"Oh e's got a lot o' nerve," said one old man. He spat at the fire, "neva' seen such nerve."

"Not in a boy so young," said another elder, a woman with a scar running along her chin.

"That hardly qualifies him to perform this 'duty' he's so fond of wanting..." Said their leader. The young boy in question stood just out of the fire light, watching the elders talk about him. He blinked, wanting to be nearer the fire where it was warmer. This time of year, the plains would get chilly at night, and there wasn't much fire stone, coal, peat or wood to burn.

Of course, that was why he had volunteered for the job of moving out. And no one believed he could do it. It wasn't that he would do it alone, exactly... He had ideas. The clans would be meeting in another few days, everyone knew it. When the big and little groups became one huge cluster.

It was when they were most vulnerable too - though not from bandits or wanderers. From thread, from fire, flooding had once taken an entire family from this clan. Not to mention the animals... But they had no choice. Traveling as they did, the clans of the northern plains would make their money by trade and skill. They married from other clans for prosperity, for property, for land.

Zanaeger wanted more than that. He was the second boy of his family, with two younger sisters and one younger brother, meaning that he was not entirely useless. If his older brother couldn't help out, or marry some girl, he'd be the one to do it.

Not... if Zan could help it. He didn't want to marry for the plotting of these elders. He didn't want to be moved to another clan just because politics said so. He liked where he was, but ... Not enough to say he loved everyone in his clan. He didn't, in fact.

There was one girl, though... Her family was older than his, and had all died except her from the fever that made its way around the clan lands a decade before. They were only children, and they'd gotten close since she had been accepted into his aunt's family as a foster. Zanaeger knew that Milonna disliked the plains tremendously. Perhaps dislike wasn't the right word. She was terrified of them. Something about openness and lack of good cover. It made sense, what with the fever coming after that big storm when they were all in the middle of nowhere.

Not a tree to be found out there, Zan thought. The elders continued arguing about skill and age and wisdom and all that garbage that elders tended to ramble.

If it was knowledge of the land he needed, Zan thought, his friend Halaeny was the one to ask. Zanaeger considered himself to be the leader of this little group of 'kids' - Milonna and Halaeny and a couple others - and he'd thought hard about what every one of them could contribute to a new clan.

He himself was good at many artistic pursuits. He had a good eye for detail, but could abstract things. He also had a knack with people, as much as he could speak he could work words to his advantage. Zan thought more of himself than perhaps he ought, but he had to - no one else would.

Well... Milonna seemed to. And she could cook like crazy, as well as having a decent way with words herself. If Zan was a con artist, she was a fine scupltor of words. She knew what to say and when to say it. Always polite, in fact it seemed like she had to get him out of messes that he got into with his own big mouth.

But her real value to a clan moving around the world, that would be her command of the wagons. She knew how to hook up burden animals, of almost any kind, and to get them to go just where she asked. She was gentle with them, and Zanaeger had longed to feel her gentle touch himself.

The little cuss Halaeny was the best at finding trails, noticing tracks, and skittering up things like trees or rocks - or people, or buildings, or whatever. It was a wonder the kid didn't sprout wings, he was already half up in the air most of the time.

"Zan!" Called one elder, and the others coughed or a-hemed. He came to his senses, and walked forward.

"Yes, mistress Col?"

"We have come to a decision, about your... leadership."

Zan saw the way that the others leaned back or glanced at each other that this wasn't going to go the way he intended.

"We have decided that it is not yet time for you to break away from your Clan. Your family still requires your presence, and in the coming weeks you will be even more necessary right where you are." The old woman said. Her voice had an air of authority, but also of a bit of derisive tang.

"My family has three younger healthy children too," Zan said. Before anyone could stop him, he continued. "And my brother is going to be betrothed when we meet the other Clans in a few days. There will be her and her family to consider too."

"We have-"

"But what you're not seeing because you're not out with the rest of us," Zan said with a harsh gaze at a couple of the men who should have a few good working years left in them, "is that we're tired of this life. Wandering from here to there is fine - if you're not interested in settling down or - or learning a craft."

