Disclaimer: Don't own what you recognize.

Author's Notes: On Watch-whers: this story now walks the fine line of canon. I think I know the two ways whers have been portrayed, but I didn't like either one. There was Anne's original, where they were just like dogs. I wanted Sattil to bond with one, so that meant Todd, Anne McCaffrey's son, was the author who I needed to look to. However, Dragon's Kin was a less-than-satisfactory book (what was with the watch-whers drinking the blood of their bonded ones?). So, I settled my whers somewhere between the two authors. They are more like firelizards, they just Impress. They can't talk, persay, like dragons can to their riders. The whers communicate with sound that their handlers can understand for the most part.

If I offend anyone by my non-traditional portrayal of whers, sorry. Honestly.

(Author's notes, pt 2: Thanks to Kitsuneko for his/her telling me about the wher changin names. Thanks!)


Kirroth threw up his head.

T'nar!

The Weyrleader leapt to his feet. "What, Kirroth?"

The wher Hatches! Kirroth said urgently.

T'nar grinned. Let's go! he said.Then, he added, Is Sattil all right?

He looks forward to the hatching of the wher, Kirroth said. He still hurts for Pinceath, but he wants to feel better.

T'nar vaulted up onto his bronze's neck, telling him to inform Lilianth where they were going. Then, they winked between.

When they burst back out, Kirroth landed neatly in the courtyard of Lemos once more.

Kaeyi was waiting impatiently for them, and when T'nar swung off of Kirroth, she beckoned for him to follow her. "The egg is here. It's Hatching! Sattil is with it already."

T'nar followed her to where Sattil sat, crouched over a rocking, mottled egg. Next to him was Aromor, the handler of the previous, dead, wher.

Sattil looked up briefly, then returned his attention to the wher-egg.

Kirroth lowered his great head to peer into the small shed. T'nar hadn't noticed the bronze following them

It is small, he commented. Before T'nar could reply to that, the bronze cried, It Hatches! He lifted his deep rumbling voice to give the traditional dragon hum of a Hatching.

Suddenly, the egg split, and out tumbled a small watch-wher.

T'nar had, of course, seen a watch-wher before, but never a tiny, slimy one. Kirroth was, of course, naturally scornful, as all dragons were, of their uglier, more ungainly cousins, but T'nar hushed him. The expression on Sattil's face made coming all the way here worthwhile.


Sattil watched the little wher tumble out of the egg with bated breath.

When he saw that it was a green, he felt like a knife had slashed at his heart, but then, the little wher looked up at him and squeaked at him, so much like Pinceath had first done, that Sattil couldn't help reaching out and caressing the little damp, forest-green head. He realized that tears were streaming down his face.

With every time he touched her, he felt a tingling in the back of his skull. He was bonding with her. It was almost like Pinceath's Impression, but far less strong. Nonetheless, Sattil felt a hesitant warmth creeping up from deep inside of him.

"What's her name?" Aromor asked.

Sattil looked at the watch-wher. "How about it?" he asked her, remembering how Pinceath had announced hers to him. "What's your name?"

He looked at Aromor, confused, when she didn't answer him.

"Oh, you have to give her options," Aromor informed Sattil.

The dragonless man paused. Didn't all wher names end in 'sk'? He was pretty sure of it. "How about Eisk?" Sattil asked. The green wher snorted disapprovingly.

"Pirsk? Tiask? Sask?" At the last name, the watch-wher gave a sound of approval.

"Sask," Sattil said proudly, looking up at the spectators. They grinned at him.

"Sask," he said again, looking at the watch-wher. She wasn't a dragon, but she was good enough.

"Errwrrr…" Sask said, as though saying, I should hope I am!


Kaeyi watched as Sattil stroked Sask's head. Kaeyi grinned. No matter how many times she saw the dragonless man with the watch-wher, it always warmed her heart.

