Chapter One

Thread fall, thread strike.

Dragon wheel, dragon turn.

Dragon strike, Dragon burn.

Thread burn, thread die.

In non-cannon Pern, things have changed. AIVAS was never discovered, and does not exist. There are different kinds of dragons, such as steel and dawn dragons, but the explanation for that is another story. There has not been thread for passes and passes, and the holders have started to rebel against the dragon riders, and thread is due to fall in three years. The only allies of the dragon riders are the Harper and Healer halls, and the watch-wher camps. Two apprentices from the halls are assuming places as candidates at Ginruth Weyr, named after the founder's dragon. They both impress, and at a sick change of fate, the two are placed in the position of Weyrleader and Weyrwoman. The two are in charge of leading Pern into a pass, and with help of the riders of the only silver and gold watch-whers, they might be able to make it- if not for the SmithCraft Hall, who want the dragons gone, as they are a "drain on their resources"! Will the two make it? Find out in this story!

Sonra

I assumed my daily duties as a Harper apprentice. Teach the weyrbrats and the children of the harper and healer hall, as I was recommended to the Masterharper by Master Neuran, the vocalist Master. Help the cooks in the weyr kitchen. We harpers had moved to Ginruth Weyr, because it was the best place for protection. Holders were after anyone who was with the dragonriders, because they doubted that thread was real. As long as my name was Sonra, thread will fall, and all those holders will be wrong!

I was excited that day, because there was a chance of me becoming a dragonrider, or at least a wherhandler. A blue dragon came to the Harper Hall cavern, which is actually a huge network of tunnels which the Halls reside in, and selected me and a few others. My sister is set on being a wherhandler, and helping in the Ginruth firestone mine.

The Ginruth Weyr mines its own firestone, as the miners are against dragonriders, and all they want to do is mine Cromcoal and other fruitful things. My dad and eldest brother were killed when a mine collapsed, and it's never been the same since.

I ran to go grab my pipes- it was time for lessons with Master Renar, the cheerful Master in charge of instruments. But I heard a bugle and some soft humming- that meant hatching time. I picked up the pace, as the white robes were in the closet in my room, and if I was late, that would be terrible. I was so hoping that I would get the gold.

The gold egg on the sands was the only gold there was left between a few Weyrs. There were only three Weyrs these days. There was Semurth Weyr, which was made up of Benden Weyr, Telgar Weyr, and Ista Weyr. Brinth Weyr, which was made up of High Reaches, Fort Weyr, and Ista Weyr.

Then there was Ginruth Weyr, made up of the outcasts and anyone who didn't get in to the Weyrs. The three weyrs were right next to each other, and the Harper and Healer hall were pretty much in the middle.

I finally got to the hatching sands in my white robe as the first egg cracked- a pretty little green, going to my friend, Ana. A brown hatched just after that, and practically leaped over the other boys to get to Turen, now T'ren. I rushed near the queen egg, which had specks of white on it, and waited.

Cracks of eggshells surrounded me, as dragons and humans rejoiced in finding their equal. I spotted one of my best friends in the crowd of dragons, eggs, and people. His name was Kirudenar, and last time we met, he told me that he was hoping to Impress any dragon, and earn the title of K'nar. He hated his long name, and we had compromised long before to call him Kir, until he Impressed a dragon, which was his lifelong goal.

I was distracted as I looked around, and just as I was turning around, the queen egg's shell broke a huge crack in the middle. As the egg shook, the crack spread out and got wider and wider. Finally, the egg broke, and a wet, golden dragon hatchling with white flecks on it burst out, squawking. Girls got close to her, but she pushed a few over, and a few ran away. The gold was running to me? She ran up to me and butted me with her head.

I am Reneth, Sonra, and I am very hungry!

I quickly started to feed the hungry dragonet, as she butted me affectionately again. Little did I know that this 'gold' was actually a new mutant of the gold dragon, and Reneth and myself would be pushed in the place of Weyrwoman as soon as we finished our weyrling training.

Kirudenar

I had always wanted to be a healer, but once I heard about threadfall and dragons helping the healer hall, I decided that I'd become a dragonrider.

Once, on an errand, I bumped into a girl from the Harper Hall. Her name was Sonra. She was a harper apprentice. We were friends ever since.

Then, we got searched by the dragonriders, and everything changed. My almost lifelong goal was to be a dragonrider, and help Pern survive by searing the deadly thread! So, when I was in my quarters, resting, I almost flew out of my bed to get to the hatching grounds!

I ran to the sands, and stood in front of an egg I believed to be one of those lovely silvers- usually male and bond to their gender. I loved the notion of having one of those king dragons, silvers- even better than the bronzes themselves. But I'd even settle for a white- lowest of the low. I just wanted a dragon, and to be able to pay back to the watch-wher camps, and the halls, and the only hold loyal to us.

Yes, there is a hold loyal to the riders of dragons- Ilisisk Hold, named after a legendary watch-wher who had learned to talk telepathically and saved tens of people in the firestone mines. The hold is right under Ginruth Weyr, and was the population of most of the riders there.

I finally heard a crack in the silvery egg, and turned to look at it. The last silver dragon we had was shot down by those dratted holders! The silver's rider, Sudan, formerly S'dan, was now a journeyman harper.

The egg split open, and a silver dragon busted out, and almost literally jumped into my arms. My name is Rith, and I am very hungry! I looked into the starving dragon's eyes, and fell in love with the ugly thing. I fed Rith all the meat he could want, and then noticed a red splotch on his head. I didn't mind though- I was his, and he was mine, and that was all that really mattered.

A tale of Ginruth Weyr