"What craft hall would take you?" Said Col, "you're nothing but a clan boy."

"And you're nothing but a bitter old woman, but you still demand respect of us," Zanaeger spat. That shut the group up. "That's right - you demand it and what do you do in return? You mutter about duty and necessity and all that garbage but what it really comes down to is that you're our elder because you're old."

He could see that this situation would require a quick backpedal if he was to keep his hide intact. What would Milonna say? What would Milonna say??

"That came out more harsh than I intended," he quickly said, "but it's true none the less. And I wouldn't come to say it if this hadn't been brewing for a long time."

"Brewing is right," said one man, "you're always steaming about one thing or the next, Zan, boy - you've got no patience with any tradition!"

"That's because traditions aren't for everyone!" He yelled. "I'm not trying to make your traditions change, I'm telling you that I want to establish... My own traditions. My clan won't roam just because we have to. We will if we need to, or want to! We - the others that want to come with me - we want to see more of the cities, more ports, more ... more Weyrs! We belong seeking new things out, not just grinding in the same old dirt that everyone else is. Not just because we happen to be born into it."

He looked at every one in the council, over the fire. Their eyes were glowing, some hard, some weak. "I have a different destiny than you. You're not right to deny it to me just because you think I'm too young. Halaeny and Milonna and the others know that they don't want the life you've given them either. We've thought about it a lot - not just idle thoughts, either. I heard you say that earlier. We're not idle - we're thinking." He paused, "and that makes you afraid." He turned away from the fire, if only to smile privately to himself. Then he turned back with a serious expression. "And where better to have anything that makes you afraid, than away from you?"

***

"You said that?" Milonna said, pushing a piece of cloth over the dish in her hand, and handing it off to Zanaeger. "You're more brave than I thought."

"Don't say it --"

"But so much more stupid." She said, and she watched his shoulders deflate. "Zan, in a way they're right. We're too young to just ... wander away. We've got to think about what we'd do in a storm or snow."

"We've got a couple days before the clan gather," Zan said. "I want you to be on the look out for anyone else who wants to leave. I mean seriously leave - not just run away for the attention."

He'd lowered his voice and Milonna knew he was serious. She nodded. "I understand. At the gather then, you'll find others too. I can get a cart ready for us, if you want."

"Not until the gather is in full swing." Zan said, and they finished the dishes. "I know you're worried about it, about us, but Mil, we're going to do it. The first place we'll go is that port town, Scarper was it? And then we could head north. There's a dragon weyr up north."

"You're crazy," she said, "a weyr this far north? Why? There is barely any thread up here."

"But I've heard, and I believe it. Word doesn't spread like that unless it's true - at least a little true."

She nodded again, and wiped her hands off. She hugged him warmly, and then slipped out to her family carts. Zan's closer family were busy finishing their trade goods. Zan would look them over tomorrow, checking them for anything he could add to make them look nicer. Their work - some wood wind instruments and clay baked items - was always found lacking by the other families until he touched them up with some paint and inscriptions. Even just one black stripe around the base of a pot, or a few dots of color down the side of a flute, those things were just missing from the whole rest of his family.

He hated them for it.

***

Shouts of glee and annoyance, laughter and noise everywhere always came with the gather. It would settle down after a few days - the gather would last at least a month. The worst of the plains weather would pass, and they would be through it.

Zanaeger would love to be through with it entirely. While he didn't dislike the plains themselves, he hated having to deal with the same humdrum crap every year or so. His brother would be taking some poor girl home - he wondered if they'd ever even met.

Zanaeger walked up to where Milonna's camp was, looked around, and spotted her talking to one of the younger children from another clan. He wondered why she was giving him this look - the 'you'd better not come anywhere near me right now' look. Until he faintly heard her say to meet her later by the stream. That was a place they'd agreed upon - this must be a kid willing to leave home forever. Not that they had homes...

After a moment, Milonna came to his side, and said, "His name is Tedry, he's going to be coming with us. I think. He's a good kid... A bit..."

"Scary looking?" Zanaeger suggested. The boy's eyes were simply gigantic, he'd never seen such eyeballs...

