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The captain was struggling with those who were quite glad to hold him, and less than gently. If no one had wanted to interfere in a dagger duel, no one had wanted the death of a dragonrider – nor the ear-splitting sounds of the grieving dragons.
R'gul and S'lel, with C'gan right behind them, arrived, their faces anguished. Seeing F'lon's lifeless body, R'gul's face became a study in conflicting emotions, none of which did the dragonrider any credit in Robinton's eyes. S'lel was at least honestly distressed, while unashamed tears streaked down C'gan's homely face as he knelt, hands hovering hopelessly over his wingleader's body.
"I've warned him often enough," R'gul murmured, shaking his head. "He would never listen."
Disgusted, Robinton turned away, and it was then that Tarathel noticed his bloody arm.
"For that alone, that man goes to the islands," Tarathel said, his voice taut with anger. "Surely he saw your Master's knots?"
"And disregarded them as easily as he ignored F'lon's rank," Robinton said, sca
"Yes, it most certainly is," Tarathel agreed. He had just listened to his son's account of what had happened. "Bronze rider, do you your duty."
"But there's been no trial," R'gul protested.
"By the First Egg, R'gul," C'gan said, horrified at the hesitation.
"I'll take him myself." He stepped forward to grab the captain by the arm.
"Release my captain!" cried Fax, shoving a rough path through the crowd. He caught the captain by the arm and started to pull him away from C'gan, glaring menacingly at the shorter blue rider.
C'gan had his knife drawn and, though he was much lighter than his would-be captive, his outrage provided him with greater strength: he did not relinquish his grip on the murderer.
"Your captain has just killed the Weyrleader," Tarathel said, every bit as resolute as C'gan.
"Who no doubt deserved what he got," Fax said, gri
"You know the law regarding murder, Fax," Tarathel replied.
"There is no recourse if a dragonrider has been slain. C'gan, since you have--"
"There's been no trial," Fax said.
"Since when did you reinstate trials?" Tarathel said ominously, his hand going to his knife hilt. "I am Lord Holder here. The death occurred on my lands and at my Gather. I judge your man guilty of unprovoked attack: first against my son, second against the MasterHarper, and finally and most outrageously against the Benden Weyrleader – an attack that ended in murder. For either of the two second counts, he merits banishment."
"I think not," Fax said. "Release him!"
Suddenly there were other men ruthlessly penetrating the crowd and stepping up to Fax, their aggression obvious in their eyes and ma
"No!" Robinton cried, gesturing to the crowd. Fax's crew might be armed and dangerous, but there were only eight of them, while the crowd must number close to a hundred. "Telgar. Defend your Holder!"
With a roar of protest, Fax and his men were overwhelmed by those around him, grabbing at their arms and bodies and preventing them from drawing their weapons. Even R'gul and S'lel assisted while C'gan somehow tried to keep a firm grip on the murderer. Suddenly the blue rider cried for assistance as the man sagged and collapsed, a dagger through one eye.
And the dragons bellowed with triumph.
One look at the hilt of that slender throwing knife and Robinton knew who had cast it. He marvelled that Nip had been able to fling it so accurately through the milling crowd.
Fax and his men were hurried away to their camp, where they were forced to pack up. A force of fifty willing holders and crafters assembled to escort the unwelcome guests all the way back to their borders. Lord Tarathel supplied food and ru
R'gul, S'lel and the other dragonriders took the body of their dead Weyrleader back to Benden. With a fresh wound, Robinton was prevented by the Hold's healer from accompanying his friend, but he drummed the awful message to every Hold and Hall. Only when he had completed that task could he rest. Nip slipped into Robinton's guest room late that night, rousing the MasterHarper from a restless sleep.
"Bad wound?" Nip asked solicitously.
"A
"You saved my knife? I'm fond of that blade. Superb balance," said Nip.
"Over there in the first drawer," Robinton said, nodding to the chest opposite the bed. "You'd no idea what Fax had pla
"None." Nip shook his head sadly as he retrieved his knife. "You may be sure I would have warned you had I had any idea. It must have been pla
"My feeling, too. Shards, they may have been pla
As he fumbled with the sling around his arm, Nip took over and, with unusually gentle fingers, daubed the sewn wound with the salve. The relief was intense.
"Didn't realize Gifflen got you."
"Giflen?
"That was the man's name. I'd marked him as a troublemaker. He's been thrown out of several holds and his apprentice hall for provoking fights and bullying. He's killed often. I preferred that he didn't walk away from this one."
Robinton nodded in agreement. "More would thank you if they knew. I thank you."
"Clever of you to shout like that. Stirred them all to their senses."
Robinton exhaled, remembering. "We've all become soft, you know. Letting someone else take the blame or do the disagreeable."
"That's why Fax controls as many holds as he does." Nip's tone was harsh. "Rob, you've got to shake the Lord holders awake before he takes another one."
"I've done what I can. Groghe's training men, so is Oterel and, after this, Tarathel will be wary."
"What about Kale at Ruatha?"
"I plan to see him on my way back."
"How soon before you could travel a-dragonback?"
"I think I've lost that privilege."
"No." Nip shook his head. "Drum C'gan. He'll come any time. Too bad F'lon's sons aren't a little older."
Robinton frowned. "I haven't had a chance to get to know them, not as I did their father. R'gul keeps the Weyr so much to itself. I should go..."
"You should not. You should get to Ruatha Hold as fast as you can." Then Nip was on his feet and at the door. "See you. I'll be in touch."
"Nip, where ..." But the door was already closing silently behind the man.
Despite the fellis and the numbweed, it took Robinton a long while to sleep again.