Green Dragons and the Ways of the World - Chapter 1
Chapter Summary: Hatching Day!
In the centuries after the dragons and their riders of the Ninth Pass of the Red Star moved the wandering planet away from their home soil of Pern, Thread never fell again, and a fairly easy peace settled over the world. The dragons and their riders did start to dwindle, but they were still welcome sights in the skies. Each continent maintained only four Weyrs, on the Northern Continent, Fort, Benden, Igen, and Telgar remained, along with Southern, Eastern, Honshu, and Western. Dragonriders were no longer required to stay in a Weyr, but many chose to do so as a conveinece. Some technologies had been rediscovered, such as telecommunications devices as telephones and electricity which made for news getting around the world much faster than it used to be, back in the days of Harpers traveling from hold to hold.
The news of this day was of the hatching at Telgar Weyr. Several adult dragons were bringing in high ranking members of society, and candidates were being brought in for the twenty eggs that were currently rocking their shells on the Hatching Sands. There was a good mix of male and female candidates. It was rare these days for men to Impress greens anymore, but there was still the odd green that chose a male as their rider.
A few of the candidates huddled together as they approached the eggs. A few of the young men had become fast friends in the last few days while waiting for the eggs to be ready to hatch. The steady hum of adult dragons encouraged the rocking eggs to crack their shells and emerge to greet their riders.
In the lower cavern, some of the children not quite old enough to stand as candidates were helping with the feast preparations. A young boy set out dishes of various spiced vegetables, sighing to himself, wishing he could be on the sands with his friends. His sister had impressed a queen, and gone south to be a junior weyrwoman at Eastern Weyr. He was glad for her, but was sad he was still here, and still a year too young to stand on the sands.
He had made friends with some of the candidates, which surprised even him. Usually the older boys tended to leave him alone, or assumed he was a girl due to his slight stature and long brown hair. He was sure the two that had accepted him as he is were sure to Impress bronze dragons. They deserved to. The two half brothers that had been best friends, and tormentors to the Weyr in general were also on the sands.
The boy sat down at the end of one of the trestle tables, looking a bit down cast.
“Go watch the Hatching. You’ll not be needed until afterwards, I promise.” The Headwoman, Sorla told him.
He looked up at her. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “You might not be a candidate, but you can still watch and see if you friends Impress this day, Ren.”
He grinned, and ran off to find a seat amongst all the spectators.
About three dragonet heads broke their shells at once, but the first to completely break free was a bronze, who headed straight for one of the friends young Ren had just met in the last few days. A cheer went up for the newly impressed pair, and more dragons broke their shells. Most of them went directly for a human partner. The two half brothers both impressed blues, which amused Ren for some reason. Of the greens to hatch, they mostly went to the girls, but there was one that was refusing anyone, male or female on the sands, and was searching blindly, wildly swinging around in her search for a partner.
Little one, there are plenty of humans to chose from Greth, the mother of the clucth tried to calm her daughter.
The little green creeled in her frustration and hunger. She swung her head, and headed into the stands. This almost caused a riot, but most of the crowd managed to move out of the way of the dragonet’s sharp claws.
You’re who I’m searching for! Ren heard a soft, alto voice in his head. He blinked, and stared down at the little dragon. I’m Akayath! He stood up, and walked calmly down to the just hatched dragon and picked off a small piece of shell that remained on her head.
“You’re beautiful.” He murmured, ignoring the looks he was getting.
I’m hungry! She compained.
“Then let’s do something about that.” He said, calmly leading her to the exit the other newly hatched pairs had gone to. He dared to look at the Weyrleaders. The Weyrwoman smiled, and the Weyrleader himself nodded once. That was enough acceptance for him.
Akayath butted Ren with her head to re-emphasize her hunger and eagerness to eat. “We’re going, I promise.” He reassured her. He was handed a bowl of fresh meat scraps, and found a place to sit near one of the half brothers.
“Congratulations.” The darker haired one told him as he handed meat to his newly impressed blue.
“Thank you.” Ren said quietly. “What’s his name?”
“Kaorth.” Was the answer.
“I take it you’ll now go by S’haru?” A nod answered that question.
“What about you? You can’t really shorten your name any more.”
Ren shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Akayath and I will probably leave the weyr when we’re old enough.”
“Staking out on your own? Or just being a rogue dragonrider?”
“Not sure yet. But we’ll find our way.”
“You did notice you were the only male to impress a green.” S’haru commented.
Ren smiled a little. “I knew there was something not quite right about me.” He fed his dragon some more meat. “I’ve seen mating flights - both gold and greens. I know what I’m in for.”
“Are you sure you do?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You do know what happens to the riders during a mating flight, right?”
Ren gulped a little.
“Don’t think about it for now. It’ll be a few years before she’s mature enough, and you’ll mature alongside her and be ready when it happens. Though I wonder if there’s any riders of a male dragon that would be interested in you....”
