Chapter 3

She raced away her heart beating with excitement. Oh this day was turning out marvelous! She might be a dragon rider! Why she could go anywhere on pern once her dragon could fly! But she had learned that one could not change the past. But there was nothing she would like to change in the past. She had a pretty good child hood but sometimes she did not get along with her mother though. But that was a rarity, when they occurred they were bad. But know she would be no long in the hold she was off to bendon wyre to impress a dragon probably the queen. "Selena you don't know!" She told herself and she didn't to. She may not impress at all, but I must Selena thought to herself she would not really be able to hand the hold any more if she impressed she would be able to survive. It was so boring and she had to do the same thing over and over and it extremely boring. She didn't know now how she put up with the hold! It was so monotonous! Day in and day out she was thought by the Harper and really when she was little that was the only thing that was and fun. She loved to learn all the different ballads and she was really musically adept she could in fact write tunes at the age of 4 and they were not good but never the less she could write music. Harper Senol had thought she may be acceptable to the Harper hall but she had demurred, she didn't know if she wanted to become a Harper really she had never thought about the future until the dragons came on search and she was chosen. Now she Selena may be able to become a dragon rider! "Selena we are now going to go between, it will feel like all your senses were shut off do be afraid it only last as long as you can cough three times," D'ron said, he broke through my revelry, "Ok." And with that they were between selena gasped she could not see anything nor her or smell and she could not fell the dragon she was on panic started to arise in her and she came to the conclusion that they were never going to come out but panic over took she envisioned bendon and with a pop they were there. "That was close!" admonished D'ron. "How did you know to picture bendon in your head?

"I didn't it just popped up into my head!" What made me react that way? She thought to herself, Oh well she was alive at least and no harm done "Selena I think you will ride gold!"

"Do you really D'ron or are just pulling my leg."

"No I really think you will, in fact I know you will"

"What makes you say that?"

"There's something about you that tells me you will be a very good rider."

"You think so thank you," She said sweetly. And so they entered the huge lower caverns there many stalactites and stalagmites that were used as table's He lead her down a hall where there where rooms with white curtains in the openings they she know from the Harper were the candidates temporary quarters. She entered the first one and saw the White robe on a peg against the far wall. And a belt next to it and ohh it was soft! She had walked up and brushed against it, she thought about how many happy people impressed a dragon Selena hoped to be one of the fortunate people to impress a dragon! She was pre- occupied so she didn't hear the thrumming but rather felt It through the ground it was a vibration it almost heart the ears but not quite. She quickly grabbed the white robe and fastened it around her hips and she then dashed to meet the throng of whit clad candidates my there were D'ron had said that Meroth had laid quite a large clutch of eggs. And from What Selena could see there where at least 47 candidates she was grabbed from be hinged she whirled to see who had did it was D'Ron and he was pulling her toward his dragon, there was all ready 3 more girls clad in white robes on Orth's back. She quickly clambered up be hinged a tall girl with red curls she peered at Selena a smiled. "My name is Sana, What's yours?"

"I'm Selena, nice to meet you,"

"Where are you from Selena?"

"I'm from tillek; I'm the lord holder's daughter."

"Really, my father is master weaver Sander of Ruatha hold!"

"I've been to Ruatha! I really like it there!"

"You do!"

"Ya it was really fun!" And with that Orth leap with neck snapping force of the ground his wings executing the all important down beat to achieve altitude. They flew towards an opening, there were many dragons a breast them Selena thought for a second they were going to collide with the other dragons but when they entered the top they were in a massive cavern and there was ample space for dragons to perch they swept low and Orth landed and they all dismounted. Selena gasped involuntarily because of the hot sand and because she was right by a large gold colored egg this must be the golden egg Selena thought to herself. She and the other girls formed a loose semi-circle around the queen egg. There was a sudden cracking sound and the golden egg burst and dumped out its occupant. The little golden squeaked in fright at its sudden deliverance into the world. "I'm Hungary!" Selena heard a voice in her head it could not be the queen was awkwardly running and stumbling towards Selena. No it couldn't be! Me?! Selena thought to herself. "No I choose you!", "And I didn't make a mistake! Don't you like me?" The queen said so plaintively and she look so rejected that Selena squatted down and raped her arms around the little queen and said, "You're the beautiful lest queen of all pern!" Selena found a bowl of raw meet in her hand and a voice saying "Feed her!" with the encouragement from the voice she extracted a few pieces of meat and feed them to "I'm narth" Selena heard her dragon speak in her head in that instant impression had occurred finally she got the meat to Narth's mouth she practically inhaled the meat "Chew your food our you'll choke!" Selena said severely "But I'm hunger!" Narth protested. "I don't care; I just got you I'm not going to have you choke to death!"

