Elara's lessons continued, each new day bringing new discoveries about their rather remarkable student; raising the Talent testers' level of astonishment higher and higher.
Early on, the examiners gave up on measuring Elara's telepathic power level. They just didn't have instruments that could measure that high.
Elara had already demonstrated its 'portational index when it brought Sky's otter family to their new home… all without the mechanical boosting systems and power amplifiers the Tower contained.
As with the telepathy measurements, the examiners had to eventually abandon their evaluation of Elara's TK, or telekinesis, ability. It crushed nearly everyone of their testing rigs.
But the mind… the sentience… behind Elara was clearly very young and childlike. There really was no way to hurry that development. They would simply have to continue teaching and instructing Elara until its maturity improved.
The oddest thing was… Elara seemed to advance the most when it was read to in the communion cave. Perversely, none of the examiners were able to gain entry to the cave. Elara stubbornly refused to let them in, erecting an invisible, impenetrable barrier whenever one of them tried. The only ones Elara allowed in were Akie and her family. So, with a reluctant shrug, the three of them took turns reading to Elara, the childlike stalagmite watching closely, giving every indication of thoroughly enjoying each session.
One evening, as the trio emerged from the cave, Vance reached over, giving Luna a warm hug. "That was a beautiful story, sweetie, hearing about how you and Artimeth found each other."
I wish you had a chance to Impress, Luna replied, returning the hug. I think you'd make a good dragonrider.
"Ah, if only," Vance sighed, smiling to himself.
The thought was never far from his mind. From the day Vance had first been introduced to Vornath, Akie's queen, he had dreamt of a dragon of his own. Now with Threadfall's end looming, his chances of Impressing one of those magnificent wonders was growing smaller and smaller with each passing day.
Unexpectedly, the ground shook and the air vibrated. "Vance wants? Here."
With startling swiftness, a brown dragon suddenly appeared… one that Akadeanna instantly recognized.
"Canth?! What are you doing here? How did you get here?"
Where am I? Where is F'nor? We were fighting Thread… the brown urgently thought, his head swinging wildly about searching for his rider.
Akie gasped with fright. Clearly fastened into the brown's riding harness was F'nor's riding belt… but no F'nor!
"Elara, what have you done?!" Akadeanna screamed, fearing the worst.
If Canth and F'nor were airborne battling Thread…
"Vornath!"
Akie ran as if Thread itself was pursuing her, leaping up to her dragon's proffered forearm, seizing the neck ridge, swinging herself into position, before belting in securely.
"Hurry!" Akie urged her dragon as she leaped skyward.
Canth, I need an image! she frantically called.
A very precise image flooded her mind. With a shock as keen as pain, Akie recognized the landmarks from the region north of Benden Weyr!
Betelgeuse has you, Prime, an unfamiliar voice spoke.
Procyon is with you, said a second voice.
Capella stands with you, Prime!
Earth is with you, Prime. Reidinger!
Akie broadcast the image she needed. DO IT!
Across the vastness of space, Akie felt those four Tower Primes reach out, 'porting her and Vornath instantaneously back to the place she and Vornath had soared so very many times before… the skies of Pern!
The fighting wings were above and ahead. Akie felt something land on Vornath's back just behind where she was seated. In the next heartbeat, she heard a startled exclamation and desperate arms wrapping around her waist.
"By the First Egg!" she heard F'nor curse in her ear. "Akie?! What the sharding hell is going on? Where's Canth?"
Akie couldn't answer right away. She was too sick to her stomach over what had nearly happened.
"Let's get you back to Benden so I can explain," she had to shout to be heard over the wind rush.
Back to Benden, love, she silently told her dragon, giving the reference image she remembered all too well.
Moments later, dragon and riders appeared above Benden Weyr, spiraling down to land in the vast bowl of the old crater. Once on the ground, Akie eased F'nor down Vornath's side then joined him there.
"Where's Canth?" he demanded, his expression at once incredulous and furious.
"Canth is fine," Akie assured the brown rider, though she was nearly as furious as her Benden friend. "Elara 'ported him to the place where we're setting up a Talent tower on the moon of Sadr 6."
"Who the hell is Elara?"
"That is what it calls itself," Akie explained, hands up in a calming gesture. "The moon is sentient."
F'nor gasped. "Sentient?!"
