Changes On Pern

[Fia]

MY Fanfiction! Wuahahahahaa!

Summary: Time has gone by since F'lar and Lessa's time, and once again, Thread has begun to fall once again. The astonished Dragonriders have once again begun to fight. Now, as a Hatching begins at Fort Weyr, a young girl, Fia, is Searched from Southern. Upon standing for the Hatching, she does the impossible, Impressing a fine young Bronze. The two manage to get by with the help of a fellow bronzerider weyrling, K'rion, and his dragon, Harth. When a strange man from Fia's past appears, the four work to find out just what he's doing at Fort. But strange accidents are occuring, and the Riders no longer feel safe at Fort. The other Weyrs refuse to help, so a new home must be found. Together with their friends, the incredibly close Fia and Keeganth must Search the lands of the South, and find this new home. Before all the Riders of Fort lose faith in them.

Note: This is the girl from which I get my RP character-creation inspiration. Hey, that rymes!

[Fia]

PROLOUGE

Mine. I hear one. Far way, but I hear.

Are you sure, Dorith?

I am sure. Am I ever wrong about this?

The man chuckled at his friend’s words. No, my friend. The ones you find are always suitable.

Yes. Now come. We must hurry. We have very little time.

The man sighed as he looked to the skies. Yes. They had so very little time.

[Fia]

SURPRISE

The sun shone blisteringly bright in the brilliantly blue sky. Two bright streaks flashed across the sky, one dark, one light.

“Scout! Kurt! Come down here!” a voice called.

A bronze blur streaked down, settling into the form of a large bronze firelizard. He landed deftly on an offered forearm, closely followed by a blur of white. His little brother.

“Come soon!” a dolphin squeaked from the waters edge. “Bring little ones!”

“I will, Mell, don’t worry. And thank you!”

“Welcome! Welcome!” several dolphins chattered. “You come!” “We play more!”

The firelizards’ girl laughed. The creatures were so funny. “I will!”

“Promise? Promise?” Tinco enquired wistfully, splashing water around him.

“I promise to try,” the girl told them, brushing rough, dark brown hair out of her face. The whole pod squealed happily before diving and jumping away.

The girl chuckled at the silly creatures. The small cove was full of them. A good twenty, twenty-five dolphins.

“Okay, you two let’s get going. We still gotta walk home. It’s not like a dragon is gonna poof out of between and offer to- What the Shell is that?”

A large shape was approaching from afar, above the ocean. No wherry was THAT big.

Brother! Big brother! the flits cried, fanning their wings in excitement.

“What ‘big brother’? What do you mean?” the girl demanded. But both flits were too excited to even think straight.
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Dorith! Are you sure this is the right place?

Of course! Come now, T’fural, we must hurry. Time is short. They will not wait forever.

I know that! Now land. I’m assuming that’s the girl you were talking about?

That is the one I spoke of.

Then what are you waiting for? Land us!

I am. There’s not much room- oooh, T’fural, look! Doll-fins!

I see them, Dori, but you just said that we didn’t have much time.

Oh yes. Here we are, now.

The large blue dragon landed carefully on the beach, trying his hardest not to shower his Rider with hot sand. He didn’t, but he did get the girl’s shoulder with his wingtip, causing her to stumble backwards slightly.

Sorry.

“Don’t worry about it, Dori, I’m sure the girl won’t attack us…aaaaaah!”

The young bluerider gave a cry of alarm as a bronze thing flitted around his head, scolding and scratching.

Dorith! Do something!

What?

I dunno, think of something! Ouch! “You, girl! Call ’im off! You win already!”

He heard a voice call sternly to creature, who zipped away at once, settling on the girl’s shoulder with whirling red eyes.
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The girl stroked the bronze firelizard soothingly as he chattered angrily. Who dared attack his girl?

What was a dragonman doing in this cove? She’d found it! Was the blue pair here to claim it?
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The bluerider looked at girl before him with interest. She was tall, fairly strong, with dark brown hair tied roughly back. He’d estimate her to be around fifteen Turns, about the right age.

“Hello!” he said brightly. “T’fural, rider of blue Dorith, Fort Weyr. Who might you be?”