"Ok, ok I will," Narth said reluctantly. With Narths appetite sated and hers as well dragon and rider tottered to the wyrling barracks and they collapsed on Narths stone cough Selena curled contentedly against Narth's extended belly, he fell asleep instantly. Selena woke with a start. Where was she how did she get here? Then it all came rushing back, she gasped and turned to look at her beautiful sleeping queen she was fast asleep and her belly back to its normal size was rising and falling in a rhythmic pattern that reassured Selena. Sighing she lay back down she then just realized she was stiff and a little sore, the rock couches dragons liked were not liked by their riders. She stifled a groan it would not do for her to wake her dragon up. But to late narth stirred, stretched and yond. "I'm hungry!" were the first words in selena's mind, "Me to," Selena said to narth she then herd a rustle outside and peered around the curtain and saw the wyrling master J'dar coming up the hall toward her with two buckets that were covered with clothes. "Good morning Selena!" He said cheerfully which made Selena smile at him. "I expect you and Narth are hungry, am I not right?"

"Your spot on their J'dar!" Selena exclaimed! And she was it felt like she had not eaten for days! She then just saw the buckets, "What's in there?"

"Meat scrapes for Narth,"

"Oh," And with that he pulled off the cloth covering the bucket with a flourish and Narth arose quickly and was at the bucket in an instant practically inhaling the food "Narth!" Selena said sternly, "You may not choke to death!"

"But I'm hungry!"

"I don't care!", "You chew what you eat and that's final!" Her voice bruck no argument. Narth sighed and slowed down enough to chew and swallow. "That's better," Selena said "I just got you and I'm not going to lose you! I love you!"

"Me to Selena I love you to." This simple statement made Selena throw her arms around her dragon and bury her head in her Narth's neck. She sat there for a while in a rider dragon trance she reluctantly pulled away. She let Narth continue eating, She stood and watched her dragon how burped then waddled out towards the lake where she walking into it and gave a little happy chirp and then dived under. She came up for air and then paddled towards Selena who smiled at Narth's antics "Ok come her Narth I need to scrub you!" she did willing as Selena rubbed her down she sighed contentedly and then Selena hit and itchy spot she arched her back and said "Ohh scratch harder it itches," Selena obliged and "Ahh much better, thank you." And then the wyre master approached her again and said he would bring her to her new quarters and then that she should oil her queen and then go and get her some food it looks like was starving. "We must not have people think you're starving!" he exclaimed and with that they set off to her new wyre as they entered she gasped the room was larger than she was accustom to. With a main chamber and a curtain separated her sleeping quarters. Where also was another passage way that had a curtain over it. It turned out to be a good sized bathing room. She thought longingly of a bath but she knew she had to oil Narth and then go get something to eat. She scrubbed Narth off in the shallows and then told her to rinse and then go to their wyre and that she was going to oil her and then she could sleep. She entered their sleeping quarters the same time Narth who promptly rubbed against Selena and said, "please oil now!" she said with some desperation. "Ok ok I will!" and she did. "Ahh that felt wonderful, thank you!" the love Selena felt for her dragon was over powering she through her hands around her dragons neck and said "I love you so much!"

"I know I love you to." Narth said in reply. The love they shared one could never fathom. Selena yawned and then stepped out of her wyre and headed towards the lower caverns where she was ushered to a table by a small hearth. "Are you hungry? Uhhh of course you are silly me!"

"What right here and I will get you something to eat!" "Oh and I'm Nora head women,"

And with that she was off to fetch food. Selena Sighed my it was very strange this wyre but all the same she liked it much better than dull boring tillake. "Well I see you've settled in quit well." A pleasant voice said be hinged her she turned in her seat and came face to face with the wyre leader and wyre women she instantly rose but cara motioned for her to sit and said "No sit Back down." They sat on chairs next to her Cara on her right and L'nar on her left. "So how do you like it here?" Cara asked her "I really love it here; it's a lot more interesting than tillek that's for sure!" "To tell you the truth I found tillek very dull and boring!"

"Did you know, and how so?"

"Well mainly because I had no interest in the sea and fish I found it quite boring in fact."

"Well I can't say as I blame you."

"I'd be just as bored, but you're here known and you're here to stay!" The weyr leader practically made it an order. Which she fallowed, Relief as she had never felt flooded her she knows she belonged her and no one could say she did not! She was a dragon rider, which gave her every right to be in the weyr! She realized the weyr leaders were staring at her she. She could feel the heat rise to her cheeks so she averted her face not wanting the weyr leaders to see her blush."Sorry" she said in a small voice. "What for!" demanded L'nar "You didn't do anything. At least anything I can see."

"I'm sorry for trying to be a dragon rider!" It all came out in a rush. Finally all of her fears he could pour them onto theses people. She could tell by the way there eyes looked that they wanted her to spill her whole story out. And she did right there and it felt like a great weight was lifted from her shoulders and she started to smile and then the weyr did not seem gloomy instead it seemed very interesting instead.. It was fun to watch the bustle in the cavern. She finished and thanked the wyre leaders for their time and dropped their dirty dishes off and then when to her queens quarters and just stood there looking at her precious gold. Overwhelming love felt her heart until she thought it would burst. And so the day went on. Finally when it was time for bed the dropped extremely tired on to her bed and striped her clothes off and then fell into a deep, deep sleep.