AN: Hi fanfiction readers! I just cut out of one story to make this one, sorry! I was just obsessing over it too much and I NEEDED a break from it. Enjoy my story.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Dragonriders of Pern series.

Moonrealm

Gathering at Fort Hold

I looked around the festive square and then stared down at my tattered clothes. They were faded blue and ripped around the skirt hem. I sighed and settled down with the other beggars; at least I wasn't as hungry as them.

Since I had eaten some fruit that had fallen off of a wagon as I trekked to the hold I only felt the beginnings of hunger gnawing at my belly. I had known that there was a gather by eavesdropping on the traders that followed the road here. And now I was somewhere warmer and safer than out on the road.

That was when the woman in the rich purple gowns walked right past me, her marks sack swinging back and forth like candy put just out of reach for a child.

I then stood slowly and followed her through the street. I was what was considered a master thief. I could take from almost anyone and they wouldn't notice. So, when the lady had stopped to view a bolt of rich red cloth but didn't look like she really wanted it I reached out quickly to grab some marks that were sticking out of the bag.

Unfortunately a boy had the same idea and our hands got tangled together in the leather pouch string. And before I could get them untangled from the belt strap the woman screamed, "Theives, Theives! They tried to steal from me. Someone grab them, quick!"

I then cursed and managed to loosen the strap enough for me and the boy to take off down the street. But a tall man had grabbed us before we could escape and bound our hands with a piece of cloth that the owner of the stall had handed him.

The boy was staring fearfully at the man and I rolled my eyes before I realized why, the man that had caught us was a dragonrider. As I contemplated what a dragonrider would do with thieves he spoke, "And what were you two doing, eh, a team of thieves? Is that what you are?"

I then looked him in the eye and said, "No, I never met 'im before in my life." I had decided to talk like I was a bit slower so that he would think I was a petty thief, not someone that could steal everything you owned.

He then said, "Really, is that the truth?"

The boy then finally spoke, "Yessir, it's the truth. I swear me life on it. I was just hopin' for some marks to buy some food with, you see."

The dragonrider then laughed and cut the ropes, "Well then, young lad, go on ahead," was all he said before he put some marks in the boy's hand and shoved him in the direction of the nearest food stall.

As I was watching him do this I had stood up and was sneaking off into the shadows when he spotted me, "Not you," he said, "I need to talk with you, missy."

I sighed; he had to have been fresh out of weyrling training. His cocky grin and gangly posture said so. "Fine, what do ya want mister," I said in my fake accent.

"I want you to come back to Fort Weyr with me," he said as he dragged me out of the square and out into the meadow right outside the hold.

That was when I saw her, the green dragon circling down into the field. I gasped; she was beautiful, the way her hide glimmered in the fading light.

"W-why me?" I asked , my accent gone, as we stepped toward the dragon. "Because Nath said you're special. She thinks that there's and egg waiting on the hatching ground for you," He then gave me a cocky grin and helped me onto her back.

Hello, young one, said a voice in my head."Ah!"

The grin fell off of of the dragonrider's face, "Wha-what's wrong? Are you alright?" had asked me.

"Um, yeah, she just talked to me, that's all," I said as I settled on Nath's back. "

That's all?" he said, "Not a lot of people can hear others' dragons, you know."

"Oh," I said as he shot into the sky.

I panicked at first, I had never been on a dragon before, and wrapped my arms around the boy's waist. Though, as we climbed higher, I realized that I was holding on to him and let go, blushing. My blush disappeared when I looked out over the sky and saw Fort, tiny down below.

He then looked back at me and said, "I apologize, I never told you my name. I'm L'nak."

I blinked to clear my mind and said, "Eira, my name is Eira."

He smiled, "That's a nice name. Hold on!" he said.

I looked back at him and tightened my grip, "Why?" was all I got out before blackness engulfed me. I didn't panic; I just sat there, on nothing. There was nothing; no L'nak in front of me and no Nath beneath me.

We reentered the regular world and I saw it, Fort Weyr, stretched out beneath me like a perfect picture that the machine, The AIVAS would have shown them from Earth. I smiled, something I hadn't done in a while, and L'nak turned around and smiled back, saying, "I hope you like it!"

I nodded and Nath touched down on a ledge that led to a large cavern.

I then stepped off Nath and realized that I was shaking and hungry before I fell to the floor, hearing L'nak yelling as my vision went black.