I still don't own anything.

Author's Notes

I know there's some confusion in terms of Jem's HAD ability. This chapter explains what it is she does. It also explains a bit on her social life and the lack of current interaction with those she considers friends.

So, for those of you who are a little impatient, here it is. This will be the last Chappy in Jem's POV for a bit. Hope it answers some questions. If not, feel free to leave a message in the reviews and I'll see what else I can clear up.

Enjoy!

Jem woke to a muffled cough and some polite voice whispering her name. She cracked an eye and immediately glanced to where Harp lay. Half the sheet covered the little fire-lizard, so with any luck the person at the door wouldn't see her. She sat up slowly, studying the older woman who stood at her door, "Yes?"

The woman shuffled a little uncomfortably, obviously waking people up in the dead of night was not a common practice at Monaco, "J'kon, rider of Tamith, requests your presence outside, if it so pleases you." Something in the old woman's raspy voice made it clear to Jem that it was not actually at her pleasure, nor was it a simple request. She nodded and the old woman shuffled off, apparently glad to get back to her work.

A flurry of curses fell in a whispered rush from her lips as Jem pulled on her pants and a light shirt. She had hoped to escape the rider's notice, J'kon's notice, she reminded herself, and find an apprenticeship here at Monaco Bay. After leaving her old life behind, the Southern Continent could be a wonderful opportunity….

What about as a dragonrider?

She banished the thought as soon as it passed through her mind. To be with the dragons wasn't so bad… The rest though… Life in the weyr? Rules and restrictions that followed the dragonriders? No. Perhaps as a green rider she would have a little freedom... NO! She would not. She would have nothing to do with the weyrs. Lips cast down and tight, giving her an oddly pinched look, she stomped into her boots and off to the beach outside.

It wasn't hard to find the rider, since Tamith was crouched next to him, receiving a loving pat on the neck. Jem glanced at the sky with half dread. Thread was not due today, but soon. It had been more erratic this Pass. While it generally kept to its charted course, the occasional surprise clump would fall, catching holders and dragonriders alike by surprise. Poor Poeth…Jem shook her head and cleared her throat, stopping a short distance away from the rider.

He seemed to ignore her for a moment, continuing to scratch and pat his dragon affectionately. Just as she decided she wasn't going to give the rider the time of day much less her presence for questioning, he turned to her and summoned her closer, "She won't bite. I promise." He smiled in what Jem assumed was supposed to be a reassuring way.

She glared and stomped towards him, for all the world looking like a petulant child rather than a young woman. "It's not the dragon I'm worried about." She snarled, stomping right up to the little green just to prove her point. Tamith swung her head around, snuffling her and receiving her caresses gratefully, if sleepily.

J'kon laughed, a full and high laugh, eyes half closed, "Me? You needn't worry about me either. I'm just a green rider, what harm am I?" He smiled at her a moment longer, before his face slowly became more serious, "So you're the one, hm?" He looked her over and suddenly, Jem felt very self-conscious. She thought about how she must look to him. Rather average height, short, shoulder length brown-black hair, hazel eyes and work-tanned skin. She'd been told she was fair a few times, but nothing she expected a dragonrider to approve of. Nonetheless, J'kon grunted in what seemed an approving fashion and indicated she sit down, even as he wearily crouched and flopped onto the night-cooled sand.

Jem hesitated a moment before slowly sitting down out of arms reach. She studied the rider before her. He was tallish, blonde-brown hair, brown eyes and a long-limbed figure making him look a bit like a gawky dragonet. It hit her that he couldn't have Impressed more than a few years ago and that the sense of age that rolled off of him was likely from flying a flaming green than anything else. She pitied him for a moment. He must have seen his share of Threadsearing and injury. Had he perhaps lost a friend to between or Thread or to felines? Or perhaps he had lived a normal weyr life during a Pass which was surely stressful enough.

Finally he spoke again, staring at his now sleeping green, eyes distant, "Tamith told me about earlier, and about something one of the blues in the area said. At first I thought you could talk to dragons, but Tamith corrected me. She said you never spoke, only that she got a very strong feeling from you to ignore you, to look towards someone else, anyone else." He glanced at Jem finally, his eyebrows furrowed deeply. "Even your little fire-lizard told Tamith the same thing when I had her ask."

Jem restrained a gasp of shock at the mention of Harp. She'd been so careful to impress the little lizard with the need to keep hidden and careful not to mention her to anyone. What did she expect though? A dragon is a dragon and no little lizard is going to turn down a dragon's request. She shrugged at him, quickly thinking up an excuse, only to loose it when he raised his eyebrow at her. She sighed and shook her head, "My mother works with whers, or used to rather. She's been allowed to retire. She was the one that taught me how to open my mind. Whers are a lot easier than dragons. They have base instincts that are easily persuadable- otherwise they'd never take to a new person in a Hold." She shrugged, "I can't always do it. I just have to really want something in order to…" She trailed off, hoping that would be enough for him.

Truth be told, it hurt like hell to concentrate that much on any given thing. Whers were one thing, dragons were another beast entirely. Her mother had been successful enough, and had hoped that Jem might follow and breed watch-whers as well, just as her father had hoped she'd become a harper. Neither had worked out well. The whers became to protective of her if she was upset, and she learned quickly that she couldn't sing to save her life. So, it was part of the mobile ground crew for her- they went where they were needed, where an extra dozen hands could take the place of those injured in the last Fall. They were given food and shelter by the Lord Holders, but ushered off as soon as the local crew were healthy enough to return to their duty. It wasn't a profession, but it was all she had right now.