"I was going to say odd, but you're kind of right..." She glanced at the boy as he skipped away with someone else. "He'll be strong when he's older, though. That's more important than looks."

"Anyone else yet?" Zan asked, and Milonna shook her head.

"It's only been two days, Zan," she said. "There will be some story telling later, I want to join in, and maybe you can recruit there."

"I will, but I'll be more happy to listen to you tell stories." He said, smiling. He kissed her gently and they parted again.

That night, true to her words, the ring of young teens and children had grown large. Two fires, several people speaking at once - just turn your head, anywhere you look there was something being told. Zanaeger looked at the others around them - knowing that of the people gathered here, they were more likely to want more than their parents. Story telling was frowned upon in his own clan tents, but his aunt encouraged her foster child to do so. Halaeny was there, watching another girl sitting nearby.

This girl had huge blond locks, and ... mismatched eyes that looked a little less queer than that one kid's. One was smaller than the other, they kind of drifted upwards. But she smiled nicely, and she - had a flitter! A medium sized blue one, perched on her shoulder burying itself into her hair.

Zanaeger slid nearer the younger boy, and said, "who's your friend?"

Halaeny blushed furiously, and said, "her name's Chyssen," he sighed, "and she's from the woodlands."

"And...?"

"And her family had to send her to the gather alone, because they've got twins at home to take care of."

"Alone?" Zanaeger said, almost gasping. While he was playing it up a bit, he wasn't lying either. She was quite young, probably too young to be on her own. "Well we can solve that, can't we?"

Halaeny blushed again, and nodded with a grin.

"By the stream, if she's serious." Zan said, and scooted away again. He wandered around the darkening gather grounds, looking at the torches and glow baskets scattered for miles around. Up into the hilly area, probably beyond. The stream wound its way down those hills, and he meant to follow it where it led - off to the sea.

***

Halaeny was serious, but it turned out that only he from the plains would come to their streamside gathering. While the adults were out milking goats or starting their rounds of trade for the day, the group of younger kids slunk away before being assigned any work. Zanaeger and Milonna, Halaeny, the girl Chyssen, Tedry, and one gangly pale-skinned boy who had been recruited later in the evening by Zanaeger, named Fiorion. That was it.

"Are we going to just walk away?" Tedry asked. "Or are we supposed to tell someone?"

"We're going to have to be silent," Milonna said, "I've already found the cart and some runners for it."

"You have runners?" Fiorion perked up. His blinding skin shone in the sunlight, but it didn't seem to burn like a true albino's. "I can make sure they stay healthy."

"I can make sure they stay ours," Zan said with a grin. "Halaeny, you're going to be our scout. You'll find us good terrain when we need it, and keep an eye out for followers or danger."

The younger boy puffed up with pride.

"I'll defend us," Chyssen said, surprising Zan. He looked at her with his eyebrow crooked up. But she held up a beautifully crafted bow and a number of nicely fletched arrows. "I can defend us," she reiterated. Zan nodded at her and counted them lucky.

Tedry it seemed was quite good at dealing and numbers - though he was lousy at writing, he could add and multiply in his head.

"No one else?" Asked Milonna, and Zan shook his head.

"We've waited long enough, if we head out now, it'll just look like another caravan coming and going."

"Now?" Chyssen said meekly. "I stuck my things away."

"Get them. We'll all have things we want, and we need to make sure we each have some things - blanket, water bag, some food if you can get it, medicine or bandages. We might need those."

"Glows?" Asked Tedry, "I can get us some glows, and a good first aid kit."

"Then you do that, I'll find us some things to take in trade from the clans, we might need to barter for things." Zanaeger said.

Tedry nodded, "I'll be happy to hand them off when the time comes." He went away casual-like, heading toward his clan tents.

Chyssen leaned over to Halaeny and said, "his eyes are weird.."

Halaeny nearly choked, but laughed instead. She was one to talk...

Eventually, over the next hour or more, the group gathered their few things. Coming and going was very common at gathers like this, so no one really paid any notice. Even the elders thought it was just Zan on his mission to move things for his folks - the handsome young man would find a nice wife soon enough like his brother did. Wouldn't he?