He saw the girl looking not at him, but his dragon, and grinned in understanding amusement.

“He won’t hurt you, you know,” he said lightly.

The girl – he really had to find out her name – jumped and looked at him in surprise. “I know.”

T’fural’s grin widened. “Oho, so it’s awe, rather than fear.”
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“I’ve never been close to a dragon before,” she explained defensively.

“Ah, well, you’ll get used to them, I’m sure,” the bluerider said with another smile.

What was that supposed to mean? What did the two want?

The rider – T’fural, right? – glanced up at his blue, then grinned again. “We come in peace! Please, hear us out, would you?”
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T’fural took the girl’s silence as a ‘go ahead’. “Well, you see, Dorith here,” he grinned up at his dragon “is a Search-dragon. He finds likely Candidates for Impression. That is, boys and girls to be presented to dragon hatchlings as a prospective Rider. Recently, he’s been pestering me about someone suitable for Impression. Looks like you’re it!” he finished brightly.

“Oh, and by the way, what may I call you, my lady?” he enquired with another (yes, another) grin and an exaggerated bow.

Now why was the girl looking at him like was mad or something?
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The firelizards’ young mistress looked at the bluerider like he was mad or something. His constant smiles were starting to get weird.

Oh, he’s weird? she thought dryly. Who’s the girl who left Landing with nothing but two firelizards because she was tired of history lessons? After it took her forever to find it?

“Excuse me? I’m sorry, did you hear me?”

“Oh yes, dragonman,” she replied hastily. “My name…well, you can call me Fia,” she said with a grin of her own. “Long story,” she said by way of explanation, at his puzzled look.

“Ah, thank you. And your age?”

“Twelve Turns.”

“That all? Oh, never mind. Now, about the Search? Will you come?”

Fia blinked. Surely he was joking. “Are you serious?”

“Of course!” the man cried, flinging his left hand to his heart dramatically. “Why, my lady, you have injured me! Do you not trust the word of a Dragonrider?”

Okaaay, now he was REALLY getting weird. “Aaah…yeah, okay. Are you SERIOUSLY serious?”
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“Oh yes. Come now, let’s go,” he said, beckoning toward his blue.

The girl didn’t move.

You are unnerving her, T’fural, Dorith told him, mentally rolling his eyes. His rider really had to cut back on the klah. The caffeine seemed to having a permanent effect on him. Whatever caffeine was.

Don’t worry about my rider, he told the girl. He’s just had too much klah this morning.

“So, young lady, how ’bout it? You want to be a Dragonrider?”

The girl hesitated, then stepped tentatively forward.

“That’s it,” the bluerider said encouragingly. “Just hop aboard this big blue beast of mine and we’ll be off!”

T’FURAL!

What?!

Did it ever occur to you that she may want to say goodbye to anybody?!

Oh. Good point, Dori. “Dor says you may wanna say bye to somebody?”

“No. I’m on my own,” was the surprising reply. More surprising was the offhand tone in which it was said.

“Okay, if you say so. Now hold on!” And they were off, Dorith grumbling about inconsiderate riders.

[Fia]

A NOT-SO-WARM WELCOME

Weyrfolk waved a welcome as the big blue burst out of between. He landed in the Weyrbowl beside a pale little green, who obviously knew him. The green’s rider, a small young woman with light brown hair and a warm smile, greeted T’fural cheerfully.

“And who’s this?” she asked, smiling at the girl standing uncertainly beside blue Dorith.

“This is Fia,” T’fural said brightly. “Fia, meet Renna, Iliath’s rider. Iliath is Dorith’s weyrmate.”

“Hello, there. It’s nice to meet you. Dorith found you on Search, correct? Oh, don’t look so surprised, Iliath just told me. What’s wrong? I suppose T’fural just swooped down, picked you up, and brought you here, did he?” Renna asked, scowling at her weyrmate.

“Oh, no. He did give me the option, greenrider Renna. He did!” the girl answered quickly, finding her voice.

“I was rather abrupt,” T’fural admitted sheepishly. “Dorith had to slow me down again.”

“Good thing he did, else we’d have one scared youngster on our hands.”

“I’m not scared!” Fia protested. “I’m not scared of anything! Not even…not even Thread!”

