A Short Dragonrider Story
By Sketch1981
I do not own any rights to the dragonrider stories by Anne McCaffrey, the 6 main characters are my own, all others are background players for this story line. This is supposed to take place around the time of the end of "All The Weyrs". I also would like to say that this Story couldn't have happened with out the help from my good friend 'Wolfman' and my sister in England who goes by the handle 'Dragonrider'.
Chapter 1
M'thew and his Dragon Cymruth are visiting Benden Weyr to see if Telgar Weyr is required to fly Thread Fall with Benden the next day.
As he walks in to Aurisalth's Weyr, Freya is chatting with Kaylessa of Igen Weyr about the Thread Fall over Igen and it's surrounding holds and also the loss of a young Dragon and his rider.
"Well Come Bronze rider and how is your Dragon holding up?" asked Freya when she glanced up to see M'thew walk in bowing to Aurisalth, before he could say anything.
"Like he always does when there isn't a cloud in the sky, always wanting to stretch his wings..." says M'thew sighing heavily, "...not that I mind of course!"
Then all talk turns to the ever dangerous fighting of Thread.
" So how was Thread Fall over Igen, Kaylessa?" asked Freya
"We had two major scorings, several minor and unfortunately one fatality!" replied Kaylessa, a little shaken up over what happened.
"Who was the fatality?" asked Freya carefully.
"A young Blue Dragon and his rider, thier first Fall, a clump fell awkwardly, and then the two went between and never returned to either Fall or the Weyr!" Kaylessa said trying not to cry and upset Mynerth.
"My sympathies to the Weyr!" replied M'thew gently, Cymruth rumbled in agreement.
"So that's why the Dragons at Benden were keening, Aurisalth wouldn't tell me who, which is unusual for her!" said Freya, a look of concern on her face.
"I am sure that his family will appriciate knowing that even Benden Weyr felt his death; he was a local holder's second son, being drilled in hold management till he was Searched!" replied Kaylessa.
"It is always hard for those who hold near the Weyrs when Dragons go between forever, as they always hear their keening!" mentioned Freya, who then added, "We aren't due to fight Thread till tomorrow afternoon, the women in the Lower Caverns were making up large quantities of Numbweed again, which always makes the food taste medicinal more than anything, I just had to get out of Benden for the day, and since Aurisalth needed to hunt today anyway I made the most of the escape!"
"Yes," said Kaylessa, "D'zan will be sorely missed by all, particularly the young Green and her rider that they Weyred with!"
"D'zan's Weyr mate must be very distraught right now, huh!" said M'thew in a caring tone.
"Best to keep the Weyr busy when a Dragon and rider go between like that!" remarked Freya.
"More than just busy in my opinion," said M'thew, "too much greif tends to be counter-productive!"
"Very true there, M'thew!" replied Freya, whilst Kaylessa nodded her head in agreement and then remarked: "Well he pretty much stayed in his Weyr the whole day today, but our headwoman has been trying to get him to eat something, hopefully he has by now!"
By this point Freya went to the call shaft to the one side of the Chamber and called down for food and Klah, before she tactfully changed the subject to a happier theme.
"Hopefully Felicia will stand at the next Benden Hatching!", said Freya inbetween moving dishes and the jug of Klah and mugs that had arrived for them.
"Good Luck to her!" replied M'thew, "which reminds me how many hopefuls are there going to be against the number of hatchlings this time around?"
Freya gives them the infornation that most of the Weyr folk are betting on: "Ramoth is expeted to lay at least 35 eggs and another Queen after this next mating flight!, a good mating flight will boost the moral of any Weyr after a tragidy!"
"Great!, a Queen for someone who already believes she is one!" said M'thew.
All Freya could do was reply: "Like rider, like Dragon."
"Sooo very true, but one could wish!" replied M'thew, a huge grin on his face.
Aurisalth and Mynerth rumbled a laugh to their riders saying: "That's good, he is very funny!"
Kaylessa starts to remark about the size of the recent clutches at Igen Weyr. "We haven't had a clutch over the mid-20's for the past three hatchings now, but when the old Queen goes, the new Queen will produce better sized clutches for us Hopefully!"
"Hopefully Aurisalth rises to mate soon!" and then Freya adds, " Will you do an 'Open Mating Flight' to the younger Bronzes?, that way you will get a better leader and freash blood in the newer dragons from the resulting clutches and larger clutches at that!", then she added, " After what happened with Kylara losing her Queen because she didn't pay attention to her Dragons change in color, she caused poor Breke to lose her young Queen too, and it was Breke's first mating flight, Kylara should have known better but she was spiteful and even her Queen was starting to get fed up with her according to Aurisalth who talked to her."