Well if he did, they wouldn't be having anything to do with it.

And besides, Zan thought to himself as he carted his last sack of shiny beads and buttons onto the cart, if he married anyone it would probably be Milonna, because, well... she was wonderful.

***

The heat of the afternoon wasn't quite the best of travel times, but it was hardly as hot as it would be during summer. It was closer to mid-autumn, the trees - so said Fiorion and Chyssen - were turning their colors and getting ready for winter. It would be a good thing to reach the coast before then, because wouldn't the coastline have a more mild winter than the hills?

They were used to snowy winters, but nothing like what Tedry talked about.

They had to ease their cart out of the view of the elders and clans men, doing so while chatting it up with each other like 'children' would do. They learned a lot about each other just in that time, but then they would learn much much more later.

Milonna sat in the driver's bench on the cart, while Fiorion sat next to her. If she and Zan were seen together too much, it might bring suspicion on them. The others were hunched in the back, under a patchwork of blankets and goods. Chyssen thought it was greater fun than she'd ever had before - Halaeny tended to agree with her.

She'd brought as much weaponry as she could sneak out, enough for three of them to be using some kind of knife, bow or sling at once. She would have to teach them how to use the bow, and of course this one was hers - it was made by her, for her own weight. Better that only Halaeny used it, he was more her size after all. Her flitter, Arrow, kept quiet most of the time. He wasn't allowed to fly up yet, not until the whole camp gather area was out of sight.

Once that happened, Milonna called Halaeny up to the front, and asked him to keep watch for followers or anything out of the ordinary.

In this way, they made their first day of travel. Two solid draught runners and six kids, their meager posessions and a fiery dream.

Since every one of them was used to the nomadic Clan life, they had no trouble sleeping under the stars. There was no sign of the red star this season, though of course it always loomed low in the sky. It was more toward the southern sky this Pass, for some reason, and probably dropped thread down on the ocean to the south.

Milonna clung close to Zanaeger. The sky overwhelmed her. He hugged her close to him, and he relished her warmth.

"So... where are we going?" Asked Fiorion. "We're headed east, a little south. Anything specific in mind?"

Zan perked up, but didn't sit up or disturb Milonna. "We're going to follow the stream down to the port of Scarper, have you heard of it?"

"Yeah - it's got good fishing," said Tedry.

"It's a pretty long way," Chyssen said glumly. "We'll be traveling a while."

"Sure, but then we're going to head where we want, when we want." Zan said, and he winked at her. She giggled, and he felt Milonna chuckle softly into his chest.

"Where did you get the flitter?" Asked Halaeny, "he's really cool."

"Arrow was from an egg that someone brought from Enzan Shi dragonry," she said, "I won him in a contest. There were only four eggs, and a ton of us to get them."

"Wish I had one," Fiorion said, "they're great for sending messages and stuff."

"Maybe we'll be able to trade for an egg somewhere," suggested Milonna, muffled by Zan's shoulder. She nuzzled in to his pretty blue tunic, he took such good care of it and loved to dress up. He made a stunning leader. So handsome...

Milonna drifted to sleep, and they finally all called it a night. It had been quite a day for them all.

***

Halaeny caught sight of pursuit only once in their fifteen days of travel, and that was on the second morning. Probably the elders putting two and two together. But the eagle eyed child spotted their runner's hoof dust drifting into the air before they even came into view. He pulled them into a dense bunch of grey-tan shrubs, down in a little furrow. They waited. Fiorion kept the runners quiet - his soothing touch and whispered words to them lulled them into resting where they were put.

After that day, everyone did what they could to keep an eye out. Chyssen started teaching Tedry to use a sling. Privately of course the others wondered how in the world a wall-eyed girl like herself could even aim at anything, but she did - better than all of them put together, really.

Fiorion showed them how to get runners' hooves clean and make sure they weren't getting lame, but he couldn't teach them how he kept the runners calm in a storm, or got them to brave getting near a wild wherry. They ate well that night. Chyssen complained that she wished she'd been able to bring her goat from home - not for companionship, but to slaughter eventually. She hated that thing with a passion and was glad that someone else would be taking care of it from now on. She had a flitter to help her, even though it couldn't offer milk, meat or fur...

