Dragon’s Kin

Chapter XIII

—Cough three times.

Ewrrll, the watch-wher chirped. Sound filled Nuella’s ears. She took a cautious breath.

“Father,” she said, reaching out to where she knew he would be, “I came as soon as I could.”

“Nuella!” At the sound of her father’s voice, tears streamed down Nuella’s face.

“Have everyone grab hold of the watch-wher,” she said. “If you’ve got anyone who can’t stand, help them onto her back with me.”

“She’s not big enough,” Dalor said doubtfully.

“She’ll bear the load,” Nuella replied. The watch-wher chirped a bold agreement.

“Hurry, the air’s getting too stale,” Natalon told the others.

“Let me know when they’re ready,” Nuella said.

“What are you going to do?” Dalor asked, his voice right beside her ear.

“Don’t worry,” Nuella said, raising her voice over the others, “we’re going to get you out. It’s going to be a strange ride but it will only last as long as it takes to—”

“Everyone’s ready,” Natalon told her.

Nuella brought the image to her mind. Toldur, Renna, Cristov, Zenor. She formed their fiery images and passed them to the watch-wher. “—cough three times,” she finished.

At Kindan’s shout, the miners in the Camp started collecting around them.

“Look, it’s Natalon!” someone exclaimed.

“Natalon’s been saved!” The shout rang round the Camp.

“Give them room!” Kindan bellowed above the crowd. “And someone send for the Harper and Jenella.”

A respectful silence descended as the rescued miners stumbled out of the shaft and collected beside Natalon.

“Who’s that with them?” a voice murmured from the back.

Natalon rose to his feet, resting an arm on Nuella’s shoulder. She shifted her weight to support him and the watch-wher slithered around to his other side and raised her head under his other hand.

Natalon looked down at the watch-wher and smiled, stroking the ungainly head with affection.

“I have an announcement,” he said, pulling himself fully erect. He slipped his arm underneath Nuella’s and hugged her tight to his side. “This is my daughter, Nuella. She cannot see, so I kept her hidden from you all.” He paused. “I was afraid that you would hold her lack of sight against her. And me.

“But it is I who have been blind—and foolish,” Natalon continued. “Nuella was not blind in our dark mines. She could ‘see’ where others could not. And so she—with her friends”—Natalon gestured toward Kindan and Zenor—“and the watch-wher rescued us poor, sighted miners.”

“You’re alive!” Jenella rushed into the crowd, baby Larissa tucked under one arm, and grabbed Natalon with the other. “Oh, you’re alive!” She looked around at the crowd of faces. “Who can I thank...?”

Kindan pushed Nuella forward. Jenella looked down at her, eyes brimming with tears.

Nuella tilted her head up to her mother’s voice. “Me, mother.”

Jenella thrust Larissa into Kindan’s arms and grabbed Nuella in a tearful embrace. When she finally recovered enough to stand, she looked around at the crowd and said fiercely, “This is my daughter, Nuella.” She looked down at Nuella. “She is my pride and joy.”

“She didn’t do it alone,” Zenor said unexpectedly in the silence. Kindan shot him a look of amazement that Zenor would do anything to risk harming Nuella’s acceptance into the Camp. “Her watch-wher helped.”

Zenor grinned at Kindan, adding in a voice pitched so that only he could hear, “You knew, didn’t you?”

“I was hoping,” Kindan answered just as quietly.

Zenor reached over and squeezed his friend on the shoulder, tightly, in thanks and acknowledgment of Kindan’s sacrifice.

“Her watch-wher?” Natalon repeated blankly, looking at how the green sat curled possessively about Nuella without so much as a glance toward Kindan.

“My watch-wher?” Nuella repeated, turning toward Kindan.

Kindan nodded. “Ask her her name, Nuella.”

Nuella gave him an uncomprehending look, so Kindan explained, “Just like when you saw, but with words this time.”

Nuella’s face took on an abstracted expression that suddenly changed to pure delight. “She says her name is Nuelsk!” She leaped in the air and ran to Kindan. “Her name is Nuelsk! Oh, Kindan,” she cried, in bittersweet joy, “you’ve given me your watch-wher!”

Kindan hugged her tightly and then let her go, smiling. “I think she was always yours, Nuella, and I was just helping you raise her, not the other way around.”

Zenor joined them, grabbing Nuella’s free hand. Kindan smiled as he watched Nuella squeeze Zenor’s hand back, tightly, and then wrap her arm around his shoulder.

“If you kiss him, then everyone will know,” Kindan whispered in Nuella’s ear.

“Good,” Nuella whispered back. She grabbed Zenor’s face and kissed him soundly on the lips. The gathered crowd roared with laughter at Zenor’s obvious surprise.

“Look after him, please,” Kindan begged her when Zenor managed to pull himself away, red-faced with embarrassment and joy.

“Haven’t I always?” Nuella replied. Then she frowned. “But Kindan, what about you?”

A figure separated itself from the shadows. “I think I may help.” It was Master Zist. “This is an official offer from the Master Harper of Pern,” he said, pressing a parchment into Kindan’s hands. Kindan unrolled it and nearly dropped it as he read the words.

“I may be a Harper?” he asked, eyes wide.

“Well, you will certainly have the opportunity to try,” Master Zist said with a smile. “No doubt they’ll be pumping you for all this lost lore on watch-whers.” He leaned in close to Kindan and said in a voice for his ears alone, “You will do fine, lad, just fine.”

“So, Kindan,” Natalon asked with interest, “what will you do?”

“I think I’ll sing,” the newest Harper of Pern replied.