The Dragons Return

by viningc

Harry had a war with Earth but he had been given the gift of a lifetime, a place where his dragons and riders would be unconditionally safe. This story continues the trilogy by Bobmin356 and Alyx started at: /s/7591040/18/The-Queen-who-fell-to-Earth

3. Chapter 3: Start of the fourth Pass

Chapter 3: Start of the fourth Pass
Spath's Weyr, Aug 22, 2011...
While convalescing, Harry had worked on developing a ward rune that could be used for dragons. He eventually realized that the runes would need to be carved into an adult dragon's scale to work properly. He was reluctant to do something so permanent until he thought of a way the dragons themselves could not only power but control the rune. As he worked on the problem, he discovered that a fine tip diamond stylus combined with a fixed template made the job almost fool-proof. Once the runes were traced onto a dragon's scale, it not only permanently protected them but required no additional magic beyond the dragon's own, inherent magic. However, the effect, without magic accumulators, was of limited duration, requiring the rune to "recharge" after about 30 minutes of accumulated use. If the rate of attack was low enough though, the recharge rate would conceivably equate to constant protection. He carefully "layered" the spells so that the Incendio only triggered if thread was detected.

Today, after finally being re-certified for Between flight, he and Chekiath were going to put his new rune to the ultimate test. Thread was due to fall today, starting just north-east of Bane's Weyr and moving almost due west. Very little of the fall would be over land, but all the duty wings would be there to make sure nothing managed to come down on land. Harry would be there, supposedly as part of the flight fighting thread, but mostly to test his rune. If this went as he was sure it would, every dragon on Pern would get the rune and never again have to worry about getting thread scored. The best aspect of the rune was that, due to the entire dragon being the focus for the spell, it created a "bubble" of protection around every part of the dragon which extended out more than far enough to protect his rider as well.

"You ready for this, Cheki?" asked Harry.

"I think so," said Cheki, slightly worried as his eyes twirled yellow with streaks of black. "I saw what thread can do to a dragon when we visited Benden Weyr."

"Don't forget two things," responded Harry. "One, the Pern dragons don't have hard scales like you do, they only have a tough, but still flexible, hide, and two, I would never do anything to allow harm to come to you! I have tested this enough to know it will work but I still want you to go Between at the slightest sign that thread has gotten through."

"OK, Harry," replied a much relieved Chekiath.

"How do the rest of the wings look?" asked Harry, confidently.

"They look good," replied Chekiath. "They are all relaxed, confident, and sure of themselves."

"As they should be," said Harry. "After all, this isn't the first time we've fought thread. OK, I can see the cloud approaching. I want you to wait until everyone else is committed and then go in last but instead of flaming, I just want you to fly straight through the wall of thread."

"Will do," replied Chekiath, still slightly nervous.

Harry watched as all the other dragons started their well-practiced approach to the dark wall of destruction. As they neared, each dragon started flaming as they drew near, the dragons on either side and above the leaders flaming in turn, until all were committed. Harry saw the perfect place for his test and mentally pointed it out to Cheki.

"OK, let's do this," said Harry with relish. "Straight and level and don't even try to dodge any thread."

Cheki headed for the specified section of the fall, leveled out, and started gliding. He concentrated on how he and Harry were feeling, alert for the first inkling of pain due to thread scoring. Suddenly, they were into the cloud and out the other side with no adverse effects!

"How did that feel to you, Cheki?" asked Harry.

"I felt a slight flash of warmth when we entered the cloud, it was nice," said Chekiath, pleased with the results, his eyes now swirling a bright blue. His rider had protected them like he said he would. His rider was the best!

"OK, let's go back around to the next attack position, so we can show this to the rest of the wings," said Harry. "I want them to see it for themselves, so there won't be any concern about it not working."

Cheki obediently moved up into the required position so Harry could reveal his new achievement to the rest of the wings. They would be initially terrified by their Weyrleader flying into the thread but would then see the red glow surrounding Chekiath and realize that the protective rune was working as planned. From this day on, they knew that no Earth dragon would ever need fear thread again. Unfortunately, the rune could not be carved on the hides of Pern dragons. Harry knew he needed to come up with a way to protect them as well. For now, he just needed to worry about the reception he was going to receive from his wives for testing his rune without talking to them first.

Now that he had been successful in creating protection against a physical object, he needed to develop something similar that would protect against something more substantial, like a knife attack or bullet.

On a vast plain, north-west of Spath's Weyr, Aug 24, 2011...
Harry was once again calling in single and small groups of flea-infested Cheetahs toward his location. When any came within range, his Dragonriders stunned them, caged them, and took them Between to Spath's Weyr for further treatment. Miststar and Defiant Snow sat nearby watching, interested in the entire operation. Harry had administered the binding magical oath to all five Cheetahs they had originally captured, so was sure of his safety but he still made sure that they had been well fed prior to starting. No sense tempting fate.

"It feels good to be free of flea bites," rumbled Miststar contentedly. "Your healer even said the newest flea repellent will now last 2 weeks instead of 1 like the first one."

"Yes," replied Harry. "What helps you also helps us. None of us want to have any flea problems ever again."

"It would be good to be rid of them," commented Defiant Snow. "Do you think there might be some way to kill them all?"

"I'm not sure that will ever be possible," replied Harry, "but it is a goal we can all strive for."

From what Harry could sense, there were still a lot of Cheetahs out on the plain, so he knew they would be here for at least another couple of weeks if he continued to take it slowly. He didn't want to take the chance of bringing in too many at once or it might generate panic among his riders which could cause accidents. He wanted to avoid that at all costs. He would just continue to take it nice and easy.

Spath's Weyr, Sept 23, 2011...
Harry had just returned from a short trip to Earth to hold diplomatic talks in France, specifically with the headmistress of the French wizarding school. He had successfully pled his case and now he was about to follow through.

"Yuh want'd ta see me, Harry?" asked Hagrid.

"Yes, Hagrid," replied Harry with a gleam in his eye. "I have invited a special guest to visit our Weyr and I thought you might like to show her around." Harry pointed to someone seated behind the open door that Hagrid hadn't noticed when he entered.

Hagrid turned to look and immediately lost all capability for speech. There was the woman he had become infatuated with back on Earth and never thought to see ever again, Madame Olympe Maxime!

"Well, Hagrid, aren' you going to say 'ello?" asked Madame Maxime with a wide smile.

Hagrid continued to stare, totally shocked and awe-struck.

"Well, Hagrid," chuckled Harry. "Don't just stand there, show the lady what we have accomplished. I was hoping we could convince her to stay here with us and perhaps open a branch of her school here."

Hagrid finally recovered from his shock and approached Madame Maxime tentatively. He held out his hand to her, which she took, rising smoothly to her feet. She tucked her arm into Hagrid's elbow and turned to Harry, saying, "I think 'e 's 'ad a bit of a shock, 'arry. I will take 'im along and 'e can explain as we walk."

Harry smiled as his first friend and the woman he loved left the room, arm-in-arm. Hermione and May walked in just as the two lovebirds were leaving.

"Well done, Harry!" exclaimed Hermione. "I knew Hagrid was smitten with her but never thought he would get the courage to ask her to even dance. Now he may have a chance to get over his shyness and actually start to make a life for himself outside of magical creatures."

"What's going on?" asked May. "Who was that with Hagrid?"

"That," said Hermione, "was the one and only Madame Olympe Maxime, the headmistress of Beauxbatons, the French wizarding school. Hagrid became quite smitten with her just before Harry impressed Chekiath. When we came to Pern, I'm sure he had given up all hope of ever seeing her again. It's just like him to ignore how he feels because he wants to take care of everyone else. It seems Harry had other plans. Thank you, so much, for taking care of us all, Harry."

"Hagrid was my first friend," explained Harry.

"I just want to see him happy. I know he has Selanth now but I wanted for him to have more. I thought if I could somehow convince Madame Maxime to visit they might get together. When I mentioned that Hagrid was here, she practically dragged me back!" he grinned. "It seems that the attraction was mutual."

"How wonderful for them both," said May. "I hope it works out. If they feel anywhere near what we feel for each other, they will be extremely happy."

Harry looked at his wives and felt so happy with the way things had worked out. He was still sure he didn't deserve such happiness but he would take it and hold on to it with all his might. He felt he was the luckiest man in the world, no, in two worlds!

Spath's Weyr, Oct 3, 2011...
"Hagrid, I was hoping you could help me with a concern I've had for a while," said Harry.

"Course, 'arry, whut kin I do for yuh?" responded Hagrid.

