Chapter two; discovery.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pern

The day started beautiful, the sun was bright and the day clear. Tamora started with the ritual of washing in the river and getting dressed in her ragged clothes. She looked into the mirror, a reminiscence of their rich days. She put her hands on her hips. She had a slender body, she was not surprised as she normally went without food. She touched her well shaped chin. She had a pointed face, small nose, well shaped lips, green angler eyes surrounded by auburn hair. She had arched eyebrows, she thought herself pretty, but not beautiful.

'Tamora! Hurry up!' Tamora winced. That was her mother, Corona. She was a very small person, sweet, but very demanding. She sighed. She walked from the room she shared with her sisters into the main room.

It was a large room. A cooking hearth stood at one end with a spit. A table with twelve chairs stood in front of it. The rest of the room was split into two sections, one for the woman's tasks and the other for the men's. Tamora sat down at the table. Next to her sat her brother, Venana, he was a tall man, twenty turns old. He was handsome with long brown hair. Her other brother, Cornice, who was a turn older then her at sixteen. He, to, was handsome with black hair and he was tall. Next to him sat her oldest sister, Kiana, eighteen. She had long blonde hair and face like her own. Her other sister, Vivian, fourteen turns old, was sitting opposite her. She was exactly like her mother. Her farther, Venice, sat at the end. He was a tall, proud man. Broad shoulders with shoulder long blonde hair. Her mother placed bowls of porridge in front of them.

She sat in her place at the other end of the table, picked up a spoon and started to eat. The others followed suit. After they had eaten, Corona picked up the bowls and put them into the sink. She took the water that was heating on the fire and poured it over the dishes.

'Come on children, you have hunting to do, we cannot afford to miss out on this years tithe.' Venice said seriously, he was normally a humorous man, but they all knew why he was like this. Their lord holder, Laudey of Igen hold, said that if they did not provide this year's tithe, then they would be made holdless. They got themselves ready for the hunt. When they were ready, the gathered in the main room for instructions. Venice cleared his throat.

'Now, today…' he started, then a sharp, urgent tapping came from the door. Venice went to the door and opened it. In the doorway stood an angry man. He was wearing a minor holders knot.

'My name is Dovan, I'm here on urgent business.' His gaze swept over all of them. His eyes briefly paused on Tamora. Tamora knew that he had hoped to espouse her, but she had no interest since he was old and she was only fifteen. That was one of the reasons he hated her father.

'Lord Laudey has sent me to you to send out your family.'

'Why?' Her father asked politely, though he had paled slightly. Dovan looked at him in distain and looked at him over his nose.

'Why!' he almost roared 'Why! Ramoth's queen egg is missing. This morning, oldtimers came and stole the egg and carried it to a few miles of this cot. When Benden dragons attacked them, they lost the egg' He looked hard at her father, then turned, went to his runnerbeast, mounted and rode off. Venice slammed the door and swore.

'Get out of here and find that ruddy egg, and you better find it!'

Tamora ran along the path, her eyes sweeping her surroundings. She suddenly stopped. She could hear the cry of an wherry. She grinned. She liked wherries, they tasted good. She removed the rope from her belt. She cocked her head, listening for the source of the sound. She suddenly saw it. It was on the ground, eating berries off a bush. Tamora sneaked up behind the dumb creature. When she was close enough, she threw the rope. The rope tightened around the wherries neck, and Tamora sharply pulled the rope back, neatly breaking the birds neck. She took off the rope and put the wherry across her back. She then started on the road again. Why had the oldtimers taken the egg? If they really wanted the egg, they would not be so careless as to loss the precious egg. This troubled her. She stopped, breathing hard, she needed to rest. She looked about, then smiled. Her favourite cave. It was the perfect spot to rest. A cliff going straight up was surrounded by a forest of trees that smelt sweet in the summer. Tamora spent most of her free time here. It was so peaceful. A shadow passed over her, she looked up quickly. It was a green dragon, flying low to the ground. She waved but the rider did not see her. She sighed. She climbed into the cave. It was dark, but in a little crevice she had hid a small glowbasket, which she replaced frequently. She unshielded it. She went deeper into the cave. She sat down on a natural bench, putting the wherry next to her. She took a meatroll out of her pouch. She ate it, thinking hard about the egg. Then, in the corner of her eye, she saw a golden gleam. She held the glowbasket higher. What she saw made her freeze with shock. It was the missing Queen egg! She gaped. She stood up and went to the egg. She knelt beside it. She touched it, it was hard and warm. She was not surprised; this cave was warmed by a lava flow that ran underneath the cave. She couldn't believe it; she had found the queen egg! She had to tell someone. She ran out of the cave and looked around. It was empty. She frowned, it seemed a bit silent. This is the furthest she would normally go because she wouldn't be able to get home before dark. She rushed back to the cave and put her hands on the egg, she felt it rock slightly.

