Chapter 38

Mended Ways

I 'landed' from between on the ridge overlooking the canyon, returning to the very spot I'd watched the doomed Exile assault force march up the canyon. Blaster at the ready, I quickly checked my surroundings for any sign of Thread but found none. A heartbeat later, first Goldie then Tarnaa popped out of between, circling overhead.

"Wolfhound, Angel Zero One," I radioed, holstering my blaster before pulling out the Yokohama's scanner control pad. "I'm overlooking the canyon. Do you have my position?"

"Affirmative, Angel," the Wolfhound comm officer replied. "We have you approximately 200 meters northeast of the sensor hit."

"Copy that," I responded, putting the control pad away before diving off the ledge.

Tarnaa appeared beneath me. I clipped my belt into her harness, and, together, we headed toward the location of the sensor hit.

Reaching the designated spot, Tarnaa quickly landed and I dismounted.

Not far away, a large runner carcass was hidden behind a boulder. Massive chunks of it had been consumed by Thread, but, judging by the ash swirling in the breeze, some local fire lizards had been busy dispatching what Thread they could.

A moan from beneath the fallen runner instantly brought my blaster out of its holster, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end in the same breath! Slowly, I made my way around the runner's mutilated form, discovering a still living human pinned beneath it!

"Angel Zero One, Wolfhound."

"Go, Wolfhound," I radioed back, holstering my blaster.

"Scanners showing you right on top of the humanoid readings we detected."

"My thanks, Wolfhound," I acknowledged. "I'm with the survivor now."

As I knelt to examine the victim, he turned his ash covered face my way.

"I don't need your help," he grunted, the hatred plain in his eyes.

"Too bad," I responded. "If I don't try to save you, Kara would never forgive me."

Yep. The survivor the Wolfhound had detected, the one pinned beneath the dead runner, was Kara's father!

"A guilty conscience, Master Healer?" he grunted, grinning maliciously.

"Not in the least," I said, waving for Tarnaa to come over.

I would need the first aid kit she was carrying.

"Wolfhound, Angel Zero One."

"Go ahead."

"Who are you talking to?" Kara's Da demanded.

"The Federation Vessel Wolfhound," I replied, grabbing my med kit from Tarnaa's harness. "My two friends, Dav and Key, are currently assigned to it."

"Wolfhound," I radioed, setting my kit on the ground next to the wounded man, "were there any other sensor hits in the canyon?"

"Sensor hits?" Kara's Da growled. "What are you on about?"

"That's a negative, Angel Zero One," I heard in my headset. "We fine-tuned the scan. Looks like you've got the only survivor."

"Copy, Wolfhound," I radioed back as I opened my medkit. "My thanks for the assist."

Tears were rolling down my face as I started to work on Kara's Da.

"I said leave me be!" he demanded, batting my hands away.

"You're the only survivor," I whispered, setting my things aside. Turning to my lifemate, I asked, "Tarnaa, can you lift the runner off him?"

Silently, my great golden queen ever so gingerly lifted the dead runner off of Kara's Da and set it with great reverence off to one side.

This one was innocent, she quietly rumbled, her eyes shading to a mournful orange. It should not have had to die.

If they had listened to me from the beginning, my heart, I silently told her as I patted her on the neck, they would all still be alive.

Goldie gently landed on my shoulder, thrumming her sorrow over the tragedy as she headstroked my cheek.

"You tricked us into coming this way," Kara's Da hissed as he struggled to stand. "Led us to believe there would be no Threadfall. Murderer!"

A short, mirthless chuckle escaped my lips.

"That's funny coming from you," I muttered, shaking my head, "given the devastation that would've been wrought and the countless innocent lives that would've been lost if your plans had succeeded."

"We'll find another way," Kara's Da growled, stumbling against a rock. "This isn't over. We'll have our revenge!"

"No, Da, you won't," Kara cut in, stepping out from around Tarnaa.

Jaxom's lifemate was right behind her.

"Ruth?" I wondered, meeting Kara's gaze.

"When you vanished from Benden," she explained, patting the little white dragon on the neck, "Ruth here was kind enough to give me a ride."

"Bet that surprised Lord Jaxom!" I chuckled. "My thanks, Ruth, to you and your rider!"

Then, Kara quietly and with great courage stepped over to her father.

"It's over, Da," she quietly informed him.

"Never," he growled, backing away from her touch. "Not until every single dragonrider who abandoned us is dead!"

"Three full weyrs of dragons will be flying the Fall over the islands in the morning, Da," Kara quietly explained. "And it was Masterhealer Dana who finally made them understand their folly."