"When we decided to bring your brother to Pern, you had indicated to me that you were sure that adult giants would never be able to mingle with the other colonists on Pern. I wanted to ask about giant children then but never got around to it until now. Do you think that giant children, if we get them soon enough, would be able to fit in here? I know that giants are dying out on Earth and feel I need to at least offer them a chance at a safe haven."

"'Arry, I hate to say this about my own kind, but they're not meant ter live together giants," said Hagrid sorrowfully. "They can't help themselves, they half kill each other every few weeks. Ifn ya brought 'em here, they'd just try ter kill everthin' else."

"That's too bad," said Harry sadly. "I hate the idea of an entire species dying out when we have the possibility of saving them."

"Well, ifn me 'n Maxime can get together, we may be able ter keep 'alf-giants around for a while at least," replied Hagrid with a shy grin.

"Just you make sure you do," said Harry. "I hope you and Madame Maxime have a long and happy life together."

Harry watched as his friend left, wondering if they were going to get married, have a Druid handfasting, or something else, only known to giants. Whatever happened, Harry knew he would do his best to make sure Hagrid was able to live his life as he deserved.

Spath's Weyr, Dec 12, 2011...
Harry was working away at his presentation to the combined leaders of northern Pern. He wanted to make the best possible impression when they all arrived. It was his intention to explain how they did things in what was now becoming known as the Southern Colony as well as make an offer to join forces to govern the planet in a more uniform manner. He didn't want the burden and was hoping they would agree to at least some of his ideas. They would still cooperate to fight thread but he knew that trade would eventually require more of a framework of common laws than were currently available.

He was looking at the problem as if there were two different nations trying to broker a trade agreement. Each nation would have its own laws within its own borders and there would be additional laws that covered how they would handle "international" interactions. What he was ultimately hoping for was something like Earth's United Nations where one body would actually have legislative, jurisdictional, and police powers over the entire planet. Right now, as far as he could tell, it was a right mess on the northern continent. Each major Hold was a law unto itself.

"Harry, sorry to bother you, but Skip Taylor was wondering if he could have a word with you," interjected Jeofrey, Harry's Pern Admin Assistant.

"Sure, Jeofrey, send him in. I'm just changing things with this presentation now because I'm so nervous," said Harry.

Skip Taylor walked into his outer office a few seconds later and Harry motioned him to a chair as he got up and joined him so they were sitting across from each other across a small table. "What's up, Skip?" asked Harry.

"At almost every Weyrleader's Meeting since we've finished Spath's Weyr, you have mentioned the need to create more Weyrs so we can spread out a bit more. I was wondering if you would mind if Kat and I took a couple of wings of our riders out to the west of here to see if we can find a suitable location for another manned Weyr?" explained Skip. "Now that all the big cats have been successfully treated and have taken the oath, there shouldn't be anything but thread that could harm us and the next threadfall isn't due for another couple of weeks."

"Sounds great, Skip," exclaimed Harry. "I was wondering who would be the first to volunteer and actually make a move to find a suitable location. We have satellite maps now of the entire planet but that still doesn't show us which places would be suitable."

"In that case," said Skip excitedly, "we'll be leaving tomorrow morning at first light. We've never explored a new planet before and we're all looking forward to seeing more of our new home."

Pern, Dec 13, 2011...
Skip had his division spread out in a huge modified "V" shape with the bottom pointer west. Each "point on the "V" was composed of a Unit; a lead Dragon, its Rider, and their "wingman" to the right and slightly behind the lead. He had flipped a coin with Kat and won, so it was his Division exploring instead of hers. They had been flying for an hour now and could see a huge inland lake or sea ahead of them. This was to be their first stop as a possible site for their new Weyr. They had chosen 3, and this was the one they most hoped would become the site of their new home.

"How's everyone doing, Menth?" asked Skip. "We've been flying for about an hour, is anyone tired yet?"

"Everyone is fine," replied Menth his eyes swirling blue with green streaks. "We have been gliding mostly, everyone is relaxed but eager to be searching for a new home."

"Good," replied Skip. "As soon as you can make out a good jump image, please warn everyone and then call for a jump so we are 1,000 ft. over our initially chosen location."

"Will do," responded Menth as he sharpened his gaze at their destination. Five minutes later, he gave the requested warning and then called for a jump as he passed the image. 300 dragons and riders disappeared from the sky and reappeared fifty miles further to the west and 9,000 ft. lower.

"What do you think, Menth?" asked Skip.

"The river is far below and there are some fine-looking cliffs on either side," responded Menth.

"OK," said Skip. "Pass the word for the first watch to stay airborne, while the even-numbered Wings explore the west side and the odd-numbered Wings will explore the east side of the river and cliffs.

Menth passed the instructions and everyone went about their assigned tasks. Every Flight of 12 bonded pairs had one of their Units airborne at all times as an aerial watch of the surrounding area. Skip wished that Kat could be here but was actually rather relieved that she was still safe in Spath's Weyr. They still didn't know enough about Pern to take too many chances. Skip had Menth land on the tip of a rocky, wide peninsula, about 175 miles west of Spath's Weyr. It partially separated a lake that was about 30 miles wide from what could only be the inland sea they had seen on the satellite photos. From here, it appeared that the sea was about 200 miles wide but, as Skip knew from the pictures, it was closer to 300 miles wide at the widest part. He was hoping that where he had landed would be suitable for their new weyr. He was going to investigate the other locations, just to be thorough, but this one looked most promising.

Pern, south of Ista Hold on the southern continent, Dec 20, 2011...
Skip, landed his survey team on the northernmost peninsula of the southern continent, some 150 miles south of Ista Hold and far to the west of Spath's Weyr. According to the satellite images taken of the planet, this had appeared to be another location suitable for a new Weyr. After Menth landed, Skip watched the security flight circling overhead before he dismounted. He walked around the area to get a feel for the site as his Weyrmates collected soil, water, and plant samples for later analysis back at Spath's Weyr. He walked over to the edge of the cliff and looked down at the beach, a short distance below. If he decided to create a Weyr here, its construction would be unique to all the other Weyrs.

Pern, south of Southern Boll Hold and over 300 miles west of their previous location, Dec 28, 2011...
Skip kept his Division airborne. There was no need to land and conduct a survey, There was an active volcano way too close for comfort. At some time in the future, if they found they needed another Weyr in this part of the world, it would be up to someone else to determine if it was worth the trouble to redirect the volcano's magma flow so it was safe to build anything nearby. He would make a short report about the location but nothing more.

It was time to return and get started on their new Weyr, Condron Sea Weyr!

Spath's Weyr, Jan 15, 2012...
Harry was understandably nervous. He had invited all the current leadership of the northern continent to visit Spath's Weyr and discuss their joint future on the planet together. The first of the Dragon Eggs would be arriving outside Spath's Weyr momentarily, with the non-rider contingent. He would be hosting leaders from 6 Weyrs, 19 Major Holds, and 10 Craft Halls. The leadership from the Weyrs had arrived yesterday and had received their tour of the Weyr and its facilities. They had enjoyed their night in their guest quarters and were even now exploring the Weyr and its inhabitants on their own … with house-elves shadowing them discretely to ensure nothing went wrong.

An 80-passenger Dragon Egg suddenly appeared overhead and gently landed in front of Harry, Chekiath, and all his Staff. Harry sent a quick "thank-you" to the dragons providing the lift for the Egg and all the dragons turned to look at him, their eyes swirling a deep blue at their pleasure that their Weyrleader was pleased with them. The door in the side of the Egg opened and Jack Bruno looked out quickly and smiled at Harry.

Lord Shan and Lady Rakka of Benden Hold appeared in the doorway moments later and stepped down to greet Harry, followed by 46 other leaders from the northern continent. After personally greeting each of them, he turned to his Staff. As he introduced each of them, he made sure to stress their Staff position as if it were a separate Craft Hall. They had discussed it the previous night and determined that it would be better if they were initially presented as Craftmasters rather than riders, which is why none of their dragons were present.

"If you would please follow me," instructed Harry. "I would like to show you a small portion of our Hold before we enter the actual Weyr and have some refreshments."

He led them under the canopy, showing them the permanent trader stalls and the clear ceiling, just as he had for the dragonriders. When they came to the non-rider apartments and greenhouses, he detoured into first a greenhouse and then the closest apartment so they could see for themselves what their Hold had to offer. He took them into the underground street from the apartment building and they made their way up the ramp to inside the ground-level entrance to the Weyr. He, or his Staff, answered many questions about the construction, the lighting, etc. as they gave the tour. About 500 ft. into the entrance tunnel, Harry had them all board a special goblin cart he had commissioned that would hold them all, so they didn't have to walk the entire distance. Finally, they came to the actual Weyr entrance and they disembarked from the cart after a very swift but smooth ride.

