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Well, he thought with little charity, she'll find the Hall quite different from living in Benden Hold. And that thought kept him from sniffling.
Then they were off, Spakinth once more nearly shaking his skull from his neck with his skyward jump. Robinton was becoming inured to the fright of between by now and felt only the cold, not the fear. He was rather proud of himself.
Spakinth was showing off: he emerged right over the Harper Hall courtyard, low enough to be on a level with the rooftops as he backwinged and delicately landed.
"Well done, Spakinth," Merelan said, clapping her hands.
"I'll kill him later," C'rob said almost grimly. "Pulling a stunt like that without permission."
"Oh, don't, C'rob," Merelan said, her eyes dancing. "What an entrance! And here comes Cortath with M'ridin and Maizella, rather more circumspectly."
Gri
We're glad you're home
We're glad you've come
We welcome you
With heart and voice
And hope you'll never leave.
Someone even provided a trumpet flourish and a roll of drums as a finale, which delighted Merelan even more. Only Robinton saw her sweeping gaze looking, just as he was, for his father.
Petiron was not among those standing on the Harper Hall steps, but maybe he was leading the singers. Master Ge
"Don't mention your father's melody, Rob, love. Not unless he does' his mother hurriedly whispered in his ear, and then helped him dismount from Spakinth's high withers as Ge
"My, you've grown," Betrice cried, giving him a big hug before Lexey and Libby could reach him. "And is that young Maizella?" she asked as Master Bosler and Ginia went to help the Benden Hold girl. "Another of Hala
"Maizella's all right, and she listens to my mother." Robie gri
"Didja miss us?" Lexey wanted to know, dancing about: his expression suggested that he had missed his patient friend very much indeed.
"Course I did, Lexey," and Rob gave him a mock punch. "I learned some great new games, too, Libby," he added, turning to the girl.
His mother began to introduce her new student to the MasterHarper, his spouse and the other adults, letting Betrice take charge.
"Robinton ..." and his mother prompted him to thank Spakinth and C' rob for returning them home.
"Glad to do it, MasterSinger. Any chance of your coming back to sing at the Autumn Gather? I was asked to ask you," C'rob said, gri
"I'll see if it's possible, C'rob. I'd certainly like to." At her words, Robinton nodded vigorously, which made her laugh. "I can see that I'll be nagged to death until I do," she added, tousling her son's hair. "Can you not stop for some klah?"
C'rob shook his head with real regret. "Not today. But thanks!" They stood there courteously while both riders remounted; then the dragons launched themselves into the air and turned eastward before disappearing.
Robinton caught the sad little sigh from his mother before she turned back and smiled at those who had welcomed her.
"Come now," Lorra was saying, taking Merelan by the arm, "I've put on a little something to take away the chill of between ... And you lot be careful with the MasterSinger's things," she added, scowling at the apprentices who were halfway up the stairs, burdened with carisaks.
"We weren't between long enough to get cold," Robinton said.
"And who's the seasoned traveller, then?" Lorra asked, amused.
"Mother and I got to the Weyr several times a-dragonback, you know," he went on.
"Can we come in too?" Libby asked, hovering in the doorway with Lexey and Barba.
"When were you ever refused food in this Hall?" Lorra demanded. As she resettled young Silvina on her hip, she waved them towards the small dining room with its table set with a huge bowl of her special fruit drink and plates of pies and cakes. "Even if you only just got up from lunch. Did Benden feed you just before you left?" she asked the travellers.
"Well, we were given lunch Benden time ..."
"At least their timing's right," the headwoman said almost approvingly.
Merelan swung round from the table when she heard boot-steps on the flagstones in the hall, but it was Masters Ge
"I'd hoped that Petiron would make it back from Ruatha Hold in time," Master Ge
"Oh?"
"But he was certain he'd be here to greet you," Ge
Their Autumn Gather, and they'd particularly requested something special from us."
"Hala
"Yes, and Londik, though I'd say," Ge
"That won't matter now," she said almost casually, and looked down at her son. "Robie can take over the treble solos. He did all that were needed at Benden, both Hold and Weyr, and it's not just as his mother that I'm proud of him."
"No, of course not. And did you like visiting the Weyr, Rob?" Master Ge
"It was fabulous," Robinton said. He was quite willing to describe everything: he couldn't remember if Master Ge
"Yes, a very special place indeed." Ge
"She's a well-behaved young lady," Merelan said, chuckling as Master Ge
Robinton went off, gri
His father did not arrive back at the Hall until the autumn day had nearly ended. Two of the journeymen with him were leading ru
"Ru
He couldn't understand his mother's reaction. She'd worried about Petiron not being there, and now she didn't seem to care that he was safely home.
"It wouldn't be like Father to hurry on ahead unless everything was all right," he said.
"Sometimes, Robie," she told him, putting her hand under his chin and tipping his face up, "you're too forgiving."
He didn't feel so forgiving when it seemed to take an age for his father to greet his family.
"Trouble on the way, Petiron?" his mother asked, turning from the window and the brilliant sunset.
"Two lame ru
gave her a peck on her cheek. "Londik's voice is gone."
"I can sing instead, then," Robinton piped up.
His father, almost as if just realizing his son was in the room too, frowned slightly. "That's as it may be. But it is way past your bedtime, Robinton, and your mother and I have a lot to discuss. Good night."