"Lies!" Kara's Da spat, dismissing his daughter's words with a wave of his hand. "My own child turned against me. Why should I believe anything you would tell me?"

"Because it is the truth," N'ton broke in, appearing from behind Tarnaa, his bronze Lioth close by. "Even now, the dragonriders are meeting at Benden Weyr to plan out how we can best deal with the Threadfall."

"More lies!" Kara's Da growled, glaring at the Fort rider.

"Southern Weyr will also be flying the Fall," K'van remarked, he and his bronze Heth joining the growing crowd. "Masterhealer Dana realized our experience flying Fall over the Southern Continent would give the Northern riders valuable knowledge and assistance with how best to fly the Fall over the Eastern Islands tomorrow."

"Once the morning Fall has been dealt with," Masterharper Sebell explained to Kara's Da as he, too, appeared from behind Tarnaa, "we will be holding a meeting with all the Weyrleaders at the Harper Hall in order to work out how best to divvy up the Fall coverage over the Eastern Islands."

Smiling as he turned to me, he added, "And we'll be working on plans to keep the citizenry of Pern informed about what's going on!"

"As Lord Holder of Robinton Cove," I spoke, "I intend to address the Lords Holder conclave in an effort to bring an end to the exile of the Eastern Islanders."

"Dragons don't fly Fall over the Islands," Kara's Da snorted. "They never have!"

"That will change at 0700 hours tomorrow morning," I told him as I closed my med kit. "I would like your help getting the word out."

Kara's Da laughed, waving dismissal of the idea.

"Then I will help you," Kara offered, taking my hand.

"And what good could you possibly do, girl?" Kara's Da scoffed, grinning derisively. "You are an exile among the Exiles. They won't listen to you!"

"I have to try, Da," she replied, her jaw grimly set. "The winds of change are blowing strongly now. I intend to be there to see it fulfilled!"

That said, Kara's Da was escorted back to the Healer Hall under heavily armed escort to continue his recovery and to await trial.

A thorough search of the canyon was made, but, sadly, no further survivors were found. That task completed, we returned to Benden Weyr to begin planning the coming battle.

The first challenge… how to get word out to the inhabitants of the Eastern Islands. It was Kara who suggested a technique once used during one of Earth's world wars: leaflets… notes printed on paper and dropped from overflying dragons onto the population centers of the Eastern Islands.

Sebell sent out word immediately to every hold, hall, and weyr, asking for volunteers to assist with the printing and dissemination of the leaflets.

To my intense relief and pride, Kara took the lead, coordinating all phases of the effort.

In a show of support for his 'little sister', Key talked Captain Morgan into loaning a holomap projector and terminal to the planning team. With great enthusiasm, Captain Morgan personally assigned Dav and Key to man the device.

Thanks to the Wolfhound's hi-res bioscanners, the exact locations of every Exiles village was soon displayed and projected up onto one of the smoother and flatter walls of Benden Weyr's hatching ground for all to see.

"I like the leaflets approach," Kara explained, pointing to the newly added flight routes the dragon drop teams would be using, "but it may not be enough."

"We can include a walkie talkie at each drop site," Mastersmith Fandarel suggested, holding up one of the newer lightweight devices his teams had just finished producing. "That way, we can talk to the residents directly."

"If they know how to use the device," F'lar moaned. Then, chuckling, he added, "They may just decide to smash another of the Ancient's thrice-cursed devices."

Fandarel looked appalled, clutching the device to his chest.

"Master Fandarel, do we have enough for each of the villages?" Kara asked, laying a hand on his massive arm.

The burly smith nodded. "Just."

"Then I will take one and deliver it to my village myself," Kara went on, holding out her hand.

With a reluctant nod, Fandarel surrendered the walkie talkie into Kara's hands.

"Master Sebell, how long until the leaflets are ready?" she asked the Masterharper.

"Printing them out would take too much time," he explained, smiling as he laid a hand on Kara's slim shoulder. "We don't have enough of the Ancients' printers yet. So, I sent out a call to every hold, hall, and weyr for volunteers to write them out by hand. We should have a sufficient supply ready for delivery within the hour!"

"That'll give us about two hours of daylight over the islands this afternoon to get the leaflets dispersed," I concluded, gesturing to the holomap. "K'van, N'ton, G'dened, can your teams get it done before we run out of daylight?" Seeing the smirk come to their faces, I added, "And I don't want to add the risk of dragons 'timing it' in order to pull this off."

"Timing it?" Key wondered, he and Dav turning to me for explanation.

Sighing, with a wan smile, I told them, "You're just gonna have to trust me on this one, guys."

Glancing at each other before turning back to me, they both smiled.

"You got it, boss," Dav said, giving my shoulder a thump.

