I Read What?!

So, last time, Lessa went into the past and met some dragonriders that I didn't actually hate immediately! Who knew that was possible?

This time, of course, they'll be taking the great leap forward.

As the next chapters/parts are all very short and quick, I figure I'll do them together.



So we rejoin Lessa and their entourage after they've made eleven jumps. Over 1800 travelers made the trip. That is a shit ton of people. Hopefully F'lar and company have food ready.

Anyway, Lessa takes them to the last interim stop: twelve years before at Ruatha, where she has already been...twice. This doesn't work very well, as Lessa immediately starts feeling the effects.

T'ton and Mardra are immediately concerned. Mardra puts her arm around Lessa, while Lessa babbles about F'lar being angry. I won't even quote it, you know how I feel about this dynamic. But ugh.

Mardra continues to try to comfort Lessa, while T'ton "hastily" gives orders to extinguish fires and prepare for the last jump. It's gratifying to see really, these people have only known Lessa for a very short time, and they already seem to genuinely care about her.

Maybe they can teach the modern riders how to be decent human beings...maybe.

Anyway, Lessa transmits the last references to the dragons.

Then we move over to F'lar, who is not in a very good state himself. I'd care if I gave a shit about F'lar, or if I thought he'd actually learn something. I'm not holding out hope.

Anyway, Robinton and Lytol are forcing him to eat and plying him with wine. F'lar knows what he should be doing. He knows that there's still Kylara and Pridith, so all isn't completely lost, but he's not quite able to bring himself to send back for F'nor, because that'd be an admission that Lessa and Ramoth wouldn't return.

Okay, I admit, I might be stirred a LITTLE by this. F'lar is someone characterized by decisiveness and practicality. So the inactivity is striking. He is quite dramatic, his mind "damning [Lessa] one moment for her reckless, thoughtless daring, loving her the next for attempting such a feat."

He also yells at Robinton when the latter tries to convince him to sleep.

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We switch back over to Lessa who reaches Ruatha, only to be met by Lytol, who is such a welcome sight that Lessa forgets she dislikes him. Good, Lytol is awesome. I like seeing the most awesome characters get along.

Lytol informs her that she misjudged the jump by two days, but is quick to reassure her that there's no need to worry. He's actually smiling at her, his eyes dancing. He tells her to "'Take this same hour, the Great Court, everything, but visualize F'lar, Robinton and myself here on the flagstones. Place Mnementh on the Great Tower and a blue dragon on the verge.'"

I love how thorough he is with his directions. You can tell he's a former dragonrider and knows exactly what she needs. He helps calm down the panicking Lessa, (Mardra is comforting her again, why are the older dragonriders so warm and empathetic. What HAPPENED to Benden Weyr in four hundred years?!!) and sends her off.

It would be fascinating if this was intentional: if we're supposed to see Benden Weyr as having become so isolated and fanatic that they've lost the warmth, compassion and humanity that the riders once had. It could serve to explain a lot of the awfulness of the Weyr now, and it could be an indication that the characters can learn to be better. I would read that story.

Lessa by the way is crying 'like a little girl.' "'He'll shake me!'"

Ugh.

Anyway, they take off and reach the right destination this time. F'lar immediately runs to her for a reunion:

"'Lessa, Lessa,' his voice raggedly chanted in her ear. He pressed her face against his, crushing her to breathlessness, all his careful detachment abandoned. He kissed her, hugged her, held her, and then kissed her with rough urgency again. Then he suddenly set her on her feet and gripped her shoulders. 'Lessa, if you ever ...' he said, punctuating each word with a flexing of his fingers, then stopped, aware of a grinning circle of strangers surrounding them."

...Okay, well, I'm not really happy with the idea of the dragonriders "grinning" at domestic abuse.

Anyway, F'lar comes to realize exactly how many dragons and riders are with them: she brought eighteen hundred dragons, seventeen queens, and everything needed to implement the Weyrs, including flamethrowers!

Nicely done, Lessa!

Next time: the climax and ending. And I'll have to decide what book to recap next!

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Part 4: 5 and 6 | Table of Contents | Part 4:Final Parts