Author's Note

I do not own The Dragonriders of Pern, any related content or anything you see and recognise. All rights to the original creators and owners.

A big thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter!

There was soon a rush of riders in the bowl to deal with Tardreela's death. One small blue was sent down with the help of two agile greens to retrieve the body. Candidate master D'vran was handed over to the Weyr Healer as he continued to stare uselessly into the middle distance and open and close his mouth rather uselessly.

"What happened?" asked the Senior-Weyrwoman. Sirena gave her a rather succent summary. The Weyrwoman sighed heavily.

"She just fell?"

"Pretty much. There was nothing any of us could do. Yariel tried to catch her but she pulled away."

"A tragic accident," said one of the bronze riders, shaking his head. "So young, and so beautiful too. Such a waste."

"I couldn't save her," Yariel whispered. "I tried, but she just…"

Dorasa wrapped an arm around her little brother's waist. "You can't save everyone."

"But I should have been able to save her. I was right there."

Dorasa sighed. Yariel had had a saving thing since the day she was kidnapped (the first time), starting his first quest, and after seeing so much death, hated not being able to save anyone, no matter how small they were.

"If I hadn't got in that fight with her…"

"You weren't to know."

"I should have held my temper. Things were meant to be better here."

She squeezed him tight. "Sometimes there's just nothing you can do. Come on, let's go get cleaned up."

He followed her back to the barracks, Glimmer and Marvel draped miserably over his shoulders. Ric and Sal tried to chirp encouragement, to no avail. Dorasa left him at the boys' barracks and returned to the girls' barracks to bathe and change. She was covered in cuts and scratches from Tardreela's firelizards, long, scarlet red gashes that marred her tanned skin. Those that were deep stung as she entered the water and Sal and Ric wittered at her pain. Glimmer winked from between to perch on the edge of the pool. Dorasa raised an eyebrow. "Yariel you pervert."

Glimmer gave her a flash of blood and a question mark. Dorasa sent Sal back with her with an image of her being fine – and also naked. This time Marvel returned with Sal, carrying a message of embarrassed indignation. Dorasa laughed and sent him back to Yariel.

"Was that really necessary?" he grumbled as they walked down to the hall for breakfast. Dorasa laughed.

"I don't tend to bathe with my clothes on baby brother."

"Child," he muttered. She grinned, and he grinned back.

There were much fewer people in the hall than there had been the previous day. It didn't take a genius to work out why. Dorasa ladled them both a bowl of porridge and they chose seats.

"Do you think it will be better here?" Yariel asked after swallowing a mouthful of porridge.

"I think we need to give it time. We've only been here two days."

Yariel nodded, and then tipped his head, reaching out to push a section of her scarlet hair aside. "You're bruising."

Dorasa traced her fingers over the tender spot where the now unfortunately deceased Tardreela had struck her. "It's nothing."

He brushed his fingers over one of the gashes on her arm. "And those lizards of hers did some damage."

"You know full well it'll heal up. Don't worry about it."

"Do you need to see the Healer?"

"For a few scratches that'll be healed up by morning? No."

Luckily, his attention was diverted at that moment by a man wearing bronzerider's knots entering with a blonde girl in a ragged old knee length tunic, though even the clothing and dirt couldn't distract from her beauty. A brown firelizard sat on one of her shoulders and a green on the other. The rider took her to Jurdree, who led her away into the kitchens.

"New candidate do you think?" Yariel asked.

"Why? Are you interested baby brother?"

He flushed scarlet with indignation. She laughed and laughed.

The girl was indeed a new candidate. Her name was Ellador and she was eighteen turns of age. The reason Jurdree had had to take her away was that, much like Annaliessa, she had arrived with absolutely nothing and needed to be equipped with clothing and necessities.

Dorasa could admit she was beautiful, and a sweet enough girl, but after ten minutes of conversation it became all too painfully apparent that she simply... well, wasn't that bright. Still, she was a sunny, bright spirited girl who seemed to have a good heart, and her fire lizards were happy enough.

She wasn't great on conversation topics, but there were worse people for company.

Candidate master D'vran remained in the hospital wing after witnessing the... event this morning. The official story was that he was suffering from watching one of the candidates in his care die a tragic and ultimately pointless death, but they all (except Ellador, who hadn't arrived yet at that point) knew the truth.