As promised, Master Sebell and his team of dragonriders arrived with the hand-written leaflets the teams would disperse over the Eastern Islands.

Grabbing a small handful as the rest were being distributed to the drop riders, Kara whispered to me, "Let's go."

Tarnaa was waiting just outside. Once Kara and I had our riding belts fastened, we climbed up my lifemate's foreleg and settled into position on her neck ridge. A quick snap of the fastening hooks and we were set to go. To my surprise and Kara's, Goldie landed on Kara's shoulder, nuzzling her cheek as she twined her tail about the girl's neck.

"Seems you've made a friend, Kara," I chuckled, giving her other shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Let's do this! Tarnaa, aloft!"

With a powerful push of her hind legs, my lifemate was instantly airborne, her wings beating strongly, lifting us higher and higher.

I have the location, Tarnaa informed me.

From who? I asked, more than a little curious.

My dragon didn't reply, just chuckled and took us between!

Seconds later, we materialized right above the clearing at Kara's village… the same one where she and her Da had begun their journey to Fort Hold!

Did you just…

You opened her heart when you helped her find the truth, Tarnaa rumbled.

Goldie merely snorted, staying close to Kara.

"We need to let them know we're here," Kara had to shout over the wind rush.

I didn't say a word, but Tarnaa responded by letting loose a deafening roar.

Just letting the felines know we're here, my dragon absently remarked.

Yeah, I'll just bet, I chuckled.

Kara was never going to believe this!

Just as Tarnaa was settling into the clearing, the villagers emerged, once more; brandishing their weapons. Before I could stop her, Kara had undone her riding belt and was sliding down Tarnaa's side with all the apparent ease of a skilled dragonrider!

"You!" one of the villagers growled, hefting his club. "You turned your back on us!"

"Dragons are flying the Eastern Islands fall tomorrow," Kara responded, brandishing the leaflets.

"Lies!" another villager spat, raising his spear.

Before he could throw it, my blaster beam shot out, knocking the weapon out of his hand.

"Hey, Kara didn't come alone," I quietly spoke as I slid down Tarnaa's side to the ground. "But if you'd all rather be like the Terran ostrich and bury your heads in the ground rather than listen to the truth…"

"Truth?! From you?!" another scoffed, spitting in the dirt.

Kara tossed the walkie-talkie she was carrying to the one now without his spear.

"Three full weyrs of dragons will be flying the fall tomorrow starting at 0700 local time," she informed them, flinging the leaflets at the feet of her fellow villagers. "Each village will also be given one of those walkie-talkies. The queens' wings will be flying low cover, searching for any Thread that might get through. They will also be carrying their own walkie-talkies, monitoring for any village's call for assistance."

"I'll believe it when I see it," yet another grumbled.

"Then I recommend you get a good night's sleep," I suggested, steering Kara back over to Tarnaa's patiently extended foreleg. "You're in for quite a show!"

"What's that?" someone gasped, pointing skyward.

Turning, I saw beams of light streaking across the skies, bright flashes of light marking the deaths of Thread spores.

"My comrades from the Federation Star Service," I replied as Kara got into position on Tarnaa's neck ridge. "They are using their vessel's weapons to destroy some of the Thread spores before they fall on Pern tomorrow."

With a quick leap and well-placed foot, I was quickly astride Tarnaa behind Kara.

"As the new Lord Holder of Robinton Cove," I explained as I clipped into Tarnaa's riding harness, "I will be speaking at the Lords Holder conclave soon to see about bringing an end to your exile."

"Yeah, I'll just bet," one of the women scoffed, brushing dust from her sleeve.

"Once the conclave is over," I responded as Tarnaa readied to depart, "we will send riders to drop leaflets letting you know the outcome."

"Wait!" one woman begged, dropping her weapon as she drew closer. "Our menfolk. Can you tell us what happened to them?"

"If they were part of the assault teams on Fort Hold, Benden Weyr, or Landing," Kara responded, leaning down so she could speak more clearly to the woman, "then they are alive and well."

"What about those sent to Ruatha?" a second woman asked, also dropping her weapon.

"Kara's Da was the only survivor," I quietly replied, tears coming to my eyes. "I am truly sorry. If they had heeded my warning, they, too, would still be alive."

"They're dead?!" a third woman gasped, joining the other two. "How?"

Meeting my gaze, Kara responded, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"What does that mean?" a fourth woman asked, leaving her weapon behind.

"We only had enough people to fly Fall and protect three of the four targets," Kara explained when I faltered. "So, we tricked the Ruathan attackers into believing there wouldn't be any Threadfall in the canyon they chose as their attack route."

