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Chapters (33)
  1. Other Books by this Author
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. For Readers New to Pern
  6. Chronology of the Second Interval/Third Pass
  7. Fort Weyr, AL 508.2.2
  8. Fort Weyr, AL 508.2.5
  9. Fort Weyr, AL 508.2.6
  10. Fort Weyr, early morning, AL 508.2.7
  11. Fort Weyr, later, AL 508.2.8
  12. Telgar Weyr, later, AL 508.2.8
  13. Telgar Weyr, early morning, AL 508.2.9
  14. Telgar Weyr, late evening, AL 508.2.9
  15. Telgar Weyr, early morning, AL 508.2.10
  16. Telgar Weyr, later, AL 508.2.10
  17. Telgar Weyr, late evening, AL 508.2.10
  18. Telgar Weyr, Threadfall, AL 508.2.11
  19. Telgar Weyr, morning, AL 508.2.13
  20. Telgar Weyr, morning, AL 508.2.15
  21. Telgar Weyr, next morning, AL 508.2.16
  22. Telgar Weyr, morning, AL 508.4.15
  23. Ista Weyr, afternoon, AL 508.5.5
  24. Keroon Threadfall, morning, AL 508.5.21
  25. Telgar Weyr, evening, AL 508.5.26
  26. Telgar Weyr, early morning, AL 508.6.19
  27. Telgar Weyr, evening, AL 508.6.25
  28. Telgar Weyr, morning, AL 508.6.28
  29. Telgar Weyr, early evening, AL 508.7.17
  30. Fort Weyr, second hour, AL 507.11.18,
  31. Telgar Weyr, evening, AL 508.7.21
  32. About the Author
  33. Copyright

Tullea glanced up at the returning dragons and then over accusingly to T’mar, “You lie! How dare you!”

She threw off his hands and stood up abruptly, reaching down to drag him up beside her.

“There he is! There’s B’nik! And Caranth, safe as can be!” She turned and slapped him hard across the face, palm wide with all the force she could muster. “What sort of a sick trick is this? Did Lorana set you up for this?”

T’mar shook his head, looking from her to B’nik, confusion written in his eyes.

“What’s going on?” B’nik asked, closing the gap between them quickly while pulling off his riding gloves. He recognized the bronze rider. “T’mar! How are you? How was the Fall?”

“B’nik?” T’mar repeated in blank surprise. He turned to Tullea in apology and surprise. “But I saw …”

“Saw what?” Tullea demanded. “This is just some sick joke—” She cut herself off, grabbing B’nik tightly in her arms and growling, “He told me you were dead!”

“Dead?” B’nik said, pushing her away from him, careful to keep a hand on her as he looked over to T’mar.

“We were overwhelmed in the Threadfall, it was falling in clumps and our strength was too little,” T’mar said, his eyes smoldering with the memory, “and then you came with a Wing and—but you’re here!”

“I didn’t come,” B’nik told him. “We never flew to your aid.”

“There was a rider wearing your jacket—the Benden Weyrleader’s jacket,” T’mar said. “He flew with a Wing until—”

“Until what?” Tullea demanded.

“Until he was engulfed in Thread,” T’mar finished in a whisper. He looked imploringly to B’nik. “But if it wasn’t you—” T’mar broke off, his confusion evident.

“Yet,” B’nik said.

“Yet?” Tullea repeated, glancing at her mate demandingly.

“Have Minith talk with Zirenth,” B’nik said in a flat, chill voice.

“Talk with Zirenth?” Tullea repeated dully. “Why would—”

“Because Zirenth saw it, too,” B’nik told her, his expression wooden, his eyes bleak with pain. “T’mar tells the truth.”

“Yet,” T’mar repeated to himself, hissing in a horrified breath as he looked sharply at the Benden Weyrleader. “This is yet to be?”

“Clearly.”

“What?” Tullea cried as she absorbed his meaning. “B’nik, you can’t die!”

“I can’t see how I can’t,” B’nik told her sadly. He waved a hand to T’mar. “It’s already happened.”

Telgar Weyr, evening, AL 508.5.26

NINETEEN

Smither, tanner, crafter know
Where and how your work must go.
As prospers thus the dragon weyr
So will Pern be kept Thread clear.

Telgar Weyr, evening, AL 508.5.26

“We can’t fight with just three Wings again,” H’nez said, controlling his temper with difficulty as he and the other wingleaders discussed their tactics for the next day’s Fall.