Author's Note

I do not own the Dragonriders of Pern.

The sands were hot, burning hot, even through her boots. Whispers and feelings that she couldn't quite identify danced around her. Cataeliana's discomfort bounced back to Ketielean, who was – for once – waiting with the other boys, since Sirena had made it abundantly clear that 'whichever one of you is the boy has to wait with the other boys. It wouldn't be fair on them otherwise.' Still, it didn't feel natural to be so far apart from him. Cat couldn't remember the last time they had so much distance and so many walls between them. She could feel Ket's discomfort at the separation amplifying her own, as well as the dull pain from the hot sands.

'I don't like this.'

'Me either.'

The thoughts bounced back and forth between them, increasing her anxiety.

Nareth's great form loomed over her precious golden eggs protectively. Each of the girls cursied neatly to her as they passed. She rumbled softly, judging their acceptability to her prized golden daughters and other children. Cat could feel her protectiveness and love for the eggs, her adoration of her rider, and a gentle compassion that seemed to be aimed towards Sirena.

And then for a split second – no, less than a second, a flash, an instant – there was something else.

Pain.

Panic.

Horror.

Heartbreak.

It felt like her heart was being torn apart inside her chest.

It was all over in less than a second, but in that time Cat had stumbled and fell to her knees in the hot sand. Several tears rolled down her cheek. She heard Ket's voice cry out from somewhere inside her head and the calls of some of the other girls, but somehow couldn't bring herself to move even though that terrible, awful feeling was gone now. It felt like she was paralysed, still feeling that awful flash of-

Something.

There were footsteps, and a familiar voice called to her. "Cataeliana. Is everything alright?"

Cat finally managed to scramble to her feet and stared up at the Queen dragon, half expecting to feel that terrible flash of pain and heartbreak again.

She didn't.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, the words pouring out of her. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

With that she turned and bolted, fleeing back over the sands, careful not to knock into any of the outlying eggs.

'I'm coming.'

'Yes.'

She barely noticed when she was off the hot sands, keeping on running until she ran straight into Ket coming the other way, sending both of them crashing to the ground. Shock from the impact jolted through them. She felt the pain from his elbow hitting the ground and he felt her hands scrape against the rough stone. They stared at each other.

'Did you feel that?'

'Yes I felt it.'

'What was that?'

'Don't know.'

'No.'

It was only then she sensed R'ton, who had followed Ket from the cavern where the boys and three sisters standing for green were waiting.

"Is something happening in there?" he asked roughly. Cat shook her head shakily: it was about all she could manage.

"Then you ought to be at the touching girl."

She shook her head again. How could she go back in there, back to those hot sands and that Queen dragon and the heartbreak? How could she go back?

R'ton sighed and held a hand out. Normally candidates fled at the Hatching itself, not the egg Touchings.

"I'll take you out with the boys."

She didn't react and didn't take his hand, but did manage to limp to her feet, pulling her brother with her. The two of them followed him back to where the male candidates were waiting. Seeing Cat, a few of them stood.

"Is it our turn now?" asked one.

"Not yet."

"But what's she doing here then?" whined Dralyoco.

"None of your business," grunted the candidate master.

"But-"

"Leave it!"

It was another few minutes before she could find any strength and get her voice back. She fixed her eyes on the candidate master.

'Do we tell him?'

'We should.'

'We should.'

They rose as one and wove their way between the other candidates to stand in front of R'ton.

"How you feeling girl?" he asked, as if he knew which one of them was which.

"B-b-bet-tter," said Ket, the word still clumsy from shock.

"Good."

Cat wet her mouth and reminded herself to speak aloud and not mentally. "S-s-sum-something t-terrible is going to happen," she managed, barely a whisper. R'ton frowned.

"What was that?"

Cat swallowed.

'Again?'

'Again.'

'Again.'

"S-something t-terrible is g-going to h-happen." Her voice sounded stronger this time, more like her.