"What?!" nearly half of the gathered villagers gasped, weapons clattering to the ground.

Glancing back at me, Kara added, "Dana tried to warn them off, tried to get them to abandon the attack. But they didn't listen. They were too consumed by hatred and a thirst for revenge." Gulping back a knot in her stomach, Kara finished by saying, "So they, in turn, were consumed by Thread."

Many of the women broke into tears, sobbing, holding onto each other. The men just stood there silently, weapons dangling at their sides.

Without a word from either of us, Tarnaa took off, soaring high into the humid Eastern Islands sky. Then, in the blink of an eye, she took us between.

We emerged above Glory Escarpment, settling to the ground in a small cloud of dust. But Kara and I were too upset to notice, the two of us weeping at the senseless loss.

You did what you had to do, lifemate, Tarnaa hummed, craning her head around to rub her muzzle against my tear-stained face.

"If only they had turned away," Kara sobbed, burying her face in her hands. "It's so senseless!"

Tarnaa switched off, gently nuzzling Kara's shoulder.

You were just as brave, young one, my lifemate remarked, facing and accepting the truth.

"Thank you," Kara wept, giving Tarnaa's muzzle a brief hug.

Startled out of my sorrow by what had just happened, I stared at Kara. Then, having recovered my wits, my heart racing, I silently called a few dragon friends. Moments later, T'bor on Orth and Jaxom on Ruth dropped to the ground next to us on Glory Escarpment.

"You two alright?" T'bor solicitously inquired, clearly noting the trail of tears down both our faces.

"Plenty of pain just now as we informed Kara's village about the canyon Threadfall," I managed to whisper, clutching Kara's shoulders in my hands. "But I think we have some joyous news for them, as well."

"What do you mean?" Kara wondered, turning to look at me.

"We may well have just found the first Eastern Islands dragonrider candidate!" I sighed, hugging Kara tightly.

"Her?!" Jaxom gasped, pointing to Kara.

"Me?!" she squeaked, eyes popping from her skull.

"I need Orth's and Ruth's opinions on her candidacy potential," I gleefully declared, sliding down my dragon's side before offering my hand to Kara.

Nervously, Kara carefully slid down Tarnaa's side to stand next to me. The moment her feet hit the ground, Orth and Ruth were there, whuffling her up and down, their excitement growing the longer they examined her.

Strong heart! Orth concluded, glancing over at his rider.

She can hear dragons! Ruth announced, drawing a startled gasp from Kara.

Eyes popping, jaw dropping, Kara stared, first at Orth, then Ruth, and finally Tarnaa.

"I heard them!" she whispered, looking on the verge of screaming her head off. Then, with more enthusiasm, "I HEARD THEM!"

"What is it about you, Masterhealer?" T'bor chuckled, fists planted on his hips. "First it was Trillene, then Ryeena, and now this young one!"

I couldn't speak. I was too overjoyed at this discovery to do anything else but wrap Kara up in a great big bear hug!

"Oh, my stars!" Kara gasped, fresh tears… but this time, of joy… streaming down her face. "I never dreamed…"

I burst out laughing. "Lessa is going to have me Threaded for sure after this!"

Dragonrider teams were dispatched to deliver their paper cargo to the assigned Eastern Island villages. That night, back at Benden Weyr, the Weyrwoman did indeed have words for me… but in a joyous, happy tone!

Dav and Key put in an appearance, passing along their estimation of the Wolfhound's assault on the Thread spheroids. It was a marginal reduction, but F'lar and the other dragonriders were all enthusiasticly grateful for the assist.

"Even with our hi-res sensors maxed out," Dav complained, gesturing at the upcoming Fall prediction map, "it was like trying to swat a grain of sand from halfway across the galaxy!"

"I'm sure you guys did all you could to help out," I told them, giving each a hug. "Please be sure to thank Captain Morgan and the rest of his crew. We really appreciate everything you've done!"

The next morning, precisely at 0700 over the Eastern Islands, the Fall began. And, right on cue, three full wings of dragons and riders appeared in the skies over the Eastern Islands, determined to take the first step in righting such an egregious wrong.

Not far away, keeping to the edge of the Fall, Dav and Key in their shuttlecraft were busy recording the battle and taking innumerable sensor readings in an effort to document something only the Pernese citizens had ever seen before.

Surprisingly, during the Fall, the queens' wings actually received several calls on the walkie-talkies from the Islanders informing them of Thread that had gotten through. All Thread burrows were immediately and ruthlessly incinerated!

When the Fall was finally over, Kara and I returned to her village… and were greeted with some grudgingly given cheers and applause for the Dragonriders' efforts.