They had to gather food, though water was not a problem since they were following the stream. Only Milonna noticed that Zan would stay clear of the deeper parts of the stream - and completely away from any ponds. She knew he didn't want to be at the port because of its great water traffic or waves. He had almost drowned as a child, and in much the same way as she loathed being under the sky in a storm, he was averse to deep water. Of course he kept clean, and he even offered to wash the others clothing when they had the luxury of a warm day.

On that day, they saw their first dragon.

They'd come halfway away from the plains and were a week away from the coast, when they saw it. At first Halaeny thought it was a bird of some kind, but ... no bird flew this way. He stared at it until someone saw him, and then they too were caught.

A massive brown, of a nutty color with big paler wingsails, glided overhead. He came from the north east, and went south east on the pass. Perhaps they were out on thread watch, that was what Tedry thought. He could only think of two reasons a lone dragon would be out so far from a weyr - and the other would be...

"What if we do get to a weyr?" Asked Chyssen during their meal. They'd made the best of the wherry meat, and Zan was making a flute or something from some of the bones. "We're not searched or anything."

"We can always help out in a weyr," Fiorion said, "you especially, because you can hunt."

"Wouldn't it be great to hunt on dragon back?" Said Halaeny, and Chyssen happily pondered that.

"Over the open sea," she said, her arms held out like wings, "or to any guild hall anywhere... It would be fun."

"It's a lot of work, I've heard," Tedry muttered. "But I guess it's worth it."

"Of course it's worth it," Zanaeger said, gazing up at the sky long after the dragon had left their view. "It has to be worth it."

"So we're going to a weyr so you can see the dragons, is that it?" Milonna chided him. "First the city, then the weyr. And a guild hall, if there is one," she looked at Chyssen who giggled. She turned to Tedry, "where would you go on a dragon?"

"I don't know," he shrugged, "I like that guy," he thumbed toward the dragon who had passed, "he's up there alone with just his dragon and his thoughts - I wouldn't mind that. Or going on search, because you never know who you'll meet, right?"

"Good point," Fiorion said. "I'd love to fly in a wing, or maybe do courrier stuff. You know, carry things to holds or other weyrs. Not like you," the pale skinned youth said to Tedry. "I would want to be around other people on dragons."

"I wouldn't mind caring for the dragons, or their riders," Milonna said. "And I'd be able to stay clear of that clan. Those lands can burn so far as I care."

"They're not all bad, but I know what you mean," Halaeny said. "I'd want to keep inland anyway. Falling off a dragon over the sea, I can't think of anything worse." Chyssen chuckled at her friend, but he shrugged it off. "We could visit the clans, but we would always have an excuse to go away again."

With that, they called it a night, none could think of any better reason to head to a weyr.

***

With the second week of travel behind them, and the terrain growing rough but well traveled, the group was growing fond of one another in ways that they hardly knew how to explain. Zanaeger's urge to lead had brought them this far, and it had also gotten them to respect his forethought and planning ability. They had enough goods to barter and maybe even live a bit in luxury for a night or two. He could organize things and people with no hesitation - the moment he saw something in a person he knew how to utilize it in the group.

That wasn't to say that everyone was always peachy-nice with one another. Since they ran out of meat a couple days before arriving to the port, they were all a bit snippy and short with one another. But it was tacit that they had to reach their goal, and to do that they were together. They reassured one another when needed, that this was all worth it in the end.

Halaeny's sharp eyes picked up the smoke from the first farmstead, and they headed down what appeared to be an actual road for the first time in two weeks. Since it was fall, and the harvesting was being done, there were a good number of people working the fields here. The fields didn't have much in them, some late wheat and other grains, it looked like more of the small gardens would be supplimenting this town's diet for a while.

They pulled up at one large farm hold, hailed in by the tall man of the house. Greeted like they were Lords of some kind, the group were a bit stunned. But they found that any excuse for a harvest feast and party was a good one around here.

