Chapter Title: Above All, Dragon Heed
Prompt: lock
Summary: Kylara is highhanded, arrogant, and brash. But that doesn't make a bad dragonrider. Merely one calculated to come into conflict with Lessa. (Like the majority of Benden's bronzes.)
Or my addition slash take on the bronze rider Kylara au I read and fell instantly in love with. Check it out on Ao3 - Unnatural Women by Calenlily and Unexpected by idleflower.
I may also be a little annoyed with F'lar. Just a little. But in my defense, I reread Dragonflight. And I know it's product of its time - but can only conclude that Ramoth is the reason Benden Wyer wasn't down a bronzerider by the time she rose. Lessa is, after all, very willing to take out people who get in her way. Just look at all the Warders Ruatha went through under Fax.
Ramoth, the only and biggest gold dragon, queen of Benden and of Pern, is as headstrong and sure of herself as her rider ever was in the walls and security of her own Hold. Why should she not be? She is Ramoth, queendragon, and the Wyer is hers. Pern is hers, and all its bronzes who dance adoration in the skies.
F'lar had ordered that no interference was to take place on the sands - and Mnementh had conveyed the same, but she is queen and he is not her rider. And Lessa, who is her heart, cares not for the traditions that continue by dint of humans being hidebound and used to it. Lessa had not told her not to interfere.
Ramoth listens, and takes heed.
The day of her first clutch's hatching dawns with clear skies. The wyer becomes a pen full of startled herdbeasts, all clattering and clamoring their excitement. Mnementh's rider, standing in the Bowl and calling out to the approaching flights, is as loud as any of the crooning bronzes. He is busy with the candidates clutchmates and sires. Lessa's thoughts are turned to managing the humans who will stand on the sands and in her judgement - her children will, she knows, be ungainly, fresh out of the shell, yet their claws are already strong and sharp enough to rend prey, if only it could be caught- and Ramoth is waiting, alone on the sands.
Ramoth is a fine, clever dragon. Lessa has told her often enough, though she knows it as well instinctively. How clever is Ramoth, how finely constructed in the egg, how well regarded by all of Pern.
And her hatchlings are just as clever. Or at least they will be, given time to grow accustomed to the air outside their shells and the bright gleaming glory of their rider's mindglows.
Kylara is directed to an emerging bronze struggling to right himself from the shackle of his shell - a good match - and Ramoth's favoured of the candidates brought before her - strong and stubborn, as all queenriders should be, but not argumentative or bronze-brash - is given the all the chance she needs to bask in the glory that is her first goldheir's mindglow.
"Her name is Wirenth!" Brekke's cry goes up just as Kylara's own, "Prideth!" is introduced to the Wyer. A close choice, between gold and bronze, chosen and favoured. But bronze Prideth would not have chosen Brekke, for all that she will make a good goldrider under Lessa. The closest of choices, between queenrider and queenrider.
But, Ramoth knows with certain satisfaction as hatching ground begins to empty and Lessa's awe and satisfaction sings bright amidst the flurry of new joining, she has made the right one. There is none so suited to Prideth as Kylara, and (even if Brekke is in her own way nice) none more wonderful in all of Pern than Lessa of Ramoth.