Akie nodded. "It is also highly gifted with esper Talents, including teleportation." Muttering under her breath, she added, "My husband, Vance, was saying how much he wished he had a dragon of his own. Elara must've overheard… and got it into its head to grab the first one it could find. It must've tapped my memories of Pern, using that to select poor Canth."
"Right in the middle of us flying a Fall!" Trembling slightly, F'nor reached out, giving Akie's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Thanks for saving my butt just now."
"Canth was one of the first dragons to speak to me when I first got to Pern," Akie whispered, recalling the moment. "Before Hatching Day, before I Impressed Vornath."
"That was when we discovered that you could speak to all dragons," F'nor chuckled, smiling more broadly, "just like Lessa."
Mention of that name made Akie flinch. "Shards, but she's going to be pissed about this!"
"I would've been," the Weyrwoman interrupted, causing Akie to gasp and spin about, "if you had failed to use your dragon training. Ramoth says your timing was flawless. Good job!"
"Wouldn't want to disappoint my old instructor, Weyrwoman," Akie managed to chuckle.
Lessa nodded towards the living caverns. "Let's get something to eat and some good Benden wine and then you can tell me all about what the hell just happened."
Akie was conflicted and confused as she followed Lessa and F'nor into the living caverns. She wanted the Tower on Lua dos Dragões to succeed, but it was clear from this incident that they still had a long way to go with Elara.
"Sentient, huh?" Lessa remarked, taking a sip of her Benden wine. "Sounds a lot like that Petaybee we heard about from the FSP reps."
"It was all the talk with them when they were here," F'nor commented, sipping his own wine. Shaking his head, he chuckled. "Damn! A planet that can think for itself!"
"F'nor, I…"
"Not a word," he cut her off. "Lessa's right. You did well today for someone who's not a regular dragonrider. It's clear you've been doing what you could to get Elara up to speed. Guess you'll just have to find a way to curb its enthusiasm!"
"Yeah," Akie chuckled, taking a long swig of her own wine. "Wouldn't want an entire wing of dragons to suddenly vanish… or what would follow."
The very thought sent chills shooting up and down Akie's spine.
Akie?
She held up her hand, alerting the two sitting at the table with her before tapping the side of her head, her eyes unfocusing as she did.
Prime Reidinger?
Your friends are right. That was masterfully done.
Then how about you tell my knees to stop shaking. That scared me spitless!
Yet, in spite of the incident and the danger, you were able to successfully rescue the dragonrider…
With your help and that of the other Primes. Shards, but that was a hell of a jump!
Almost 2000 light-years, Reidinger informed her, and all without a craft to shield you. How are you feeling?
I'm going to have the local healers give me and Vornath the once over, she told him. Let me sleep on it. Right now, I don't think I could give you polite answers to your questions.
Even across the light-years separating them, Akie could sense Reidinger's chuckle.
Sleep well, then, Prime. We'll touch base with you in the morning. Reidinger out!
Betelgeuse?
Prime David here. Everything alright, Akie?
She nodded. Was wondering if you could pass word along to my daughter, Luna, with the Lua dos Dragões expedition team. Let her know that I'm alright and ask her to look after Canth until we get there.
Roger that. We should be able to send an FTL message to Firlea's Fury and have Admiral Sharpton relay.
Copy that. I'd appreciate it. Oh, and David… thanks for the boost.
You're welcome, Prime Akie. Betelgeuse out!
Focusing on her friends at the table, Akie asked, "Any chance our old weyr is still available?"
The Benden weyr healers were very thorough with their examinations of Akie and her dragon. In the end, however, they did give both a clean bill of health, much to Akie's relief.
Lessa graciously allowed Vornath to feed from the weyr herd. It was a good thing, too. While there was wildlife on Elara that the dragons could eat, the boron the dragons needed for their diet was sorely lacking in the moon's environment. If dragons and their riders were to man this newest tower, something would have to be done to correct that lack.
Mmm, Vornath hummed, feeding on the latest juicy buck she had brought down. I'd almost forgotten what real food tasted like!
Well, don't eat too many, Akie silently chided her lifemate, chuckling all the while. Lessa might just regret having us back.
We have missed you at Benden, Ramoth quietly rumbled from the Hatching ground. You have brought my daughter up well.