Both riders looked impressed. “That brave, eh?” “Looks like the Search went well, ’Fur.”

Fia nodded, and white Kurt peeked out behind her neck.

“Oh, how sweet! Ooh, can I pet him?” the greenrider cried in delight.

“Uh…of course…”
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“Well, Fia, these are the Candidate rooms. Small, I know, but it’s only ’til you Impress!” T’fural said with a cheery wink as they entered a new area of the Weyr.

“If I Impress,” Fia reminded him.

“Oh, I’m sure you will,” T’fural said .absently, walking along. “Dorith’s always do.”

“What color do you think I would Impress, T’fural?” she asked, now quite at ease with the cheerful bluerider.

T’fural looked thoughtfully at her. “Well, there is a gold egg-”

“I don’t want a gold!”

“What?!”

“They don’t fly Thread! Not really. And goldriders become weyrwomen, right? I don’t want to!”

“Well, a green wouldn’t suit you. I’d say a blue, like my Dorith.”

Fia blinked. “A blue?”

“Yeah, sure. Blues are smart, quick dragons, and they’re super flyers.”

“What about browns?”

“Nah. Wouldn’t suit you. Browns are always so calm, and quite frankly, I don’t quite see you on a quiet dragon. Besides, the idea of a female brownrider is still kinda wierd.”

“Oh. Well, I suppose I’ll have to wait and see, won’t I?” the girl said with a grin.

“Yup. Ah, here we are, your fellow Candidates!” T’fural said happily as they came to a stop in a big, open doorway. About thirty young people were grouped in the large room, ranging in age from twelve to around eighteen Turns. “Everyone, meet Fia!”

There was a collective “Hi,” from the group of youths. A few waved a little.

“Well, I’ll just leave you to get acquainted then!” T’fural said brightly, practically bouncing out of the room.
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Fia looked around at the other kids. “Uh, hi! I’m a new Candidate. Nice to meet you!”

A couple of younger boys murmured “You too,” in response, but the others didn’t seem especially friendly. They simply nodded and went back to whatever they were doing. The realization struck her that she was one of the only girls in the room, and therefore, not welcome amongst the boys. Great. And there was NO way she was gonna have anything to do with those wimpy little girls in that corner.

Well, at least she had her firelizards, both hovering discreetly just outside the door.

[Fia]

REFLECTIONS

A pair of dark brown eyes glared up at the sky. A week. A bloody week. T’fural had said a few days, at most. When were those dragonets going to hatch?

The week had been spent getting lost around the HUGE Weyr, avoiding the other Candidates as much as possible (who still didn’t approve of a girl being a candidate for a fighting dragon, other than a green. Not that Fia cared what they thought.), being lectured by the brownrider Candidate-master, and meeting loads of new people. She’d even met the Weyrleaders once, and wished she hadn’t.

The Weyrleader, V’nal of bronze Tintanoth, was a sharp, stern, military type person whose word was law, and woe to the person who dared question his authority! The Weyrwoman, Tesani of gold Mosyth, had been alright, but too quiet to say anything much when her weyrmate had gotten too harsh with the girl. She had given Fia an apologetic smile as she left the room; but after that meeting, it would take a lot more than that to get the stunned girl back to her normal sky-high level of confidence.

But there had been good days, too.

She’d met an old brown wher named Tursk, bonded to an old man called Turren. The man had been a cranky old guy, but the wher was very friendly. He’d practically frisked around, he was so delighted to have someone to play with. She’d introduced him to her flits, Scout and Kurt, who had fascinated the creature. It had also been a rest-day, so she’s spent hours ‘wher-sitting’ to give the old wher-handler a break.

She’d also spent a day helping out the Weyrharper, Taril, because her knack for coming up with good lyrics to songs. That had been a lot of fun, with the good-humored young Harper’s easy laughter to help forget the unwelcoming boys. He too, had been delighted with the firelizard brothers. Apparently they weren’t very common in the North, so for some girl to have two was somewhat rare.

Now she was sitting out in the Weyrbowl, reflecting on the past sevenday, or, she corrected herself, the past week, as that Aivas thingy had called it; and growing more and more impatient.