Sask was eating so much, Kaeyi's arms ached from lugging it all the way over here. But it was worth it to see Sattil smile. And look happy. The whole Hold had been worried about him. He'd been like an illness, eating away at them all, despite the fact that he'd never left his room. There was something wrong with a dragonrider without a dragon.

Sask ducked her head against Sattil, making odd noises. Kaeyi wondered how Sattil managed to make sense of what the creature was saying. It seemed unintelligible to her.

But, all in all, it was a time for celebration.

Sask cocked her ugly head at the bronze dragon above her.

"Hey, Sattil," T'nar said cheerfully.

Sattil still cringed inwardly at the sight of a dragon, but he had to admit he felt some pleasure in seeing his old friend again.

"Weyrleader."

"Sask's looking right fine, for a watch-wher," T'nar said, then clapped his hand to his mouth. "Oooh…"

Sattil held his hand up, palm out, to show that he took no offense. "That's fine. They're nothing on… dragons."

Sask gave an indignant squeak. Sattil hastened to lay a hand on her stubby wing. "You're still fine, though," he assured her.

"She's doing all right?" T'nar asked, approaching the green wher. They were inside her den, with Kirroth looking in through the door.

"Fine enough," Sattil replied, nodding to the bronzerider. T'nar stepped forward to run his hands over the tough, green hide. He felt her powerful legs, grinning as her muscles rippled obviously under her thick skin. "She hates the light with a passion, but she's all right."

"Can't say as I know much about whers," T'nar said, straightening up. "But she seems to be a beautiful specimen. Have you been having any trouble caring for her?"

"Kaeyi helps me," Sattil said. "The girl loves anything draconic – which includes whers, them being distantly related and all."

"Kirroth likes her," T'nar said. "When Lilianth rises, I think we might send someone over her to Search Kaeyi."

Sattil felt a slight pang at the thought of losing the dedicated girl. She pitied him, but treated him like an equal, not something delicate. And she truly liked Sask.

Sask was, however, a great companion in herself. Never judging Sattil – not knowing how. They were still working out the whole communicating thing, but Sattil wouldn't have cared if she was mute. Without Pinceath, he was devastated whenever the wher left his sight.

"Kaeyi was asking after you," Sattil said. "She's infatuated with Kirroth, I'd say."

"The girl could be rider material," T'nar said. He'd seen much more of the girl during his more and more frequent trips to Lemos to check on Sattil and Sask.

"When… when's Lilianth due to rise?" Sattil inquired, swallowing the reflexive pain at the thought of the Weyr and dragons.

"Soon," T'nar replied. "The weyrlings are going to be assigned to their Wings today. Shards, it seems like they're scarcely Hatched."

Sattil watched as the Weyrleader leaned back, scrubbing his face with his hands.

"There's hardly a peaceful second," T'nar continued, his voice muffled through his knuckles. "Kirroth occasionally asks if I'm still alive."

Sattil forced a grin at the joke, which he found not the least bit funny. Realizing this a little too late, T'nar reached out to touch the dragonless man's arm in a consoling fashion.

"I'm fine," Sattil said softly, though his eyes were blurred with tears for his dead dragon.

"Good," T'nar said, even while his eyes made it plain that he knew Sattil was lying. "Just remember, if you ever need anything… Kirroth and I are here."

Yes. You and Kirroth will always be there, be together, while I have only Sask, Sattil thought, his heart squeezing even while he pulled out his jaw, puffing his chest out bravely.

Sask butted at her handler, grumbling her annoyance at his thoughts, which she could vaguely sense.

"Ah, no offense, girl," Sattil assured her, rubbing her shoulder.

T'nar lifted his eyebrow, not sure what was going on, but then his eyes unfocused, and he nodded slowly.

"Well, Kirr and I should get back to the Weyr," he said, thinking with dread the thought of dealing with those self-important riders who would complain about their new Wing assignments. Not only would the weyrlings be getting new Wings. It was also time for some other riders to be put in different places.

"Well, g'bye, then," Sattil said quietly, thinking with a pang of the joy he had always felt, riding home with Pinceath after a long day out-Weyr.