Akie stared from the opening of their weyr across the vast bowl to the entrance of the Hatching ground. Ramoth offering praise?! Where the hell had that come from? It was the last thing Akie had expected to hear!
Bring your mate. My children will be hatching soon.
Seriously?! Ramoth wanted Vance to be there for the Hatching?! What the blazes was going on?
"Sharding hell!" Akie hissed, her hands inexplicably trembling. Silently, she cried out, Reidinger!
To her surprise, it wasn't the Earth Prime who responded.
They come, Akie clearly heard Elara inform her.
A heartbeat later, Artimeth appeared high above the Benden Weyr bowl, Luna and Vance astride her neck ridge. And they weren't alone. Canth flew alongside, bugling with joy at his return.
With surprising speed, Luna's dragon dove nearly straight down, breaking at the last minute into a high-G spiraling descent to the floor of the Benden Weyr bowl, coming to rest within a dragon's length of the waiting Akie and Vornath. Canth's descent was far more sedate but no less exciting, landing practically at the feet of his gently weeping lifemate.
With incredible speed and ease, Luna slid down her dragon's side, running up to wrap Akie up in a powerful hug.
Mom! Luna sobbed, her entire body trembling. You're alright! F'nor? Is he…
"He's fine, dear heart," Akie softly replied. "Look!"
Luna peered past her mother to see F'nor with his arms wrapped tightly around Canth's muzzle, tears falling unashamedly from his face.
"We felt the surge from the other Primes," Vance told her, wrapping his arms around his wife and adopted child. "Saw you vanish. Sharding hell, Akie! Two thousand light-years!"
"Nearly," she chuckled, planting a tender kiss on his worry-lined face. "And, apparently, Elara did the same thing on its own sending the lot of you back here."
"FT&T is not going to be happy about this development," Vance groaned, dreading what was sure to come.
"We can worry about that later," Akie responded, planting another kiss on his cheek. "Right now, we need to find you a Candidate's tunic."
It took a moment for that statement to register in Vance's mind. "Candidate?!"
Akie nodded, grinning from ear-to-ear. "Ramoth insists!"
Stunned speechless, all Vance could do was stare across the vast weyr bowl to the ground entrance of the Hatching ground.
They didn't have long to wait, either. Bright and early the very next morning, everyone in the weyr was roused from their sleep by the penetrating drone of all the dragons announcing the imminent hatching of Ramoth's latest clutch. They barely had time to splash water on their faces and slip into some clean clothes, Vance into his Candidate's tunic, before racing across the bowl of the weyr and into the enormously vast Hatching grounds.
Akie and Luna made their way through the throng hurrying into the vast Benden Hatching ground, taking a seat in the tiers near the front. Dragons were perched everywhere, their insistent humming causing the enormous chamber to vibrate, the excitement building as quickly as the volume.
"Luna!" Akie called out, pointing excitedly towards the entrance.
They could just make out Vance in the back of the group of male candidates for the eggs as they marched smartly forward, forming a half-circle around the rocking clutch of eggs. Close on their heels were the girl candidates, forming a small group off to the side as they awaited their chance at Impressing the queen.
He's going to get one, Luna fervently wished, squeezing Akie's hand for support. He just has to!
Abruptly, the dragons fell silent, a collective gasp echoing across the sands. Eggs began to rock, some quite vigorously, as the hatchlings within struggled to free themselves from the instrument of their birth. First one then another shell began to show cracks in their shells. As the fissures in the shells grew larger, those in the tiers began to wager which would hatch first and who among the candidates would be the chosen one.
In the middle of the nest, a rather large one suddenly burst open, spilling "A bronze!" the crowd cheered, the hatchling swinging his head one way then the other as he searched for his lifemate. The male candidates drew closer, each silently urging the hatchling to choose them. To everyone's collective amazement, the bronze pushed straight through their numbers, moving unerringly in the direction of the girl candidates. Fearing the lurching struggles of the hatchling, the girls scattered… all but one.
Teeza! Luna gasped, recognizing her friend.
The hatchling stopped, peering up into the girl's stunned expression, his creeling urgent. Luna's friend didn't hesitate. She knelt in front of the bronze hatchling, gently helping to open his wings so that they could dry. Then, carefully, lovingly, she took the hatchling's wobbly head in her hands, touching her forehead to the little dragon's. When she pulled back to meet those opalescent eyes once more, she loudly declared, "His name is Broleth!"