"If you will look to your left and right, you will see part of our medical facilities," said Harry. "Each side is capable of handling 16 dragons at once as well as a large number of human patients. That coupled with the fact that the entire second Level of our Weyr is dedicated to medicine and taking care of patients, will hopefully set your minds at ease about our ability to help others.

"I know some of you, especially you, Master Med, will have many more questions." Several of their guests chuckled about that, as the Masterhealer was obviously anxious to learn more.

"If you will follow me on out into the floor further, I will explain some of the features of this floor and then we can adjourn to one of our 32 kitchens for some refreshments," continued Harry. He explained about the Ring/Spoke system of tunnels, showed them the Spoke tunnel openings rising above them to the "sun" near the ceiling. He showed them the formal gardens and forest in the distance, and then took them over to the nearest kitchen to offer them some chocolate milk and doughnuts, as well as other assorted standard fares. The chocolate milk and doughnuts proved to be the most popular of all that was offered.

After their break, he asked the Craftmasters to team up with one of his staff for an in-depth tour of those areas they would be most interested in. He took the remaining 38 Lord and Lady Holders on a tour of the nearest habitable areas while showing them where they would be staying. As they came back out into the central cavern, Harry lead them over to the nearest stairwell.

"As you have seen, Spath's Weyr covers a huge area, and that's only what you can see. If you had to walk from here to our top-level and back, it would probably take you most of the day," said Harry. "Let's walk up from here to Level 2, just so you can get an idea what the distances are."

Some of the leaders managed to keep up with Harry as he climbed the stairs to the next level, but even the fittest amongst them was breathing heavier than they had at the start. They waited and looked around until the last of the guests joined them on Level 2.

"I think most of you will agree that using the stairs is not something you would wish to do ordinarily," said Harry to a general agreement from his guests. "Now, if you would come with me across the corridor, I will introduce you to our main method of inter-Weyr transportation."

They all joined him in front of a huge metal door with a bronze button to the left about 3 feet off the floor.

"Lord Gron, if you would please press this button, we can continue," instructed Harry.

Lord Gron, Lord Holder of Fort Hold, walked up and pressed the button as instructed and the huge door seemed to disappear as it silently slid into the rock to the left and right.

"Amazing!" exclaimed Lord Gron. "How do you manage to get the doors to move so swiftly and quietly?"

"That is some of the information we are giving to the Mastercrafter, but to give a brief explanation, the doors are attached, top and bottom, with rollers into a grooved channel," explained Harry. "The rollers enable the doors to move very smoothly and we use our generated power to operate geared motors which cause the actual motion.

"Now, please enter." As they all shuffled forward, Harry turned to one of the ladies present.

"If you would all notice the buttons just inside the door. Now that everyone is inside, Lady Lida, would you please press the #20 button at the top of the right-hand column and the #0 button at the top of the circle of buttons?" Lady Lida did as instructed but nothing seemed to happen.

"You will notice that the buttons lit up with a light from behind," said Harry. "At this point, nothing has happened, because you might wish to change your mind. If you notice, there are four buttons underneath the others … please don't press any of them yet or we may end up somewhere we didn't intend to go!" said Harry hurriedly as Lady Lida started to reach out.

"The 4 buttons activate special sequences of actions," continued Harry. "The left button is labeled 'Open', this will open the door and cancel any other selections. The one to its right is labeled 'Exit', and it will immediately send us to the ground-level tunnel where you may exit the Weyr.

"The next one to the right is labeled 'Hospital', and it will immediately take you to either ER1 or ER3 depending upon which was last accessed. And, the one on the far right is labeled 'Port', and this is the one you would press to activate your movement to the appropriate Level and Sector that you've selected.

"The first time you use the Turbolift can be a bit disorienting, so please, everyone, make sure you are in a solid stance before we continue." Harry watched carefully as many of his guests spread their legs out a bit for a steadier stance.

"OK, if you would, Lady Lida, press the 'Port' button."

Lady Lida pressed the appropriate button and suddenly they were no longer inside a room with a shut door but were in a room without a door that opened onto a much wider corridor. Harry was pleased to see that no one had suffered any ill effects. Everyone seemed a bit puzzled that everything changed so quickly without any apparent movement but Lady Lida seemed pleased that she had been the cause.

"We are now on Level 20 which is our Admin Level. This is where we handle Planet-wide, at least for the southern continent, actions of all our recent immigrants, riders and non-riders alike," said Harry. "If you will follow me out and look to the left, you will see the housing for our 'sun'. If you were to go to the edge, you would be able to look down from over a mile to the cavern floor. I would recommend you not do so until you've gotten used to the distances involved. I've known some visitors who got a severe case of vertigo and almost fell.

"If you would now follow me to our right from the Turbolift arrival portal, I would like to show you our Conference Room. It has a view of Pern that I can almost guarantee none of you have seen before."

Harry led them along the wide Spoke tunnel to the huge conference room and further to the floor-to-ceiling window that took up the entire outer wall. As he approached the window for a better view, he noticed that many of the Holders were holding back from approaching too closely.

"Don't worry," said Harry. "There is glass between you and the outside that will keep you from falling out."

"That can't be," said Lord Fiboxi of Crom. "There is nothing there!"

"Actually there is," said Harry. "We installed 10 inches of optical quality, super-strong glass, just so we could enjoy the view without having to worry about weather or thread. Watch."

Harry backed up and ran at the window full tilt. He shifted to hit with his shoulder at the last minute to avoid injury, hit the window and bounced back into the room.

"Extraordinary!" exclaimed Lady Bridai of Telgar as she moved closer to the window to admire the view. "It's so clear, it's as if it wasn't even there!"

Harry was pleased to see most of the others moving up for a better view. He didn't say anything about the handful who held back. He knew that some people were just afraid of heights.

"There are clouds below us!" exclaimed Lord Shan of Benden.

"I'm not surprised," said Harry. "We are over a mile above the surface of Pern. If you were to go up this much again, you would find breathing harder, as the air is very thin there. At this height, there is not that much of a noticeable difference."

After they had a chance to admire the view, Harry led them all back into the Conference Room, explained about some of the amenities, and took them all back to Level 1 where a full meal had been prepared for everyone. Harry had asked the house-elves to serve something that the Pernese were unlikely to have ever had before. There was a huge spread, every serving dish had its own placard explaining what the dish contained and from where it came. Many of the dishes were grown in the greenhouses, much of the meat came from their own imported herds, but some dishes, particularly the fish and shellfish, came directly from Earth.

"What do you think, Cheki?" asked Harry.

"They seem dazed," replied Chekiath. "Many of them seem open to our arrival, but some appear to be fearful. All the Mastercraftsmen seem to be overly excited about what they have seen."

"They probably think we will try to take over," commented Harry. "It's up to us to ease their fears and get them to understand we are willing to share as long as we are treated as equals. I just hope that the conference tomorrow goes well."

Spath's Weyr Conference Room, Jan 16, 2012...
All the Pern leaders were crowded into the smallest possible area they could arrange, probably for mutual support. The Weyrleaders were a little more relaxed since Harry had told them they were welcome to have their dragons join them at the back or along the sides. Even with 66 humans and 18 dragons, the Conference Room seemed almost deserted.

Harry had thought about inviting some of his riders other than Staff but was afraid the Pern leaders might think they were purposely being outnumbered. The rest of the Weyr would just have to be satisfied with the remote telecast of the proceedings that Lee Jordan had set up. So far the only other species that their visitors knew about were the house-elves, which they thought were subservient to the humans. They would soon enough learn differently.

"Greetings and welcome to Spath's Weyr," said Harry. "If you are seated here today, you are considered to be one of the leaders on the northern continent of Pern. You have been invited here so you could learn about us and we could get to know each other. Until recently, we did not even know if there were any colonists still surviving on Pern. To our delight, we found out you were still here and prospering.

"You have all heard our story and some, like our fellow riders from Benden Weyr, are actually a part of that story. You came to Pern looking to find a refuge from an over-technological civilization. We have come here seeking a refuge where we can have equality for all intelligent species. We all know what an agrarian lifestyle is. You have been living that lifestyle for many hundreds of turns now, but what do we mean by 'all intelligent species'?

"I know that all of you know about dragons. What none of you seem to realize, is that dragons are just as intelligent as their riders. They deserve to be treated as equals, not servants or slaves. Until we arrived and met with you, you had never even conceived of unbonded dragons. Our dragons had to learn to live without riders for uncounted thousands of turns until their intelligence was lost to them and they were locked into their own minds, no longer even able to communicate with their own kind. When I accidentally impressed my dragon, Chekiath, I unintentionally, but fortunately, broke that centuries-long bondage.