Ren blushed at that idea. “Considering some of the....more...interesting conversations I’ve had, it probably wouldn’t be much of a problem. Most of them think I’m a girl anyway. At least until I strip.”
“I don’t know, I think you’re kind of cute, even if you’re a guy.” S’haru’s brother came up behind them, scaring them.
“Don’t do that!” S’haru swatted at him.
“Hey!”
“I take it it’s M’haru now?” Ren asked, distracting the two.
“Yup.” An easy grin formed on his face. “Maybe if you’re lucky Hiroth will fly your gal when she’s mature.”
“And you’re all planning for an event that is years away.” Ren said, scratching a slightly dry spot on his dragon’s eye ridge. “Perhaps we should make it through the weyrling training before thinking of matters such as matings.”
I’m sleepy. Was the complaint of many dragons to their new riders, now that that their stomachs were full.
“Let’s get them settled, then join the festivities down below, shall we?” Ren asked, trying to lead his friends away from the uncomfortable conversation they were having. He was relieved for the interruption from his dragon.
A few dragons were popping in and out of between above the Weyr, atendees of the Hatching that couldn’t stay for the feast heading back to their holds, and a few new arrivals that missed the hatching, but had heard the news of the new pairs.
“Isn’t that Belanth?” S’haru pointed at one of the golden queens now lounging on the rim.
“I believe that is.” Ren grinned, and then his grin faded. “She’s going to be disappointed.”
“She won’t be, I promise.”
They walked into the festivities in the lower cavern. M’haru and S’haru were greeted by their father, a bronze rider who had been in the weyr a while. They were congratulated, and were told that their respective mothers would like to congratulate them as well.
The long black hair, and narrow face was a welcome sight to Ren, as he ran to his sister.. “Hitomi!” He cried, hugging her. “I saw Belanth on the heights. News travels fast, doesn’t it?”
She hugged her little brother back. “It sure does.” She replied. “Congratulations.” He grinned, despite himself. “I take it this was a situation where the dragon wasn’t happy with the candidates?” She asked.
“I suppose so. She sought me out from the stands, so I didn’t really have much choice, did I?” He asked, pushing his hair back out of his face.
“I suppose not.” Hitomi mused. “How did your friends fare?”
“S’haru and M’haru both impressed blues. One of the candidates I met a week ago impressed the bronze that hatched first. I don’t know about his friend.” Ren said.
“I impressed a brown.” The young man sat down next to them. “I hope you don’t mind me joining you, my family wasn’t able to make it to the Hatching.”
“It’s fine.” Hitomi reassured him. “If I might ask your name though?”
“S’ichi now, weyrwoman.” He smiled charmingly at her. “Rider of brown Kinth.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Hitomi, rider of gold Belanth.”
“Congratulations on impressing.” Ren said. “What about your friend? I saw that bronze went straight for him...and then Akayath happened.” He laughed a little.
“He impressed him. I haven’t found out his dragon’s name yet though. He’s with his family right now though. We’ll find out soon enough, with being weyrlings now.
“I suppose so.”
“Don’t be so sullen, Ren. This is a happy occasion.” Hitomi told him. “So, you weren’t supposed to stand as a candidate until next year. It’s the dragon’s choice, and they’re never wrong.”
“Are you sure about that?” He asked. “After all, I impressed a green.” He whispered. Hitomi patted him on the back.
“If you’re worried about that, don’t think about it right now.”
“I’ve already had that particular conversation with some of her hatchmates. Or rather, offers already.”
Hitomi sighed. “Not surprising, really. Though maybe a hair cut would help people not think you’re a girl.” She teased gently.
“I like it this way.” Ren complained.
“It’s going to get in the way when you’re riding, unfortunately.” Hitomi told him. “You’ll have to do something to make it practical.”
“I suppose you have a point.” He said.
“You’re not the only one.” S’ichi sighed. His long tresses got him in about as much trouble with the other boys as Ren, and they both had the same problem of being mistaken for the opposite sex. Ren wondered for a moment how it was that despite that, his friend had managed to impress a male dragon. Did he have some attraction he wasn’t aware of towards another man that the female dragon picked up on? He really didn’t have much of an interest in girls, but he didn’t feel like he was old enough to give it much thought. Well, there was always the plan to leave the Weyr when they were old enough. Whether or not they had mates didn’t matter right now.
Chapter Two
In the centuries after the dragons and their riders of the Ninth Pass of the Red Star moved the wandering planet away from their home soil of Pern, Thread never fell again, and a fairly easy peace settled over the world. The dragons and their riders did start to dwindle, but they were still welcome sights in the skies. Each continent maintained only four Weyrs, on the Northern Continent, Fort, Benden, Igen, and Telgar remained, along with Southern, Eastern, Honshu, and Western. Dragonriders were no longer required to stay in a Weyr, but many chose to do so as a conveinece. Some technologies had been rediscovered, such as telecommunications devices as telephones and electricity which made for news getting around the world much faster than it used to be, back in the days of Harpers traveling from hold to hold.
