A/N: "This is speech." 'This is human thought' This is dragon speak or a dragon being addressed.
This is a revision for formatting and to eliminate the repetition in the narrative and dialog. There are more Author's notes at the bottom as I don't want to give anything away.
Disclaimer: The Dragonriders Of Pern are copyrighted to Anne McAffrey and her son Todd. This is fan fiction and garners NO MONEY WHATSOEVER for the author.
Twenty nine of the thirty seven eggs had hatched. Fourteen greens, ten blues, three browns and two bronzes. All had found and impressed their riders. Among the eight that had not yet hatched was the queen egg.
The golden egg began rocking violently and striations appeared on the shell. All of a sudden, the shell cracked in two and a tiny golden dragon stepped out.
She looked around and then saw the five girls standing in a rough semi-circle around her. She looked each one of them over and then began creeling piteously.
Both Ramoth and Lessa heard the hatchling calling mentally, Brekke! Brekke!! Where are you!!
What's wrong little one? asked Ramoth.
"Where's Brekke? Where is she? She's supposed to be here!! The little dragon was becoming hysterical.
Ramoth called to Brekke, Brekke, we need you in the hatching ground, now.
Brekke was setting places at tables for the post hatching feast when she thought she heard something in her mind. She had erected her mental shields the minute the dragons had started humming. She couldn't bear hearing the hatchlings talking to their chosen lifemates as they impressed.
She was concentrating on strenghening her mental defenses when she heard Ramoth's summons. 'What is that silly dragon thinking.' I don't attend hatchings, Ramoth. You know that, she told the senior queen.
WE NEED YOU IN THE HATCHING GROUND NOW!! HURRY, RUN! RUN!! Ramoth shrieked at her.
Brekke had never heard that mental tone from Ramoth or any dragon for that matter. It was pure panic.
She dropped what she was doing and began running full pelt for the hatching ground. I'm coming she thought to Ramoth as she ran.
She broke into the hatching ground to see a brown hatchling looking for his rider and a fledgling queen crying her heart out.
All of a sudden the hatchling queen's cry turned to one of joy, a high piercing sweet note. She began running toward Brekke.
Brekke just stood there. 'No. No! I can't. She can't want me. No dragon could ever compare to Wirenth. Living in Wirenth's shadow would damage her. This little queen deserves so much more.'
Berd, Brekke's fire lizard was hovering above her head, chirping wildly. She sensed happy, even ecstatic thoughts from him.
All of a sudden she heard Wirenth's mental voice. Brekke! I'm coming.
Then the dragonet reached her and butted her with her head. Brekke, you're here. Don't you recognize me? It's Wirenth.
Brekke stared at the little queen in shock. It couldn't be. But the mental voice was the same, everything was the same. This was Wirenth. All of a sudden, Brekke couldn't hold it in any longer. She broke down sobbing grabbing the little queen in her arms as she sank down on the sands next to her. Wirenth? I thought I had lost you! I didn't want to live after you left. How could you have come back? You died.
I don't know, replied Wirenth. I remember rising to mate and then I was in that awful egg. All I could think of was getting back to you. Then when the shell cracked and you weren't here, I got so scared. But you're here now. You are mine and I am yours and nothing will ever come between us. But right now I'm sooo hungry. Can't you please find me something to eat.?
"Of course, love, we'll get you something to eat."
She led Wirenth toward the feeding room when Lessa caught up with her.
"Brekke? What's going on? Where are you going with that queen?"
Brekke looked at Lessa with a beatific smile. "To feed her, of course. I don't know how it happened, but Wirenth is back."
Lessa looked like she'd been pole-axed. "Wirenth? But Wirenth died! How could she come back?"
"I don't know, but she did. Ramoth called me and told me I was needed on the hatching grounds. She was in a panic. You must have heard her."
"I did," Lessa said, "I also heard that little queen calling for you; by name. She was becoming hysterical when she couldn't find you. I've never heard of anything like this."
"Me neither," Brekke replied happily.
Suddenly F'nor was there as they entered the feeding room. "Brekke? What's going on? Why is that hatchling following you? What were you doing on the hatching ground? You never attend a hatching, not that I blame you. If I lost Canth, I wouldn't either."
"Oh, F'nor, the most wonderful thing has happened! Wirenth is back!"
Canth stuck his head in the room. He looked the little queen over. Wirenth! I don't know how you managed to come back but I'm glad you did. This will be so good for my rider's mate.
"This really is Wirenth?" F'nor was dumbfounded. "But that's impossible!"
F'lar had been standing in the doorway listening. He was just as stunned as his half brother. But that little queen could be none other than Wirenth reborn; not if she chose Brekke. And he had also heard the dragonet calling for Brekke by name. No other hatchling would even know she existed.
He collected himself and strode into the feeding room. "I'd say nothing is impossible when it comes to the bond of dragon and rider." He took a good look at the fledgling. "As strange as it may seem, that has to be Wirenth. If it wasn't she wouldn't have chosen Brekke. Not with the pain and sadness of losing her lifemate coloring her thoughts. That's something you don't get over. We'll sort all this out later. Come, Lessa. We have the rest of the hatching to attend."
F'nor stayed with Brekke. He still was having a hard time comprehending this turn of events, but he had never seen Brekke happier. She was positively glowing.
Wirenth finally got her fill and belched contentedly. I'm sleepy, she told Brekke.
"We'll get you settled in the junior most queen's weyr for now," she said lovingly. She looked apologetically at F'nor. "I'm sorry, but I have to be here for her when she wakes up."
"Of course," F'nor agreed. "I'll help you get her settled."
They got Wirenth to the weyr set aside for the junior most queen and Brekke just stared at her as she slept. She laid a hand gently on her neck, just to feel her. She was so afraid she would wake up and this would all be a dream.
Canth landed on the ledge and settled next to Wirenth.
You two go to the hatching feast, Canth told them. I'll call you if she wakes up.
"He loves her," F'nor confided as they left the weyr for the feast. "He mourned for her when it happened. And more than just the keen dragons utter when a fellow dragon dies. He wanted so to mate with her, probably because he knows I love you."
Brekke felt like the richest, luckiest woman on Pern. She had a man who loved her and a dragon who had defied death to be with her.
AN: This is a concept I came up with several years ago. I know it is not canon. This is AU after all. I tried to adhere as much as possible to the framework Ms. McAffrey set up, but I always felt bad for Brekke losing Wirenth. The time frame is the next clutch or maybe two (of Ramoth's) after Jaxom's impression to Ruth. I didn't think I would be writing anymore stories in this AU but I got a wild hair and wrote a sequel of sorts. If this is the first time you are reading this, it's called Brown Flight. Don't know if I'll write anymore in this AU. Just have to see. Thanks for reading. Reviews are appreciated.