"As I fought to have dragons recognized as people, I also came to assume the mantle of protector of ALL intelligent species. Here on Pern, you only have two, human and dragon. On the Earth I come from, we have many. Today, over the course of this conference, I will introduce you to some of them. You have already met our house-elves. For centuries, they were treated as little more than slaves, with their masters holding the power of life or death over them. They are just as intelligent as any human, just different in their outlook and lifestyle. All the inhabitants of Spath's Weyr and, in fact, of this southern continent, look at them as fellow colonists and brothers in our fight for equality."

Harry paused at the low-level conversation he heard coming from the Pernese settlers. When it finally quieted, he continued.

"House-elves aren't the only intelligent species who have followed us to Pern. I would like to introduce you to our Weyrling Master and a half-giant, Rubeus Hagrid."

Hagrid walked out of Harry's outer office and walked slowly down the center aisle towards where Harry stood. He turned around facing the audience, gave a little wave, and smiled at them.

"I've known 'arry since 'e was a little tyke that would fit in the palm o' me 'and," said Hagrid. "He has made life better fer all of us."

With that, Hagrid moved off to the side and sat in his usual seat. Harry waited a while for the shocked Pernese to settle down before he continued.

"Our dragons have shown us that they are able to not only remember much from previous ages but that they can actually read and write, albeit with the help of a computer, as well as or better than their bonded rider. Our unbonded dragons are every bit as intelligent and, given enough reason, are capable of creating lasting friendships. The Benden Weyrwoman, Juni, can attest to that fact, as the unbonded dragon Enith has become quite close to her. While not a true impressed bond, it is in fact, almost as close. Because of Enith's help, I have seen Juni come out of her almost constant depression and start to take an active part in her Weyr's day-to-day operations. But you don't have to be a rider who has lost her dragon to form a friendship bond with one of our unbonded dragons. We have many non-riders in our Weyr, many of them on my Staff, who have formed close friendships with unbonded dragons.

"We have set up Holds in various places across the southern continent and one of the first was set up by a joint group of humans, dragons, and the next intelligent species I would like you to meet. Lord Holder Bane, would you please join us?"

Harry watched as Bane cantered out of his outer office and up the central aisle, much like Hagrid had done. This time, however, the shock and conversation amongst the Pernese was much greater. Bane reached the front and turned to face the audience. He had to wait before the commotion subsided enough that he felt like starting.

"For many years we felt like outcasts, and lived on our own by choice because we could not trust humans," said Bane. "When Harry Potter came on the scene, he proved, through his actions, that there was in fact a human we could trust. Because I believed in what he is trying to accomplish, I helped to explore from the Weyr down to the ocean. We found a wonderful place to set up a new home and now humans, Centaurs, and unbonded dragons live together, supporting each other and creating a new Hold we are all proud of."

With that, Bane moved over to where the Centaurs usually 'sat' during the Weyr meetings and made himself comfortable. Harry looked over at him and nodded companionably. It took a bit longer for the Pernese to settle down, but when they did, Harry started again.

"We wanted to have this conference because we not only wanted to get to know you and give you a chance to know us, but we also want you to know what we believe and what we are capable of doing to help our friends. We have no choice but to be here but we have no desire to change your way of life if you don't wish it. We would like to be friends and neighbors but are more than happy to leave you alone if you desire. Regardless of our cultural interaction, we will continue to help fight thread and investigate ways to end it forever. We may be Dragonriders, but we have learned how to be completely independent and do not need Holds to support us as you do in the north," said Harry, giving a pointed look at the small group of Dragonriders in the audience. "We can help you to become independent as well which will remove the burden of your support from those Holds that currently send you tithes. Once the pass has ended, we will have shown you ways you can continue to interact with the Holds as equal partners in the life of Pern.

"If you do not wish to commit to any commerce with us, then all we ask is that you treat us as respected neighbors and abide by our laws if you do visit. If you do wish to avail yourselves of some of our trade goods and wish to have open commerce between our two groups, we need to work together to create a binding set of international laws that bind the conduct of anyone conducting trade between our groups.

"Speaking of trade and commerce, we have another intelligent species that for centuries managed all the finances of our world. I have requested that they open a branch of their bank here in this Weyr so that they may continue to help us here on Pern. May I introduce you to Lord Holder Ragnok, the leader of the entire Goblin race both here on Pern and back on Earth."

Harry watched Ragnok walk towards the front. He heard some gasps and a few chuckles from the Pernese. Harry knew what was coming and hoped it went well. Ragnok reached the front, turned to the Pernese, and, against Goblin tradition and at Harry's suggestion, grinned at the Pernese, showing his recently enameled and diamond studded, exceedingly sharp teeth. Immediately, the Pernese pulled back in their seats and went totally silent.

"For centuries," started Ragnok, "we managed the finances of a select group of humans, not out of a desire to control their every move, but because they continually forgot that they had attacked us before and lost. Many times we were attacked and devastated the human armies until finally, we forced them to give us full control over their finances in the hope that we could stop any future wars before they started. Unfortunately, human stupidity knows no bounds. They attacked again with what they thought was an overwhelming force and we defeated them once again at odds of over 50 to 1. When The Weyrleader approached me with his idea of a safe place for all intelligent species to coexist, I wasn't sure it would work. So far, he has made sure we are all equal and I have great hope for the future of our alliance."

With that Ragnok walked over near Hagrid and also sat down. Harry looked at the stunned Pernese and decided he had to finish so that all the shocks were over with.

"There are at least two more intelligent species. One is unable to appear in person, so we have arranged for their representative to be seen on the video monitor you see above me," added Harry, pointing to the 72" screen above and behind him.

The Pernese had initially thought the video display was simply a very realistic painting of the scene from the window behind them. That idea was quickly revised as the screen started to display an odd-looking being with grayish skin and long, wild, dark green hair. Wherever this being was, there were fish swimming around it. The shot was at enough of a distance that they could see the creature had a fish-like, scaled tail from the waist down and a human-like body above with large, yellow eyes.

"Greetings, humans of Pern," said the image on the screen in a croaky voice. "I am known as Murkas and I am the Merchieftainess, what you call a Lord Holder, for my people. For obvious reasons, I cannot meet you where you are but, if you wish to visit with me in person, I'm sure The Weyrleader can arrange it."

"Thank you, Murkas," said Harry. "If anyone wishes to visit with her, we have ways of breathing underwater and she is currently visiting in the central cavern in the lake there. Now, for the last of the intelligent species we know of so far, I would like to introduce you to Miststar."

As the large Cheetah stalked down the central aisle towards him, Harry explained how they had been discovered here on Pern, cured of their maddening flea infestation, healed, and inculcated into the brotherhood of intelligent species. Harry finished just before Miststar arrived and watched amused at the looks of near panic on the Pernese faces.

"Unfortunately, Miststar here cannot yet communicate verbally in a manner we can understand," explained Harry. "He, and the rest of his people, can communicate telepathically, similar to the way dragons communicate."

"Thank you, Weyrleader," said Miststar, looking at the assembled Pernese with amusement. "I am the Lord Holder of our Clan. For longer than I can remember, we had been plagued by the fleas on this planet. Without any means to effectively combat such an infestation, we were quite literally driven into an unreasoning rage. We would attack anything in our desire to kill, if not the fleas, then anything else in our world.

"Fortunately for us, The Weyrleader came along and managed to not only remove our fleas but return our intelligence to us. While we much prefer our own company, we have pledged not to attack any other intelligent species as long as all of our species continue to remain free of fleas."

With that, Miststar went over next to Hagrid, sat down, and started grooming his coat. Hagrid pulled out a rough brush and asked Miststar if he would welcome a brushing. Miststar looked at Hagrid, looked at the brush, and laid down closer to Hagrid. He started drawing the brush across Miststar's coat, concentrating on those areas Miststar indicated needed attention.

"We have developed not only a cure for the disease the fleas carry," said Harry, "but we have also created a flea repellent which will now last up to 6 months. With the help of our new feline friends, we are actively searching out areas where the fleas live and breed so we can do our best to eliminate them.

"That, I hope, is the last of the shocks we have to present to you. I realize that this has been quite an upset to your world-view and, if you don't mind, would like to propose a break for lunch before we continue."

Harry received numb looks and nods from the Pernese leaders. The Weyr personnel seemed to take it better than the others, probably because they were used to communicating with non-human intelligence. Slowly everyone rose from their seats and either strode out to the Turbolift to go down to one of the kitchens for lunch or wandered over to where the non-human intelligences had seated themselves to try to get to know them better. Harry hid a small grin when he saw Dobby trying to hide behind Hagrid.