As a result, they were to join lessons with candidate master R'ton and the boys until further notice, a term which here means until D'vran recovered enough to return to duties or a new candidate master for the girls was found. R'ton was a bronzerider, a tall, lanky man with a slight limp.

"Don't expect special treatment just because you're girls," he grunted as he showed them into the classroom, and that should have been that.

"Why are they in here?" whined a thin faced boy with silver-blonde hair and pale eyes. "They're girls!"

"Nicely identified," Dorasa muttered to Yariel.

"Because I say so, now get to work copying that scroll."

"When my father hears about this-"

"He won't have time to interfere, now copy the fardling scroll Dralyoco."

The scroll in question was one of dragon anatomy, depicting the basics of dragon physiology. It wasn't all that much different from the twin bronze firelizards currently twined around Dorasa's neck asleep.

"Now, your dragons might look small at first, but they will be hungry, and they will grow, quickly. You will need to feed your dragon and keep them oiled."

Dorasa put her hand up.

"Yes, you with the red hair."

"Sir, what are the differences between a dragon and a firelizard in terms of physiology. Other than size, obviously."

He blinked and then smiled at her. "A good question."

Lessons lasted the entirety of the morning and into the early afternoon, when they were released for lunch and then chores. It wasn't so different from Porret Hold Dorasa supposed as she scrubbed the kitchen floor. Accoring to Sirena, they had two hours of duties and chores a day, and then they were free to explore the island and Weyr and use their free time as they wished.

So maybe that part differed from the constant work at Porret.

Ellador sang as she worked, and her firelizards hummed along with her. It was actually quite irritating, but it seemed to make the girl happy, so Dorasa left her to it. Kuyaran, when she was called into the kitchen to help Ellador chop vegetables, did not. "Knock it off with that racket would you?"

Ellador's baby blue eyes filled with tears. "What- What racket?"

"That noise you call singing. It's giving me a headache."

"Then go drown yourself in Fellis and leave the girl to her music," Dorasa snapped primly. "She's not hurting anyone."

Ellador blushed, but she didn't sing any more after that.

Jurdree brought the next girl in to join them. She was a broad shouldered girl with a round, flat face, square, flattish nose, small dark beady eyes, and thick lips, wearing a terrible yellow dress that absolutely did not suit her.

"Girls, this is our new female candidate, Mary Sue."

"Good to meet you," chirped Ellador.

Kuyaran only grunted, and Dorasa lifted her dirty and soap covered hands. "I'd shake hands, but, uh-"

"Eh, I've touched worse," said Mary Sue, and took her hand. "Nice to meet you all. Is this all the girls? When do the eggs hatch?"

Kuyaran burst out laughing.

All Dorasa could think about was how they had to get that poor girl some better clothes.

They spoke to Mary Sue as they worked and set the questions into context. Apparently she knew a girl who had stood as a candidate at Igen Weyr, and there had only been three candidates for the Queen dragon there.

"Fardles, only three?" Kuyaran was aghast. "They were flaming lucky she picked one of them!"

"She didn't, she impressed a girl in the stands," replied Mary Sue.

Kuyaran shook her head, speechless.

They also learnt they had only flown the girls in the night before the Hatching.

"So no touching?" Kuyaran asked.

"Touching?"

"Where you see the eggs."

"Oh. No."

Kuyaran huffed and said nothing more.

Once they had finished with chores they went back to the candidate barracks, where Dorasa looked through Mary Sue's clothes. All of it was either too big, too small, or an ill suiting colour.

"Who chooses your clothes?"

"It's hand-me-downs."

"That makes sense."

Dorasa took her to the lower caverns to get her something better suited ordered.

The last girl to arrive that day was Princess Lilyen Adalicia Midnight. She was brought in by a young bronzerider who acted as though she was the greatest thing to ever grace the planet of Pern and dropped off in the candidate's barracks as it was almost curfew for the candidates. She was a tall, willowy girl with skin so pale Dorasa had to wonder if she knew what the sun was. In contrast, her hair was ink black with a purple sheen, falling pin straight to her knees. Her eyes were a glittering shade of pale blue and shimmered as though they had seen all the sadness in the world. On her shoulders sat two firelizards that looked newly hatched, a gold and a bronze.

"Welcome to Sunspyre Weyr," Sirena said, and launched into her speech to introduce herself and the rules. "Did you bring any belongings with you?"

