Disclaimer: I don't own Pern. I do, however own most of the characters in this story.

Note: The New York in this story is totally my own creation, including my version of Central Park, so likely none of it will be familiar except the Empire State Building.

Chapter Eight: Earth

Tristan Charleston, though not the best public singer could create a lovely, pure tone if he put his mind to it. He joined in with the flute-playing dragonrider, not singing in words but in pure sound, half-syllables and just simple notes. When the trio finished their haunting, lonely song and the woman put her flute down on her lap to glance back and forth between his hiding place and what he assumed was the second flutist's hiding spot he didn't immediately reveal himself. He was quite aware that one snap from the creature he thought could only be a real dragon would end his life.

But the youngish woman –she had to be less than twenty and very tall– waited patiently, not speaking, motionless. Tristan had no such ability to stay still. His leg cramped and he shifted, rustling some leaves under him. The dragonrider , (for that must be what she was if the creature was as she seemed a dragon) turned to face his hiding place. In the growing moonlight and fading twilight he could see she was very lovely. She sat, only sat. After a moment he stood up, brushed a leaf from his hair and, with a mental shrug, stepped out from behind his bush.

The dragonrider frowned slightly, cocking her head to the side a little, and held her flute tighter. He knew what she likely was thinking: his clear pitch was crazy for a boy. It had often been remarked upon in high school.

Then the hidden flutist came out, clutching her instrument in both hands. They all stared at each other.

000

Jessica glanced at the boy; he seemed normal enough, and she dismissed him as someone who had simply stumbled on the dragon and rider as she had. But the dragon…

Now that was one impressive creature! He eyes opened, and she raised her head– looking right at the newcomers, who hastily retreated. The golden creature's rider stood with one unknown word, holding out her hand in a gesture of entreaty. They froze, looking between her and her dragon. She was frowning slightly, as if unsure of what they were doing. And the dragonrider towered over Jessica and the boy. After a moment Jess stepped forward again and gave a little cough.

"Hello," she said. She felt it would be good to be formal and 'hi' or 'hey' just didn't quite seem right. It wasn't often a golden dragon and rider made a crash landing in the middle of Central Park.

"Greetings." They both paused, unsure. "I am Nairyry, rider of Thyrath." An image of the rider came into her head, along with one word: Nairyry. To that came a picture of the golden dragon, and the word Thyrath, the name Nairyry had called out earlier. A questioning thought followed, then nothing. She exchanged frightened looks with the boy. Now she rubbed the dragon's eye ridge again, smiling affectionately at the huge creature.

"Oh… um, I'm Tristan…"

"Jessica, or Jess."

The dragonrider smiled,. "Thank you. Um…" She paused looking around. "Where exactly are we? I think it is not Pern, for there are no dragons that Thyrath or I can sense and you do not seem familiar with her kind, but perhaps they have their Weyrs elsewhere? Another continent, perhaps?"

The two exchanged glances. "It's New York. We're in Central Park, right now, but bigger than that, America or the United States, and Earth-"

"Earth?" That seemed to startle her. "So my dream was a memory…" This last she said more to herself. Her dragon rumbled discontentedly. Tristan looked over at Jess and raised his eye brows, then jerked his head slightly at the dragonrider they now knew as Nairyry and golden Thyrath.

"What's the betting the FBI, the CIA and Animal Control all show up within the next ten minutes?" he asked dryly.

She glared at him. "Oh, that's nice," she retorted, then looked back at the dragonrider. Jess crossed her eyes, stuck out her tongue and jabbed her thumb at Tristan. Nairyry smiled laughingly and a small giggle popped out before she schooled her expression again, though her eyes still twinkled.

"Whad'ya know. An… out-of-towner with a very in-town sense of humor," she said to herself. When the dragon lifted her head to nudge her rider she caught her breath in her chest. The dragon extended her head, but when they both stepped back hastily she withdrew it on her long neck.

Nairyry frowned again, and put one hand on Thyrath's cheek. She extended one hand to the younger people and beckoned them closer. "Come! They do not harm humans." The gold dragon rumbled again when they looked at each other and shifted her body. They stepped a little closer, and Nairyry turned to say something to her dragon again. Thyrath snorted. Nairyry came over to them and gently gave each a little nudge towards the dragon, who blinked gently at Jess and Tristan. The dragonrider again put her hand on the queen's huge cheek and motioned for them to do the same.

Hesitantly Jess ran a hand over Thyrath's nose, and Tristan did the same. Reverently they stroked the dragon, who closed one of those multiple eyelids in pleasure. Nairyry took Jess's hand and placed it on the eye ridge, showing how her dragon liked to be rubbed there. Jess grinned at her, loosing some of her shyness already, and the dragonrider grinned back.

"You know, they can't exactly chill here forever, you know," remarked Tristan a little later as he gave Thyrath a last pat and stood back. "For one, think of how much this lady must eat on her own. And another; what are people going to say when they find them? They will eventually, you know. They aren't that far off the path."

Jess frowned. "You're right. Maybe… I know this place, but it's kinda hard to get to." Thyrath rumbled and shifted so she could look Jess directly in the eyes. She could see herself reflected in the many facets. Instinctively she closed her eyes and thought of the place, the large, warm beach, the enclosing cliffs from some quarry there a long time ago…

Thyrath rumbled again and she opened her eyes.

"Yeah, I think that'd be good for now, until her wing's healed," she told Tristan thoughtfully, and he shrugged. "But what about Nairyry?" The dragonrider looked up at the sound of her name and smiled at them from where she had been leaning, eyes closed, against Thyrath's shoulder. Her stomach rumbled rather audibly, and she winced, then grimaced, then closed her eyes again, face serenely melancholy.

Jess shrugged and smiled a little sadly. "My dad'll hardly notice. I'll bring her home and feed her up. She looks like she could use it. Hey, Nairyry! Do you want to come with me for a while?"

She looked a little startled, but after a moment of apparent consultation with Thyrath nodded. "I suppose I must rely upon others' generosity for now." She grimaced slightly. "It is not something Southern riders are used to." The explanation confused them more.

Jess arranged a meeting there in the morning, then took Nairyry's forearm, and the pair left with a last farewell to the gold dragon. At last only Thyrath and Tristan were left in the clearing.

She raised her head to gaze at the stars, closed all but her last eye lid and them slowly lowered the last and set her head on the ground. The moonlight and starlight shimmered over her golden hide as she lay, mostly ignoring the boy as he just watched her.

Thyrath really was an impressive creature. No, he decided, the Animal Control would not come for her. She was no animal. Not human, certainly, but very different from an animal. It must have been her who had spoken to him. Tristan looked once more at the huge and yet graceful golden beauty, then retrieved his backpack and left.

He had planed to watch a new movie his mother had given him, something about an evil dragon that ran around killing people and then tried to destroy the world (honestly, couldn't bad guys come up with something besides destroying the world or ruling the world all the time?!) but just didn't feel in the mood to hear about evil dragons after the perfectly nice one he'd just met.

Then Tristan stopped and smiled, then grinned. Finally he burst out into laughter. He finally got himself under control and strode home with only a slight chuckle at the absurdity of his evening.

He was unaware that Thyrath opened her eyes as he left, regarding him thoughtfully. Then she made a contented noise, nodded to herself, and fell asleep fully.