He wandered over to be near Dobby so he could be available if there were any questions for him … and to reassure Dobby. He knew that members of his staff would be on hand to help with questions during the long lunch they had planned. He knew he would have ample time to get something to eat before they reconvened in 3 hours.

Spath's Weyr Conference Room, after lunch, Jan 16, 2012...
"Weyrleader, do you plan on allowing those other creatures to wander all over the planet!?" demanded Master Nungrul, the Masterminer of the Minecrafthall.

"First, they are not just creatures," said Harry. "It might help if you try to think of them as funny looking people. My bonded dragon, Chekiath, used to tell me he tried to think of me as a funny-looking dragon but had trouble doing so because I couldn't fly or breathe fire."

Harry waited for the smattering of chuckles and laughs to settle down before he continued.

"Secondly, they are people in their own right. I do not have, nor do I want, the ability to order them to do anything beyond what they have agreed to by our treaty," Harry said forcefully. "Would you like it if some other leader told you that you could not go where you wanted to?!

"You might find that you and the Goblins, in particular, have much you can offer each other," continued Harry persuasively. "The Goblins live underground and have developed tunneling to almost a science. There is a species of unbonded dragons who live underground as well and as a group, they helped us to create all the finely finished tunnels, caves, and even the massive central cavern you have seen in your visit. Back on Earth, they were able to stabilize our hatching weyr so the volcano it was located in would not erupt. They have the ability to safely ventilate their mine shafts, no matter how deep, and have proven quite helpful in other ways as well.

"Since they don't usually like being above ground, your miners are probably the only ones who would ever see them. They can drive tunnels at a phenomenal rate. All the underground 'streets', as well as every opening in the main Weyr itself, was carved out using dragon fire and goblin knowledge. They are currently digging tunnels that link Spath's Weyr to every other Weyr and Hold we have on the southern continent.

"If we are able to hammer out some kind of treaty, we are hoping to create a Weyr on the northern continent somewhere. It wouldn't surprise me if the Goblins then decided to dig a tunnel under the ocean to connect that Weyr as well! Do you remember the cart we all rode into the main cavern of the Weyr? That was created and installed by the Goblins."

"I hadn't looked at it quite that way," said Master Nungrul thoughtfully. "How would we pay for their services though? We use Marks as our unit of exchange. We have no idea what you use!"

"Lord Ragnok will be the one who can answer that question," responded Harry. "We use a gold coin we call a Galleon. I'm sure some kind of equitable exchange rate can be worked out but, in the meantime, we can simply use trade. You have numbweed, which we need, as it is by far much better than anything we have to help treat dragon pain. I'm sure there must be something we have that you can use."

"The question is," said Master Nungrul grumpily, "which of the so many things you offer can we afford!?"

"To be perfectly honest, we have started Weyrs and Holds in the past with no up-front money from the prospective inhabitants. We have learned that, if we help someone get started, once they get on their own feet and are able to be independent, the return is exponentially greater than if we tried to force them to pay for everything upfront.

"For the Weyrs, we are willing to offer many of the improvements in the Weyr structure for free, including the dragon beds that their dragons have fallen in love with. If they are more comfortable and secure, it helps us all when they fight thread.

"For the Holds, we would gladly supply the rock blocks required to create canopies over any of your Holds or Cotholds that might need additional protection. The Goblins could drill tunnels joining initially the Major Holds to their nearest Weyr. Traveling from one known point to another would become much safer. We have communication satellites in orbit so that our cell phones will work worldwide, we can supply cell phones to the Senior leader in each area so they can immediately get in touch with whomever they need to in case of emergency. I'm sure there are many things we can offer at no, or very little, cost to you."

"Cell phones?" asked Master Zechun, the Harpercrafthall Masterharper. "What are cell phones and how can you use them to contact someone else?!"

"They are a technology we brought with us. Many of our riders wanted to maintain contact with their families and sometimes there was just no way to do so until they started using cell phones," explained Harry. "I know that doesn't explain it very well. Probably the easiest way to explain it would be by demonstration. Master Zechun, is there someone in your Hall that you would wish to talk to right this minute?"

"Hmm, I assume you mean by this cell phone thing," grumped Master Zechun. "Probably Master Torg. He should be at the Harper Hall and I can apprise him of some of the things I've seen."

"Very well, let me send someone with a cell phone to your Hall," said Harry.

"Chekiath, ask Soranth to ask Lee if he has his cell phone with him and if it's working," sent Harry.

"Soranth says he said 'Yes and yes'," responded Chekiath with a swirl of light green in his eyes.

"Great, ask him to please jump to the Harper Hall and find a Master Torg, give me a call on my cell, and hand his phone to Torg," said Harry.

They waited and talked of other inconsequential things for about 10 minutes when suddenly Harry's phone rang.

Harry pulled it out of his pocket, turned it on, and answered, "Hello?"

"Hi, Harry, it's Lee. I've got Master Torg right here looking quite mystified."

"Fine, Lee, please hand him the phone and tell him how to use it," instructed Harry.

Harry handed his phone to Master Zechun and showed him how to hold it to best hear the tiny voice coming out of the phone. As Master Zechun moved over to the side of the room and started talking to his second, Harry resumed the previous conversation.

"There are many things we would be willing to do for you, but there is one requirement for anyone wishing to trade with us," said Harry. "You must take a binding oath not to physically harm any other intelligent being unless your life is in danger from them. Right now, our colonists are in great danger from you, as we will not willingly harm you but we have no assurance that you will not harm us."

"And that's the only requirement for opening trade?" asked Lord Lyl, Lord Holder of Nabol.

"That and some way of enforcing any agreements made," said Harry. "We are all adults here and I'm sure at least some of you have had some charlatan try to defraud you in your dealings with them. We need to agree on some form of international body that can arbitrate any disputes that arise between us either as a Nation or individually. We have means of determining if someone is telling the truth, so there would be no question who was in the right.

"I would like to propose a Judicial group, composed of a mutually agreeable mixture of all species, who hold their offices for life once elected. They would be supported publicly and would judge each case based solely on its merits. The membership would be comprised of every intelligent species in equal numbers and any decision they made would be binding on both parties in any dispute. Neither bonded dragons nor their riders would be eligible for this office, but unbonded dragons would be included.

"If we can agree to some kind of trade treaty, they could even be housed in the Weyr I am hoping to create on the northern continent, so it would be convenient to everyone there. I know this is a lot to take in all at once. If you like, I, and all my Staff, will withdraw so you may discuss it amongst yourselves."

"I think that would be sensible," said Lord Shan. "This may take several days, in fact. If you don't mind us presuming upon your hospitality during our deliberations. I think we can all agree, your facilities here are far superior to anything we have available for this large a group."

"You are welcome to stay as long as you feel you need," replied Harry graciously. "In fact, you can even bring additional people here that you may wish to bring in on the discussions. Either the Dragonriders can bring them directly or we can make available the Dragon Egg for their transport."

With that, Harry and his Staff wearily made their way out of the room, hoping for the best but, due to their experiences with Earth Nations, fearing the worst.

Spath's Weyr, Conference Room, Jan 28, 2012...
It had been a tense two weeks for Harry and many of the other inhabitants of the Weyr but the outcome wasn't the worst that Harry had feared. In fact, everyone had agreed to the required oath with the exception of Telgar Hold. He had finally decided that he would encourage trade with the oath takers and post a warning about the fact that anyone venturing into the areas controlled by Telgar did so at their own risk. It was the only way he could think of not to penalize the others.

The biggest sticking point for the Weyrs was the difference in their mating practices. They didn't feel comfortable trying to change how they had been managing their joinings for as long as they could remember. They quickly came around when Harry assured them that no one else cared how they managed their private lives and no one would try to tell them how to run their Weyrs. Skip and Kat had even stepped in and told them the story of what had happened when the American Government had tried to 'Nationalize' their Weyr.

For the Holds, most of them were just concerned that they would lose too much by joining in an agreement. They rightly worried that they would end up being the 'poor relation' in any such agreement. Harry had called in Ragnok to set a tentative exchange rate for Marks versus Galleons and had even gone so far as to set a tentative trade exchange rate for Pern-provided merchandise. This way, they would be able to see they had a real chance against the fledgling Earth colonists, even given the advanced, compared to Pern, technology. Harry had agreed that any and all harvesting of Pern based flora or fauna would be reserved to the original Pern colonists for 20 turns or until thread stopped falling, whichever was the longer. That got all the Holds, except Telgar, to agree.

