"Jentlth is rising!" Reema announced even as the news sped across Pern. Several bronzeriders bolted out of the Lower Caverns to their impatiently waiting dragons.

Tell them to time it! Jurille grimly added as Wilth helpfully provided the where and when in the coordinates to the Telgar bronzes.

Reema snorted with laughter suddenly.

"Reelu says the sky above the Weyr is cluttered with bronzes."

"Good. I hope this showing flatters Jentlth enough to quit Egoth." Jurille muttered over the rim of her mug. C'seld would be impossible to oust if this failed. Well... not impossible, she reflected, studying and not seeing the dark liquid in her cup. Not impossible, but a great deal harder than if this plan worked. Reema must have caught that dark thought, because she reached over and squeezed Jurille's free hand.

"It will work. By evening Benden will have a new Weyrleader and all of Pern will rejoice." She told Jurille fervently. Jurille quirked a smile.

"Does your far sight tell you this?" She asked her fellow queenrider. Reema smiled, shaking her head.

"Reelu is the one with prophetic dreams, Jurille. Mine is only the faith in the riders we sent."

A thin bronze thread of hope tied to an anchor of faith. The same faith that all of Pern placed on fragile dragonwings and blistering dragonfire. Abruptly Jurille stood and went out of the Lower Caverns to be with Graesth.


A soft hum jolted Branth out of the uneasy slumber he had slipped into earlier. Blinking in the low light from dozens of softly glowing fire lizard eyes, he looked around, momentary confused, then he remembered in an awful rush and cast a fearful eye at the egg.

It was rocking, and despite his fear and reservation for a moment he held his breath in anticipation. For long breathless minutes the fire lizard's birthsong swelled in intensity, filling the warm sanded Hatchery, then, the living wall of greeting fell into a quizzical silence as the egg stopped rocking. Green turning to yellow eyes peered down, the lizards exchanging confused chirps. Panic seized Branth and he grabbed the egg. The wrinkled shell was hard, harder than any rock he remembered as he beat an ineffectually fist against it. Casting about his eyes lit on the tray of freshly killed meat - currently useless- and the coal bucket in the corner by the hearth. Stumbling to his feet he raced to the bucket and snatched up a heavy lump of high quality Crom coal. With all his desperate strength, he brought it down on the entrapping egg.

It took three strikes, then the overly thick shell cracked. He cut his hands on the jagged edges, pulling the egg apart. Tiny claws ripped the soft egg sac open from within, and a slight body tumbled out, screeching wetly at its prolonged imprisonment.

Hunger pains almost bent him double as Branth floundered over to the tray of meat. The squirming, squalling bundle of needle sharp claws and teeth screamed imperal rage - hunger, it was nothing more impelling and important than birth hunger. Branth grabbed a hunk of meat and stuffed it in the wherlet's open maw.

He felt the creature's delighted surprise and when the tiny creature opened its mouth again he had an another cube of meat at the ready.

By the time the tray was depleted the pale green wherlet was relaxing in his arms, her tail curled as far around his waist as it would stretch. Overcome with a weariness not entirely his own, Branth cradled the wherlet to him, and too, fell asleep.


Kimi woke slowly, a smile lingering on her lips. Jentlth's mating flight had been wild - all those bronzes vying for her - Jentlth's - she corrected herself - attention. It was flattering, to be sure, but Egoth had won in the end, and C'seld's lovemaking had been particularly sweet. Still smiling drowsily she rolled over to wish C'seld a good morning - and found she didn't immediately recognize the bronzerider sharing her bed.

"Good morn, Kimi." L'stur smiled pleasantly.

Instantly Kimi's good mood vanished. With a snarl she rolled out of bed and snatched up her clothes from the floor.

"Oh, come now. I couldn't have been that bad in bed." L'stur protested mildly, sitting up to speak with her.

"You- you theiving tunnel snake! Jurille put you up to this, didn't she? Like i can't tell when the other queenriders are meddling! Get out! Get out!" The last was a near shriek. L'stur sighed and got up, collecting his things and dressing as he retreated.

I am not displeased.

Sunning on the up lip, near the Star Stones, a great golden dragon nodded down at him.

"Thank you, gracious Jentlth. But I fear I must work on Kimi." He sighed up at the great gold.

"It's about time someone does." Reema said, stepping around the corner. L'stur gave her a puzzled look.

"Not that I'm unhappy to see you, but what are you doing here, Reema?" He asked, pausing to pull on his boots.

"I'm Reelu, Reema's sister." The woman laughed. "I'm the Weyr's Archivist, and I came to warn you that C'seld is going to challenge you to a duel."


"You are suprised?" It wasn't as much a question as an observation. Bukset smiled at Malulu as the journeywoman laughed softly. To the watching eyes from the dense foliage surrounding the encampment they looked like any married couple. Since they had set up their temporary trading camp several days before they had been inundated with fire lizards popping in to get a look at them. Most of them were smaller colors, but a few bronzes had been in the mix. What both harpers noted was the number of lizards the holdless that came by to trade had. Compared to the holdless they had encountered on their way, perhaps one lizard to every 20 holdless, here it seemed most of those who entered the camp had a lizard that looked to them. Wary, the harpers had refrained from any discussion of harpercraft, even between each other.

"I merely thought with a babe in arms the last thing she would want to do was journey three days to trade for sewing thread." Malulu grinned at him, tending the fire at the back of the shallow cave that served as their very thin protection against Thread. Sopra was flying high above, idly, but reporting movement in the forest to Bukset. He felt certain they were being surveilled by Redell's men, but nothing thus far had been threatening. Despite the watchers close at hand, the setting sun and Malulu's good cooking put him at ease. He cracked a massive yawn, and Malulu laughed when she caught it.

"Sorry, sorry. But you did say her cot had neither the right plants nor stock for sewing thread. What could she do but trade for it?" He asked.

"Off to your furs if my stories are going to bore you so." Malulu play scowled at him, the twilight deepening past the pool of light cast by the fire.

"Not just yet, please. I hope to strike a trade or two before you rest." A deep cultured voice called out from the gloom. Bukset turned and smiled a welcome at the latecomers, as Sopra expressed sudden surprise.

Three figures emerged. One was a tall, burly man with a nose that had been broken and poorly healed. His sharp eyes were constantly moving, assessing the harpers and their belongings. The second was a middle aged woman carrying a large straw basket. The last man made both harpers' heartrate spike, as Redell nodded courtiously at them, joining them in the light.

"Good eve. I'm Bucky, this is my mate Lul." Bukset gestured at Malulu, who hurried to set out the trade goods.

"Redell, " the wherlord gestured to himself, "my storekeeper, Tandi," he indicated the woman who studied the offerings, "my guard Maston." Any further conversation was suspended as the women began haggling. Tandi ended up buying a wide selection of goods, and paying with sixteenth and eighth Marks. When the women finished, the group made as if to leave as a dark shadow, as large as any blue dragon, landed just outside the firelight. Sopra suddenly appeared, and landed on Bukset's shoulder, his tail practically throttling the harper.

Redell helped his storekeeper up on the giant wher's neck, then turned back as if remembering some thought. Maston mounted as Redell spoke.

"Please send Degal my regards, Harpers Bukset, Malulu."

In stunned silence the harpers watched as he mounted and the wher took off.

"He knew we were harpers the whole time." Malulu finally broke the silence as Sopra quivered, against Bukset. He caressed the brown until he ceased his shuttering.

"He knows our names." His voice was thoughtful, considering. "Lul, he has someone from Harper Hall helping him."