The gasp that swept through the crowd reflected their amazement and confusion. No woman had ever Impressed a bronze before!
Then, something even more amazing happened. Teeza felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. Turning, she found Vance standing there, smiling and nodding his acceptance of the hatchling's choice. "What should I call you?"
Slowly, Luna's friend got to her feet. "I'm… T'za, Broleth's rider!"
"Well met, T'za!" he responded, shaking her hand. "Well done!"
The hatchling butted against her legs, creeling with hunger.
"You know what to do," Vance chuckled, giving her a wink and nodding towards the entrance.
Smiling proudly, T'za rested her hand on the little bronze's neck and together they made their way out to the weyr bowl, followed closely by a pair of senior dragonriders.
Cheers broke out from the crowd as Vance made his way back over to the male candidates. There were still some eggs unhatched, all violently rocking as the hatchlings within struggled to free themselves. Surprisingly, the lone queen egg beat them out, shattering into a million shards, releasing the golden hatchling within. Several of the girls rushed forward, righting the little queen. As her rainbow hued eyes fixed on the girl steadying her wobbly head, Impression was made, several senior bronze riders stepping forth to lead the disbelieving but immensely happy new queen rider and her lifemate out to the weyr bowl to get fed.
By this point, only three eggs remained. In quick succession, they shattered… releasing a blue, a brown, and…
A bronze! Luna gasped.
The boys gathered close, jockeying for position, trying to get one of these remaining hatchlings to choose them. The ones who Impressed the blue and the brown hatchlings at first seemed disappointed that the final bronze didn't choose them, but that quickly changed to utter delight the moment Impression was made.
The knot of remaining boys began to drift in Vance's direction. Just coincidence, he reasoned. Glancing up into the tiers, he saw his little family… Luna's eyes wide with amazement… Why was Akie pointing so excitedly?
Distracted, Vance was startled when the knot of boys bumped into him. Somewhere on the other side of that remaining group, the hatchling cried out.
Lifemate!
At first, Vance was confused. He was already a T6 telepath, but that cry had practically exploded inside his head! Unexpectedly, the remaining boys parted, disappointment on their faces as they glanced his way. Now there was nothing between him and the little bronze.
Lifemate! the hatchling crooned with delight, moving closer.
Amazed and overwhelmed, Vance knelt in front of the little dragon. "You want me?!"
The little bronze answered by rubbing his wobbly head against Vance's tear-soaked cheek. He, in turn, responded with a chest-heaving sob as he threw his arms around the hatchling.
Raise him well, rider.
Hearing the unfamiliar voice, Vance looked up… into the contentedly whirling eyes of Mnementh and Ramoth.
I give you my word, noble dragons! Vance replied, slowly rising to his feet, one hand resting on his new lifemate.
With that, the two Benden dragons headed out of the Hatching ground to feed.
"Can we help?"
Blinking, Vance looked at the boys gathered around him.
"Can we help?" one repeated.
"Help?"
"With his bathing," a second explained.
"Then he'll need to be oiled!" another lad chimed in.
"And fed!" yet another told him.
Chuckling, Vance told them, "Boys, I'll take all the help I can get! Lead on!"
Up in the tiers, Akie and Luna hugged each other, tears of joy pouring down their beaming faces. Vance had finally achieved his dream of Impressing a dragon. No one could doubt the look of awe and wonder on his face as he led his new lifemate out to the weyr bowl.
You did it, Dad! Luna cheered. I'm so happy for you!
Couldn't have done it without the two of you, he replied, glancing their way as he and the group of boys escorted the little bronze out the entrance. I'm counting on you to make certain I do it right!
You're a Benden! Akie joked, love for him coming through all the same. You'll do fine! What's his name?
Startled, Vance stopped dead in his tracks, the hatchling bumping into him.
What's wrong? the little bronze wondered.
I don't even know your name!
My name is Benth… and I'm hungry!
Chuckling as he started walking again, Vance told his dragon, My apologies, noble Benth. Right this way! Dinner's waiting!
Yes, he had finally achieved his dream, but Vance knew the journey was only beginning… and he held no illusion that he and his new lifemate had a long way to go!