Hey Megan,
I'm feedbacking both fics tonight I guess. I thought I had already dropped this in but now I can't find it. This chapter is very exciting. Your Lanora reminds me of Silvinia and.. what was the name of the one at Brenden (benden?)? Menora? Something like that. Kind of take over the lost and dirty girls and clean them up and tell them what will be what very quickly because they're busy.

It seems to me that Tara has awakened the queen egg to hatch. Will be quite exciting when it all happens.

PS. It's all your fault that I'm about to finish rereading the entire dragonsong-drums series this week. Arggghhh and well done.

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Menorah Tales | Working It Out | Random Bits

skeeter451 - Oh, there was definitely subtext, but I think most of it was accidental. In any case, she claimed that there was no homosexuality on Pern.

watson - Yes yes. She'll get some interesting spur-of-the-moment lessons on that, I assure you. And they'll just *have* to wait that long. Makes for a more interesting fic, anyway
LMAO, sorry watty babe, no time machines.

Graceland - Actually, I believe in one of the books there was an instance where other dragons had to prevent a gold from going between. They wouldn't allow her to do that while there was a clutch on the sands. After, however, there's nothing they can do.

caz - I wanted the opportunity for an interesting encounter between Faith and Tara, but I suck at writing Faith. Thus, dragon. I had an amusing idea of having Faith and her dragon, Faith, but... well, that would have been just way too confusing.
And sometimes the candidates are allowed to see and visit with the eggs. Might I call to mind K'van's Hatching? Short story, 'the smallest dragonboy'?
So glad I could revive your interest.

eirnlove - Sorry, it's not coming any faster... but it'll definitely keep coming.

seamstressofdarkness - I think all I can really say to that is a major 'thank you'. Yes, a lot of it is due AM for her amazing world of Pern, and also to Tara Nepion, the woman in charge of my Pern roleplay, who does an awesome job. Her character will probably cameo in here.

A-Rob - Don't worry, Willow will definitely be involved in Tara's affairs. No pun intended. Yes, Faith is a dragon. I thought it fit. You know, her personality is sort of... forceful. Again yes, all dragon names have to end in '-th'.
Yes, Queens are exceptionally important. Pern is almost completely patriarchal, but I plan to change that in here
Don't worry, there won't be a huge amount of angst. Even if it is me writing it.

wiccanbotanist - Trust me, they're worth the money. Get Dragonflight, Dragonsdawn, Moreta's Ride and The White Dragon. Get the rest too, but those are the best, IMO
Thanks so much!

Artemis - I don't like convention. Just ask my mother.

skeeter451 (Again) - You really like feedbacking this thing, don't you? lol
Yep, Willow will be training Tara in all the ways of caring for her dragon. Should make for some interestingly tense moments.
Yes, it's unusual, but sort of necessary for this fic. There's an older queen, however. Guess what her rider's name is?
You're quite the little Pernfan, aren't you...?

tarawhipped - Pern is more than just a fantasy story. It's got as much of a cult following as LoTR does, as Buffy did. Very different from both, of course, but still... AM was an AMAZING author.
Leave it to you to catch my little pun, hey Cam?

sam7777 - Yes, goldriders are front and center. But I plan to play on the progression of Tara's personality from season 4 to season 6; the way she grows and matures, and is able to handle more responsibility. Glad you picked out Menolly, I was going for that sort of impression.

JustSkipIt - I think that was Manora. Yep, that's Lanora all right. I actually didn't even get the similarity between the names until you pointed it out lol. And yes, the Weyr is called Benden. Fort, Benden, Igen, Ista, High Reaches...
You mean the HarperHall Trilogy? Good books.

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Don't you sit upon the shoreline and say you're satisfied, choose to chance the rapids, and dare to dance the tides - Garth Brooks, "the River"

Title: Red Star Rising
Author: Naeryn, aka Megan
Feedback: In Faranth's name, please!
Disclaimer: Pern, Thread, Pernese dragons, Weyrs, and all other Pern-related things/people/ideas are copyright ANNE MCCAFFREY. No copyright infringement is intended, and no profit is being made from this.
...Oh yeah, and Joss owns Willow and Tara. Bastard.
Rating: E for Everyone ^^
Notes: Hatching! I'm not sure if I overdid it a little, or if I got the feeling quite right, but I hope I did the scene justice. Also, several of the new dragons' names have been either a. suggested in chat as jokes or b. stolen from my roleplay. Big thanks to AnirtakEnigma for her help with names!




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Chapter 3
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Other people, all younger than her but wearing the same white robes of candidacy, flooded onto the sands. Dragons flew into the upper levels, carrying passengers from prestigious Holds and Halls. Tara couldn’t see her father, and she wasn’t surprised. She backed up a hundred paces from the eggs and watched, dumbstruck, as all the other candidates formed a loose semicircle around the eggs.

They waited. Two eggs were rocking, now three, but no more. The entirety of the cavern was silent as they waited with bated breath for the first dragonet to emerge, wet, weak and hungry, into the world of Pern. The silence began to grow oppressive, even through the dull humming that faded so easily into the background. Tara felt her earlier awareness double, then triple, and soon it had grown tenfold to immerse the whole of the Hatching Ground in a bubble of sensation that pressed against her.

Smells, sounds, everything took on a unique and oddly intimidating quality. Though her eyes were trained upon the gold tinted egg near the center of the clutch, she could see all of them peripherally. Abruptly, the humming stopped, leaving an empty quiet. Then, with a sound that would have been almost unheard anywhere else, the first dragon broke it’s shell.

It spilled out onto the hot sand, creeling piteously. Even through the dampness, a bronzy shimmer could be seen. A great cheer went up from the watching crowd, and the silence was well and truly broken.

Whatever spell was on Tara seemed to shatter too. Though she remained hyperaware, she found herself able to break her gaze from the glistening queen egg. Another cracked, and another, and then there were three dragonets stumbling around, trying to find the one who should be theirs.

