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"Well..." she began in the tone he knew was to make him feel guilty, but then she turned in his arms, her face alight with love and mischief. "I did the honors of the Hold for our guests from Cove Hold, and Lord Groghe and those from Fort Hold and"-she gri
A loud halloo from the dawn-lit road brought them to the window, and they saw a huge contingent of riders, bearing Tillek's ba
"Come, we must greet Ranrel," Sharra said, grabbing him by the hand. "And it's high time the Lord of Ruatha Hold showed himself to his diligent Stewards and staff."
The Gather attracted hordes from every Hold, Hall, and Weyr. This was one of those few days when there was no Fall to be met, and it would be one of the last of the Northern Gathers before winter weather made roads impassable. Jaxom and Sharra, accompanied by Jarrol and Shawan, now a sturdy toddler, walked the long line of booths until Shawan had to be carried and Jarrol revived by one of the first bubbly pies out of the oven. There was an exuberance and buoyancy to the day that affected everyone and was mirrored in the gay new clothing and high spirits. Harpers strolled up and down the Gather line, playing and singing; children congregated in knots to play their favorite games; adults settled in their own groupings or at tables around the huge dancing square where brewers and wine sellers were doing a brisk business.
Jaxom and Sharra hosted a midday meal in the Hold at which those Lord Holders, Weyrleaders, and Craftmasters gracing the day were entertained. Robinton, Menolly, and Sebell gave a special performance of the latest ballads and airs with full orchestral accompaniment, conducted by Master Domick. It was a leisurely meal, and Jaxom enjoyed it, though he noted that Lords Sigomal, Begamon, and Corman were conspicuous by their absence-which caused him to recall the abduction plot.
The racing went very well, with one Ruathan sprinter wi
About midafternoon, young Pell brought his intended to meet his lord and lady, and Sharra was warm in her responses to the darkly pretty girl, daughter of a hill holder from Fort. There was nothing in Pell's ma
Ruth, his white hide radiant after a restoring sleeps. had emerged sometime in the morning and was on the fireheights, su
Whether it was the long sleep or the stimulation of the day, or both, Jaxom found himself in fine fettle for the Gather exertions. He and Sharra led several of the energetic dance figures, and then he allowed Sharra to be swirled away by N'ton, then F'lar, while he partnered Lessa. During one of the breaks, he sat at the harpers' table with Robinton, D'ram, and Lytol and made certain that the Masterharper had sufficient wine. A dark-haired young drudge whom Jaxom did not recognize-so many were hired temporarily to assist during a Gather-kept the Harper supplied with food, even bringing some tidbits for Zair.
It was no wonder then that Robinton would need a short nap, and because Jaxom was busy doing his duty dances with Lady Holders, he only noticed as he danced past that Robinton was alone at his table, asleep, Zair curled up beside him.
It was Piemur who discovered that it was not Robinton asleep at the table, but a man dressed in clothing similar to Robinton's Gather suit-a dead man. And it was Piemur who realized that Zair was barely breathing, his color dangerously dull and his weak breath tainted with a sickly odor. Piemur had the good sense not to alarm anyone, sending Farli to summon Jaxom and Sharra, then D'ram, Lytol, and the Benden Weyrleaders.
"This man's been dead a long time," Sharra said, putting her hand on a cold cheek and testing the muscular resistance. She shuddered. "This is too macabre!"
"Robinton's ill?" Lessa asked in a hoarse whisper as she and F'lar arrived. "That isn't Robinton!" First relief and then fury distorted her features. "They did abduct him! Right out of a Gather."
She, Jaxom, F'lar, and D'ram alerted their dragons.
"Don't just jump about in panic," Lytol said, even as the big dragons landed quietly in the shadows beyond the dancing square. "Let us decide what to do and who is to search where. There're enough dragons here to cover every possibility. Why did it have to be here, where that device of Aivas's won't reach to Landing?"
Sharra was bending over the limp Zair. "He'd find Robinton no matter where he is. Union, Zair."
"D'you need your medical kit?" Jaxom asked.
"I've already sent for it." But her face as she turned to Jaxom was anxious. "Lessa, is your healer here? She knows more about dragon and fire-lizard care than I do. Zair's been poisoned, but I don't know what was used."
Jaxom picked up a half-eaten piece of meat from the table, sniffed cautiously at it, and promptly sneezed vociferously. Sharra took it from him and smelled more daintily.
"Fellis, all right," she a
F'lar picked up the wine goblet Robinton had been using and carefully sipped. He spat it out immediately. "Fellis in the wine, too. I should have known Robinton wouldn't pass out from mere wine." The Weyrleader was disgusted with himself.
Jaxom groaned. "I saw him sleeping, and I ought to have known he never sleeps at a Gather..."
"Many's the night he's outlasted everyone else at a Gather," Lessa said. "How much of a head start do these miserable fiends have? Which way would they go?"
Jaxom snapped his fingers. "There are marshals on every road. They would have seen who left and in which direction."
"We'll each take a different road," F'lar said, gesturing for all the riders to mount their beasts and check with the marshals. "You stay here as if there was nothing amiss," he told Lytol, Piemur, and Sharra.
But each dragonrider returned shortly. No one, the marshals had assured them, had been seen leaving the Gather, no riders or wagons on any road.
Tell the fire-lizards to search, Ruth said to Jaxom.
"Ruth says to tell all the fire-lizards to hunt for Robinton," Jaxom said aloud.
"That's exactly what Ramoth just said," Lessa said. The noise of sudden winged exodus could be heard above the rollicking dance tune that was encouraging the dancers to outdo themselves.
"If we a
"No," Jaxom said. "There'd be a panic! You know how well loved Robinton is. It can't be more than an hour, at the most. That's not enough time to get to the coast..."
"Up into the hills?" Lytol suggested. "There are so many caves up there wed never be able to search them all."
"The fire-lizards can-and will," Piemur said.
"There are only so many tracks to the hills," Jaxom said. "Ruth and I will start the search. Lytol..." And then Jaxom hesitated.