She wasn’t sure how she felt about Aivas. It had stopped working Turns ago. It had also promised the end of Threadfall. She snorted. The bloody Red Star had swung right back into orbit around Pern. But much of Aivas’ knowledge had helped Pern develop for the better. The healers were certainly better now, and she loved the books now being printed.

“Oi, girl! Yes, you! Come on now, it’s time for dinner, unless you wanna miss it!”

Fia sighed and stood up. Well, that was one more day over.

[Fia]

THE TIME HAS COME

“EVERYONE!” The Candidates gathered in the room jumped at the urgent bellow. B’nalk, brown Ushuth’s rider and Candidate-master, came racing into the room. “The clutch! Hatching! Ushuth told me! Get moving!”

There was a mad scramble to reach the small, individual rooms to change into the white Candidate robes. Fia, not shy about shoving, managed to be amongst the first in the crowd of Candidates and weyrfolk moving in a tidal wave towards the Hatching Grounds.

Blinking to adjust her eyes to the darkness, Fia shifted her feet on the burning sands. Anyone without decently thick shoes would have to hurry, or they’d have some nasty blisters when they got home.

As her vision became clearer, the tall girl looked up at the great form of the golden mother of the clutch. The junior queen was a medium sized gold, fairly well built, with a somewhat pale gold hide. Her name was…um, she’d been told…Alananth! That was it! And her rider was…Sialae, the junior weyrwoman. The gold was curled protectively around the golden egg that contained her golden daughter…the newest queen of Pern.

A loud cr-r-r-r-rack! caught her attention and she turned to see a dark little green stumble out of her eggshell, raising her head with a piteous cry. Looking around, she headed towards the girls, only to trip and fall at the feet of a sandy haired boy. “Tarinth! Her name is Tarinth! Oh, you’re hungry? Come on girl, let’s go feed you now!” the boy cried happily as he led his new green off the sands.

More eggs cracked, revealing a dark brown hatchling, a pale blue, and two more greens, one bluish-green, one yellowish. The bluish green paired off with another boy (Yaysith!) and the blue headed for the girls. He found one, an older, dark haired girl who knelt by him and repeated his name over and over. He was Omath. The brown and other green continued to search for theirs.

More cracked shells and another blue emerged, as well as the first bronze of the clutch! The bronze looked around, raised his head, squeaked, and ran over to a tall, black haired boy. Fia identified him as Kerion, one of the more friendly boys. Now he was K’rion, of bronze Harth, as he called the hatchling.

Fia looked down as she felt a tug on her sleeve. The dark little blue.

Help me find Mine! A tiny voice squeaked. Please!

“A-am I yours?” the girl stammered. ‘

I am sorry, no, I am R’kyl’s! Please help me find him!

Oh. She pushed disappointment away, looking around for Rekyl…R’kyl.

“He’s there,” she said, pointing. The little blue took off in that direction.

Shakith is very grateful!

Fia smiled sadly at the retreating creature. How sweet, she thought. R’kyl is lucky.

The yellowish green had now found a girl, the brown was racing towards a small boy, and the recently hatched blues, greens, and browns were also finding theirs.

Then, suddenly, the great golden egg split in two, revealing a shining baby gold. Fia looked in awe at the little queen, twice as large as the blues, far larger than the browns. The queen turned her head slowly, looking up at her mother for guidance. Then she tossed her head and walked away from the older queen. Fia felt her heart thumping. Yes, she hadn’t wanted the queen, but still…this little beauty…

She is not meant for you. You are destined for another. Fia recognized Dorith’s familiar voice.

“Oh…” The girl stood silently as the little one looked at her for a long moment, then walked slowly towards a young woman (“Oh, Lenith! You’re beautiful!”).

Now what? There were only a few greens, two blues, and a brown left, along with a single, unhatched egg. Was she not good enough?

Sure enough, all four greens, both blues, and the brown found riders. Fia turned away, trying to contain the despair that was rising within her. There were a good dozen others still standing for the last egg, but they were all boys. They stood a chance for the obvious bronze or large brown.

She sighed, but stood straighter. She was NOT leaving the sands until every last hatchling had chosen a rider.