"Guess you was telling the truth," one of the village elders spoke, briefly nodding to me.

"You will speak to the conclave?" another wondered, glancing around at the others. "About ending our exile?"

"I will be here personally the day Master Idarolan and his fleet arrive to take you back home," I promised, shaking his hand.

"What if some of us don't want to leave?" one woman asked, her expression full of concern.

"A possibility, certainly," I responded, glancing about at the crowd, trying to gauge how many felt that way. "If it comes to that, then it will require a meeting of all the villages on the Islands."

"A meeting?" another villager wondered.

"Yes, to discuss the establishment of a weyr here in the islands," I said, "in order to provide you with protection from Thread until this Pass is over."

"Due to the nature of Thread, the dragonriders do not have the time necessary to grow their own food," Kara explained, picking up the narrative. "They are totally dependent on tithing from the holds to supply their needs. In return, the dragonriders provide the holders with protection from Thread."

"And, if it becomes necessary to establish an Eastern Island weyr," I said, smiling as I laid a hand on Kara's shoulder, "young Kara here will most likely be your first queen candidate!"

"What?!" many of the villagers exclaimed.

"She can hear dragons," I went on, giving Kara a hug, "a talent that will serve her immeasurably as a dragonrider!"

At that precise moment, I felt a brief episode of dizziness… just like the one I'd had that day at Ruatha when I'd spotted my transformed self standing next to Masterharper Robinton at the back of the crowd during my performance of "Keymon's Song".

The conclusion was inescapable! I had 'timed it'… again! The spell passed as quickly as it had come, but I was still confused. What was going on? Conversation around me broke through the confusion.

A woman had come forward, was speaking to Kara.

"Your Ma," the woman quietly spoke, eyes averted. "She was always arguing against revenge… siding with the dragonriders."

The woman looked up then, tears in her eyes as she gave Kara an unexpected hug. "Seeing you now is like looking at a younger version of her. If only your Ma had lived to see the brave young woman you've become!"

Sobbing, Kara returned the hug.

"Kara?"

Eyes like saucers, Kara whirled, staring at a new arrival standing at the edge of the clearing.

"It can't be!" Kara gasped, hands covering her mouth.

Seeing the new arrival, the other villagers all gasped, backing away as the woman came closer. The moment the two women stood face to face, I knew who she was.

"You're Kara's mother!" I exclaimed, glancing back and forth between the two, the familial resemblance undeniable.

"How is this possible?" Kara whispered, her hand oh so lightly caressing the tear-stained cheek of her mother. "You don't look any older than when I was seven!"

Hands trembling, Kara's mother raised her own hands to gently touch her child's tear-soaked cheeks.

"Can this really be you, Kara?" the woman whispered, gently stroking Kara's face. "How old are you?"

"Fourteen," Kara sobbed, her expression undecided between hugging her mother… or running screaming!

"Did I 'time it'?" Kara's mother wondered, glancing around. "Like Lessa did when she brought the five missing weyrs forward through time?"

"I heard you scream!" Kara wailed, deciding in that moment that this wasn't a dream; wrapping her mother up in a bone-creaking desperate hug. "I thought the Thread got you!"

"Just as I pushed you into that cave," Kara's mother sobbed, returning the desperate hug, "something grabbed me from behind. I thought it was Thread. Suddenly, everything went dark and cold…"

"Between!" Kara hissed, pulling back to stare at her mother.

"The next thing I knew I was standing at the edge of the clearing!" Kara's mother wept, pointing behind her.

"Ma!" Kara whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks as she once more hugged her mother.

As I watched this most incredible and joyous reunion, I felt chills running up and down my spine. First, it was that incident at Ruatha. Now here in the Eastern Islands. Two separate instances where clearly I had 'timed it', and yet, I hadn't… at least not yet, and that scared me more than anything! It was all I could do to keep my knees from shaking!

"Ma, you won't believe it!" Kara gleefully declared as she once more pulled back to look at her mother.

"What, sweetling?" her mother wondered.

"I can hear dragons!" Kara replied, the broadest grin ever on her face. "Just like Lessa!"

"Are you serious?!" Kara's Ma exclaimed, eyes lighting up.

Kara nodded. "Masterhealer Dana was the one who first realized it," she explained, gesturing to me. "She's been such a good friend to me. I don't know how I can possibly thank her for everything she's done!"

"For now, Kara, take care of your mother," I responded, laying a hand on each of their shoulders. "We'll figure out the rest later!"

Mother and daughter hugged once more, their happy tears mingling together.

For the time being, I kept my own counsel, choosing instead to enjoy this most precious of heartfelt reunions. But I held no illusions about the gravity of what I would soon be facing!