He watched the bronzerider turn and walk back out to his beast. Sask made a consoling noise, yawned, curled up, and promptly fell asleep.


Kirroth and Lilianth once more fell entwined. T'nar hugged Lynnia to him, proud. Lilianth had flown the highest any queen ever had. That meant a good clutch.

T'nar, falling asleep, vaguely remembered that he should send a Searchrider to Lemos Hold the next day.


Kaeyi gave Sattil a good-bye hug. "I'll miss you," she said, looking into the dragonless man's eyes.

He needed her. She knew that. Sask wasn't too hard to take care of, but sometimes, he would get that terrible pain in his eyes, would disappear for hours, or just give up, no matter how much Sask wailed.

"And I you," he said. "But… the – the dragons… need you."

Kaeyi wanted to tell him to come to the Hatching. She wanted him to be there if she Impressed. But how could she make him come, watch new dragons be born? It would cut him too deeply.

F'lil leaned lazily against Tisith's side. When Kaeyi stepped back from Sattil, F'lil surprised her by coming forward and gripping the dragonless man's shoulder.

"Take care," he said softly.

Sattil swallowed hard before he answered. "I'll do my best," he finally replied.

Kaeyi felt her heart ache. She felt terrible, leaving Sattil. But she wanted a dragon.

They all stood there for a moment longer, then F'lil gestured for Kaeyi to mount his dragon.

It was bit difficult, as Tisith was so big, but Kaeyi was too excited to be riding a dragon to be embarrassed.

As Tisith took off, snapping Kaeyi's head back sharply, she imagined what the eggs must look like, gleaming on the Sands. There were thirty-eight, but no queen egg.

Kaeyi didn't care if there were no queens. Green dragons were still dragons. And besides, a green would be like Sask.

"We're going between," F'lil bellowed, then, they were.

Kaeyi felt her stomach knot, her skin freeze, the dark, cold, nothingness pressing in all around her.

Right before she would have screamed, they came out. Kaeyi panted heavily, her gasping breath sounding harsh to her own ears.

Kaeyi barely registered this fact, however. She gazed, enchanted, at the Weyr.

Dragons, every color, soared about, or rested on the ledges of their weyrs. Kaeyi could almost see the eggs, tiny pinpricks. She could definitely see Lilianth, standing guard proudly over them.

Kaeyi saw another queen, standing in front another weyr. Kaeyi realized that she must be Nikkith, the junior queen. Next to her was a big bronze.

Tisith assumed a lazy downward spiral, coming to land finally by the Lake, next to a brown dragon.

F'lil dismounted, helping Kaeyi down.

"Bluerider," the brown's rider said. F'lil shook his hand, then turned to Kaeyi.

"This is K'liar," he said. "He's weyrlingmaster here at the Weyr. He'll be instructing you until the eggs Hatch, at which point, if you have Impressed, he will walk you through raising your dragon."

F'lil then vaulted to Tisith's neck. The blue sprang skyward. Then, he landed neatly on a high weyrledge.

"And who might you be?" K'liar asked.

Kaeyi felt suddenly shy, in a new place, with no one she knew nearby. "I'm Kaeyi," she said. "From Lemos Hold."

"Well, you aren't so much a holdgirl any more," K'liar pointed out. "You're weyrfolk now."

"What if I don't Impress?" Kaeyi asked anxiously.

K'liar shrugged. "You'll have the choice to either go back to your hold, or stay on here at the Weyr," he said.

"Have any other candidates arrived yet?" Kaeyi asked K'liar.

"Yes," the brownrider replied. "Two other girls, and four lads. As soon as Lilianth shreed on the Sands, about seven blues and greens went out Searching. I was actually just going to go see how the girls are doing. Care to come with?"

Kaeyi nodded, and K'liar helped her climb onto his Fiarloth. The brown barely glided a little way, to the eating caverns, before landing delicately.

"Thanks, Fiarloth," Kaeyi said, greatly daring.