Kaylessa mused over the thought and replied carefully, "Possibly, probably like when D'ram stood down as Weyr Leader and G'dened took over as acting Weyr Leader untill the next Senior Queen rose to Mate, only this time without the problems of the Oldtimers!"
"That would be beneficial as the younger Bronzes have more stamina to last a good high, long mating flight with the newer Queens, who are bigger and faster than the oldtimer Queens were!" replied Freya.
Kaylessa looked at M'thew and said, "Well, whatever happens, I shall make sure Mynerth is out on patrols to Landing that day, I'll be safer at Monaco Bay than at Igen."
"Benden thanks the Oldtimers for coming forward 400 turns, but they really were pushing for trouble when they stole Ramoths Queen egg!", replied Freya.
"Well Ruth returned it, the cleaver little darling!, he scuppered their plans!" said Kaylessa.
As this is being said M'thew and his Bronze Cymruth are listening to the conversation with great interest as to the happenings in each Weyr.
"True, same heren when Ramoth rises, still not many people know that it was Ruth and Jaxom that returned the Queen egg, but it had to have been them as they are the only ones small enough to get in and out without being detected. Especially with Ruth boasting that he always knows where and when in time he is so it had to have been them, and the people who returned the egg would have to have rather extensive knowledge of the Benden Hatching Grounds to pull it off too. And to think that Lessa was willing to set Dragon-on-Dragon to get the egg back scares me even now!!" remarked Freya.
"Now there is a Dangerous precident to be setting!" replied M'thew as Cymruth rumbled his agreement.
"Well enough of the Harper Hall know that it was Jaxom and Ruth who returned the egg, and also Toric of Southern know now too." remarked Kaylessa.
"Toric was really upset about the egg being found and returned from the Oldtimers, he was so angry when he found out that it was Jaxom!, anyway at least we have finally moved the Red Star, and that there are only 13 more Turns till the end of Thread forever!!" cheered Freya as Aurisalth bugeled in a happy tone that reverbarated around the Weyr.
"Yes, then life will be boring again and some will be wishing for something to do since there will be 'NO MORE THREAD'" he said happily, then he added "Maybe I'll take flights around all the Weyrs to keep current with Topography and things of that sort!"
"That is the reason for so many people taking up new trades, such as Astronomy, Glassmaking, Printing, and others. It also doesn't hurt to fly around on Patrols to keep up to date on new local holders and any complaints they may have!" said Freya, then she went on saying, "Four of our Benden Riders were stopped from collecting possible candidates for the last Hatching we had, until they mentioned that they were from Benden Weyr!, have any of you had that Problem?"
"Not to my knowledge, but then I'm not in that loop yet!" replied M'thew rather sulkily.
"Nope, most Igen Holders actually want their children to become riders so that they can learn responsibility and can then have no reason for not coming home from Landing and such!, It has also stopped quite a few Blood quarrels too!" mentioned Kaylessa.
"Very true, I hope Anthony will Impress when he gets the chance, if not a Bronze then perhaps either a Brown or a Blue!" said Freya
"Ahhh kids, sometimes I want them and other times I want nothing to do with them! replied M'thew.
"He'll Impress either a Bronze or a Brown, I'd say he's too much of a tough lad to Impress a meer Blue!" said Kaylessa with some certainty.
"I wouldn't mind him Impressing a Brown, especially if they turn out like F'nor did with Canth!", then adding, " especially since Canth is the largest Brown on all Pern!" replied Freya.
"Ahhhh!!!" said M'thew.
"Canth maybe the largest Brown on all Pern, but Ruth is the cutest!! said Kaylessa, and then added," for a White Dragon that is!!"
"Oh good grief!" said M'thew.
"What now??" said Freya.
Both Cymruth and Aurisalth rumbled to their riders that, "What does it matter how cute or ugly someone is, so long as they are healthy!"
Freya passed on the information to Kaylessa who in short turned around and said, "Well Ruth is adorable, and smart, for all he will never be the size of all the other Dragons!!"
"The Aivas said that Ruth is about the size of the original 16 Dragons that were Bioengineered by the Ancients!" said Freya.
"I know, like Faranth and the others!" said Kaylessa.
"By the way does anyone have a Benden White '30 Vintage?, F'lar has been asking everyone he knows about getting a wineskin of it and it is driving Lessa crazy!" mentioned Freya, and then went on to say," I guess F'lar is doing it because he knows that the '30 Vintage was Master Robintons favorite, and he is trying to cheer up Lessa, because everytime someone mentions the old MasterHarpers name in her pressence she bursts into tears!"
"Best Igen can do is those rather 'Foxey' Tillek Wines!" said Kaylessa, somewhat subdued.