The Crafthalls were worried about the 'technological divide' and how they would be left behind by their Earth counterparts. Harry compromised by agreeing that no Earth Weyr or Hold would provide any technological trade to anyone except directly to one of the Crafthall Masters. The limit would be for the same length of time as for the Holds, 20 years or until the end of the current Pass, whichever was longer. That way, the Masters of their specific halls would have absolute control over what came in and where it was distributed. They would also have a chance to upgrade their own facilities to be more competitive with the southern continent.

While Harry didn't intend to enforce a "no trade zone" on Telgar, as far as he was concerned, no one should trade with them until they agreed to taking the oath. Everyone who had agreed had taken the magically binding oath while they were here and had been given their own cell phones along with personalized instruction on how to use them. Lee Jordan had even arranged for copies of select portions of the manuals to be made, laminated, and bound for them to take with them. Harry had suggested they call to arrange for someone to go to their Weyrs or Holds to administer the oaths to their followers or, Harry's preference, they call to arrange for groups of their followers to come to Spath's Weyr for a day tour before taking the oath so they could see what they stood to gain.

For all of them, Harry stressed that he just didn't really care how they ran their own lives or the lives of their followers. Basically, what happened in their territory was up to them and of no concern to anyone else unless it affected others. He had gotten everyone to agree to meet again, in the future, to discuss ways to mediate disputes and apprehend lawbreakers. He was happy with the way things were for now but would continue to fight for improvements until he had worked himself out of a job.

Lord Maustan and Lady Bridai had been returned to their Hold the day before yesterday. Lady Bridai didn't seem at all pleased with her husband's decision, but supported him. Harry had a feeling that Lord Maustan would be in for a lot of "discussions" in the coming days. Harry didn't envy him. He had managed to get Lady Bridai aside and offered to have an unbonded dragon who would keep in touch with her periodically in case she needed help of any kind. When she agreed, Harry asked Garackeath, a female Swedish Short Snout, to stay at Telgar Weyr and maintain contact with Lady Bridai unobtrusively. He even managed to introduce them to each other before she returned to Telgar. He just hoped he had done enough, he had a bad feeling about Lord Maustan.

Telgar Hold, Kitchen, Jan 20, 2012...
Wemal felt grateful he had been able to get a job as a kitchen drudge in Telgar Hold. His family had tried to get in but had been denied by the Lord Holder as being of no benefit to the Hold. Even now, they were hiding out in an old abandoned Cothold nearby. He was worried for them. It was still cold from the past winter and his baby sister was not feeling well. He would do his best to save what food he could from his own rations to take out to his family.

Pern, between Telgar Weyr and Telgar Hold, Jan 29, 2012...
Garackeath and her mate, Fozurth, arrived over Telgar Weyr and were greeted by the Watch Dragon and then by all the other dragons in the Weyr. She immediately contacted the Weyrleader.

"Weyrleader G'Lux, my mate and I would appreciate being allowed to create a small Weyr within your territory," sent Garackeath. "Our Weyrleader said he suggested to you it might be a good idea to keep a remote 'eye' on Telgar Hold to make sure no problems develop. He sent us in the hope we could perform that service and spare you from the task."

She didn't mention her real primary job of listening for Lady Bridai.

"Of course," responded G'Lux. We welcome you to our Weyr and offer you a place in our home if you wish."

"That is most gracious," replied Garackeath as her eyes swirled with the blue swirls of happiness. "We would like to create a new small Weyr just for ourselves but would like to request permission to hunt in your range. We will not take any herdbeasts belonging to Telgar Hold or to your Weyr, without your permission. If we cannot find sufficient wild food, we will return to Spath's Weyr once a week to eat there."

"That is agreeable with us," replied G'Lux. "I don't know if there are many wild beasts around, but you are welcome to take what you find. Will you be joining us when we fight thread?"

"Of course," responded Garackeath. "We can fly whatever position you feel is best and are willing to train with your Weyr so we can become accustomed to your way of fighting thread. We do not require Firestone to breathe fire, so you do not need to provide that for us."

She didn't bother to let him know that both she and her mate had received the wonderful runes from The Weyrleader that protected them from thread. He had warned them that the runes would have to recharge after about 30 minutes of constant protection but, if they were careful, and didn't have to use them very often, they would last longer. Unfortunately, the Pern dragons' hides were just too soft to accept the runes. The Weyrleader was still trying to develop a way to protect the Pern dragons and riders.

"That would be great," replied G'Lux. "Why not let me know when you get settled in and I will let you know when our next practice is going to be."

"Will do," said Garackeath.

She and her mate searched until they found a likely cliff-side not far from the Telgar Hold border and immediately started burning a tunnel into the rock. Once inside far enough, they quickly enlarged the inside to allow them both a comfortable sleeping area. The Weyrleader had already told them to let him know when they finished their Weyr and he would have gravel delivered that they could convert into Hot Rocks to heat their Weyr followed by sand to make comfortable beds. The Weyrleader was always looking out for his dragons!

Pern, Garackeath's Weyr, Feb 2, 2012...
Garackeath and Fozurth were going to have a baby dragon. Until The Weyrleader had taught all dragons about 'family', they would probably have chosen not to mate but now, with the chance for them to help create manned Weyrs, they wanted to be involved. Also, the new human concept of 'family' that The Weyrleader had introduced to all the dragons was very attractive to them. They had decided to try to create a 'family' and that seemed to require a young member, so they were going to try for a dragonet of their own. She decided to limit herself to one egg only until they got a feeling for what a 'family' entailed.

She had laid her egg this morning and was currently lying on top of the slowly hardening egg to help protect it until it was harder. Her warm body and the warm sands of her bed would also keep it warm enough to hatch faster. She knew it was late in the season but, somehow, they had managed. Now to wait to see what happened.

Pern, Garackeath's Weyr, Feb 13, 2012...
Garackeath had returned from fighting thread with Telgar Weyr to find her egg under attack by a huge snake-like creature. She immediately killed it … and then tasted it … all at once. It was quite tasty but now she was afraid to leave her hardening egg alone for fear it might get successfully attacked next time! Fozurth would have to go to all the training and thread fighting sessions for both of them. She was going to stay here almost all the time to guard her egg.

Pern, Garackeath's Weyr, Feb 26, 2012...
It was hard being a mother with no supporting Weyr! She had already killed two smaller snakes as they came into the tunnel leading to their Weyr. She hoped her egg hatched soon so her dragonet could be transferred to Spath's Weyr for safety.

Fozurth brought her food when she needed it but he was increasingly involved with Telgar Weyr in fighting thread. He had also made friends with the Journeyman Harper Osyx who taught the children at the Weyr, and was splitting his time between the two Weyrs. The only one who knew they were going to have a family, other than her mate, was The Weyrleader. He had seemed a bit surprised but, once he knew what they were doing, had been very supportive. He had even told her to call him if she ever needed help.

Telgar Hold, Feb 27, 2012...
Wemal had been growing thinner and thinner as his reduced rations took effect. As usual, he kept more than half of his daily ratios in a bag that he had saved for his family. Now, everyone else had gone to bed and he was on his way to deliver the much needed food to his family and his increasingly ill baby sister. Just as he was about to exit the Hold, he tripped and almost fell. One of the guards heard the noise and called out.

"Halt, who goes there?" demanded the guard at the gate Wemal had been trying to sneak out of.

"I am Wemal, Lord," replied Wemal timidly. "I have collected most of my daily rations and am on my way to give them to my family not far from here."

"Let me see what's in that sack," demanded the guard. "How do I know you aren't stealing something!"

"Please, sir, my sister is ill and my family really needs this food!" whined Wemal, afraid the guard would take it all for himself. He started to back away from the guard towards the dark exterior of the Hold.

"Come back here, you," shouted the guard, sure he had caught a thief.

Wemal turned to run when the guard hit him across the back with the end of his spear, trying to knock Wemal down. Wemal felt a surge of adrenalin and ran like the wind for the cothold his parents were in.

"Stop, thief." yelled the guard, alerting all the other guards who came and started chasing Wemal as well.

Wemal ran as fast as he could in the dark. He soon became lost and wasn't entirely sure where he was. For a while it appeared he would be able to make it to the cothold but then the guards got in his way and he had to move off in a different direction. Now, though he didn't know it, he was headed roughly towards Telgar Weyr with the guards hot on his heels.

Garackeath's Weyr...
Her egg was hatching and she had nothing to offer her new hatchling! She didn't want to leave her egg but she really needed to find something, quickly. She took off for Telgar Weyr, asking permission to grab a small herdbeast.

Pern, between Telgar Hold and Telgar Weyr...
Wemal was almost exhausted now. He was all run out and the guards had almost spotted him twice. He had to find a place to hide, rest up for a bit, and figure out what to do.