"We've some goods, if you wish to do any trading," Zan pointed out over the mountain of potato and corn on his plate. "Mostly little things, but," he looked at the boy who was about his own age across from him at the big table, "you've lost two buttons recently and we've buttons aplenty."

The boy hastily looked at his shirt, which had indeed the appearance of two 'clean' spots where buttons used to be. His mother tisked her tongue, and agreed that tomorrow they would all get a look at the goods, and since there wasn't much to do but organize the harvested grains for tithes, they would have enough time.

"Tithe trains," muttered Fiorion to Zan, "there's our in." Zanaeger licked his lips, nodding.

"We could help your hold take its tithes in," Zan offered. "We were planning on heading to the nearest weyr, anyway."

The older auntie scoffed, "high goals, for such young children."

The group only laughed, and she looked a bit offended. But then again, the younger ones at the table - right along with their father - laughed along with them. Apparently she was their stick in the mud.

"You came at just the right time," said a girl obviously fostered to the household. She had rich black hair, a pretty nose, and was looking at Fiorion with large dark eyes. "We're always in need of help transporting goods from harvest."

The way she stared at him made him a bit nervous, in fact it brought color to his pale skin enough that he had to leave the table. Milonna and Zan glanced at one another, then at the girl.

"He's a bit shy around ladies," Zan said, halfway a question - since they hadn't known him well outside of their little group, and he wasn't taken with either of the girls in it. "That's new."

When the feast was over, Tedry found himself assisting the woman of the house with her young child - carrying the babe around while she cleaned up. "You're quite good with him," she said. Tedry smiled widely, and that kind of unnerved the woman. His big eyes...

"Thanks," he said. "I like babies, they seem to like me too."

"It's the adults you don't want to be around, is that it?" Asked Zan in passing, elbowing the smaller boy in play. Tedry shrugged and kept cooing at the baby until he fell to sleep in his warm arms.

***

During the whole next day, while the farm hands organized the grains and bags of dried vegetables, the holders and their families went over the sacks of goods that Zan had insisted they bring. The buttons went over big - bigger than he thought they would. They had matching sets of different types, dozens of them, and with the idea that they'd also be helping get these bags of goods to the tithe caravan, the holders offered some interesting goods in return.

Salted dried fish, of course - brought from the sea every day in huge quantities. The inlanders hadn't had much fish, but all of them relished it - since the dinner the night before had included a rich soup with some variety of seafood, they all loved it. Prepared corn flour, some barley flour and a unique red grain that only seemed to grow in this area, small bags of each. Each of them bartered for something different - Chyssen wound up with a beautiful bottle. It was originally for wine, but had been used for candles since then. She for some reason was taken with this thing, and explained that she could use it as a candle holder, or get it refilled some day.

Outside, Milonna helped with the cartwright, since she had the most experience with tack and runners. For her work, helping get a broken wheel off and a new one installed, the local bachelor offered her a beautiful (if small) tapestry. "It was for my bethrothed, but she was taken by a fever."

"... My family was also taken by fever, all of them," she said quietly. "This is lovely - I'm sure she would have adored it." There were dragons in beautiful stitchwork flying over a white peak, over a misty seascape. "Is... is this the weyr nearby?"

"Dragonhope, it's called, yes, I suppose it is." The man nodded. He smiled coyly at the younger girl. "You know, if you were another few years older - and you weren't attached - I'd ask you to stay here with me... You've a gift with the runners and carts."

She blushed, but smiled at him and looked him in the eye. "I am very flattered, good sir. And perhaps if that were the case I might say yes. But..."

"Take the tapestry, you'll think of me." He laughed. She liked this man, and felt bad that he'd lost his love. Perhaps some day he would find another.

Eventually, it was time to leave for the port. There would be two other carts in similar size to theirs, those filled with the tithe goods and bringing the workers back to their homes in town. Because they were loaded up more than usual, the group kind of split up a bit. Halaeny and Chyssen were with one cart, Zanaeger and Tedry wound up on the lead cart, while Milonna ran theirs in the middle with Fiorion. Because they rarely had time alone - together - Fiorion stole glances at the pretty silver-haired girl.

"I never have gotten to ask you - why's your hair white like that?" He asked.