[Fia]

FREAK

The gleaming, copper-toned egg gave a violent lurch. It rocked back and forth, building tension until the shell split right in half, both sides falling away to reveal a gleaming young dragon. A bronze.

He was beautiful. His hide was a deep, brownish shade of bronze with a hint of reddish-gold in his wings. His frame was light, not the typical, muscular bronze. His neck was long and graceful, and his head was small and neat. His legs were long and strong-looking, preventing the lopsided gait of most dragons. His tail was long and slender, ending in a perfect tip.
Fia heard the boys give a combined gasp of admiration for the beautiful creature. The hatchling turned his head slowly towards the sound. With a tiny rumbling sound, he began to walk, very slowly, around the perimeter of the Hatching Grounds. He turned his head this way and that, taking in everything in his line of sight. The huge gold dragon gave a small rumble of surprise. What was this hatchling doing?
With a snort, the baby dragon walked more quickly towards the boys. He cocked his head at them, then snorted with obvious disgust. He looked away and paused with a blink. He gave a squeak of obvious happiness and began towards the lone figure at the edge of the sands.

Fia looked up. Those stupid boys. She scowled and headed for the stumbling dragon.

“Alright now, you just turn yourself around and pick yourself a nice rider. Go on, now, get.”

The dragon gave a cry of confusion but continued on. He ran the last few steps and shoved his nose at the girl with a cry.

“Oh, shush, now, little one, its okay. You’re alright,” she told him soothingly, stroking his eye ridges.

I could not find you! Why were you so far? the bronze demanded.

“I’m sorry, love, I didn’t know you were coming. But now I know.”

That’s good. The bronze dragon looked up with whirling eyes. I am Keeganth, Fia.

“Of course you are. Come on, now, Keegie, let’s feed you.” The girl led her bronze towards the exit.

How did Fee-mine know I was hungry?

“Hatchlings have a reputation for being hungry the minute they’re out of the shell.”

Oh.

The boys glared at Fia as she passed but she didn’t notice. Her mind was entirely focused on her little dragon. She barely heard one of them mutter “…freak…”, but for once, the quick-tempered girl didn’t retaliate. No sense making Keeganth wait for his food, was there?

[Fia]

DAY ONE
Part One

Mine. Mine! MINE! WAKE! UP! NOW!

“What the-?” The girl sat up and –thump- banged her head on the top bunk. Shards, I’m too tall for these…

Mine! Come on! Hurry! FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD! Eh? Oh Shards! You’re hurt! Oh no!

“Would you chill out, I’m fine,” Fia muttered, rubbing her head.

NO, you hurt your head and must be taken care of.

“Oh, stop it, already. Look, is it bleeding?”

The little bronze extended his head cautiously forward, lightly and carefully touching his rider’s head with his nose. No.

“You see? It’s fine.” The new bronzerider stood up, careful not to bash her head again. “Okay, Keegie, you said you were hungry?”

Yes! Very, very, very, very, VERY hungry!

“Okay, okay, come on. Oh Shards! Where do we go?”

Akrolanth says to head to the Feeding Bowl. Then we go to the Weyr Lake. You will learn to oil me. Then you eat break-fast. After which you will have another lesson with the other weyr-lings.
“Ah. Let’s go.”

‘Kay.
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“KEEGANTH! SLOW! DOWN!”

But there’s FOOD up ahead!

“A few more seconds without food are NOT likely to kill you.”

But-

“No buts, young man- dragon, and you’re going to hurt yourself if you continue to run like that,” Fia scolded her little bronze.

Oh, al-RIGHT.

“THANK you.”

Welcome.

The girl laughed, dark eyes sparkling with amusement. She couldn’t stay annoyed with Keeganth. Her Keeganth.

The weyrling dragon in question was nosing at a large covered bucket. I smell MEAT!

Fia quickly bent down, lifting the cloth cover before the bronze could knock the bucket over. She offered him a lump of meat. Which was gone in an instant. The girl sighed and held out another. (“Chew!”) And another.

“Somebody’s hungry,” said an amused voice from behind the bronze pair.

Both jumped and turned to see a smiling young boy, around Fia’s age. A large young bronze stood beside him.

