you be free to come South again? If Brand can hold matters in our absence?”
He's heading straight back to fun paradise. God, I hate that he's reward with everything he wants.
So he heads into his bed in Cove Hold, "thinking of the snows in Ruatha". Because he can't fucking deal with ONE NIGHT of discomfort, oh my god.
Anyway, he wakes up unexpectedly, wanders outside, and wakes up Ruth to go flying. Because he's a dick. They fly to the plateau and then glide toward the sea. Oh, of fucking course. As they're flying, he notices some weird shadows. He has Ruth land and the firelizards appear suddenly chattering with excitement and pleasure. Per Ruth, they're thrilled that Jaxom has come back, it's been so long.
Basically, the lizards think that Jaxom is one of the ancients. And Ruth gets their memories:
The cylinders were grayish, with stubby wings that were poor imitations of the graceful pinions of the dragons. The cylinders bore rings of smaller tubes at one end while the other was blunt-nosed. Suddenly an opening appeared about a third of the way from the tubed end of the first ship. Men and women walked down a ramp. A progression of images flashed across Jaxom’s mind then, of people running about, embracing each other, jumping up and down. Then the images Ruth obtained from the cluttering bugling fire-lizards dissolved into chaos-as if each separate fire-lizard had followed one person and each was trying to give Ruth his individual image rather than a group view of the landing and ensuing events.
...of course Jaxom finds this. And not by any study, but just by flying on a whim. And yes, that's just main character luck. But Jaxom gets everything without trying, and I'm not inclined to be generous.
Jaxom thinks he should go back to the Hold to tell them. Ruth points out that they're asleep. Um, you're telepathic, Ruth? YOU could tell them? Especially since Lessa and Brekke are here!
They decide to dig. Because why do we need people who know what they're doing. And they find something cool! They finally go back to report in.
Everyone is excited of course, but then Jaxom notices that Sharra isn't there to fawn on him. Apparently a dragonrider came for her because of an illness at Southern Hold.
Actually, I'll give Robinton credit for this:
“A dragonrider came for Sharra last evening. There’s some illness at Southern and she was urgently needed. I’ve been selfish, I suppose, keeping you all about me when the real need is over. In fact,” the Harper said, “I’m surprised to find you here and not at Ruatha still.” Robinton’s eyebrows arched as an invitation to explain.
“I should have been back in my Hold some time ago, Master Robinton,” Jaxom admitted in a contrite tone, then he shrugged at his reluctance to leave the Cove. “Furthermore, it was snowing when I got there. Lord Lytol and I had a long talk ... ”
“There’d be no opposition to you taking Hold now,” the Harper said with a laugh, “and no more hedging and hawing about lands and you being a dragon’s rider. The Harper’s eyes twinkled as he mimicked Lord Sangel’s pinched tones.
1) Yes, actually, you've both been selfish. Sharra hasn't been necessary here for ages. She's a fucking healer. Thank you for acknowledging that, Robinton. Fuck you for making me compliment Robinton, Jaxom.
2) Fine Lord Holder you'll be, Jaxom, if you can't deal with the snow.
3) So the gist I'm getting is that the Lords STILL had a problem with Jaxom being a rider and a Lord. So how did Jaxom's actions fix that? Let's look at them!
- He trains Ruth to fly Thread.
- He flies thread.
- He gets sick, like an idiot.
- He finds the Plateau, while flying Ruth, on request of the Weyrleader.
Why would any Lord Holder, looking at that sequence of events, decide that Jaxom is not a dragonrider? How would this alleviate their concern?
I feel like McCaffrey has thought none of this through!
4) Can I just say how stupid Jaxom is here? He was busy macking on the guy's sister while the guy was spying on her. Issued a challenge. And now Sharra's been called away to Southern Hold on an "emergency"? HI???
Jaxom does share his thought for Lytol, which is that his gift for organizing would be really helpful for the excavation. I...feel like you're right, Jaxom, but that you might also have asked Lytol?
And now, suddenly Canth arrives. F'nor looks irked. And...fucking hell:
“Now, tell me what you’ve been up to so early in the morning, Jaxom?” F’nor asked, loosening his flying belt and helmet. “It’s getting so Benden can’t turn around without Ruatha’s assistance.”
Jaxom peered intently at F’nor in surprise, but the brown rider gave him such a look that Jaxom realized F’nor was being exceptionally cryptic. Could he be referring to that damned egg? Had Brekke mentioned something to him?
Fuck it, I'm using Copperfyre's present:
Also, I'd hope F'nor and Brekke have better things to talk about than your ass, Jaxom.
Jaxom points out that Benden and Ruatha have the strongest ties: blood and mutual interest. For some reason this amuses F'nor, and he's excited to hear about the discovery. So why was he annoyed to begin with? We'll never know.
Robinton also wants to come to see the new site. He promises not to dig and is very dramatic about how he'll collapse from tension if he's waiting at the beach. F'nor finally agrees, and Menolly threatens to sit on Robinton if he tries to do any labor.
So there is digging. Apparently F'lar and Lessa had gone home, because once they get the landing ship clear, Robinton suggests they contact them. And points out that they can't exclude Fandarel. F'nor wants to keep this quiet. Which is a weird reversal to the plateau. But okay. While F'nor goes off to alert them, Robinton proves he's a terrible mentor again:
“If they flew in those things ... ”
“If, my dear Piemur. No doubt obtains. They did. The fire-lizards saw those vehicles land,” Master Robinton said.