Tears shone in Princess Lilyen Adalicia Midnight's beautiful baby blue eyes. "Oh, no. My father threw me out after I accidentally impressed the firelizards gifted to him by our Lord Holder after I saved his son from a tragic Threadfall accident." She gazed mistily into the distance. "I feel so lucky I'dot and Denseth picked me up! I would have died in the Threadfall otherwise!"

"No," grunted Kuyaran.

"What?"

"The correct answer to the question Sirena asked was 'no.' You're welcome."

Princess Lilyen Adalicia Midnight stalked over to scowl at her. "And you're very rude."

"So what? I'm a bronzerider's daughter, I can say what I like. And I say the correct answer was 'no.'"

Sirena hurried over to break things up and take Princess Lilyen Adalicia Midnight's arm. "These are your chambers. I'll lend you a nightgown for tonight, and we'll get you fitted for clothes in the morning."

"Oh, no. I have a nightgown in my bag." Princess Lilyen Adalicia Midnight touched the bag Dorasa could have sworn she wasn't carrying before.

"Alright. Then I'll see you in the morning."

Dorasa decided that was a good time for her to retire too, especially since she was getting up to train with Yariel in the morning again.

They were just finishing up their training in the morning when the next candidate arrived. This time it was a pleasant surprise as the familiar brunette girl slid from the dragon's back.

"Mia?" asked Yariel in a little disbelief.

The girl stared at them for a moment and then a grin broke out across her face. "Yariel! Dorasa! Oh my gosh! What are you doing here?"

"We're candidates here, same as you I'm guessing."

"Yes!" squealed Mia, racing over to wrap her arms around them in a tight hug. "Goodness it's good to see you two! I haven't seen you in ages! Can you believe this, us all being here?"

Yariel stepped neatly around her to help the rider lift her trunk down from the dragon.

"Oh." Mia blushed scarlet. "Sorry. I forgot about that. These are friends of mine."

The rider laughed. "I gathered. Jaraneth wants to eat and sleep now, so I'll leave you with them."

"Of course! Thank you!"

They took a handle of her trunk each and lifted it, carrying it back towards the barracks.

"So how long have you been here?"

"A few days now."

"Are any of the other candidates here yet? What are they like?"

"Most of them are nice enough," replied Dorasa. "You can bunk with me if you want."

"Absolutely!"

A few of the other girls were up by the time they got back to the barracks. They dropped Mia's trunk off in their chambers and introduced her.

Annaliessa frowned. "So how do you three know each other?"

Princess Lilyen Adalicia Midnight gasped. "Annaliessa! You can't ask such questions; it's rude!"

"Oh, no, it's no problem," Dorasa assured her quickly.

"Mia helped us with some of our questing missions. She's a good friend," Yariel explained.

Revina scowled at her.

The man saying he was their new candidate master arrived as they were waiting on Tummi and Jakeiria so they could go out to morning exercises. He was a tall, tall man, with a balding head and round, round eyes. He wore an eyesore of a jacket made from many bright colours that clashed and knee high boots with painted red heels and blue laces. On his shoulder was a lump of fabric sewed to look roughly like a firelizard. "Good morning, good morning female candidates."

Sirena eyed him. "Who are you?"

"I am your new candidate master."

"I don't recognise you."

"That's because I'm new! And I don't come out very much. Teenagers, who'd want to be around them?"

"I've lived here my entire life; I know every rider in this weyr!"

"I transferred if you must know Miss Nosey. Last night. At the last moment. To be candidate master. For you. Are there any more questions?"

"Why do you have a lump of fabric on your shoulder?" asked Annaliessa.

"Why are you wearing such terrible clothes?" asked Jakeiria.

"Why didn't any of the other riders come to introduce you?" asked Revina.

"Bad disguise?" asked Solaris, which of course actually meant 'are you really Lord Taff in disguise?'

All the girls looked at her.

She shrugged. "Wha?"

"She's right," said Indigo. "That is a terrible disguise."

"It is not a terrib- It is not a disguise! Now, I want you all to get out there and run fifty laps around the island!"

Gasps and groans of horror came from the gathered candidates.

"Except you, and you, and you." He pointed at Indigo, Solaris, and Yariel. "You can run one hundred."

"What? Why?"

"Because I've been told you're orphans, and I don't like orphans."

Uproar erupted in the common room.

"That's not fair!" snapped Kuyaran.

"I don't care!"

"You do realise I'm an orphan too?" Dorasa asked slowly.

"You what?"

"And me," said Annaliessa.