J'kon nodded, still curious and full of questions, "I spoke to Ima and Tolon about you. They both said you're friendly enough, but when you get quiet they've learned to leave you alone. You've spoken of your family, but you are part of a kibbutz, a moving ground crew. Even Miram, who is supposed to be one of your best friends, doesn't have much to say about you." He paused, glancing up at his dragon again.

Jem sat up straighter and puffed out her chest indignantly, "You went to an awful lot of trouble then to find information about someone who doesn't seem very significant."

"Ah," he put up a finger, "to the contrary. I have found out much about you, and my dear Tamith seems to think you are significant. She's one of the best in the area for Search, so I trust her well enough. I talked to Garth, the leader of your little crew, and he told me about your failed apprenticeships." Jem blushed furiously and looked away even as he continued, "Even if you do not Impress, we could still use someone who has experience with whers and fire-lizards. Shards, girl! We'd love to have a little music in the hall, whether you can sing or not!" He smiled, thinking that he'd given her a great compliment.

She merely kept her head tucked away, her eyes averted, trying to radiate as much anger as she could. How dare he! First he ignores her, then he goes and digs about finding every embarrassing detail about her, then he has the balls to say that she should come to the weyr even if its just to play and feed lizards! She was about to tell him that she wanted nothing to do with him, his dragons or his weyr when what he'd said stopped her. He was right. She had left both the apprenticeships in disgrace. The first, with the whers, she'd been too emotional and had sent one of the big males after a Holder, all because he'd made a comment about how ugly the whers were. In the Harper Hall, she'd made a fool of herself in front of the Istan Lord Holder by playing beautifully, then squawking like a wherry. What was left for her? To try for dolphineer? That was a dream job… So many wanted it, yet so few could be spared to do it. Perhaps, if she Impressed a green like Tamith… She could find a way to stay well away from the weyr… Perhaps she could hunt felines or convey…. That wouldn't be so bad.

J'kon, sensing her failing resolve, smiled and spread his arms wide, "There's plenty to do around the weyr, for everyone. You wouldn't have to stay if you didn't want to, but at least come to the Hatching. If nothing happens, I swear by the First Egg that I'll return you to the ground crew with a good word. Deal?"

Morning found her packing everything she owned and throwing it into the hallway. She was furious with herself for accepting. She had said her goodbyes this morning, crying with Miram for longer than she would have preferred, but they were close and to be torn apart like this almost made Jem stay. The one consolation was that she would have someone she knew with her, even if they weren't great friends. Ima had left yesterday, and Tolon would be leaving with her today. He was a late Search, but this was a good clutch and they hoped to give the dragonets as many candidates as possible.

Speaking of whom, Tolon came marching down the hallway, smiling widely though with a hint of nervousness. His short-cropped brown hair seemed more tousled than usual, giving him an almost endearingly childish look. When he saw her, he waved and half ran down the hall to her. His voice was still a little high but he was a couple years younger than Jem, "I brought you something! Some of the others pitched in, sort of a going away present." He held out a small, cloth wrapped object, waiting eagerly for her to open it.

She picked it up, realizing with a pang of guilt that she hadn't spoken to most of them recently. She glanced up, the gift still in hand and sighed, "Listen, Tolon… I'm sorry about the last few days… Not being... Myself."

He waved his hand dismissively, "No worries. We all understand that you've been… Distracted…" He smiled a little sheepishly, "But there are those that are glad you'll have the chance to get over your… issues… with them." He shrugged, seeming to want to say more, but deciding against it, "Open it." he said, nodding towards the object in Jem's hands.

Jem glanced back at her hands, carefully unwrapping the small package. Inside was a petite, glass blown bowl. It had little inlays of color that looked like a fire-lizard. She smiled, blushing. "So, I've been found out."

Tolon laughed, "It's hard to keep her a secret with how much she sings. The instant you'd be away from her, she'd start up. We didn't want to say anything just yet… We were waiting but-" He spread his hands out and shrugged.

Jem nodded and smiled, calling Harp to her. The little queen, sleeping on the bed, gave her only a moment's notice before falling asleep again. If they weren't leaving, she wasn't moving.

Jem and Tolon smiled at each other before both taking their things out to the sands where they would be picked up by Tamith and another of the injured dragons heading back home. She felt of wave of unease and excitement. She would be leaving those friends she had here. Leaving the life she'd had for the last handful of sevendays. Her mistrust for riders was still there, but perhaps Tolon and the others were right… Perhaps it was time to confront that fear, that rage… She straightened her shoulders and waited, calling Harp again once she spotted Tamith and the other.

It was time to move on.

I hope that was a bit of a help for you all. Chapter 4 should be up sometime tomorrow. Reveiw gently.

I'll say now, only once, I don't introduce everything right off the bat. Even some descriptions I will leave out at first. I hate having to explain everything right away for no reason. SO, if you are confused, feel free to let me know what about, and I'll let you know what chapter you can expect an explination in, or at very least, if there will be an explination.

Thanks!