The first, the bronze, stumbled forwards and landed on the feet of a little boy who appeared to be about fourteen or so. With a gasp, he knelt before the young dragon, smiling joyously. “His name is Gulineth!” Ecstatic, he threw his arms around the creature and led it outside, never taking his eyes from the young bronze’s.

Tara turned her head to her right and saw another small dragonet, a green, reach up with one clawed finger and paw at the robes of one of the girls. “Sapphith! Her name’s Sapphith!” She too led the young one out, off the Hatching Grounds and into the Weyr Bowl where platters of meat awaited the hungry hatchlings.

Dragonet and rider were paired off, one by one, amidst raucous cheers and screams of new names and tears of joy. Rieundoth, one was called, and there was another named Cearth. “Kitteth!” one young boy called. “Smuth!” was another. “Netesath!” “Seboreth!” Soon, even the names were lost in the entrancing power of the moment.

Then the queen egg shook. Once, twice, then it violently rocked, so hard it nearly fell from the pile of sand it rested on. With an iridescent sparkle, it shattered, revealing a sparkling, damp queen dragonet. Tara bit her lip, hard, fighting not to fall to her knees from the sheer beauty of the moment. Tears seeped from the corners of her eyes, but she paid them no heed.

The little queen stumbled awkwardly forwards with a heartwrenching keen. One toe caught on the edge of her wing, causing the crowd to take in a collective gasp, hardly daring to breathe. Everyone seemed too petrified to do anything as the gold sat there, mewing and bleating in pain and fear.

Finally, it was too much for Tara. She broke the circle, throwing herself forwards. Carefully, unaware of the outright stares from the candidates and spectators, she made her way around broken shells to the side of the little queen. The small creature looked up at her, eyes whirling an agitated shade of yellow-orange, and let out another anxious sound, something Tara would almost have described as a draconic sob.

Tara tutted in her throat. “Shh… come on little one, I’m not going to hurt you.” She kept her tone low and soothing as she reached slowly towards the miniscule dragonet. Gingerly, she lifted the little gold’s toe from the tiny snag in her wing, resting one hand lightly, comfortingly on her back as she did so.

A tiny voice, clear and bell like, sounded within Tara’s mind. Thank you. With those two simple words came a flood of emotions. Everything was suddenly bright and new again; the heat was twice as intense, the light was harsh and yet somehow thrilling instead of painful. She felt a stab of pain in a wing that was not hers, a sense of deep hunger and a raw sort of joy at finding the one she was meant to be connected to.

Through it all one feeling reigned supreme; that she would never be alone. Tara felt utterly complete and content in that moment, in spite of the pain and hunger she felt from the little dragonet at her side. The perfection of their unity was blinding. Tara hadn’t been aware how alone, how empty she was before finding this beautiful creature. She felt a dozen or more of her insecurities fall away as she basked in the glow of faultless Impression.

The small part of her that retained coherency screamed for attention, and slowly, reluctantly, she was drawn out of the sudden joy she felt. Tara felt a smile split her tear streaked face when she realized the feeling would never fully dissipate, and she would always have her dragonet with her. She shook it off for the moment. “Numbweed! I need numbweed!” She cried out as the pain she was receiving from the little gold intensified. Someone brought a small jar of the numbing solution, which Tara applied liberally to the young queen’s wound. It made her fingers tingle into unfeeling.

Thank you. That hurt. I don’t like hurt. The young dragon’s voice was plaintive, like a child’s. Tara felt her heart swell with love for her.

What is your name, little one? Tara smiled down at her lifemate.

I am Naliath. Is there food? My stomach feels very empty. Tara nodded, laughing happily now through the residue of emotion on her face, and drew Naliath away from the crowd that was waiting for the last three eggs to hatch. Carefully cradling the gold’s wing, Tara led her out into the light of the Weyr Bowl, harshly bright after the muted orange hue inside the Hatching Grounds.

As they approached the table laden with meat, Willow stalked up to them, smiling jovially. “Hello. Shells, I’m glad to see I picked the right person out to stand here!” She reached out and rested her hand on Tara’s shoulder. The new rider looked at her, confused.

“What… shouldn’t you be inside?” She barely heeded the fact that her stutter had disappeared.

Willow shook her head, smiling at Tara. Already she felt a vague sort of attraction to the younger woman, and was happy to hear her speak without hesitation. “No. I’m the Weyrlingmaster. You’ll be under my command for the next year and a half.”

Tara smiled. She didn’t know Willow well at all, but she was the closest thing Tara had to a friend in the Weyr. The redhead nudged a pot of oil over to Tara, observing that her dragonet’s feeding was beginning to slow. “What’s her name?”

“Hmm? Oh. Naliath.” Tara smiled, tasting the word on her lips for the first time. “Naliath.”

Willow’s grin grew wider. “Lovely name. She’s a pretty one, that’s for sure. Well, when Naliath is finished eating, she’ll want to be oiled. That is, you take the paddle and use it to rub the oil in the jar into her hide. Then you can take her in there,” she gestured across the Bowl towards the Weyrling barracks, “and claim whatever area you want that hasn’t been occupied yet. You’ll be living there until you’ve learned how to fly, probably in eight or nine months. Not for a while yet, anyway. She’ll want to sleep just about right away, and you probably will too. Impression is an amazing experience, but a tiring one.” With that, Willow turned away from Tara and towards the head of the group, now including two more new pairs. It was obvious that no more were coming.

Tara bent and picked up the jar of oil and the small paddle that was attached to it. Swiftly, she began to smooth it over Naliath’s hide.