"Yes," said Yornam.

"What? But you can't all be orphans!"

"And why not?" challenged Dorasa.

"Gah! I'm surrounded by them! Just- Get out there and run your laps! One hundred and fifty times around the island. For all of you!"

They filtered out before he decided to spew any more nonsense. Indigo siddled up to Sirena. "That man is not a dragonrider."

"I know. I'll speak to my mom."

"No, I mean that man is clearly Lord Taff in a bad disguise."

"Bad disguise," agreed Solaris.

"And he is..?"

"He's a terrible man who keeps trying to kidnap us and make us tell him where our parents left our inheritance."

"Bad man," agreed Solaris.

"Let's go talk to my mum," said Sirena.

They all went, the group of seventeen of them (eighteen if one counted Solaris), straight to the Senior-Weyrwoman's quarters instead of out to run laps around the island.

"We wanted to talk about the new candidate master," Sirena said when they were all gathered inside.

The Weyrwoman frowned. "What new candidate master?"

Sirena opened her mouth and then frowned. "Did he ever give a name?"

They looked around at each other.

"I don't think he did," replied Kuyaran.

"He didn't give a name and you just decided to accept him as the candidate master?" asked the Weyrleader, wandering over wearing nothing but a tunic.

"Well, no. That's why we're here," Sirena said.

"Fine. What does he look like, this man?"

"Tall," said Revina.

"Going bald," said Ritilia.

"Round eyes," said Naeressa.

"Badly made stuffed firelizard on his shoulder," said Kuyaran.

"Terrible fashion sense," said Jakeiria.

"Lord Taff," said Solaris.

The Weyrleader frowned at her. "Sirena, why is one of the candidates a small toddler?"

"Oh, this is Solaris. Indigo insists on keeping her with her."

"Yours is she?" he asked, looking at Indigo.

"No sir. She's my sister."

"Never mind that," snapped the Weyrwoman. "I want to know who this man is and what he's doing here!" She turned to the Weyrleader. "Find him, detain him, and find out."

"On it."

"Girls, I think it's best you stay out of the way and safe until we know who this man is."

"Lord Taff," repeated Solaris. Sirena sighed.

"Indigo thinks he's a man who keeps trying to kidnap her."

"I see. Well, we'll soon find out. Take the girls down to the empty Queen's weyr at the end. I'll have breakfast brought up to you."

They gathered in the empty weyr. It was strange to think that if things went well then in a year's time she might have a weyr like this of her own.

Indigo didn't seem to be able to settle. She sat first on the stone sofa with Solaris on her lap, then stood and paced the weyr for a while before stopping on the ledge overlooking the lake. Evidently she wasn't happy there either, because she soon began to pace again. Solaris tottered along at her heels.

Jurdree brought them breakfast and told them no man had been found in the candidate barracks or in any good supervising places. The riders were currently searching the island for him.

"It'll be somewhere obvious. He's very good at blending in," Indigo said.

"Pah," said Solaris.

They stayed in the empty weyr all day. R'ton brought them a scroll to study and copy with the help of the three weyrbred girls.

"Is it always like this?" asked Mia.

"Not always. You arrived at a bad time," Sirena replied.

Arguably, Diazaikko-Lovea, the next girl to arrive arrived at an even worse time. Jurdree brought her through to join them. She was a delicate, dainty looking creature of fourteen, with hair of the palest gold, in clothes of the finest makes. Her eyes were a pale yellow when she arrived, but began taking on soft purple and blue hues as the time went by. Annaliessa (of course) asked her about it.

"Oh, that's normal for me. My eyes change colour with my emotions. My mother used to say it was a special gift of our bloodline, but she died shortly after I was born, so I can't ask her about it."

The colour in her eyes changed to a pale grey. The other girls clamoured round her to 'ooh' and offer support. Yariel huffed. "Bet I could do that too."

Dorasa grinned. "What, you want all the attention of the girls?"

He grinned back. "Nope. Only two of them."

The riders didn't find the man, this Lord Taff as Indigo insisted he was. The girls voted, almost unanimously, to leave the weyr at suppertime, take the meal and return to the candidate barracks. Dorasa settled into her bunk for the night. "I'll be up early in the morning for training with Yariel. Sorry if I wake you."

"Can I come?" asked Mia.

"You know you're always welcome."

Author's Note

So who's ready for some drama? Because there's totally about to be some (more) drama.