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Chapters (55)
  1. Title Page
  2. Map
  3. Prologue
  4. VOLUME I: DRAGONFLIGHT
  5. Dedicatory Note
  6. PART I Weyr Search
  7. PART II Dragonflight
  8. PART III Dust Fall
  9. PART IV The Cold Between
  10. VOLUME II: DRAGONQUEST
  11. Dedication
  12. I Morning at Mastercrafthall, Fort Hold / Several Afternoons Later at Benden Weyr / Midmorning (Telgar Time) at Mastersmithcrafthall, Telgar Hold
  13. II Evening (Fort Weyr Time). Meeting of the Weyrleaders at Fort Weyr
  14. III Morning over Lemos Hold
  15. IV Midday at Southern Weyr
  16. V Midmorning at Ruatha Hold / Early Evening at Benden Weyr
  17. VI Midmorning at Southern Weyr / Early Morning at Nabol Hold: Next Day
  18. VII Midmorning at Benden Weyr / Early Morning at the Mastersmithcrafthall, Telgar Hold
  19. VIII Midmorning at Southern Weyr
  20. IX Afternoon at Southern Weyr: Same Day
  21. X Early Morning in Harpercrafthall at Fort Hold / Afternoon at Telgar Hold
  22. XI Early Morning at Benden Weyr
  23. XII Morning at Benden Weyr / Predawn at High Reaches Weyr
  24. XIII Night at Fort Weyr: Six Days Later
  25. XIV Early Morning at Ruatha Hold / Midday at Benden Weyr
  26. XV Evening at Benden Weyr: Impression Banquet
  27. XVI Evening at Benden Weyr / Later Evening at Fort Weyr
  28. VOLUME III: THE WHITE DRAGON
  29. Dedication
  30. I At Ruatha Hold, Present Pass, 12th Turn
  31. II Benden Weyr, Present Pass, 13th Turn
  32. III Morning at Ruatha Hold, and Smithcrafthall at Telgar Hold, Present Pass, 15.5.9
  33. IV Ruatha Hold, Fidello’s Hold, and Various Points Between, 15.5.10-15.5.16
  34. V Morning in Harpercraft Hall, Fort Hold, Afternoon in Benden Weyr, Late Afternoon in Harpercraft Hall, 15.5.26
  35. VI Ruatha Hold and Southern Hold, 15.5.27-15.6.2
  36. VII Morning at Ruatha Hold, 15.6.2
  37. VIII Ruatha Hold, Fort Weyr, Fidello’s Hold, 15.6.3-15.6.17
  38. IX Early Summer, Harpercraft Hall and Ruatha Hold, 15.7.3
  39. X From Harpercraft Hall to the Southern Continent, Evening at Benden Weyr, 15.7.4
  40. XI Late Morning at Benden Weyr, Early Morning at Harpercraft Hall, Midday at Fidello’s Hold, 15.7.5
  41. XII Ruatha Hold, Fidello’s Hold, Threadfall, 15.7.6
  42. XIII A Cove in the Southern Continent, 15.7.7-15.8.7
  43. XIV Early Morning at Harpercraft Hall, Midmorning at Ista Weyr, Midafternoon at Jaxom’s Cove, 15.8.28
  44. XV Evening at Jaxom’s Cove and Late Evening at Ista Weyr, 15.8.28
  45. XVI At the Cove Hold, 15.8.28-15.9.7
  46. XVII Fort Hold, Benden Weyr, at Cove Hold, and at Sea aboard the Dawn Sister, 15.10.1-15.10.2
  47. XVIII At the Cove Hold the Day of Master Robinton’s Arrival, 15.10.14
  48. XIX Morning at the Cove Hold, Star-gazing in Late Evening, Next Morning, Discovery at the Mountain, 15.10.15-15.10.16
  49. XX At the Mountain and at Ruatha Hold, 15.10.18-15.10.20
  50. XXI Next Day at the Mountain, Cove Hold, and the Southern Hatching Ground, 15.10.21
  51. Afterword
  52. Dragondex
  53. Other Books by Anne McCaffrey
  54. To learn more about other great titles from Ballantine Books . . .
  55. Copyright

T’kul’s voice now came in ragged gasps as the point of the knife inched toward its goal.

Abruptly, F’lar kicked out with his left leg and, twining it about T’kul’s left, yanked the foot out from under the crazed, overbalanced Oldtimer. With a yell, T’kul fell forward into F’lar, who neatly twisted him over and down, breaking T’kul’s left-hand hold but keeping his own left hand firmly locked on T’kul’s right wrist. The Oldtimer kicked out, caught F’lar viciously in the stomach. Although the bronze rider did not release the knife hand, he was doubled up, windless. A second kick from T’kul knocked his feet out from under him. F’lar fell heaving as T’kul wrenched his knife-hand free and scrambled to fall on the younger Weyrleader. But F’lar continued the roll with an agility that astonished the watchers, coming to his feet again even as T’kul stood up and launched an immediate attack. But that interval had been time enough for F’lar to grab the belt knife from Baldor.

The two antagonists faced each other. Robinton knew by the grim determination on F’lar’s face that this time, with the man’s beast already dead, the Benden Weyrleader would finish off his opponent. If he could.

Robinton disliked having doubts about F’lar’s skill as a fighter, but T’kul was no ordinary antagonist, driven as he was by the grief-madness of Salth’s death. The man, older by some twenty Turns, had the reach of F’lar, and a longer, more deadly blade in his hand. F’lar would have to elude that slashing blade long enough to wear T’kul past the point of the mad energy that possessed the Oldtimer.

An exultant shout burst from the Weyrwoman’s room and her piercing shriek followed. That was just enough to divert T’kul. F’lar was ready for that tiny break in concentration. He dove at T’kul, knife arm down and, before the man could parry and guard himself at the lower angle, F’lar’s thrust went up and through the ribs to the heart. T’kul, eyes protruding, fell dead at his feet.

F’lar sagged, dropping to one knee, gasping with his exertions. Wearily he scrubbed at his forehead with the back of his left hand, every line of his body emphasizing the dejection he was experiencing.

“You could have done nothing else, F’lar,” Robinton said softly, wishing he had the strength to move to F’lar’s side.

From the Weyrwoman’s chamber came the rejected suitors, dazed by their participation in the mating flight. They came out in a mass, and Robinton couldn’t figure out who had remained with the Weyrwoman as her mate and was now the new Weyrleader of Ista.