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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

Fiona felt the great gold dragon stir in her sleep.

Talenth, she said softly in a tone meant to reassure, we have company.

Fiona received a dim feeling from Talenth that she knew and was pleased.

Please tell Xhinna that I love her, Fiona said. She felt Talenth groggily relay the message, felt Xhinna’s love return in response and then relaxed against Seban, making room for the small warm bodies that were curling up against her.

Sometime in the middle of the night, Fiona came starkly awake.

“Eww, it’s coming out her nose!” a small girl’s voice exclaimed from near Talenth’s head.

“Come on back, Aryar, you’ll wake everyone,” another girl whispered urgently, fearfully.

“But Rhemy, what’ll happen if she dies?” Aryar persisted, her voice coming toward Fiona, who kept her eyes closed, not wishing to alarm them further and possibly wake up the whole group. Fiona could hear the young girl—she couldn’t have more than seven Turns at the most—pausing in front of Fiona, probably peering at her, as she continued, “They say that when a dragon dies, the rider loses half her heart with it.” Aryar sniffed. “How can the Weyrwoman live with only half a heart?”

“Her heart is big enough, even just half, and with our love, it’ll grow back,” Xhinna’s voice came quietly out of the darkness. She scooped up the youngster in her arms, prepared to carry her back to the others.

As Xhinna’s steps receded into the distance, Fiona heard Aryar declare, “You have my love, Weyrwoman! I’ll help you grow your heart back!”

Telgar Weyr, early morning, AL 508.2.10

NINE

Weyrwoman, mind the Weyr:
For all things prepare
And set the best fare
Lest all should despair.

Telgar Weyr, early morning, AL 508.2.10

Silence settled upon the group only for a short while. Fiona managed to nod off for a bit and was surprised to be woken by the sound of Talenth. This time her coughing fit lasted a long while, disturbing many of the youngsters who slept scattered around her.

“It’s all right,” Fiona said. “Try to get back to sleep.”

She herself in contradiction of her advice rose and went to check on Talenth’s head. There was a small pile of green ooze in front of it.

“It’s only a little,” she said to herself, remembering the bucket and mop she’d used for blue Serth.

“Come back to sleep,” Seban said, grabbing her shoulders in his hands and gently guiding her back. “Your rest is important to her.”

Fiona had barely gotten settled when the sound of feet coming up the path of the queens’ ledge disturbed her. The noise redoubled with the sound of startled children.

“She has the Weyrwoman’s permission!” Fiona heard Taria declare stoutly in Xhinna’s defense.