Willow repeated the instructions she’d given Tara to the group as a whole, and then, smilingly, added “And I’ll see you all out here tomorrow. Before the base of the sun rounds the horizon. You’ll find that dragons can also make very handy alarms. Whatever job of oiling you do today will be fine, but tomorrow you’ll perform the task under my eye, so I can ensure you’re taking proper care of your dragon. You don’t want his or her hide to split while between, and proper oiling will ensure that it doesn’t.”

As Tara led Naliath over to the Weyrling barracks, followed by several of the other new weyrling pairs, Willow swung herself up once more onto Rayenth’s back. Love, take me to the lake, would you? Rayenth made a general sound of affirmation and launched himself from the ground.

Moments later, Willow stood on a rock outcropping that jutted over a deep area near the edge of the lake, skipping stones over the otherwise serene surface. She remembered her own Impression, the shock and joy of finding that not only was she worthy of a dragon – it would have been impossible for her to Impress if she was not – but she was to be bonded with a bronze, something no other female had ever done. They barely ever even Impressed browns! Somehow, the ridicule she’d faced because of it, all of the people telling her she was a man, she’d usurped the place that should have been theirs, or their friend’s, or their son’s… she shook her head.

She wouldn’t give up Rayenth for a thousand Threadfree worlds. Dropping the last of her stones into the water by her feet, Willow turned and walked slowly off the rocks and down to the flat, sandy beach. Rayenth… I love you. She approached her dragon slowly and knelt before him, curling herself into the crook of his forearm where he lay in a patch of sun.

He stretched out his wing just a little, hugging Willow close to him. I know, Mine. I love you too.

Rayenth gave a deep rumble and a soft keen, and Willow sighed. Faith was gone. She couldn't be sad about it, however. The poor thing had been wanting to go for days. She could only be glad that she was at peace.

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Don't you sit upon the shoreline and say you're satisfied, choose to chance the rapids, and dare to dance the tides - Garth Brooks, "the River"

No surprise that Tara Impresses the new Gold, and how sweet the Hatching and Impression was! I could feel the joy as the new riders learnt the names of their beloved. Tara especially, breaking ranks to go to the rescue of lovely little Naliath.


So I wonder, how would the W/T unity compare?

I love your use of different colors and fonts for Naliath and Rayenth's "speech", I know you use it for your other roleplay, but it works here.

Tara is certainly overwhelmed to have her gold queen, I wonder if she will receive special attention. Am I right in thinking there is no weyrwoman since Kendra and Faith are gone, so no one to train the new goldrider? Another task to fall to the weyrling master perhaps?

And speaking of the weyrling master, she is all business isn't she. Though she singled out Tara for instructions, I'd like to know a bit more about how she feels about the new goldrider, apart from "I was the one who brought her back". I thought the ride to the lake may be to think of such matters, but it could be too soon. May be in the next update or two?

Oh, I gotta mention the names of the other dragonets, especially Kitteth and Smuth!

I was thinking about AM's work in general, went back to look at her body of work. And what an impressive and large body! Somewhere I read (I think in wikipedia) that her earlier Pern books (Dragonflight etc, the Ninth Pass books) have more of a fantasy feel to them, while the later ones are more science fiction. Now I understand why I love the first few so much and why I lost interest (apart from I grew up and started work and all that pesky stuff). I'm so glad you're keeping the fantasy part and not so much the sci-fi parts, cos that's where the Pern magic is, IMHO.

Thanks for this update. I was actually at work when you posted and Car, wonderful Carleen, she emailed it to me so I could have my Pern fix. Isn't it great to have friends who love you?

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quiet thoughts

Hi Naeryn. Great update. Hatchings are always exciting, especially when a gold egg is on the grounds. Tara's compassion has shown through, with no thought to herself she helped Naliath. If she had'nt been acceptable to the dragonet she could have been seriously injured.

Willow already feels a connection to Tara - thank god! Lets hope that Rayenth and Naliath start to feel the same way.

I want to see a wild mating ride (in about a years time of course).

I haven't started reading the Pern books yet - wanted to get the latest Harry Potter out of the way first.

Caz

I believe there was a gay couple in 'Moreta: The Dragonlady of Pern' -- that they actually cared for one another as oppose to being swept up in the heat of the moment. Minor characters though. It was a long time since I read it, but if my mind isn't playing tricks on me, one of the riders was in For Weyr, the other in High Reaches?

Anyhow I left an email for you, Naeryn, before realizing you are also posting this here. I've read the third chapter, and my praise is still the same. You rekindled my love of this world and your narrative fits naturally into it.

Lorraine

I like that Willow and Tara will be spending lots of time together as Weyrlingmaster and pupil for the next year and half. I look forward to th progression of Tara's personality and also that of Nalianth's. Tara's impression of the gold was as touching and caring as Tara herself and is a contrast to the tougher attitude of Lessa in a similar circumstance. Reaaly love where this is going.

.

Wow, the hatching was quite an event. 'Smuth' and 'Kitteth' You did a really good job of making the importance of it come across, in how everyone was so awestruck. And Tara was lovely, going to help the little baby queen - no less awestruck than the rest, I imagine, but her instinct to help is a strong one. I wonder, though, if it might contribute to any resentment that's felt against her? Just like Willow mused on the resentment of the other candidates when she Impressed Rayenth, I wonder if there'll be people who think that they, or their daughters (is it only women who Impress queens?) should have Impressed, but Tara skewed the result by going to the queen before she made her choice? If so, Willow's experience with the same thing may be some use helping her through.

The connection between Tara and Naliath was lovely, an instant family bond. It's nice to see Tara's loving nature be applied to someone besides Willow - likewise for Willow and Rayenth, it adds a whole new dimension to the story that both of them have these strong, devoted bonds of love with their dragons.

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Chris Cook

Through the Looking-glass - Every world needs a Willow and Tara.

Well, I guess subtext is in the eye of the beholder, eh?