There, against that bluff, he noticed a darker area indicating a possible cave entrance! Now if only there were no tunnelsnakes inside.

Wemal shuffled inside as fast as he could and stumbled into a larger area that was so dark he couldn't see where he was going. In his exhausted state, he didn't notice the cracking sounds coming from just ahead.

Garackeath's Weyr...
Garackeath landed with the small herdbeast in her front claws. She barely noticed the Telgar Hold guards nearby as she went into her Weyr, hoping she wasn't too late.

As she went inside, one of the searching guards stopped and turned to the other, and said, "If he went into that cave ahead, he's as good as dead. Did you see what just went inside!"

"Sure did, and I want no part of something that big. I hope it wasn't a human it had in its claws. This is the border to our Hold territory in any case, I think it's time to turn back and give this chase up for lost," said the other guard.

They both turned back towards Telgar Hold, little realizing that history was being made in the cave they had just turned their back on.

As Garackeath walked into her Weyr, she knew that something was different. She could make out the eggshells and there was something lying in the sand between them and her … a tunnelsnake had finally been successful in attacking her egg, and it was right there where she could take her revenge!

As she lunged for the shadowy figure on the floor, she was brought to a sudden stop by an angry cry from a dragonet, "Don't you touch my rider!"

Garackeath rocked back in confusion. Her egg had hatched? What had happened while she was gone during those few minutes of time?

"What is your name, little one," asked Garackeath gently. "I am your egg mother and have brought you some food."

"I am Coruth and this is my rider Wemal," he said proudly as he tore into the herdbeast, killing it quickly and tearing into its flesh hungrily.

Spath's Weyr, The Weyrleader's quarters...
"Weyrleader," called Garackeath, "I need your help!"

Harry lurched out of a sound sleep and wondered what had happened. Had he been dreaming? He thought someone had called him but his wives were still sound asleep on the bed next to him.

"Weyrleader," called Garackeath, "please come, someone has impressed my egg and I think he is injured."

"Are you in any danger," asked Harry as he hurriedly started putting on his flying gear.

"No," sent Garackeath, "but I don't know about Wemal."

"Wemal" thought Harry, must be the rider she was talking about. He decided he might need a doctor so, after mounting Chekiath, he had him land at the Level 1 Hospital entrance and asked one of the duty doctors to grab one of their emergency bags and come with him. The doctor grabbed a bag and put on his flight gear. If The Weyrleader called, there was no telling where he might end up!

Once the doctor was ready, they both mounted Chekiath who shortly disappeared from the Weyr's cavern.

Garackeath's Weyr...
Harry cast a Lumos and he and the doctor, Jayden Waters, made their way into the small Weyr. Inside they found a very curious scene. Garackeath was looking on in wonder as her hatchling finished off the herdbeast and there was a young male stretched out near the dragonet. The doctor immediately moved to the unconscious human and began checking his vital signs while Harry turned to Garackeath. After getting her story from her, he then turned to the newly impressed dragonet.

"Hello, Coruth," said Harry gently. "How are you feeling?"

"I was hungry, now I'm full. Will my rider wake soon so we can talk?" asked the small dragon.

"I'm sure he will but we need to check to make sure you are both healthy," responded Harry.

"He has a nasty bruise across his back and he seems malnourished, which is a puzzle given this bag of food here," said Jayden. "His pulse seems steady, though weak. It looks like he just needs some rest and food to fully recover."

"How do you want to handle this, Garackeath?" asked Harry. "I know you and your mate were trying to start a 'family'. We could take care of him here but I think it would be better for both of them if they were taken to Spath's Weyr and learned how to take care of each other from Hagrid."

"That might be best," said Garackeath unhappily. "We seem to have become the target for tunnel snakes. I have killed at least four since moving in, they are quite tasty!"

"OK, I will carry the young rider on Chekiath with me and Cheki can also carry Coruth in his claws. Would you mind bringing the doctor back to the Weyr with you?"

"Of course, Weyrleader," responded Garackeath.

Harry put his heavy flight jacket on Wemal, carried him outside, and levitated him up to Cheki's back. Cheki then gently grasped the young dragon and waited while the doctor gained the back of his new ride. Harry gave the signal and both dragons leapt aloft and went Between.

An old cothold not far from Telgar Hold, Feb 28, 2012...
Harry had finally gotten the rest of the story from Wemal when he finally woke in one of the small hatchling's Weyrs. Now he was on a covert mission to rescue Wemal's family from the outskirts of Telgar Hold. Fortunately, there was a small dry river bed that allowed him to conceal the small 10 person Dragon Egg he had Cheki bring. Now, with Cheki standing near invisibly, Harry approached the door to the supposedly abandoned cothold. He hoped they were all still well enough to travel. He knocked gently on the door.

"Hello inside," called Harry in a low voice. "Wemal sent me to ask you to join him."

The door slowly opened a crack and a woman, who looked like she was in her sixties she was so careworn, looked out hesitantly.

"You know Wemal?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yes," said Harry. "I am a Dragonrider from the southern continent. Wemal has somehow managed to impress a dragon and we have taken him there. He let us know about you and I've come to offer you a new home, if you would like to join us."

The woman opened the door a little wider and looked around. "I don't see any dragon," she said confusedly.

"Cheki, please let her see you," said Harry. He watched the woman's expression change to one of hope as she finally saw Chekiath in front of their tiny accommodations.

"Do you have a healer," she asked hopefully. "My baby daughter is ill and we haven't been able to get much more than water down her for the last day."

"In that case," said Harry, "we can't waste any time. Let me in and I will carry your daughter to our Dragon Egg where you can all travel together. If you could gather everyone else and your possessions and follow me, I will take your daughter to see our healer first. Once she is settled, I can bring Wemal to see you all."

Harry entered the tiny, one-room building and marveled that so many people could live in such a small place. There were two ancient, tired-looking adults and three children, including a very tiny, very sick baby girl. He quickly got them all organized and trooped them out to and into the Dragon Egg.

Once everyone was comfortably settled, he said to Chekiath, "Please take us as close to ER1 as possible. I want to get the entire family checked out as soon as we arrive."

Seconds later, Cheki responded, "We are here."

Harry stood and opened the door, pleased that the ride had been so smooth. His passengers looked out the door and marveled at the wondrous sight that met their eyes. Harry quickly led them over to the waiting duty doctors just inside ER1 who had been waiting since Harry had told them what was happening.

The nurses gently led the family into a large waiting room off to one side where they could have some privacy. They then took them into an examination room where each patient's health was evaluated. Within a short time, everyone except the baby girl, who was now in Intensive Care, were back outside and seated at one of the tables to the nearby kitchen.

"Dobby," called Harry.

"Yes, Harry Potter, Sir," said Dobby enthusiastically as he popped into sight just next to Harry. The newest Weyr inhabitants were so exhausted, they hardly noticed.

"Dobby, would you please get everyone here whatever they want to eat," said Harry. "I would imagine they should start out slow, perhaps with some thick nourishing soup and some hot tea. Once they've had a chance to eat something, please see they are assigned furnished family quarters somewhere nearby. Ask one of your assistants to remain with them until they learn their way around the Weyr.

"They haven't taken the oath yet, but I can't imagine they will be too much trouble, they are all too weak from malnutrition. Let them know I will be back soon with their son."

"Yes, Sir," said Dobby, proud that his master still needed his help to help others.

"Thank you, Dobby. I know I can always rely on you," said Harry fondly. With that, he apparated to the Weyrling quarters on the other side of the Hatching grounds.

Dobby preened at his master's praise and turned to make sure his charges were settled before he went to get them some food. The parents were almost asleep at the tables but the children were taking in everything with wide-eyed wonder. Dobby smiled at them and ported over to the kitchen, quickly grabbed what he needed on a tray, and returned. The children eyed the food on the tray longingly and immediately started spooning it down as soon as he put the bowls in front of them. Their parents needed to be awakened but were soon also hungrily devouring their soup.

While everyone was busy, Dobby left to ask Susan Bones what quarters were available nearby, then returned with his wife, Tisky, to help them get settled and to explain how things worked. As it turned out, as soon as they saw the beds, they all just collapsed and almost immediately fell asleep. The combination of full stomachs and relief from the stresses of the past months had proved too much.

Spath's Weyr, Hatchling Weyrs...
Harry appeared outside the hatchling weyr assigned to Wemal. Since they were not yet holding any impressions here on Pern, he was the only one present. Coruth was sound asleep having just recently finished off his second meal. Wemal was looking around at his surroundings in a dazed manner when Harry walked in.