Lessa sat on a chair next to the table, a full glass of Benden wine next to her. She was waiting for F'lar. When Ramoth had told her that his wing had attacked the group of oldtimers with the egg and had lost the egg, She was furious! F'lar had some things coming to him. Suddenly, there was some shouting from the stairs. Lessa stood up. What was going on now? F'lar burst into the room. R'gul, F'nor and D'van following close behind. F'lar's face was like a thundercloud. He went to the table and poured himself a glass of wine. He downed it on one. He poured more wine into his glass, then poured wine into three other glasses. Lessa stared at the four angry men.

'Well!' She demanded. F'lar glanced at her, and then sighed. He brushed the lock of hair out of his eyes.

'We've been tricked!' he exclaimed.

'What do you mean?' Lessa asked, impatient.

'Other groups of oldtimers have been spotted carrying gold eggs. And fake ones at that!' He looked extremely angry.

Lessa just sat there, shocked. What was going on? D'van cleared his throat.

'I think that they wanted us to think they were going somewhere else. They may have done the one jump to the Southern weyr. The other oldtimers may have been a distraction. If so, then while we were looking for the egg here, they would have time to influence the egg, or maybe even get it so it hatches there.' Lessa stared at him. D'van was a very handsome man. He had bright green eyes and shoulder length black hair. He was tall and a little muscularly, but not to much. He was thinner then other bronze riders, and yet he was very intelligent and had a lovely singing voice. He had been apprenticed in the harperhall before becoming a bronze rider two years ago, and his bronze, Conleth, was almost as big as Mnementh was!

'He could be right you know, Lessa' F'lar told her. Lessa stared at F'lar, then said impatiently.

'Well, go to the southern weyr and find out!'

Later that evening, F'lar came back to the weyr. The search of southern weyr proved fruitless. Even the Queen dragons said the egg was not there, in any time! That could only mean that the egg was still here in the North. Lessa would be so worried. The clutch hatches tomorrow! If the egg is kept properly warm, then it will hatch and die as there is no candidate there. Or, be very cool and not hatch at all. F'lar was so angry, the nerve of the oldtimers to steal the egg so near hatching. Lessa will properly take her anger out on me, he thought. He sighed. He walked into the weyr, Mnementh's eyes following him. Lessa was not there. He cursed. Then, Ramoth whined. There were footsteps on the stairs. Lessa came up. She saw him, she was still very angry. She saw him, she opened her mouth to speak. He held up his hand to stop her from saying anything. He went to the table and sat down. Lessa looked at him, then went to the cabinet and poured a glass for him.

He accepted the wine. He took a sip. Lessa was watching him closely.

'No Lessa, we did not find the egg there. We even looked though time, but that failed.' He said gently, to tired to really talk. Lessa looked at him hard, then said briskly.

'Go to bed F'lar. You look very tired and you cannot do much when your tired.' F'lar looked at her, then smiled briefly.

'I think I will.' He replied getting up. He walked into the sleeping rooms and lay down without undressing. He was so tired that he fell instantly asleep.

Tamora, still in the cave, sat down next to the egg. She suddenly felt very tired. She fell asleep, stretched across the egg.