Yeah, I've already been chastised once for my enthusiasm, so I'll try to contain myself in the future. But hey, Willow and Tara on Pern! Who wouldn't be excited?

Hmmm, who could the older queen be? I can't help but feel that Queen C rides the queen, but that would be like that crazy one that lost hers. (Not Brekke, but the other one.) Anyway, while the first three books were good, the Harper Hall Trilogy was my favorite. I had such a crush on Menolly!

Anyway, as for chapter 3!!! Bravo!

That was a beautiful Impression. I don't think AM could have done any better.

--->Susan

It's always so cool to come home after a weekend away and find lots of updates, and I was so excited to read yours, Megan. The hatching scene was wonderful...tense (despite the basically foregone conclusion that Tara would impress the gold) and emotional. I loved that Naliath is as shy and tentative as Tara herself...can't wait to see them grow stronger and more confident together, under the support and budding love of Willow and Rayenth, no doubt. Excellent!

-Cam

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Wow, you did a really fantastic job here of depicting the impression. I mean it was easy as the reader to be in Tara's shoes. First her awareness widens and then it narrows. When she goes to the gold, we are with her. We are not aware of the crowd and whether they approve, disapprove, or don't care (as if that would happen). We are just aware of their connection. The description of Tara's completeness is very well done. I like that Willow comes to Tara specially about the oil and the barracks. Sets them apart a bit. Well done.

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"I'm Elvis!" -- JustSkipIt
"Graceland of Sensuous Intoxication" -- watson

Hi. I really like this update. I think you do a very good job of bringing the reader into the world of Pern and the world of the hatching grounds. Of course Tara impressed the gold: that's no surprise. I like that Willow sought her out first to tell her about the oiling and the barracks before telling the others. The way you describe Tara's feelings is very very well done.

I was telling Rachel about this and she asked, if Willow is weyrleader, does that mean she and Kendra had sex when Faith and Willow's bronze mated?

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Menorah Tales | Working It Out | Random Bits

Woohoo for me getting in a note!

Oh - great story and writing too!

~Ani

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True, I talk of dreams, which are the children of an idle brain, begot of
nothing but vain fantasy. ~Shakespeare

watson - Well, that wasn't really the surprise-y part. I didn't really mind that everyone knew already that Tara would Impress the gold. That's not where it gets interesting
I find it's easier to keep things straight with the different colours. Besides, this is Different Coloured Pens, after all. It fits.
The weyrlingmaster always trains everyone. However, she who Impresses the queen usually has extra lessons with the Weyrwoman, or one of the junior Weyrwomen. There is no active Weyrwoman because the only one left is old. The queen is past her breeding years, and so can't be in charge of the Weyr.
I'm afraid we're not going to be getting a whole lot of insight into Willow's mind just yet. But don't worry, it'll come.
Don't forget about Sapphith! And yes, it is wonderful to have friends who love you. I have, what, two of them? XD

caz - Yes, she could have been. But think about the Tara we all know and love - would she really care about that?

dokkyo - Thanks so much! and I wouldn't know, I haven't actually read Moreta lol

sam7777 - Oh good... I was worried I went a little overboard on the mush of the Hatching lol

Artemis - I'm afraid I can't answer that. It may be, it may not be. I don't like giving anything away. At all. Ever. Hehe.

skeeter451 - Subtext indeed. Explains Xena, doesn't it? Don't worry about the enthusiasm. I love enthusiasm.
Not Queen C, no way... in fact, I'm not sure that she even shows up in this fic lol. I might have to write in a character just for her obnoxious little self...
You had a crush on Menolly too? LMAO!

tarawhipped - I'm glad you're enjoying it. I plan to make it last awhile.

Graceland - Exactly what I was going for. Brilliant!

JustSkipIt - If Willow is Weyrleader, then Rayenth would have had to have flown Faith and yes, Willow and Kendra would have done it like bunnies. However, Willow is *not* Weyrleader. There is a different Weyrleader whom we haven't met yet. Willow is weyrlingmaster. She's basically the teacher.

AnirtakEnigma - lol, thanks Ani.

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Don't you sit upon the shoreline and say you're satisfied, choose to chance the rapids, and dare to dance the tides - Garth Brooks, "the River"

Title: Red Star Rising
Author: Naeryn, aka Megan
Feedback: In Faranth's name, please!
Disclaimer: Pern, Thread, Pernese dragons, Weyrs, and all other Pern-related things/people/ideas are copyright ANNE MCCAFFREY. No copyright infringement is intended, and no profit is being made from this.
...Oh yeah, and Joss owns Willow and Tara. Bastard.
Rating: E for Everyone ^^
Notes: First lesson. I think it's a bit awkward, it was about nine months ago that I had *my* first weyrling lessons. They'll get better as they get more interesting, I promise, lol




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Chapter 4
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Tara lay on her side staring happily at Naliath. The two were the first to reach the girls’ side of the Weyrling barracks, and so had their pick of ‘rooms’. Really, they were just areas partitioned off on three sides that opened into a central hall. Tara and Naliath both seemed to have similar tastes; without a word they’d headed together to the back left corner section, furthest from the entrance.

The young queen, exhausted from her earlier hatching efforts, curled up on the large stone couch and fell asleep almost instantly. She didn’t even take up half of the area set aside for the dragonet, but Tara knew she would grow to fill it soon. She’d curled up beside her, happy just to be next to Naliath. Tara didn’t think she’d seen a more beautiful creature in her life. She reached out, lightly brushing her fingertips over the dragonet’s smooth, soft hide in an almost reverent manner.

Voices drifted over to her from just outside the entrance to the barracks. Tara sat half up, propping herself on one elbow to look out and down the hallway. Three girls, probably two years younger than her, walked in, trailed by three green dragonets.

Remembrance hit her; Tara had seen them standing near her on the sands. They’d all Impressed that day. She found herself unable to remember any of their names, though she believed the green dragonet with the faint leafy pattern on her was Ree-something.