“I started to say that if they flew in those things, why didn’t they fly them away from the Plateau after the explosion?”
Robinton does admit that's a good question.
So F'lar, Lessa and Fandarel arrive. They manage to get it open by pressing a green button. (Red has always meant danger, a tradition passed down from the ancients.)
And wow, they're all kind of stupid aren't they:
“Wait!” Fandarel restrained the others from entering. “Give fresh air a chance to circulate. Did anyone think to bring glows?”
No. Jaxom goes to Cove to get some. Because it's not like they didn't literally JUST have this come up.
They go inside. And it's pretty fucking cool of course. F'nor and company find the controls of the ship, but Robinton, of course, finds the best part:
“No, F’nor, this is important to us!” And F’lar seconded the Harper’s vibrant claim. As everyone gathered about the two, their glow baskets adding to the illumination, it was clear what had arrested their attention. The walls were covered with maps. In great detail, the familiar contours of Northern Pern and the not-so-familiar Southern Continent, all of it in its immensity, had been drawn eradicably on the wall.
With a sound-half-moan, half-shout-Piemur touched the map, tracing with his forefinger the coast which he had so arduously tramped, but which was only a small portion of the total shoreline.
MAAAAPS.
Menolly figures out that one map measures ocean depths and water currents, because she recognizes Nerat Deep, the sea near Half Circle Hold. I like that a lot. The land markings are less discernable.
Fandarel finds a map of the star system! Which includes the Red Star and Pern itself! Piemur spots something interesting on the map, something that looks like a dark colored world on the other side of the sun!
(...I have no idea what that could be! This is fun!)
There are also lines coming from the Red Star.
Lessa and F'lar are still great:
“I prefer this map,” Lessa said, smiling with a great deal of satisfaction at the two continents.
“You do?” F’lar asked, turning from his examination of the star map. “Ah, yes, I take your point,” he said as he watched her hand cover the western section. Then he laughed. “Yes, I quite agree, Lessa. Very instructive.”
Hehehe.
But again, tell me why ambition is a bad thing. Tell HER.
Piemur doesn't like the map because it's inaccurate at parts. The Great Bay, for example is wrong, and he knows because he walked it. Robinton agrees that the map isn't accurate NOW, but he thinks it probably was THEN. So many passes ago.
Menolly points out a spur of land, which her great grandfather apparently remembered falling into the sea.
Fandarel is the one who figures out, maybe, the land shadings on the sea map. He notes that Fort, Ruatha, Benden, Telgar all have the same coloration. He wonders if that's where people could settle. Piemur points out that the Plateau, where they first settled, is NOT the same brown. He suggests getting Wansor and Nicat's opinion.
F'nor wants Benelek to look at the controls, though Fandarel points out this is all beyond his skill. Gotta start somewhere.
F'lar, being F'lar, has priorities:
“Perhaps one day, we will know enough to fathom all the ships’ mysteries,” F’lar said, smiling with intense pleasure as he tapped the maps. “But these ... are current and exceedingly valuable to us, and Pern.” He paused to grin at Master Robinton, who nodded his head in comprehension, and Lessa, who continued to smile, her eyes dancing with a mischief only the three seemed to share. “And, for the time being, no mention is to be made of them!”
Ambition is bad, yo.
Anyway, he's good with sharing the equations and drawings with Wansor, and having Benelek poke around. But he thinks this should be kept secret for now. (...ugh. F’lar’s glance, direct and intense, caused Jaxom an inner pang because he was certain then that the Benden Weyrleader did know of his episode with the dratted egg.. NO ONE CARES ABOUT THE EGG.)
They suddenly remember Toric is coming, so they head out. Jaxom stays behind to copy the maps. Since he'd already gone to Ruatha when Sharra was picked up, Toric won't notice he's missing.
While copying, Jaxom realizes why F'lar, Lessa and Robinton were so happy:
Of course. Toric didn’t know how large the Southern Continent was! And now the Weyrleaders did. Jaxom regarded the Hold peninsula, estimating how much Toric and his holdless men had managed to explore. Never could Toric, even with his Hold swollen by younger sons from every Hold and cothold in Northern Pern, explore this vast continent. Why, even if he tried to Hold as far as the Western Range in the south, to the Great Bay in the west ... Jaxom smiled, so pleased with his deduction that he nearly smeared the line he was drawing. Should he mark in the Great Bay as they now knew it, or copy the old map faithfully? Yes, it was this one that mattered. And when Toric finally saw it ... Jaxom chuckled, imagining with intense pleasure the chagrin which Toric would feel at first sight.
...or he'd be okay with it?
Toric doesn't seem to want to rule the WORLD. He wants power and influence. And again, I'm still not sure why that's worse than any other character. Why would he be unhappy that there's even more land out there?
Oh well. The chapter ends here. One left and an afterword, and I'll be DONE. FINALLY.
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Date: 2020-12-13 12:19 am (UTC)I hate Jaxom so much, but this chapter DID have good bits for other characters so yay. I love Toric.
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Date: 2020-12-14 04:03 am (UTC)