The smell of dragon was almost sufficient in itself—the yoke bawled in fright and plunged forward, away from the skyborne terror.

Sean must have the eyes of a cat, Red thought, for he'd sent Carenath over at just the angle that made the oxen head straight across the ford. Despite the load the beasts hauled, they didn't stop when they reached the other side, stampeding through those on the far bank until Red wondered if this had been such a clever maneuver after all.

"We'll land upwind of you, Red, so I can talk," Sean's voice said faintly out of the murk. King began to buck and rear, though not as earnestly as before.

Maybe it was the distance, the murkiness of the night, but Sean's tone sounded odd. Red dismissed the thought as he concentrated on finishing up the work at hand. Maybe he was a grandfather… again.

Now only the smaller of the two big sleds was left to make the crossing. Fortunately the animals were still keyed up by the recent appearance of a dragon overhead and were eager to get as far away from it as possible. But once they got in the water, what Red had feared occurred. The river level was now above the wheels and the sled, for all the weight in it, began to float. The yoked beasts were pulled off balance and only the quickness of the left-hand guide-liners kept the sled from drifting downriver. As it was, the ropes had to be kept taut all the long way across the ford until the wheels once more took the weight and the sled was hauled above the river's current.

At last Red urged a tired and reluctant King back across the ford to meet with Sean and to help Mairi put out the fires. Sean was already giving her a hand. Mairi's piebald mare, tied to a rock, stood as placid as always, unconcerned by the proximity to a dragon.

"Thanks, Sean," Red said, holding out his hand to his son-in-law. A sandy hand gripped his, and Sean's face was briefly visible before he scuffed wet sand over the fire. "Had about run out of options to get those stupid damn-fool oxen across."

"Well, fear's a mighty mover." Sean's voice definitely sounded odd, choked, but with no more light to illuminate his face, Red had no inkling as to what might be wrong.

Just then, Mairi joined them. "How come you arrived so fortuitously?" she asked. "There's nothing wrong with Sorka, is there?"

Although Sorka, queen Faranth's rider, was pregnant again, she generally had no more trouble with parturition than her mother did.

"Oh, no no," Sean said quickly, raising his hand to dispel her anxiety. "We came to welcome you to the new Hold, but you hadn't arrived yet. Maddie said you'd sent for help at the ford. I sort of figured Carenath might be some help."

Red laughed wearily, blotting his wet face on an already soaking kerchief. "Where'd you stash him? A dragon's hard to hide even on a rainy night."

"Carenath?" Sean called. There was a vague hint of amusement in his voice, which only partially reassured Red. "Show Red and Mairi where you are." Barely fifty meters away a sudden blue-green light appeared in the darkness, glistening and slightly whirling: the faceted eyes of a dragon. Red tightened his hand on King's reins, but the tired horse's head hung down too low for him to see the gleaming eyes. "Thanks, Car!" And the jewel-clear light disappeared.

"Is he standing there with his eyes closed?" Mairi asked

"No, he's raised a wing to shield," Sean said, again using that almost lifeless tone. "You should be just able to make ‘em out behind the wing membrane."

"Oh, yes, so I can," Mairi said, sounding delighted.

"Look, Red, one of the reasons I came was to be sure you had gotten there safely. We expect Threadfall over this area tomorrow morning fairly early, and I didn't want you caught out in it."

Red sighed. With all the problems of fording the river, he had just been considering staying here the rest of the night and starting out fresh in the morning.

"You're not that far," Sean said encouragingly.

"I know, son, I know." Red paused, to give Sean a chance to speak whatever was clearly on his mind and bothering him. He had a very good relationship with his son-in-law, and he wanted nothing to jeopardize it.

"Is your Snapper back yet?" Sean asked.

"What's happened at the Weyr?" Mairi said, immediately clasping Sean's arm and peering up into his face. "Don't lie to me…"

Sean ducked his head, lifting his free arm to rub his face. "No reason to lie." Now both could hear the roughness in his voice.

Mairi embraced the bronze rider. "Tell us, Sean," she said in her gentlest voice, lifting an edge of her kerchief to dry his cheeks.

Red altered his stance, moving nearer the Weyrleader.

"Alianne died in childbirth," Sean said, tears now making runnels down his cheeks. "We couldn't stop the bleeding. I went for Basil."

"Ooooh," Mairi said in the soft expression of true empathy.

"That's not all of it." Sean sniffed, rubbing his nose and eyes, giving way to the misery he had bottled up. "Chereth… went… between. Like Duluth and Marco.

"Oh, Sean love…" Mairi brought his head down to her shoulder. Red put his arm across the rider's bowed shoulders.

There had been many injuries, some serious enough to end the fighting abilities of six dragons, but only four deaths: actually an astounding record, of which Sean as Weyrleader had every right to be proud. But the loss of a queen magnified the tragedy. No wonder Snapper and the others had disappeared. They had gone to the Weyr to mourn.

Red and Mairi were quietly comforting, allowing Sean to express a grief he had probably suppressed until now.

"I'll come if I can be of any help, "Mairi said with a quick query at Red, who nodded approval.

Sean raised his head, sniffed, and then blew his nose on a handkerchief he hauled out of a jacket pocket. "Thanks, Marri, but we'll come through. It was just such a shock. It's one thing to lose a fighting dragon, but. . . ." His voice trailed off.

"We understand, dear."

"So nothing would do Sorka but that I checked to be sure you were all right, too. I admit to getting a fright when I didn't see you at the Hold. . ." Sean managed a wry smile.

Red put a hand on Sean's shoulder and gave it an affectionate squeeze, which he hoped expressed both his sympathy and appreciation. "And you've Thread to fly tomorrow," he said with deep regret. People needed time to mourn.

"Best thing that could happen, actually," Sean said, mopping his eyes once more before he put away the handkerchief.

"Yes, I suspect you're right about that," Mairi said slowly.

"Off with you now, son," Red said, giving Sean a gentle shove toward Carenath. "You were more than good to check up on us and give those oxen the inducement they needed. Soon's Mairi and I get across, we'll push on. We'll be under cover tomorrow, so don't worry about us." Then another thought struck Red. "You've enough ground crew for Fall tomorrow?"

Sean gave his father-in-law a wry smile. "As I understand it, Red, this river marks the boundary between Fort Hold and your place. You're not obliged to ground-crew… if any of you were up to it. Just push on and get under cover tonight. That's the best way to help Sorka and me!"

"We'll do just that," Mairi said, handing over a well-wrapped sleeping Ryan to Sean while she mounted Pie.

"So this is my son's youngest uncle," he said, pushing back the blanket to peer at the little face.

"Definitely his youngest," Red said. "Hand him up to me," he added as he swung up on the stallion. "King's that bit higher above the water, Mair. You'll get a soaking as it is."

Mairi gave a little laugh. "Not if I hike my knees up," she said. "Give my dearest love to Sorka, will you, Sean? And our deepest sympathy to all at the Weyr."

"I will indeed, Mairi. And… my thanks!"

The Weyrleader stepped aside then as she kicked her mare forward. The piebald was one of those rare placid beasts and stepped from land to cold water with neither hesitation nor so much as a twitch of her well-shaped ears when water swirled around her fetlocks and then up to her knees.