“Indeed, they should,” T’gellan agreed warmly. Lemos Hold had generously tithed to the Weyrs even before Fall.

“I don’t have enough guards or holders and foresters to keep any sort of a watch on so many caves. And I’m beginning to think that some of the holdless accused of theft were indeed, as they claimed, innocent.”

T’gellan looked thoughtful. “How many such innocents do you have in safekeeping at the moment?”

Asgenar grunted in disgust. “Far too many. You can’t turn whole families with toddlers away. And I need all the able bodies I can get to fill out ground crews.”

“Any you could trust for light duty? Like doing regular rounds of the more likely caves for a while to see who turns up?”

A smile replaced the anxiety on Asgenar’s face. “By the First Egg, T’gellan, I’m disgusted I didn’t think of that myself. What the holdless want most, after all, is a place to live and enough to eat. A minor holding in exchange for work well done. I can provide that,” he added with a pleased smile.

“I am perhaps far more aware of the problem,” Masterharper Robinton said, peering around at the sober expression of the five assembled Lord Holders, “than any of you. My harpers keep me informed of major thefts so valuables can be restored. This list—” Robinton flicked the sheets that Asgenar had compiled for him beforehand. “—is most unsettling.” He paused briefly, to let his sympathy and concern be noticed. “I’m glad that you approached me on this rather than tax your Weyrleaders. It is essentially, I think you will agree, a holder problem and must not interfere with the primary responsibility of the Weyrs.” He made a mental note of Sifer’s frown.

“But the dragonriders would be invaluable in tracking down these renegades,” Corman said, banging the table with his big fist, his rugged features stern.

“In those copious free moments they have between Falls,” Master Robinton replied drolly.

“At T’gellan’s suggestion,” Asgenar said to indicate that Benden Weyr was helpful, “I’ve put trustworthy holdless families in the caves nearest regular trader routes.”

“And what good will that do?” Sifer demanded. “They’d be in league with thieves. I don’t trust holdless men. Won’t have them hanging around in Bitra, you may be sure. Why, I ask you, are they holdless in the first place?”

“I’ll tell you,” Laudey said, pointing a bony finger at the Bitran Lord Holder. “Because the elderlies and the crippled were turned out of their rightful places as soon as the Pass started, to make room for ablebodied men and women. Those caves on my eastern banks are full of that kind of holdless folk.”

Sifer plainly did not approve of Laudey’s altruism.

“You and your lady have been exceedingly generous,” the harper said to Laudey.

“My men have their orders,” Laudey said with a tinge of defensiveness in his voice. “We don’t let just anybody shelter there.”

“I’ll bet some renegades get in no matter how good your guards are,” Sifer muttered. “But I want the men responsible for these raids found and punished. It’d be an example to others with any idea of making Threadfall an excuse for indiscriminate pilfering.”

“It’s my opinion that we should be looking for a well-organized and well-informed band,” Asgenar said. “They know what they want and they take it. We didn’t find so much as a speck of grain leading from the Kadross Hold the next morning. They had to have gone up the mountain and reached shelter somewhere, or they’d’ve been seen by T’gellan’s wing on their way home. Fifteen, twenty men would have been needed to carry that much grain. That raid was accomplished with clever planning, good information, and discipline.”

“Then how do we track ‘em if not by dragonriders?” Sifer asked. “Besides, the holdless are too spineless to do any of that.” He pointed at the long list of thefts the Harper had set in the middle of the round table. “In fact, I’d lay odds against it being holdless.” He leaned forward conspiratorially, across the table. “I’ll bet it’s those Oldtimers, striking back at us across the sea, whipping away what they can’t tithe out of Hold and Hall.” He peered around the table to gauge reactions.

“I don’t think I’d take bets on that, Lord Sifer,” Robinton said, his tone courteous. “When you consider that Benden dragonriders would know if any Oldtimers appeared in the north for any reason.”

“Harper’s right, you know,” Corman agreed, giving Sifer a cold and quelling look. “We’ve some advantage in Keroon, being wide open. You can generally see travelers a good distance off. My sons have been riding, at random, from hold to hold, and since they started that, we’ve had fewer incidents.” He looked at Asgenar. “Wouldn’t work as well in your Hold, though, being up and down.”

“Chased ‘em out of Keroon up into Bitra is what you’ve done,” Sifer said in outrage, his face flushed.

“Stop griping, Sifer,” Laudey said with impatience. “Igen’s only across the river from Keroon, and the living’s easier—so I don’t think you’re as put upon as you think.”

“There’s a very old saying,” Robinton began, raising his voice to stop the exchange. “Set a thief to catch a thief.” His devious smile was not lost on the others. Asgenar and Larad leaned forward attentively.

“Catch what?” Sifer looked scornful. “Not if the first one’s on to a good thing like this.”

“Not a real thief, Lord Sifer,” Robinton went on, “but a clever journeyman of mine with a knack of mixing in with all sorts of people. As Lord Asgenar said, the targets are all well chosen, and the raids show considerable familiarity with trade routes, unoccupied caves, and the routines and management of Holds and Halls.” Because he was looking in Larad’s direction, the Harper noticed his fleeting look of apprehension and dismay.

“He’d do well to start in those caves of mine,” Laudey said, drumming his fingers irritably on the surface of the table. “All sorts of folk come and go, though, as I said before,” he added defensively, “my guards keep order. The cave system is vast—lots of corridors and tunnels no one’s been bothered with. I did block up as many of the smaller entrances as I could, but I’ve had other priorities, you know.”

“With as many as you’re sheltering, Laudey, there’d be someone to want a few marks in his hand for noticing irregularities or sudden prosperity,” Asgenar said.

“Nonsense, most of the holdless wouldn’t think twice about concealing a thief for a spill of his takings,” Sifer said. “I’ve seen the way they operate myself.”

Robinton raised his eyebrows in affected surprise, and Corman snorted since it was rather a joke that Bitrans drove bargains hard enough to be called cheats.

“Then you’ll permit me to see what my journeyman can find out?” Robinton scanned their faces. They wanted something done without extending their already strained resources. It was as well, he thought, that he had anticipated their agreement. In actual fact his spy was already in place, harper sources having informed him of the situation well in advance of the Lord Holders’ appeal. “I suggest that we keep this matter to ourselves, with no exceptions outside this room.”

“You’ve got clever men in your Hall,” Corman said, adding hastily, “and women. “ He was exceedingly fond of Menolly. “But what if he should find something going on in one of our Holds and needs our help?”

“If he needs help, Lord Corman,” the Harper said with a sly smile, “then he’s not been as clever as he should be. Leave the matter with me for this cold season. There’s too much snow around for anyone needing to hide his tracks.”

“I wouldn’t bet on that,” Sifer muttered.

Keita’s orders from Thella included reporting any break in the usual Hold routine. Keita did not know much more than that Lord Sifer had been away overnight, conveyed by a dragonrider to his destination, but she did hear that upon his return he ordered his warders to let him know of any traces of occupation in way-caves or sites, and in particular of any tracks on back trails. The Bitra drum tower had been busy, but she did not know what the messages were about, as they had not used an open code.