Wemal jumped to his feet when Harry entered the room and asked, "Are you going to find my family soon? I can come along if you want now, Coruth will probably sleep until tonight."

"No need," said Harry with a gentle smile, "your family is all here now. They have been examined by our healers, been fed, and should by now have been assigned a place to live."

"So soon!" exclaimed Wemal. "May I see them?"

"Of course," said Harry with a merry grin. "Let's just get someone to watch over Coruth in case he wakes up and gets worried about where his rider is."

Harry arranged for one of Dobby's helpers to temporarily watch Coruth and to pass the word to him if he woke up. Then he placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and ported them to the kitchen where he had left them to eat. As they arrived, they could see them being led down the Spoke tunnel to one of the family apartments. Wemal had a haunted, frightened look about him and, belatedly, Harry realized why.

"Sorry, Wemal," said Harry apologetically. "I forgot that you aren't used to us yet. There is much for you to learn while you're here, but the most important will be how to take care of your dragon. We will care for you and your family, because you are now a part of our larger family here."

Wemal slowly calmed down when he finally realized that nothing or no one had even attempted to harm him since he'd awoken here. When he concentrated, he could feel the love his dragon felt for him and the trust Coruth had for this man, though he was far stranger than anyone he had ever met in his short life.

Harry followed Dobby and Wemal followed Harry and they eventually entered Wemal' family's new home where Tisky was happily keeping watch against them needing her help when they finally awoke. Wemal was assured when he saw them all there until he realized his baby sister wasn't there.

"Please, sir, what happened to my baby sister?" asked Wemal with a feeling of dread.

Harry looked at him gently and said, "She is fine. We have her in our Hospital where she will be able to recover and rest. Would you like to go see her?"

"Yes, please," said a suddenly tearful Wemal.

Harry placed his hand on Wemal's shoulder and asked, "Are you ready this time?"

"Yes," said Wemal as he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he was in a very strange, brightly lit room. Harry led him over to a large opening in the wall, next to a door. On the other side of the opening lay his sister looking much better as she slept peacefully. He reached out to touch her and hit his hand on the glass of the window.

"Ouch!" exclaimed Wemal. "What is this?"

"We have a clear substance we call glass," explained Harry. "Your sister is in what we call 'Intensive Care' and we don't want anyone coming near her if they haven't thoroughly washed first. It is to protect her and give her a chance to rebuild her immune system. She was very ill and could have died but we are sure now she will get much better soon."

"What are all those tubes attached to her?" asked Wemal. "Is she in pain?"

"Those tubes are there to inject healing medicine and soothing liquids directly into her body to help her get better quickly," explained Doctor Waters who had just walked up. "I'm glad to see you up and about so soon. I guess Weyr life agrees with you. I am Doctor Waters," he said with a smile.

"Thank you, Doctor?" Wemal said questioningly at the unfamiliar term.

"Yes, I am a Doctor," said Doctor Waters. "It is what we call healers where we come from. I am pleased to say that we were able to get to your baby sister in time and she will suffer from no ill effects. I would go so far to say that, once she leaves here, she will turn out to be just as terribly annoying as most younger sisters are," he said.

Wemal took in that information with relief and wondered how he had been so lucky as to stumble into that cave while trying to escape. It could have so easily turned out quite differently. He let Harry lead him out of the room and then back to where his dragon was sleeping. He could see that he had much to learn about this strange new place he and his family had ended up in.

Spath's Weyr, April 30, 2012...
It had been a whirlwind of learning for Wemal since he had impressed Coruth. Not only was he learning how to take proper care of his dragon, but he was learning how to read and write. The first he had to do in order to study the 'Dragon Care Manual'. The second was so he could take proper notes to help him remember everything he had to learn. Since he was the only Weyrling in the Weyr, he had enjoyed unprecedented attention from many of the other Dragonriders, especially when they learned his story.

He was finally able to relax. His family, including his dragon, was happy and healthy and his baby sister had moved in with his parents within a week of their arrival. They had all learned a lot about the strange people they were sharing the Weyr with. Each member of the family had embraced the Equality Oath. Apart from Coruth, Wemal was the only one in his family who enjoyed interacting with the gentle half-giant Hagrid. He was a bit intimidated by the Centaurs and Goblins and worked hard to earn the trust of the shy house-elves. He had yet to meet more than fleetingly any of the other intelligent species but hoped he would be able to get along well with them also. After all The Weyrleader had done for him, he wanted to make him proud that he had rescued Wemal. It still felt odd to Wemal that The Weyrleader should be in charge of so much. He didn't look that much older than Wemal's own 16 turns of age.

He was excited. Today he was due to take his very first jump Between. He and Coruth, his scales gleaming from a fresh scrubbing with warm oil, waited anxiously for The Weyrleader to finish his discussion with the Weyrlingmaster, Hagrid, so his test could begin. When he passed this successfully, he was told he would be taking a world tour of all the Weyrs and Major Holds on Pern. After he returned, he had been informed he would then be able to choose which Weyr he wanted to live in. Right now, he couldn't think of wanting to live anywhere else but still wanted to see all the rest before making his final decision.

He broke from his reverie as he saw Hagrid approach him.

Spath's Weyr, July 21, 2012...
Harry thought he had finally come up with the proper series of layered charms that would protect anyone wearing one from physical harm. The only problem was, how to test it. If it didn't work, the wearer could get hurt. If it did, whomever he asked to help test it would get hurt. It was a dilemma he wasn't sure how to resolve. For now, he wore the charm under his shirt with the hope that something would happen that would show him if it worked or not.

Suddenly, he heard a loud yelp from Sirius. He turned to see Sirius holding what looked like a strangely shaped wooden gun. Remus was nearby with a grin on his face. Harry walked over to see what was wrong.

"What's wrong, Sirius?" asked Harry. "Did some joke backfire?"

Remus started to laugh as Sirius looked annoyed.

"You were expecting my attack," accused Sirius sulkily. "How else could you have sent that rubber band back to hit me like it did?"

"Actually, Sirius, I didn't know anything was going on until I heard you yell," replied Harry. "You have, however, managed to help me with a little experiment I wasn't sure how to conduct. Your rubber band gun is the perfect, non-lethal solution."

Both Sirius and Remus looked at Harry, now totally confused. They had both assumed that Harry had been forewarned and had retaliated in kind. Now, it appeared that might not be the case.

"May I borrow your 'weapon', Sirius?" asked Harry. "I promise I won't use it against you."

Sirius handed over the toy he had ordered from Weasley Wizarding Wheezes. It had just come in with the latest supply run and the first person he tried it out on had been Harry. They watched puzzled as Harry walked away with the toy, humming a merry tune.

Spath's Weyr, Harry's Quarters, July 24, 2012...
Hermione was confused. Harry had given May an amulet to wear and had asked her to sit down and watch as he stood halfway across the room from May and prepared a rather unusual looking toy gun.

"May, this will not hurt you at all or I would not ask you to help with this experiment," explained Harry. "Hermione, I want you to watch carefully and let me know what you observe."

The two women agreed, mystified, but they trusted Harry, so agreed to do as he asked. Harry took aim at May with the rubber band gun and carefully pulled the trigger. Hermione watched the relatively low velocity munitions fly across the room and suddenly reverse direction before it could hit May and fly back towards Harry. He moved to one side and managed to catch the rubber band before it could fall to the floor.

"Well?" asked Harry.

"It looked like the rubber band was going to hit May but suddenly it reversed direction and flew back towards you," said a very puzzled Hermione.

"I didn't really see much at all," admitted May. "I was watching Hermione and didn't realize you had tried to shoot your own wife!" she added playfully.

Harry handed Hermione two amulets similar to the one May now wore and handed an extra one to May.

"These are amulets that I recently developed to protect their wearer against a physical attack," explained Harry. "Once they are put on, only the wearer can remove them. The chain has been enchanted to be nearly unbreakable, so they should not break during normal activities. Until Sirius tried to shoot me with this rubber band gun, I wasn't sure how I would test them. I still don't know how much of an attack they will protect against without taking the chance of seriously injuring either the amulet wearer or the 'attacker'.

"For now, I would appreciate your help to secretly hand these out to all our Riders," said Harry with an evil grin. "I'm going to give Sirius his toy back but I don't want anyone to let him know about the amulets. The extra amulet I gave each of you is for the kids."

Harry handed each of his wives a bag of amulets that had been magically enhanced to be bottomless and weightless so it would hold hundreds of amulets. Both his wives gleefully accepted the bags. Everyone in the Weyr had, at one time or another, been subjected to Sirius Black's pranks. It was about time one backfired on him!

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