“Oh, hey Kerion- K’rion,” Fia corrected herself, smiling. “Saw you Impress. Harth, right?”

“Yup. Never thought to get a bronze,” the boy said, grinning proudly at his little dragon. “I heard a girl has Impressed a bronze. I figured it was you. What’s his name?” he asked, looking at the bronze beside Fia.

“Keeganth,” she said proudly, standing up with a grin.

“Keeganth. That’s a nice name,” K’rion said, smiling at the dark bronze.

“So’s his,” Fia said, looking at Harth. “He’s adorable, K’rion.”

“So is Keeganth.”

We are not adorable. We’re handsome! Keeganth declared indignantly to both weyrlings.

Both bronzeriders burst out laughing at the dragon’s comment.

“So what did you come over for? Isn’t Harth hungry?” Fia enquired curiously, after they’d stopped laughing. Keeganth had resumed eating, AKA, attempting to fill his bottomless pit of a stomach.

“Just finished feeding him,” K’rion said, still grinning. “He woke me up early. M’lak wasn’t too happy, but Akrolanth told Harth that he was just grumpy cause it was so early.”

“M’lak?”

“Weyrlingmaster.”

“Ah.”

Both new riders were silent then. Each was confused.

Why was it so easy to talk to each other? Fia wondered. It was as if they’d been friends for a while. But they were only fellow weyrlings, really. Still, it wasn’t as if they couldn’t become friends. Neither was concerned that the other wasn’t their own gender. What difference did it make?

“OI! What are you two doing?” an annoyed voice bellowed at them. “Hurry up, get over here, it’s time to learn how to oil your dragonets! Now!”

“Speaking of whom,” K’rion muttered, rolling his eyes. “C’mon, Harth.”

“Meet you, there, K’rion, okay? I just have to put this bucket back.”

“Sure thing,” the other bronzerider said with a grin. “Left side of the group, okay?”

“Fine by me.”
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Fia met the other bronzerider a few minutes later, splashing into the lake up to her knees.

“Hey.”

“Hey. Just in time. M’lak’s just handing out brushes,” the boy said, nodding at the Weyrlingmaster.

“Brushes?”

“To scrub the dragonets. Gee, you sure aren’t exactly knowledgeable about Weyr stuff.”

“Not Weyrbred.”

“Oh.”

“Here you go, weyrlings, and that’s enough talk,” the Weyrlingmaster said sternly, handing each of them a large brush. “And you,” he added, looking at the female bronzerider. “You will work just as hard as everyone else, girl or not.”

Ask him-

Alright, alright. “Keeganth wants to know what my being a girl has to do with anything.”

The man’s expression hardened. “Don’t expect me to take training easy on you just because-”

“I’m a girl.” Her expression was as hard as the older rider’s.

M’lak nodded sharply and continued handing out brushes.

“Nice guy,” Fia muttered when the man was well out of hearing-range.

I don’t like him, Keeganth commented.

Me neither, Harth told him. But Akrolanth is a fair bronze.

K’rion chuckled. “Get used to him, guys. He’ll be teaching us for quite a while. But you know, he wasn’t like this with that bluerider girl, or those greenriders.”

“Wonderful.”

“Weyrlings!” M’lak called, stepping in front of them all. “Time to begin. Now watch me.”

He moved to his dragon’s shoulder. “Begin here. Swirl the brush in small circles. Firmly. No, boy you will not hurt your blue. That’s it.”

He continued to demonstrate just how to clean each part of the dragons; telling them how some like to be brushed in a certain direction; how some liked lots of sweetsand and some disliked the bubbles, and loads of other stuff none of the weyrlings listened to. The poor kids were too busy trying to keep up with the older rider, who, despite having a much larger dragon to clean, was always ahead of them.

[Fia]

DAY ONE
PART TWO

“Ugh. I swear to Faranth he’s trying to kill us,” K’rion groaned, falling into a chair.

“Seriously,” Fia agreed, sitting across from him. They’d just fed the dragonets, who were soundly asleep in the Weyrling Barracks. Now the young riders could eat. Finally.

“I’m exhausted,” V’kin of green Shekth complained.

“You? With your little dragon?” K’mel of brown Shorkith snorted.