The tallest girl looked over at her and smiled. “Hello. You’re the one who Impressed the queen, aren’t you?” Tara nodded, feeling a blush creeping over her face. “Well, I’m Shannen,” She gestured towards the patterned dragonet, “And this beautiful girl is Rieundoth.” She gave Tara a welcoming grin. “You look a bit older than us, but I don’t suppose that’ll really matter to the Weyrlingmaster. We’re all in the same wherry pot now!”

Tara nodded, the brown-haired girl’s cheerful manner putting her at ease. “I guess so. Have you met Willow yet?”

The girl with the long black hair shook her head. “No, we haven’t. Not really. She brought you in on Search just today, didn’t she?” At Tara’s affirmative nod, she whistled sharply. “Well that was lucky timing! I’m Ilirrie, by the way.” She gestured to one of the greens, so dark she was almost black. “She’s Seboreth.”

Shannen tucked a lock of her cropped brown hair behind her ear. “This is going to be some crazy ride. I imagine we’ll be spending a lot of time together, living in the same quarters and going through lessons together and all.”

Tara nodded and stood up, brushing off the candidate’s robes she still wore. She held out her hand. “I’m Tara, and lazybones over there is Naliath.” She smiled affectionately over at the new queen.

The third girl spoke up excitedly. “I’m Lianne. This sweetie is Sapphith.”

“Shannen and Rieundoth, Ilirrie and Seboreth, and Lianne and Sapphith.” Tara nodded to herself, then blushed a little. “I might forget, I’m terrible with names.”

Shannen waved her hand in the air, dismissing Tara’s confession. “It doesn’t really matter, you’ll remember eventually. Chances are we’ll forget your name at some point too. There’s 637 people in this Weyr alone, after all!” She shook Tara’s still outstretched hand and grinned, looking around.

“It’s a shame about old Faith. I can’t be too sad, of course, she should have gone days ago. We all knew it was coming.” Ilirrie sighed, settling herself down onto the bed in the area next to Tara’s.

Shannen took the one across the central hallway from Tara, and Lianne took the one next to her, nodding along with Ilirrie’s comment. “The timing was terrible, of course. It’s always a shame, sort of dampens the cheer of a hatching some.”

The three friends lapsed into silence as they went about emptying the small bags of clothing they carried with them from the candidates’ barracks. Tara pulled her knees up inside her robe and wrapped her arms around them. Everyone in the Weyr seemed so confident and assured; it was intimidating. There was so much to learn, so much that everyone else seemed to know already and she hadn’t a clue. Tara didn’t like not knowing. She felt adrift, unsure. She didn’t know what her place was anymore.

A faint smile broke over her face as a wordless sort of humming filled her mind. Naliath’s spirit seemed to carry hers up, and anchor Tara. Of course she knew what her place was. It was here, with her beautiful queen. Everything else didn’t really matter.

Across the hall, Shannen shook her head and yawned. “Wow… it’s early yet, but I’m so tired.”

Ilirrie and Lianne chimed in their agreement, citing the excitement of the Hatching as the reason for their exhaustion. Tara just smiled. She didn’t really feel tired at all, but didn’t mind the quiet. In fact, she reveled in it. And she may not be tired, but Naliath certainly was.

The other three girls seemed to know exactly what the routine was for preparing for bed, changing swiftly and easing into sleep almost immediately with a minimum of bustle. Tara marveled at their ability to fall asleep so quickly. She never could do that; she was the one who laid awake for hours, replaying in her mind every moment of the day. Trying to remain as quiet as she could, she too slipped under the covers and closed her eyes.

*****

Tara picked absently at a loose thread on her shirt. Everyone was staring at her and Naliath. They were standing in the eastern end of the Weyr Bowl, waiting for Willow to show up for their lesson, and the other weyrlings, too preoccupied by their own lifemates yesterday to pay particular attention to the new goldrider who would become Weyrwoman, now found her fascinating.

Shuffling nervously from foot to foot, Tara muttered maledicts under her breath. “Shards Willow, in Faranth’s name, will you hurry up?” She crossed her arms over her chest and looked steadily at the dust under her feet. As if in response, Willow appeared just then, followed by Rayenth.

A broad grin split her features. “All right, weyrlings. Today’s lesson should be relatively simple. I want you all to come here and get a jar of oil from Lanora, and then oil your dragons. I’ll walk around and make sure you’re all doing it right… though I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

Lanora stepped out from behind Willow, laden with small jars of oil. All the weyrlings, save Tara, crowded around her, trying to grab a jar quickly so they could be the first to finish. Tara smiled nervously over at the weyrlingmaster, waiting for the crowd around Lanora to thin.

Willow returned the smile, trying to reassure her. She seemed awfully nervous, and terribly shy. It didn’t seem to make a lot of sense that Tara had Impressed Naliath… but the dragon always knew. There was probably a lot more to the young woman than met the eye. Willow shook her head and leaned over the heads of some of the smaller weyrlings, grabbing a jar from Lanora and tossing it to Tara.

The blond smiled gratefully and knelt beside her gold, quickly smoothing the oil over her smooth hide.

Moments later, all the new riders were spread out over the barren drill field, massaging wherry oil into the hides of young dragonets. A chorus of contented croons rose from the reptilian creatures’ throats.

Willow paced around them all, occasionally correcting someone’s technique or pointing out missed spots. After making the rounds once, she stood in the middle of the group and whistled softly. Rayenth bugled once, quietly. Or, quietly for a dragon. It was plenty loud enough to draw everyone’s attention to the large bronze. Seeing his gaze intent on Willow, they redirected their attention to the weyrlingmaster. “All right. You’re all doing fine. Remember to listen to your dragons. They’ll tell you if they’re itchy, if you’ve missed a spot, or anything, really. Make sure you pay attention to everything they have to say. Some of you will probably even feel an extension of yourselves in your dragon; that is, you’ll feel where they’re itchy, if their wings are sore, even though your physiology is very different. It can be an unnerving feeling, so I’m giving you a heads up.” She smiled. “You all can finish up oiling your dragons and then resume your chores.” She turned and walked away, grinning.

