Disclaimer: I don't own anything/anyone from the Pern world books. I do own most of the characters in this story and anything else not from the original series.
For my readers who might not know:
Thought/Speech Guide
"Blahblah", with double quotations, is audible speech
'Blahblah', with single quotations, is thinking
Blahblah, in italics, is telepathy
Please not that this chapter is only a short, partially explanatory note to events which happen later. S'pilron isn't the main character, and he's not important to the story. It can be skipped, although I'd recommend reading it as it does contain some explanations you might want later. Thanks!
Prologue
Pern
Despite it being the middle of Threadfall, S'pilron directed his blue dragon down to the Southern beach, to the clutch of fire lizard eggs he had spotted. "Land me near them," he directed. Dizith obeyed, and his rider eagerly leapt off the young dragon. He took care to grab the bag he had tied behind his dragon's flying saddle for just such an occasion on the way down. With a soft jarring, he landed on the sands and went over to the clutch.
He crouched down and hurriedly looked them over, not caring if he disturbed the sands, sand, and found that no snakes had gotten them. A gold's clutch, and hard enough to hatch within the next two days! The new Rider grinned triumphantly, and was promptly scratched on the back of his head.
The queen swooped down again, shrieking her fury at his touching her eggs, and he ducked just in time. Get 'er outa here! He cried to Dizith. The blue did so, and the gold disappeared mid-squeak. S'pilron bundled the eggs into his sack with plenty of sand. He'd go between times when he returned to the Fall to escape his wingleader's wrath, and fight the Thread then.
What a prize! He'd sell the clutch, some of it, for he wanted to be able not only to boast a dragon, but a high-ranking fire lizard, or two or three or four even, as well. He laughed. Twenty-four eggs! And no telling what the inlanders would pay to get their hands on some of them. At least a mark an egg, maybe one and a half for a couple of the larger eggs he wouldn't keep for himself.
Dizith lowered a shoulder as his rider came up. Well, maybe he wouldn't fly between times to fight. Instead he strapped the eggs safely behind him. The blue dragon launched himself up into the air and S'pilron gave the dragon a hunk of firestone.
At the end of the Fall S'pilron told his dragon to land him to gather hotter sands for the eggs. He greedily stuffed sand in, and heaved it back to the blue. Dizith grumbled. I do not like this. They may well die for you to have marks. S'pilron grimaced, but climbed aboard. He knew how to take care of eggs. "Let's get back to the Weyr."
"Hey!" he shouted at his dragon as they came out from the blackness of teleportation and he felt the sack slightly lighter than before. "I think I lost at least a couple of the eggs between because you didn't warn me!" The blue rumbled, but he could feel the dragon was regretful. S'pilron relented. "Sorry. Not your fault. But warn a body, okay?"
All right, and I am sorry, Dizith added. But they may well end up in a place where someone will care for them. I felt them and gave them a push in the right direction. The bluerider frowned, puzzled. They will be safe. I felt them, the dragon said confidently.
Unsure and a little confused, S'pilron said nothing.