"I don't know, haven't look around!" said M'thew, but then added, "maybe I should find out if there is any of the Mead we make back home still around in the Weyr!"
"True that would be a great idea, remind me to send one of our Blue riders to you both with some good Benden White and a few skins of the Benden Red too!" suggested Freya.
Then the conversation changed to the topic of the Harper Hall.
"Well I met MasterHarper Sebell the other day at Landing, he said that the Harper Hall just isn't the same without Robinton's booming voice echoing down the corridors!" said Kaylessa sadly.
"Well here is a quote I heard not too long ago: 'Ours not to ponder what were fair in Life, But, finding what maybe, Make it fair upto our means.'" said M'thew.
"Where did you hear that from, M'thew?" asked Freya kindly.
"Where else but from Master Menolly herself!" replied M'thew.
"Her young Robse is so charming!, but then with parents like Master Menolly and MasterHarper Sebell, who'd expect anything less!" said Kaylessa.
"And very talanted too, just the other day we were dropping off some of the Weyrbred children who showed musical prowess and he came running down the steps and running up to us as fast as he could, and all he wanted to do was play us some complex tune that he 'tought up'd just a while ago!', in his own words!" said Freya and then she added, "everyone couldn't help laughing at him and told him to go ahead and play his tune for the Dragons."
"Oh, so just like Robinton then huh?" replied Kaylessa.
"Uh huh!, so much so like the old MasterHarper himself, who knows maybe he will be the next one!" said Freya.
"Every chance of that happening!" said M'thew.
"Did you know that he can talk to the Dragons and that they answer him too?" remarked Freya.
"He has a nice voice and he plays good music so of course we're going to listen and talk to him, his music is rather relaxing!" replied Aurisalth to her rider and the others all laughed at her remark once Freya had told them between giggles.
Aurisalth then changes the subject quickly to those Dragons who are apparently slower than her!
"He is just a Bronze, and most Bronzes can't keep up with me or Ramoth, we are stronger and faster!" said Aurisalth smuggly.
Freya replied to Aurisalth so that everyone in their quarters could hear, "Now be nice about him, He is new to all this and needs a little encouragement!, Don't berate a Bronze who could fly you as easily as Mnementh flies Ramoth, if he wanted too!"
"Yep that is our life, fighting Thread, going out on patrols and taking part in a mating flight every now and again!" responded M'thew, who then added "We wouldn't want it any other way huh Cymruth?"
Cymruth rumbeled and nodded his head in agreement.
"Lessa pretty much insisted that herself and Ramoth taught the new Queens how to fly properly, unlike when she was a weyrling, and she had to find out from F'lar and Mnementh!" said Freya.
"And R'gul, Ugh!!!, now there was an annoying Weyrleader!" said Kaylessa scathingly.
"He was a problem when it came down to Jora, she let Nemorth gorge herself uncontrolably, and especially during the mating flight, she was so overweight they had to push her out of her Weyr to get her to fly!" said Freya with disgust.
"Jora was a problem, because she had a awful fear of heights and flying, how she ever Impressed a Queen I'll never know, but imagine a Queen rider afraid of heights!" said Kaylessa with a hint of sarcasm.
"Now there is something you don't hear every day!" said M'thew who then added, "Nope, an annoying leader was my Pop, 'Keep your head out of the sky and just accept the fact that you're a brewer and one of the best!', Ha, and hear we are now together me and Cymruth!"
"Well I came from a Fishercraft hall and all I got each day was, 'Watch the weather, don't tangle the nets, don't drop the catch, help unload the boats and then gut and salt the catch. You'll never get choosen to go to the Weyr so quit your daydreaming!' now look at me riding a Queen Dragon for Benden!", then she adds, "I was so glad to get away from the stench and the never-ending Packtails to be gutted, salted and cramed into a barrel for storage."
"I bet you were, sounds about as normal a life as mine was!" replied M'thew.
"I was very lucky as Master Menolly came from the same hold I did!" remarked Freya.
"Oh you mean Half Circle Sea Hold?" asked Kaylessa.
"uh huh! and lucky for us her Mother and Father are no longer around, they hated her singing and everyone else enjoyed it." came the reply from Freya.
"Well if I'm right, Alemi was the only sibling who liked her singing and Readis the Journeyman Harper was going to send her to the Harper Hall anyway because of her abilities!" said Kaylessa.
"Wasn't it Readis and Alemi who started up the communications with the Dolphins?" asked M'thew.
"Yes it was, I remember for the longest time they were refered to as 'Shipfish'!, but that life seems so far away now. I don't know what I would do without Aurisalth?" said Freya.
"I don't know," said M'thew, "probably still mending nets and salting fish!"