I love this part, Rayenth. They’re all so happy right now. She sighed softly. I wonder how many of them we’re going to lose…

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Don't you sit upon the shoreline and say you're satisfied, choose to chance the rapids, and dare to dance the tides - Garth Brooks, "the River"

DIBS!!

*runs off to read*

*runs back*

Ok, I'm back. I haven't had much time to read fanfics as of late, but since I didn't leave any feedback last time I figured I should be the first one to do so now.

Wonderful update! Tara seems to be addapting just fine to Weyr life, though it's only the beginning and it's bound to something go wrong. I can see how it will be difficult for her to be in the spotlight. Previously she could be mistaken for a drudge, but now she has a whole lot of new expectations as the future Weyrwoman. I can't wait to see her grow into her position.

I'd like to see more of Tara's interaction with her dragon. I figure the dragonets mostly eat and sleep until they mature, so I'll wait with baited breath until Nalieth becomes the big bad golden queen. That sure will be interesting.

Will there be any Willow/Tara romancing anytime soon? I wonder how you will go about that.

In all, a pretty good chapter, light and fun, but ending with an onminous undertone. Damn, I will have to wait another week for the next one! *pouts*

Rob

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"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" - Ephesians 6:12

*sigh* I wish I had a dragon. That would make me oh so happy right now.

Awesome update!

Like A-Rob said.. Will there be Willow/Tara romancing any time soon? I cant wait to read what will happen next!

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Tara: No, I understand. You have to be with the person you love.
Willow: I am.

The connection between riders and dragonets is so obvious already, I smile myself silly just thinking of it.

Eye of the beholder and all that, but then again, a gold, wow! She is beautiful.

Tara's interactions with the new girls, so much like first day of boarding school, with tenuous friendships being forged. Nice to see the others so friendly. Again not surprised at the attention, she will be future Weyrwoman after all.

Nice that Willow is singling out Tara for attention, but not in a 'teacher's pet' kind of way, cos that's the last thing Tara needs. The grins and looks are probably just friendly now, Willow was responsible for bringing Tara back from Search, and Tara is a fledgling goldrider. I can see little hints though of budding attraction.

RIght now, all Tara is seeing is the weyrlingmaster in Willow, not a future mate.

It's a sad fact of Pern and thread and between,

Sigh, when is it good to lose a rider and dragon, be it fighting thread or on their first flight between.

You should update a little earlier, so I can catch it before I leave for work (it's Monday morning my time when you post). Well, scrap that, post whenever you want, it gives Car something to do. Cos yeah, she emailed me the update at work again, and I'm sure you have more than 2 friends who love you. What about us?

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quiet thoughts

I like the interaction between Tara and the other weyrlings. It should also be interesting between her and the other bronze riders given that she will be Weyr Woman. Forewarned is forearmed on getting too attached to the fledgling dragon riders. Willow's job is a tough one getting to know so many that are lost as I imagine weyrling losses are higher than thread fighting losses. Dealing with this would make Willow a good Weyr Leader as she has already shown strength in adversity.

Another great update!!

Hey Megan,
A very good update. Maybe next week you could update on Saturday since I'm going on vacation on Sunday. That way I won't have to wait two weeks?

I love the different specific parts here. First we have Tara getting settled into the barracks with Nailith (sp?). She meets three girls who look to be likely friends although from Willow's comment I'd imagine we'll lose at least one of them to produce some angst and loss and sadness. Again you do a wonderful job of relating the bond between dragon and rider by showing the way Nailith can bring Tara back up from her habitual lonlieness.

The second part of course shows both how like the others Tara is and how unique she is. On one hand she has to learn to oil her dragon like everyone else but on the other she is the center of attention. Well done.

Oh, and Rachel and I started reading Dragonflight together. So I'll be an expert before long.

Well done!

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Menorah Tales | Working It Out | Random Bits

Great update Tara getting to know her fellow riders (and their miniature steeds) was nice, but the thing I loved the most was the bond that's so evident between her and Naliath already. Willow giving her first lesson was good also, I like confident Willow But losing riders/dragons? Not a good thing, yet from the sound of it it's inevitable, and Willow's been through it before.

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Chris Cook

Through the Looking-glass - Every world needs a Willow and Tara.

Looking beautiful, Naeryn.
Your writing always impresses me. Not suprised the Looking Glass wanted to get their grubby little hands on this stuff.
You've definatly grasped ahold of the genuine traits of our dear Tara and brought them out in their fullest:
The compassion, gentility, and innate wallflower traits.

Then again, it's hard not to grasp what you know so intimatly, hmm?

None the less, I am very much looking forward to the next update.

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@->--
Kaie-Marie -- Naeryn's Fiance

wow..Megs all i can say is WOW! i LOVE this fic..you have me too dumbstruck to give good feedback darnit lol..anyways im going to be GLUED to t he screen waiting for todays update!!

~K~

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Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate, Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer's lease hath all too short a date
Read My New fic: Just Breathe

A-Rob - I'm not entirely sure you had to dibs it, but I'm flattered anyway! There will be W/T romancing, and it probably won't be too terribly far off. This is my attempt at something relatively lighthearted, minimal angst. Not sure if that'll work or not.

Amanda - It would be awesome to have a dragon, wouldn't it?

watson - Well, again, I'm trying to not put in too much angst. Inevitably there will be some, but... well, you know. Awww... you love me? I love you guys too!

sam7777 - Interesting observations... I'll keep those in mind.