“She’s big enough for me,” V’kin said amiably, voice fond as he thought of his green.

“So is my Tarinth,” St’ren said stoutly.

“And my Rinyth!” A’fern added proudly.

“Wennuth too!” piped up Shiern, a female greenrider.

Soon all eight new greenriders had put in defenses for their greens.

“All your greens are fine,” M’har of brown Fendith assured them, glaring at K’mel.

“’Course they’re, fine, I just said they were small,” the boy yawned.

The conversation was interrupted when one of the kitchen workers brought over the roasted wherry, steamed vegetables, and bread. Every weyrling immediately grabbed anything they could reach.

“I love this Weyr,” K’rion muttered contentedly through a mouthful of bread and wherry meat.

“Cause of the food?” Fia asked, also through a full mouth.

“Yep.” The boy swallowed. “Among other things.”

Fia chuckled, knowing full well he meant the dragons. “Me too.”

“You came from Southern, right?” K’rion asked curiously.

“Yeah.” The girl’s eyes narrowed. “So?”

“So nothing.” The boy was surprised. “Why?”

“Eh. Nothing,” Fia muttered, looking at her plate. “Never mind.”

“Oh.” The boy sensed that she didn’t want to continue, and dropped the subject.

Wonder what’s up, he thought.

Why do you care? his dragon’s getting-to-be-familiar voice questioned.

No reason. Just curious, he answered.

And he’d thought Harth was asleep. He sighed and reached for more meat.
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I think K’rion was suspicious, Keeg, Fia told her dragon later that night.

Of what?

Me coming from Southern.

Oh. What about it?

I…I’ll tell you another time, Keegie.

Alright. I trust you, the bronze replied, looking adoringly at his lifemate.

There was silence then.

Maybe you shouldn’t, Fia thought, long after her dragon was asleep.

[Fia]

AS THE WEEKS FLY BY…

The next day was just as exhausting, beginning with demands for food and ending with the weyrlings collapsing into their beds and falling asleep instantly. The same routine continued for several weeks.

However, as the dragonets grew, their appetites seemed to do the opposite. True, they ate larger meals, but less and less often. Their hides no longer stretched overnight. And although there was indeed more dragon to scrub and oil, the young riders were getting better and better at the task. The dragonets were learning to lift their feet or tilt their wings, and other such things as necessary.

The weyrlings had now made friends with each other, and could often be seen in groups of three or four, sometimes five, as they fed and cared for their lifemates. However, Fia remained with but a single human friend. But he was the only friend she needed.

At first, the two were polite, almost shy around each other, at least when surrounded by fellow weyrlings; afraid that people would start with the ‘in-love’ thing. Which, of course, people did. After a while though, when the teasing had died down and they’d gotten used to it anyway, the two got along easier and easier, and grew to be perfectly at ease with each other. They always worked together when the situation called for two people, and their bronzes too, grew to be good friends. Far closer than their other siblings. As the weeks flew by, each of the two began to speak to each other’s rider, not merely their own. Simply because they were all a team.

Fia had never been accepted by the others, except the easygoing brownrider M’har, and several blue- and greenriders. Even the Weyrlingmaster treated her coldly. K’rion and his dragon, Harth, helped her get through the sadness of being rejected by her fellows. They helped her endure the coldness of most of the weyrlings. An outcast, simply because of the color of her dragon’s hide, she managed to ignore this fact because of her best friends. And her firelizards, of course.

Because of her growing friendship with K’rion and Harth, Fia was never bothered about the other weyrlings’ coldness.

[Fia]

VISITOR

“They’ve grown a lot in a couple months,” K’rion commented to his friend.

“Yeah, and their apatite has, too,” Fia laughed, spreading oil across a bronze hide.

“We’ll start flying lessons in another month,” he reminded her, eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Yep,” she said, equally excited. “Can you believe the Ancients waited a full Turn before flying their dragons?”

K’rion snorted. “The dragons have grown five times bigger since back then!”

Both laughed and continued to oil their dragonets… young dragons, really.

Their dragons were not the only thing that had grown in the past months. The bond between the two friends had grown stronger and stronger, and the two were inseparable.

