I do not own Pern or any of the original Holds and Halls and Weyrs. I do own the OCs I created, and any added places that are not originally part of Pern.


Jiranika stood on the fire heights looking out at the horizon and watching the sun rise. Inching above the horizon only for a moment before dipping out of sight was the Red Star. Jiranika felt herself shiver. She knew better, Thread had been eradicated in the ninth pass, and no Thread had fallen in the tenth or eleventh pass of the red star. Somehow, as the twelfth pass approached, Jiranika felt a deep dread that something was happening.

"Jiranika!" Holder Jirren called to his youngest daughter. She looked down at her father. He was standing with a few dragonriders. Thread was gone, but there were still two Weyrs that lived by tradition. The other Weyrs had been cleaned out, and some dragonriders lived in Holds or helped the dolphin trainers.

"Good morning, Weyrleader L'szlo and bronze Japheth," Jiranika said as she recognized the bronze pair. "And K'ran and blue Azurith, you must be on Search," She observed greeting Fort Weyr's best Search dragon. There was also a green dragon present, but she could not see her rider.

"You're right Lady Jiranika, we do ride on Search," The Weyrleader said.

"I had heard Hiraanith had taken her Maiden Flight and Clutched a large amount of eggs, you and Japheth must be proud," She said.

"Very," Weyrleader L'szlo said thumping his dragon's thigh affectionately. "We have also been fortunate enough to have a golden egg laid," He added. Jiranika was surprised for the first time. She was in line to be Lady Holder of Fort Hold, and made it her business to know what was happening in her Hold and the Weyr her hold was bound to. She had not heard about the gold egg.

"I was unaware," She said looking at her father. The man was old and tired. He was ready to hand Fort Hold over to his daughter, if only she would find a husband.

"You are here in Search of women then?" Jiranika asked.

"Yes, and Azurith has a very good sense for finding goldriders. He found Weyrwoman Filia, and the junior Weyrwoman at High Reaches," L'szlo explained. K'ran looked embarrassed at the praise, but Azurith preened at the compliment.

"I have heard of their skill," Jiranika said. She was very aware of the bronzes and golds of Fort and High Reaches, and she knew all the browns, blues, and greens that had notable talents.

"May we Move around the Hold?" The Weyrleader asked turning to Jiranika's father. He was still in charge.

"Of course, take whatever time you need," Jirren said.

"Thank you Lord Holder," The Weyrleader said. Jiranika was looking at the pretty green dragon. She was a soft shade of jade with dark, mossy spider web like veins covering her hide. She was quite beautiful.

After a long moment of looking at the green dragon, Jiranika realized the green dragon was looking back. She knew dragons were intelligent, but just how intelligent? The green extended her neck forward, and Jiranika reached her hand forward. She stopped, and let the green put her nose into her open palm. She was warm and Jiranika felt giddy and childish at touching her first dragon.

Standing beside the green beauty, and leaning against her, with his back to Jiranika, was who she assumed to be the greenrider. He was taller than any greenrider she had seen.

"I seem to have made a friend," She said to get his attention. The dragonman turned to face her, and Jiranika felt her face heat up. He was tall and surprisingly thin for a dragonrider. His black hair was longer than she expected, and was shaggy as it fell around his face. His eyes were the brightest blue she'd ever seen, and his skin was slightly pale, not in a sickly way. He was very handsome, and Jiranika found herself blushing in his presence.

"Gwyneth is a friendly little flirt," He said touching the dragon's shoulder and looking at her tenderly.

"Well Gwyneth, you certainly do shimmer like jewels in the sea," Jiranika said stroking the dragon's nose softly. Gwyneth's eyes whirled and she began to preen.

"Don't feed too much into her vanity," The greenrider joked. Jiranika smiled at him.

"I'm Jiranika, Lady Holder to be," She said.

"M'kya, rider of the beautiful green Gwyneth," The greenrider said.

"Pleased to meet you, dragonrider," Jiranika said smiling at the man. He returned her smile with such a deep and penetrating stare that Jiranika had to look away.

Gwyneth seemed to notice that the attention was no longer on her, and she nudged Jiranika gently with her nose.

"I'm so sorry dear one," Jiranika said reaching forward to rub the greens oh so sensitive eye ridge that had presented itself.

"She likes you," M'kya said smiling fondly at his dragon.

Gwyneth was nudged out of the way by the blue Azurith who seemed curious as to why the green dragon was so content.

"Well hello there," Jiranika said looking into the deep eyes of the blue dragon.

"He likes you as well," K'ran said now paying attention to what his dragon was up to.

"Aren't I the popular one," Jiranika said with a childlike giggle.

Azurith looked at his rider and warbled.

"Azurith says that Jiranika is strong willed, and good hearted. He says he would follow her as a queen." K'ran spoke to L'szlo, but Jiranika understood what was happening.

"Gwyneth agrees, you are the object of our Search here," M'kya said.

"But," Jiranika started to say. She looked to Lord Jirren for help.

"My daughter, I will not stop you from going to the Weyr, if that is your wish, this is your choice alone," He said touching her cheek lightly.

"Okay," Jiranika said turning back to the three dragonriders. "I will go, I will stand as a Candidate."

"We are pleased of your decision," Weyrleader L'szlo said with a smile. "M'kya, escort Jiranika back to the Weyr and get her settled in with the other junior queen Candidates." It was a gentle order, but it was an order all the same.

"Yes, Sir," M'kya said. "Are you ready?" He asked the Lady Holder.

"I think so," She said. She moved to Gwyneth's side and paused to figure out how to climb onto the dragon's back. M'kya was about to offer her a hand, which she was too independent to take, when Gwyneth knelt down on her forearms to allow Jiranika easy mounting.

"Thank you Gwyneth," Jiranika said, pleased that that dragon had saved them all from an awkward situation.

M'kya climbed onto Gwyneth's back behind her, and he slipped an arm around Jiranika's waist as Gwyneth began to pump her wings for takeoff.

They were airborne in seconds, and Jiranika gasped as the ground shrank below them. She was smiling, completely thrilled with dragon flight.

"This is amazing," She said, voicing her thoughts to M'kya.

"We have to shift Between, are you ready to brace the cold?" He asked.

"Yes," Jiranika said. As they went Between, the cold constricted Jiranika's lungs, and she grabbed onto the nearest object that would hold her steady. She had not been prepared for that.

When they emerged from Between, she began to relax again. What she had grabbed in the cold of Between was M'kya's arm that was still tightly around her waist. She let go promptly.

"I'm sorry, the cold startled me," She said.

M'kya grinned pleasantly at her.

"You'll have to get used to it if you are going to be a dragonrider," He said. "Of course, you will generally be wearing riding clothing, and wherhide protection, not a feather light dress," He said teasing her.

"I only wear this dratted dress because it is improper for a woman of my station to dress otherwise," She said a bit bitterly.

Gwyneth gave a loud bugle before dropping onto her ledge. Jiranika slid off the dragon's back, and M'kya followed.

"Thank you beautiful green for bringing me here," She said stroking the soft hide one more time.

"Let's get you to the kitchens so Headwoman Marika can get you ready to join the other girls," M'kya said touching Jiranika's arm to get her attention. She became slightly dazed by the simple touch. Who was this dragonrider to make her feel like a giddy little girl?