JustSkipIt - Sorry sweetie! I didn't have this update finished until like ten minutes ago. I'm very glad you enjoyed the last chapter though. Have fun with Dragonflight!

Artemis - Yes, some loss is inevitable, and Willow has been through it... though that doesn't really make it any easier.

Kaie the Bard - Hey! ...Looking Glass's hands are grubby? No, I'm sure they clean them often. And no, it's not hard to grasp how Tara would react when she is you... o.O

SakuraEtsuko - I leave you speechless? Hmm... good to know

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Don't you sit upon the shoreline and say you're satisfied, choose to chance the rapids, and dare to dance the tides - Garth Brooks, "the River"

Title: Red Star Rising
Author: Naeryn, aka Megan
Feedback: In Faranth's name, please!
Disclaimer: Pern, Thread, Pernese dragons, Weyrs, and all other Pern-related things/people/ideas are copyright ANNE MCCAFFREY. No copyright infringement is intended, and no profit is being made from this.
...Oh yeah, and Joss owns Willow and Tara. Bastard.
Rating: E for Everyone ^^
Notes: A little insight into the minds of our favorite girls



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Chapter 5
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Tara let out a soft sigh, falling backwards onto her soft bed in the candidate barracks. It had been a grueling day. After the weyrling lessons, which she was pleased to find she caught on to very quickly, she would have sworn she changed every glow in the entire Weyr. After that there’d been more to do, going through the storage rooms and chucking out any spoiled food. She didn’t mind, of course. She had to pull her weight like everyone else, but… it was exhausting.

She stared at the stone ceiling, her eyes tracing a faint pattern in the rock. The inside of the barracks was mostly smooth, not rough-hewn like the caverns at High Reaches, Igen and the others were supposed to be. But still, just over her head, there was a faint sort of undulation in the stone that made her think of waves crashing on a beach. If she focused on it for a moment and then closed her eyes, she could almost hear it, smell the salt in the air. Tara had been to the ocean once, on a trip with her father to inspect the smaller holds under his control.

One of her first friends had been made at Garren Hold. Winnie, her name had been. A whip thin girl, smaller than Tara in body but a few inches taller. She’d had the largest, softest doe eyes Tara had ever seen. Lit up like new glows when she got excited, tore at the heartstrings when she was sad. They’d run around together for the three or four days she’d been there, and had cried at their departure. She sighed, remembering her friend. Winnie had been killed, caught out in Threadfall. The dragons had stopped flaming because all the Thread was over the ocean, where it would drown and could do no harm… or they thought. All they’d found of her had been her small beltknife, of course. The only things Thread didn’t consume were metal and stone.

Mine? Are you well? Naliath’s tone was one of a faint concern. She wasn’t overly worried, however. If something was seriously wrong, she would know. That big bronze, Rayenth, and his would be on their way already.

It’s… I don’t know. I saw a lot today, Naliath. Everyone’s been here for so much longer than I have. They’ve all made friends already… I feel a little lonely is all. Tara curled around so she was lying on her side, feet tucked up behind her on the bed, so she could look into Naliath’s calmly whirling eyes.

But you have me, Mine.

And I wouldn’t trade you for anything in the world, love. But… I don’t know. It’s not quite the same thing as having a human friend. Someone you can talk to, share secrets with. Dragons think differently, it’s not the same.

What about Sapphith’s, Rieundoth’s and Seboreth’s? They seem nice.

Tara couldn’t resist smiling at the way Naliath insisted on referring to each rider by their dragon. She found it irresistibly adorable in the small golden queen. She reached out and touched Naliath’s wingtip lightly, a soothing contact.

Oh, they’re nice enough. But they’re their own little group… I’d be intruding. There just doesn’t seem to be anyone for me around here.

What about Rayenth’s?

The weyrlingmaster? Oh, I don’t know. I mean, she’s so much more experienced than I am, and she’s probably really busy. I doubt she’d have time for me.

Naliath gave what could almost be considered a draconic grin, the corners of her wide mouth turning up just a fraction, as far as they would go. The queen decided to remain mute on the issue, at least for the time being.

Another soft sigh bubbled from Tara’s lips and she rolled over to stare at the wave in the rock again. It seemed to call her. She’d heard there was a small lake nearby; maybe, Tara thought, she’d go there when she had some free time. Smiling a little at that thought, she closed her eyes and drifted off into a dreamless slumber.

*****

Willow folded her arms under her head, lying back on the two-person-sized bed in her weyr. She was happy, so far, with the new group of weyrlings. They were smart, attentive. She didn’t dare believe, of course, that she wouldn’t lose any in the first trip between… but that was a long way off.

Threadfall was due in Fort Weyr’s beholden in three days. Willow smiled softly. She loved flying Thread, in spite of – or perhaps because of – the danger involved. If Thread hit you, you were pretty much guaranteed a massive scar, and if that was all you got, you were lucky. She’d seen riders pop between to duck Thread, only to come out in a tangle of it. It was a horrifying way to go.

The older group of riders would be on firestone duty, ferrying bags of the brownish black rock to the fighting wings. She thought she’d probably put Nirra and brown Mileth on the lead. She smiled, the girl had been so proud when her younger sister, Rinna, had also Impressed a brown in this round. She was a good leader, and a good mediator. Willow nodded to herself. She’d put Nirra in charge of the weyrlings’ wing, and see how she took the responsibility.

The new group of weyrlings would assist the dragonhealer. There tended to be a lot of injuries during Threadfall, some of them bad enough to take a dragon permanently out of the fighting wings, placing him on watchdragon duty at a hold. Kellon could always use some help. She wondered how the new riders would take it. Some of them, being weyrbred, would have seen it already, dealt with the fear and horror that went along with seeing the keening of dragons in pain, riders with whole limbs seared off… though that was rare. Fort’s wings were exceptionally well trained, fatalities and maiming injuries didn’t happen that often.