Will you two stop hurry up? You’re taking twice as long as the others, Keeganth complained.

“That’s ’cause we’re making sure we do it properly,” Fia told him in amusement.

Well hurry it up, or you won’t have time for lunch, Harth advised.

“Quite an attitude you two are getting,” Fia said, mock glaring at the bronzes.

“Gee, I wonder where they’re getting it,” K’rion teased.

“Oh shut up!” Fia yelled playfully, tackling him and sending them both splashing into the lake.

Both came up gasping for air, proceeding to splash each other as hard as they could.

Akrolanth says that M’lak says he will skin us alive if we don’t hurry up, Keeganth told them smugly.

“We’re coming, we’re coming,” K’rion laughed, standing up and seizing Fia’s arm, hauling her up as well.

Hurry, Harth said cheerfully.

Both weyrlings chuckled, picking up their oiling materials and beckoning their dragons after them.
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Rounding a corner inside the Weyr, they were talking easily, when Fia stopped abruptly.

K’rion immediately sensed the change in his friend. “What’s wrong?”

Fia nodded roughly towards a door to their left, further along the passage. A tall, thin, dark haired man was stepping out, followed by the Weyrleader himself.

“Who’s he? Do you know him?” K’rion whispered to her.

“Tell you later,” she replied curtly, turning around and heading towards the Weyrling Barracks.
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“Well? Who was that guy?” K’rion demanded, once they’d gotten to the Barracks.

Fia sighed, shutting her eyes tightly, and remaining that way for several moments. K’rion regarded her in silence. Her flits popped in, settling on the bed and quietly regarding their master.

Abruptly, her dark eyes snapped open, and she looked at K’rion fiercely.

“Tell a soul about this and you’re dead,” she threatened.

K’rion nodded solemnly. “Of course.”

Fia sighed again. “It’s a long story.”

She looked up at the ceiling. “It happened about a Turn ago…”
< ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >

“Dad! I don’t wanna go to bed! It’s only been a candlemark since sunset!” a young voice complained.

“No buts, now go on,” her father’s tolerant voice answered, his dark eyes sparkling.

“Aw, Dad,” a younger Fia complained, nevertheless heading towards her own room.

“Goodnight!”

“Night, dad!” The eleven Turn-old waved as she passed through the curtain to her room, followed by two firelizards.
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The girl was startled out of a sound sleep when a loud roar echoed through the small Hold, louder and deeper than any feline scream ever heard.

“What the-?” she gasped, sitting up. Her flits were hissing at whatever was outside. Knowing better than to go out into the open, the girl scrambled to grab a coat and put on her shoes, climbing out the window into the warm tropical night.

Edging cautiously around the corner of the house, she gasped in horror. Huge creatures with glowing eyes loomed over the groups of homes. She turned to see one of the great beasts step towards her, illuminated by the torches on the roofs of the houses.

Forgive me, little one, a sad voice echoed in her head as the green dragon swung her tail into the wall, knocking a hole in it. The queen Quorilonth commands…we cannot refuse… Run unless you wish to be among the captured.

“My parents-”

Have already been captured. Go.

Not having much of a choice, the girl ducked into the thick plant growth of the forest.

Looking back one last time, she saw a tall, thin, dark haired man shouting commands to the other people raiding the small Hold. Without another backwards glance, she disappeared into the forest, followed by her silently terrified firelizards.
< ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >

“So…so who was he?” K’rion asked, anxious.

The girl shook her head. “I don’t know. But I WILL find out. And I’ll find out what the Shard he’s up too.”

“I’ll help you.”

Fia looked up in surprise. “K’rion…”

He glared fiercely, surprising enough in itself. “I won’t let you do it alone.”

“I’ve got Keeg-”

“I don’t care.”

Fia stared at him. “Why would you do that?”

K’rion shook his head in amazement. “Friends help friends, Fia. How many times have we helped each other out in Weyrling Training?”

Fia couldn’t help but laugh at the numerous times they’d had to stick up for each other during Training. Now, he had a point there.

“Oh, fine then. Why not, eh?”

K’rion smiled at her. The girl never ceased to surprise him. “So what’s the plan?”

“The plan is: Think of one.”