"Well, we've certainly had enough of that. Do you know what?"

Cat couldn't answer.

R'ton's eyes glazed momentarily and then he began calling for the candidates to line up. It was their turn to enter for the Touching. Ket squeezed Cat's hand.

'Are you good?'

'I'm good.'

'Will you manage?'

'I will manage.'

'We'll manage.'

'We'll manage.'

They joined one of the lines and followed back out to the sands. The heat hit them like a wall, and this time the discomfort was bounced back and forth between them. With both of them there she could hear the whispers better, tickling at the back of her mind. Cat half expected to feel that dreadful terror and heartbreak a second time, but this time there was nothing. She didn't dare go back towards Nareth and her golden daughters though, instead staying amongst the other, mottled eggs. There were three that seemed to be attracting the most interest amongst the boys: one which was bigger even than the two Queen eggs and two more which were smaller, but amongst the biggest in the clutch.

"They'll be bronzes," one boy said excitedly. One of the other boys, Dralyoco, was stroking the huge egg possessively, his eyes coveting and full of desire. Cat gazed at the large egg. There was… something, a desire, a need.

'Do you feel that?'

'Yes I feel that.'

They drifted over to reach for the egg, the feeling of curiosity bouncing between them.

"Back off!" snapped Dralyoco. "Bronzes don't impress girls or girly boy freaks."

"Pretty sure they don't go for stuck up daddy's boys either," snapped another of the weyrbred boys who had been looking at the egg.

"Boys!" snapped R'ton. "The young dragons should have the chance to sense all of you."

Cat reached for the egg. It felt strangely leathery. The whispers grew louder, echoed feelings that bounced around behind her eyes and made her itch. She rubbed at her leg as Ket scratched at his neck.

'Feels itchy.'

'Yes.'

Dralyoco scowled at them and muttered something that sounded like 'when my father finds out.' Ket ran his own hands over the egg and the whispers grew louder still.

"Freaks," muttered Dralyoco.

The other candidates had scattered across the sands. Many of the boys were clustered around the bigger eggs, Those girls that were only hoping for a Queen had left, but others were joining those few boys looking at the smaller eggs that might contain greens.

Cat hated to leave The Whispering Egg, but there were other boys coming over now and R'ton said they should see all the eggs. Besides, there could only be one dragon in the egg, and there were two of them. They moved away from it and drifted amongst the other eggs of the clutch. Sirena had stopped beside one of the two smallest eggs in the clutch and was kneeling running her hands over the shell with her eyes closed.

'What's she doing?'

'Not sure.'

They passed her by in favour of stopping at some of the other eggs ignored by the candidates, those too small to be of interest to the boys and too big for the girls. They whispered a little, but it was like listening to echoes, too distant to identify, too weak to hang onto. Cat was constantly aware of the large Queen, keeping carefully away from her rainbow gaze and still remembering that one awful moment of dreadful piercing fear.

All too soon it was all over and they were gathered up and herded from the sands. Many candidates gave one last look back. Cat and Ket were careful to keep their gaze fixed ahead.

Back in the girls' barracks they approached Sirena with their concerns, the memory of that terrifying flash of pain and heartbreak still echoing inside their heads even if the shock of it had faded.

"Something dreadful is going to happen," they said, their voices stronger when they spoke together. Sirena frowned and glanced between them.

"Do you know what?"

"No."

"Or when?"

"No."

"Right. Well, I'll keep a watch, but without knowing what I can't put out a warning."

"Isn't there anything you can do?"

"I can't warn my mother against unspecified 'bad things.'"

That was… understandable. But still…

Cat felt that horrific heartache every time she closed her eyes. It jarred her awake again when she tried to sleep that night, this time with a flash of bronze and red, silver and bronze behind her eyes.

She tried to tell herself it was an image created because they were afraid of the feeling, but something in her said otherwise.

Something terrible was going to happen.

She had felt it.