Author's Note
I do not own the Dragonriders of Pern or any related material. All rights belong to their rightful owners.
She was found in the crop field one morning, laid in a heap with several small bronze and blue fire-lizards clustered around her to keep her warm. There was nothing to say who she was or where she had come from. Her clothes were tattered rags, strategically covering only her necessary parts, and her long hair was tangled with mud and plants. The farmer's daughter who found her called for her father and woke her. "Hello. My name's Rasia. What's yours?"
She stared at her with slightly too large eyes the colour of the morning sun.
"You're asleep on my father's farm. Are you okay?"
"Yoo ookay?"
"I'm more worried about you. What's your name?"
"Yornam."
"Is that your name?"
"Yornam."
Her father strode across the field. "What's all this then?"
"I think she's hurt."
"Aye, that's what they all say." He grabbed at the girl's arm. She shuffled away. He grabbed her and yanked her to her feet. "What's your game then?"
"Father! She could be hurt!"
"Hurt? She's trespassing is what she's doing!"
"But father! Look at her!"
She stared at them with those slightly too large golden eyes. In some places what they could see of her golden skin was marked by bruises and deep scratches.
"We can't leave her out here like this. Thread's due in a few hours."
Her father sighed. "Fine. Bring her inside. Mebe she can make herself useful."
Rasia led her into the house and gave her a hunk of bread and butter, which she only stared at. "It's food. It's for eating."
Yornam frowned. "Eetin."
"Yes. Like-" Rasia mimed eating the bread. Cautiously, Yornam took a bite. She smiled and nodded.
"Eetin."
Once she had finished, Rasia showed her into the bathing room and brought her some clothing. Yornam stared at the wooden tub as if she didn't know what to do. Rasia had to help her bathe like she did her youngest brother, Sidan, who was only four. Her skin was crusted with weeks worth of dirt, but underneath it was a deep bronze, almost golden colour, and it took almost an hour to wash the filth from her hair. It turned out the brown colour had only been from the dirt and underneath her hair was a beautiful combination of green, blue, brown, bronze and gold, striped through from the roots.
Rasia wondered if it was dyed.
"So where are you from?" she asked.
"Yafrom."
"I've never heard of that. Is that your family?"
"Famlee."
Rasia frowned. "Can you… actually talk?"
"Tawk."
That was a no.
They asked around at the Hold, and put out messages through the Healing Hall, but no one seemed to be missing her. In the meantime, she stayed with them. Rasia taught her to talk, which she picked up quickly, and she was good at helping with the housework and little ones, which freed Rasia to work on the farm with her father. The children loved her fire-lizards, of which she seemed to have between eight and fifteen of varying colours, including one that Rasia caught a glimpse of and could have sworn was white, and at least one queen.
It helped that she was pretty hot too.
Yornam had been with them nearly a full turn when two dragons swooped overhead and came down for a neat landing. The children squealed in excitement and charged out to see with Yornam close behind.
"Hello?" Yornam asked, gathering the six children around her.
"Good afternoon. I am G'ron, rider of bronze Daserenth. This is K'ret, rider of blue Nasaroth."
"Nice to meet you," Yornam said like Rasia had taught her. Dasian sighed at her numbness.
"How can we help you Riders? Would you like some refreshments?"
"That would be nice."
Dasian sent the next oldest children, who were twins, off to fetch bread and klah for the dragonriders as Rasia and her father arrived in from the fields.
"Riders. Can we help?"
"We ride on Search. My dragon, Daserenth, felt a very strong presence here." He gazed at Yornam's beauty. "And I believe we have found it."
Yornam only stared at them with her large gold eyes.
"What is your name?"
"Yornam."
"Well Yornam, you have the opportunity to stand for a dragon at Sunspyre weyr. The decision is yours."
The twins returned with klah and bread, which the dragonriders took gratefully. Yornam looked to Rasia for an explanation. "I don't understand."
"Do you remember what I've taught you about the dragonriders?"
"Yes."
"They want you to try and become a dragonrider."
"I can do that?"
"It's up to you."
Her fire-lizards fluttered around her, cheeping encouragement. Yornam scratched the head of a bronze. "I will go. I don't belong here anyway."
"That's not true! You'll always have a home here, we all love you!" Especially her, although Rasia would never say that of course.
"Thank you."
"Your children have the capacity to attract a dragon too. The smaller ones are too young, but the oldest two could stand if they wished."
Rasia and Dasian looked to their father.
"The decision is yours."
"If we both go, how will father care for the farm and the little ones?" Rasia asked her brother.
"You go," Dasian replied.
"What? No, you have a better chance of impression. There's only one egg I can stand for." And she wouldn't want to anyway.
"Sunspyre puts girls to green you know. Besides, I could always stand when I'm older and the little ones can care for themselves. You'd have to wait for another gold egg."
Rasia smiled and pulled him tight into a hug. "Thank you." She turned to the dragonriders. "I would like to stand as a candidate."
Dasian stepped back to his father's side. "I will remain here. My father will need the help on the farm."
"Very well. You may have some time to pack and say goodbye."
Rasia packed a few dresses and toiletries for them both and said her goodbyes to her family. "It's not forever. We'll see each other again."
Dasian wrapped his arms tight around her. "Good luck."
And so it was that Yornam (and Rasia) set off to the Weyr in hopes of impressing a dragon (and just maybe, finding love).
Author's Note
The titling for this chapter might be subject to change. I was and still am kinda unsure as to whether to title it for Rasia or Yornam, since it's pretty much both of them.