"You mean getting cut by Packtails, dying of bordom, probably married to some out-of-the-way holder!" replied Freya with distaste at the memory.
"Hey, be nice to the out-of-the-way holders!" said M'thew roughly.
"Sorry!, but not the guy my folks wanted me to marry, he was fat, drunk,and slapped women hard enough to leave bruises for no reason." replied Freya rather staunchly and then continued, "I don't have anything against out-of-the-way holders in general, unless they're like the guy I was supposed to marry!"
"I wasn't acceptable to any holder near or far, when I got Searched my parents were happy for me to go!" said Kaylessa and continuing she said, "the only thing I was good with were the herbs and stuff, so they were going to send me to the Healer Hall, but you don't ignore Search!"
"Not without being rude to the Dragonriders who are doing the Search, I was really lucky the day I was Searched as it was F'nor-Canth and a couple of Blue Riders who came. My Folks said no, but I was of age and I left anyway!" remembered Freya.
"That was a most memorable day, and one for which I am glad!" runbled Aurisalth to her rider.
"Me too, dear heart, and I wouldn't change it for all the gems in the mines!" replied Freya.
"My hold was down by Keroon; a little plains hold." mentioned Kaylessa.
"Ah, near to the Beast holds?, Moreta was from Keroon wasn't she? said M'thew.
"Yes I know, but I was no good with the Beasts, the Herbs and plants were my thing!" replied Kaylessa
"Well, since Benden is ahead of Igen by several hours, what are your duties for tomorrow?" asked Freya
" just running some holder over to Landing, gathering more numbweed and fellis for the Thread Fall. You know the usual minor stuff always assigned to us Green riders!" said Kaylessa
"Well since I'm in charge of a group of Older Weyrlings that are to go to the school at Landing tomorrow, I will take my leave of you both. I may see you at Landing then Kaylessa!" said M'thew
"Please let your Weyrleader know that Telgar Weyr is required for Thread Fall as some of our riders are on the long term recovery from the last Fall we had." said Freya politely.
"I will see that it is brought to his attention as soon as we get back to Telgar and report our findings on the holdless roaming the area, Cymruth and I will take our leave of you ladies, Good night!" replied M'thew.
"Good night M'thew, Good night Cymruth!" replied Freya and Kaylessa together.
M'thew leaves with Cymruth and the conversation changes to the attack at Honshu.
"Manora has offered to watch the children for me as I have to go to Ruatha to talk to Lord Jaxom about the new Observatory that is to be built up by Ice Lake above the Hold by Master Wansor!" said Freya who then added, "Lessa has been busy with the Records and also worrying over F'lessan's recovery!"
"Recovery!, was he badly hurt or ill?" asked Kaylessa looking worried.
"A large pack of Felines attacked him and Golanth as well as a Monaco Bay Green and her rider. It is still touch and go for Golanth since his one eye is not looking too good right now, he may loose it, but everyone is hoping that they make it, Lessa will be heartbroken if F'lessan passes along with his Dragon." said Freya.
"Oh yes, now I remember, they were at Honshu Weyrhold weren't they?" said Kaylessa.
"Uh huh, and I got a nice pelt from one of the riders there, since we went to help!" repied Freya.
"Tai-Zaranth?, are they alright?" asked Kaylessa.
"Yeah, she gave me the pelt, said it was for helping move Zaranth to the ledge so she could soothe Golanth's pain and hers." replied Freya who then added, "did you know that the dolphins refer to F'lessan and Golanth as 'Golly and Fless'?"
"No, but one I met down at Monaco Bay last sevenday called Mynerth 'Minny'!" said Kaylessa
"That's funny, they refer to me and Aurisalth as 'Frey and Sally'!" said Freya, laughing hard.
"I get called 'Kay' or 'Less' and that depends on the dolphin!" replied Kaylessa.
"Well Afri and Dani are two of the most helpful dolphins at Monaco Bay, they do love to think of us as a new sort of game to play with!" said Freya smiling slighty.
"I've met Dani but not Afri!" said Kaylessa.
"Afri is the Pod Leader of the Monaco Bay dolphins" said Freya.
"Ahh, alright!, sorry I'm a little tired." said Kaylessa yawning.
"It's alright, I've got to check in with the Watch Dragon and his rider before I wash my hair and head off to bed, early get up tomorrow!" said Freya, trying to stiffle a yawn.
"Well, Mynerth and I will take our leave and will see you tomorrow at Landing if you can make it!" replied Kaylessa and then she added, "Good Night Weyrwoman!, Good Night Aurisalth!" bowing to the large Queen as she turned to leave.
Will update as soon as Chapter 2 is done. Please R&R, your feedbacks are welcome.