"Why is your skin white like that?" She replied with a smirk. He laughed, and she gazed at him while they were traveling down the road. "Why in the world did you shy away so much from that girl in the farm? She was lovely! She liked you," she said with a grin.

He blushed again, "I just... I get nervous around girls... you know, that ... I like."

"You're not nervous around me," she pointed out.

"Well you're different, you're older than me... She was like, my age."

Milonna nodded sagely, and they continued on their way. She thought it would be more of a silent trip, but instead, Fiorion spoke again.

"She was really pretty... But I think she'd make a better girlfriend than a wife or mother." He said, and Milonna had to ask why he said that. "Well she was all flirty like, trying to be a popular girl, instead of a nice girl."

"Oh, so there's a difference," Milonna said.

"Of course there is," Fiorion muttered. "You're nice. You and Zan will make a great family some day. I want a girl like you, only... different." He grinned broadly.

Up in the front, Zanaeger conversed happily with the caravan driver, who explained the lay of the land to him. "See that flag post?" He pointed east, "that's the port entrance on the land. The city's below it, you'll see why it's called Scarper."

And indeed, they did. For when they reached that flag pole the land dropped sharply down to a plateau, then again down to the sea another dozen meters or more below. There was a switchback route down to the port, which perked everyone up who was driving. They had to be careful, no one wanted to lose any goods on this trip!

"There is a good straight road to the north," the driver said, once they were back on level ground, "it leads around the bay and up to the Weyr."

"And that's where we're going to head?" Zan asked. Tedry peered at everything he could, but shrank when anyone looked their way. He was used to people staring at him, after all.

"Well, not exactly, we're going to unload our goods on the tithe caravan. If you stick with me, I can hook you up with them, that's where you said you're headed."

"Yes sir," Zan said. He knew that he couldn't blow this. They had to get in on this trip - it would look best if they had come in with some goods or abilities! When they pulled into the port, though, Zanaeger looked around for the first time and just stood with his mouth dropped open.

He'd seen many people come and go, the gathers drew more than forty thousand people after all. But this... Was a city. It was sprawled below the cliffs they'd come in on, probably dug deeply into them by the way the streets seemed to disappear into the sheer white wall. Below them, the wharf and docks stretched as far as he could see in either direction. Ships of all kinds and sizes were docked - some so large they were docked out along the deeper waters. He didn't care much for that, but the people and things to see...

"So, you want to take a while and look around, eh?" the driver laughed. "I don't blame you! I'll talk to the caravan pullers and see what I can do. You see that red and black flag there?" He pointed at the northern edge of town, "that's their station. Meet us there before sundown, we'll be headed into the inn nearest, and I'll arrange a couple rooms. We always do this - it's no trouble."

"Th- thank you!" Zan said, and exuberantly lept from the cart. Another driver came from the cart to show Milonna where to go. However, Zan had other plans. "Tedry, you can help them get good prices, can't you?"

At first a bit taken aback, Tedry realized that this way he wouldn't have to go through all that fuss with people staring at him - and he'd be able to keep an eye on their own goods in the process. He nodded, and jumped from the cart as well, to join up with the man in their cart.

"Zan wants you two - I'll take care of the cart from here. I'll see you when you get to the inn!" Tedry announced, and while they were both a little confused, Milonna and Fiorion complied. They met up with the others, Chyssen and Halaeny dropped off the other cart and waved to Tedry as he went through the town with the others.

Because he knew what was going through their minds, Zan said, "no we are not ditching him, he's taking care of the bartering. And keeping a close eye on our own stuff. We're going to have a day on the town!"

In addition to the fish and foods, Zanaeger had wrangled a number of marks for their buttons and a couple of the flutes he'd whittled and painted up on their travel. They went from place to place, careful of thieves and dangerous people, and as long as they stuck together they weren't given any trouble.

Eventually, after the sun had started to drop from the sky - it was autumn after all and it would be night earlier than they expected - Zanaeger called them together again, "we've got to get to the inn, now. If there was anything we wanted, it'll be there later."

They agreed, and, exausted, found the inn under the red and black flag.

NEXT