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Back The Skies of Pern
Chapters (64)
  1. Other titles by Anne McCaffreyPublished by Ballantine Books:
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  7. INTRODUCTION
  8. PROLOGUE
  9. At a Gather—6.15.30
  10. Part 1
  11. Turnover at Landing—1.1.31 Present Pass Aivas—Aivas Adjusted Turn 2553
  12. Benden Weyr—1.1.31
  13. Southern Hold—1.1.31
  14. Healer Hall—1.1.31
  15. Back at Landing—1.2.31
  16. Fort Hold—late night—1.1.31
  17. Fort Hold Runner Station—1.2.31
  18. Keroon Printer Hall—1.3.31
  19. Benden Weyr—midday—1.3.31
  20. Monaco Bay Weyr—five days later—1.8.31
  21. Part 2
  22. Ruatha Hold—local time 12:04 in the morning—1.9.31
  23. Telgar Weyr—local time 4:04 in the morning—1.9.31
  24. Benden Weyr—local time 6:04 in the morning—1.9.31
  25. Harper Hall—local time 1:00 in the morning—1.9.31
  26. Landing—local time 10:12 mid-morning—1.9.31
  27. In the Conference Room at Landing—1.9.31
  28. Monaco Weyr—10:22 in the morning—Timing it
  29. In the Conference Room at Landing—local time 1:10–1.9.31
  30. Sunrise Cliff Seahold—timed-back
  31. In the Conference Room—local time 2:12 at Landing—1.9.31
  32. Back at Landing—local time—3:40
  33. Harper Hall—5:00 in the morning, and Southern Hold—2:00 in the morning–1.9.31
  34. Landing—late afternoon—1.9.31
  35. Same time at Keroon Printer Hall—local time 11:15—1.9.31
  36. Later, on an unusually bright evening at Landing, Sunrise Cliff, and Honshu Hold—1.9.31
  37. Part 3
  38. Honshu—1.10.31
  39. Circle Runner Station—1.18.31
  40. Harper Hall
  41. Benden Weyr—
  42. Benini Hold—east Monaco and Honshu—1.20.31
  43. Harper Hall—1.28.31
  44. Honshu Hold—2.1.31
  45. Fort Hold—2.13.31
  46. Printer Hall at Wide Bay—same night
  47. Honshu Hold—2.9.31
  48. Night at Wide Bay—2.9.31
  49. Ruatha Hold—late evening—2.9.31
  50. Core Hold—two days before Council Meeting—2.26.31
  51. Part 4
  52. Honshu Weyrhold—2.26–27.31
  53. Council Meeting at Telgar Hold—3.1.31
  54. Honshu Weyrhold—3.01.31
  55. Interim at Benden and elsewhere
  56. Honshu Weyrhold—time passing slowly
  57. Landing—3.21.31
  58. Honshu Weyrhold—3.21.31
  59. Southern Hold—3.23.31
  60. Honshu Weyrhold—3.27.31
  61. Benden Weyr—3.27.31
  62. Cove Hold—same day, same approximate time
  63. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  64. What’s next onyour reading list?

She is there! Golanth said and F’lessan looked about for a green dragon and her rider. The old one. In her chair.

And so she was, looking dry, her hair carefully plaited, her rocking motion reflective. It stopped at the sight of the incoming trio of dragons. They were cheered as they landed and would have been welcomed, but a barked command from Binness kept all at their chores. A circle of stones accommodated a brisk hot fire over which two huge kettles had been set on tripods. One was already steaming. At the forest edge, two men were skinning a herdbeast, fallen fruit had been gathered and lay in nets to one side, and wood was stacked under an oilskin.

Binness, his arms bandaged where Golanth had seized him, came to meet them, limping a bit. He was still barefoot, curling his toes up from the coarse ground cover.

“Didn’t expect you back, dragonrider,” Lady Medda said.

“You didn’t think we’d check to be sure you’d survived, Lady Medda?” F’lessan asked, grinning.

Binness shrugged. “Mostly the only time we see dragonriders is Threadfall but you saved us from far worse today. And three boats.” He nodded solemnly to where the dories had been propped up on stout branches to provide shelter for sleeping children.

“Landing has sent water, bread, klah, glowbaskets, hand lights, medical supplies, and canvas for tenting,” F’lessan said cheerfully.

“It’s warm enough these nights,” Binness said, tilting his head back.

“I believe there’re wineskins, too, which we thought you might be in need of,” St’ven added, grinning.

“Did I hear him say ‘wine,’ Binness?” shouted Lady Medda.

“Grand dam you have, Binness,” F’lessan said.

“Bring him and the wine here, Binness. We’ve only herbal leaves to serve but it’s my own recipe. Puts heart in man or beast. Wine’ll increase its medicinal value.”

“Anyone wounded? Sick?” F’lessan asked Binness when he had dismounted with one wineskin in his free hand.

“More shocky than hurt. May I have your name, dragonrider?” Binness asked with a respectful bow. “I thought I was dead, between that wave and the cliff.”

“F’lessan, Golanth’s rider, Benden Wingleader.”

They had reached her in her chair which, F’lessan could now see, rocked on a square of worn rug, with a footstool to prop her swollen feet. The dragonrider bowed respectfully to the indomitable old woman.

“Lady Medda!”

“I’m no lady,” she replied with vigor but she smiled at him coquettishly. “Not but what I haven’t had a dragonrider or two warm my bed at night.”

“Granddam!” Binness was shocked. “That’s no way to speak to the man who saved us.”

“Did you thank him for saving you?” Her sharp blue eyes pinned her son before she turned on F’lessan. “He thanked you proper?”

“He did and Golanth and I were glad to be—in time.”