"Fi says 'You're welcome'," K'liar said, amused. He led Kaeyi through to the doorway. He walked over to four girls, sitting at a table, drinking klah.

"Awyi! Nemna! Oh, hi, Rakara, Liolet," K'liar said. The girls waved at him.

K'liar steered Kaeyi to the table, his hand firmly on her shoulder. Kaeyi found it comforting. She was still a bit shy.

"Girls, this is Kaeyi," K'liar said. "This is Awyi," he said, pointing to a slight, dark-haired girl. "And this is Nemna," he said, gesturing to a girl with a small nose and nondescript brown hair.

"They've both been Searched for Lilianth's clutch," K'liar continued. "Oh, and these are Rakara and Liolet. They're weyrbred, and won't be standing as candidates yet. Long story, don't ask."

Kaeyi didn't.

"Sit down," Awyi said, smiling cheerfully at Kaeyi and patting the bench next to her.

Kaeyi did, reassured by the girl's welcoming manner.

"Where you from?" Nemna asked. She was sitting across the table from Kaeyi, her brown eyes light and curious.

"Lemos Hold," Kaeyi replied.

Just then, a very good-looking lad sauntered by. Rakara and Liolet, the weyrbred girls, giggled softly. Then, Liolet said, "Hi, Z'tar."

He nodded, flashing them the brightest grin that Kaeyi had ever seen.

"Li, 'Kar," he said. Liolet and Rakara turned back to the other girls, blushing slightly.

"Who's that?" Kaeyi asked. He had been good-looking. He stood out, bright and bubbly, but seemed a bit of a show-off to her.

"Z'tar, rider of bronze Apperith," Liolet said. "His bronze is known for doing the most outrageous maneuvers. He's infamous for it. The other day, he almost hit the side of the Weyr, he was being so risky. But, at the last second, he –,"

Kaeyi sighed to herself. Apparently, he was a show-off. She had no time for that kind of man. She suddenly found herself thinking of Sattil and Sask. She wondered how they were doing. She hoped they were all right.

"What're you thinking?"

Kaeyi jumped. "Huh?"

"You looked like you were thinking hard about something," Awyi said.

"Just thinking about my home Hold," Kaeyi said. It was mostly the truth.

"Is it true that there are more handsome men in Lemos?" Rakara asked eagerly.

Kaeyi grinned. "Well… none of the Blood are. But some, yes."

"Only some?" Rakara said, looking greatly disappointed.

"And not of the Blood?" Liolet frowned. "Aren't they usually better-looking?"

The conversation then turned to where the good-looking men were, and what a good-looker was, and Kaeyi began to wonder if this wasn't the reason that they wouldn't be standing for Lilianth's clutch.

Soon, K'liar came over to them, herding along in front of him seven lads. None were much younger than Kaeyi. She wondered if it was becoming common to Search older boys.

"Kaeyi, Awyi, Nemna," K'liar said. "These're the male candidates that've been Searched so far."

He shoved the nearest one down on the bench beside Kaeyi, gesturing for the others to follow suit.

The lad next to Kaeyi winced, rubbing his shoulder where K'liar had shoved him into the bench.

"I'm Kaeyi," Kaeyi said, trying to make friendly conversation. The boy next to her just scowled at her, but across the table, someone said, "I'm Balmil."

"I'm Garanorl!"

"I'm Raggormorar!"

"I'm Nanzotor!"

It was going to be a long day.


Not my favorite chapter, but pretty long (for me). I finally updated, so be glad! I'd love it if you could review. I'd like to thank everyone who has so far: Bryan McMahon, Kitsuneko, shanie, astrokath, CrossoverQueen, Afanen, lilybee, and "me" (not me, but a reviewer). Please continue to do so! I really appreciate concrit. It helps me get better.

(By the way, I know there were a lot of new names in this chapter. Sorry about that. The only ones that you will need to know, I believe, are Nemna and Awyi. Please bear in mind that this was, for the most part, written a long time ago.)