Willow smiled softly. Already she had an idea who would freak out and who wouldn’t. Some of them, she knew, would have a real problem dealing with the rawness of Threadfall, and all that it meant. But one or two, she suspected, would deal with it well. That group of new greenriders, Ilirrie, Shannen and Lianne. They would take it in stride, the way they seemed to take everything. Tara, too, she knew would have only one impulse, to take care of the injured. It was always a telling time however, and occasionally Willow had been wrong about the way people would react. Somehow, it wasn’t something you could really calculate.

She frowned a little, thinking about Tara. Something about her seemed to draw Willow in, and she wasn’t sure why, or what it meant. It was a little unnerving. She was just so desperately shy, it was almost difficult to think of her as an adult, let alone a goldrider. But then, even in the short time since she’d dropped Tara off with Lanora, she’d seen changes. Impression did that to you. Brought you out of your shell, leveled your head, made you walk a little taller and speak a little louder. Knowing that you always had someone to back you up, no matter what… it did amazing things to a person.

Rolling her head to the side, Willow took in Rayenth, curled up in his stone couch, fast asleep. The great bronze did love to sleep, and lie in the sun… but he reveled in flying Thread as much as she did, bugling and bellowing as he flamed away. Willow had been known to let out a scream in the heat of the moment, too. No one ever really expected it, though she’d been enjoying herself immensely in it for some years now. She was so calm, cool and collected when not in the fighting wings, it took everyone by surprise that she could be so utterly untamed. She lost any and all trace of selfconsciousness, she knew that she fit when she was flying. She was free, completely. So why shouldn’t she let go a little?

Inwardly, Willow suspected Tara would do a little of the same. Not to the extent she did, of course, but some. The blonde reminded Willow of herself, before she’d Impressed Rayenth. Quiet, shy, mousy, afraid of her own shadow. Tara was obviously a different person, with different traits and personality, but Willow knew that she’d lose herself in flying. That was always one of her favorite lessons, the first flying lesson… the look on the weyrlings’ faces when they landed was priceless.

She smiled again, thinking about what lay in store for the weyrlings under her. Tomorrow was a new day, a new lesson. She couldn’t wait.

Closing her eyes, she slipped into a calm sleep, an image of a smiling blonde flashing through her mind.

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Don't you sit upon the shoreline and say you're satisfied, choose to chance the rapids, and dare to dance the tides - Garth Brooks, "the River"

DIBS!

~a few minutes later~

Megan Megan Megan!! you continue to draw me in with your wonderful story! I love how well you describe things, you make the story literally come alive!

Love the relationship developing between Tara and Naliath...its sweet!

I can see our girls are becoming more aware of each other..Yay!

As always I am touched by your fantastic talented writing!

~K~

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Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate, Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer's lease hath all too short a date
Read My New fic: Just Breathe

Hi Megan! Bad me for not getting around to leaving you fb on the last chapter, but I hope to make up for a bit my responding so quickly to this one. Still love me? Actually, last time I was most uneasy about that last thought of Willow's concerning how many they would lose...but you covered that in the description of Threadfall (which I'm nervously anticipating).

Loved the thoughts and conversations in this one...Naliath seems particularly aware of a connection between W & T....even if Tara doesn't yet. And Naliath has obviously noticed Rayenth as well...."that big bronze," indeed! Is the little queen already having lusty wrong dragony feelings? I can't wait to see them all in action (the fighting kind), even knowing that Your Angstness will probably have a big dramatic scene and a nasty "oh my gosh someone's really hurt and who is it and how badly" cliffhanger. It sounds as though Willow's right on in gauging Tara's understanding of the dangers of Threadfall, and I can easily see Tara as a healer of people and dragons.

Now I also noticed a lot of foreshadowing for possible future smoochies...Willow has a "two-person-sized bed," does she? My my....all that extra space going to waste, whatever shall she do? And this:Ummmm....you ARE just talking about battle here, right? This is a wonderful tale, Megan...thank you!

-Cam

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I really enjoyed your update. I was surprised to see that you also have female brown riders as those dragons have also bonded exclusively with men in AMC's Pern. I like the way you've constructed the dragon's dialog, it works to show the bond that they have with their riders.

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Mick

I know there's a Hell, I work in retail.

First, sincere thanks for posting so early (Sunday night for you), cos I was able to catch up before I went to work -- this includes sending a copy to my work mail so I can read the update again and again, of course.

Love the routine-ness of the update and gradually introducing us to how riders are trained. It's not all fun and games, there are real chores, and eventually, real risks too.

Tara's interaction with Naliath feels like they've known each other since the beginning of time, that's Impression I guess. It's very sweet. Poor Tara, feeling like the new girl at school, but with the companionship of their dragons, the riders will never be lonely -- probably why they are so confident and assured. Unconditional love and understanding does that to a person (and dragon). I have to smile at Naliath's gentle teasing of Tara over the weyrlingmaster, I'm with Cam, the gold knows already. I won't be surprised if Rayenth knew also and the two dragons are already plotting.


That's the lake Willow visited earlier isn't it? An accidental (or not so accidental, if the dragons are plotting) meeting possibly?

Willow's thoughts at the weylrings and exhiliration at flying Thread soon ... I just want to be her! To feel such freedom when flying.

How calm, cool and collected wil she be ... or will she be an untamed firecat when the inevitable happens with Tara and Rayenth and Naliath? And her observation about how much alike her old self and Tara ... pretty much accurate.

Now, do we really have to wait a full Turn for that to happen? Oh my, the suspense!

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quiet thoughts

Another wonderful update. You can almost feel the love between Tara and Naliath. I feel sorry for Tara, not having a human friend to talk to. I'm sure Willow would listen to her if she plucked up the courage to approach her.

It seems that Willow is also lonely. I think it's time that Naliath and Rayenth had a little chat!

Caz