The news of this day was of the hatching at Telgar Weyr. Several adult dragons were bringing in high ranking members of society, and candidates were being brought in for the twenty eggs that were currently rocking their shells on the Hatching Sands. There was a good mix of male and female candidates. It was rare these days for men to Impress greens anymore, but there was still the odd green that chose a male as their rider.
A few of the candidates huddled together as they approached the eggs. A few of the young men had become fast friends in the last few days while waiting for the eggs to be ready to hatch. The steady hum of adult dragons encouraged the rocking eggs to crack their shells and emerge to greet their riders.
In the lower cavern, some of the children not quite old enough to stand as candidates were helping with the feast preparations. A young boy set out dishes of various spiced vegetables, sighing to himself, wishing he could be on the sands with his friends. His sister had impressed a queen, and gone south to be a junior weyrwoman at Eastern Weyr. He was glad for her, but was sad he was still here, and still a year too young to stand on the sands.
He had made friends with some of the candidates, which surprised even him. Usually the older boys tended to leave him alone, or assumed he was a girl due to his slight stature and long brown hair. He was sure the two that had accepted him as he is were sure to Impress bronze dragons. They deserved to. The two half brothers that had been best friends, and tormentors to the Weyr in general were also on the sands.
The boy sat down at the end of one of the trestle tables, looking a bit down cast.
“Go watch the Hatching. You’ll not be needed until afterwards, I promise.” The Headwoman, Sorla told him.
He looked up at her. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “You might not be a candidate, but you can still watch and see if you friends Impress this day, Ren.”
He grinned, and ran off to find a seat amongst all the spectators.
About three dragonet heads broke their shells at once, but the first to completely break free was a bronze, who headed straight for one of the friends young Ren had just met in the last few days. A cheer went up for the newly impressed pair, and more dragons broke their shells. Most of them went directly for a human partner. The two half brothers both impressed blues, which amused Ren for some reason. Of the greens to hatch, they mostly went to the girls, but there was one that was refusing anyone, male or female on the sands, and was searching blindly, wildly swinging around in her search for a partner.
Little one, there are plenty of humans to chose from Greth, the mother of the clucth tried to calm her daughter.
The little green creeled in her frustration and hunger. She swung her head, and headed into the stands. This almost caused a riot, but most of the crowd managed to move out of the way of the dragonet’s sharp claws.
You’re who I’m searching for! Ren heard a soft, alto voice in his head. He blinked, and stared down at the little dragon. I’m Akayath! He stood up, and walked calmly down to the just hatched dragon and picked off a small piece of shell that remained on her head.
“You’re beautiful.” He murmured, ignoring the looks he was getting.
I’m hungry! She compained.
“Then let’s do something about that.” He said, calmly leading her to the exit the other newly hatched pairs had gone to. He dared to look at the Weyrleaders. The Weyrwoman smiled, and the Weyrleader himself nodded once. That was enough acceptance for him.
Akayath butted Ren with her head to re-emphasize her hunger and eagerness to eat. “We’re going, I promise.” He reassured her. He was handed a bowl of fresh meat scraps, and found a place to sit near one of the half brothers.
“Congratulations.” The darker haired one told him as he handed meat to his newly impressed blue.
“Thank you.” Ren said quietly. “What’s his name?”
“Kaorth.” Was the answer.
“I take it you’ll now go by S’haru?” A nod answered that question.
“What about you? You can’t really shorten your name any more.”
Ren shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Akayath and I will probably leave the weyr when we’re old enough.”
“Staking out on your own? Or just being a rogue dragonrider?”
“Not sure yet. But we’ll find our way.”
“You did notice you were the only male to impress a green.” S’haru commented.
Ren smiled a little. “I knew there was something not quite right about me.” He fed his dragon some more meat. “I’ve seen mating flights - both gold and greens. I know what I’m in for.”
“Are you sure you do?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You do know what happens to the riders during a mating flight, right?”
Ren gulped a little.
“Don’t think about it for now. It’ll be a few years before she’s mature enough, and you’ll mature alongside her and be ready when it happens. Though I wonder if there’s any riders of a male dragon that would be interested in you....”
Ren blushed at that idea. “Considering some of the....more...interesting conversations I’ve had, it probably wouldn’t be much of a problem. Most of them think I’m a girl anyway. At least until I strip.”
“I don’t know, I think you’re kind of cute, even if you’re a guy.” S’haru’s brother came up behind them, scaring them.
“Don’t do that!” S’haru swatted at him.
“Hey!”
“I take it it’s M’haru now?” Ren asked, distracting the two.
“Yup.” An easy grin formed on his face. “Maybe if you’re lucky Hiroth will fly your gal when she’s mature.”
“And you’re all planning for an event that is years away.” Ren said, scratching a slightly dry spot on his dragon’s eye ridge. “Perhaps we should make it through the weyrling training before thinking of matters such as matings.”
I’m sleepy. Was the complaint of many dragons to their new riders, now that that their stomachs were full.
“Let’s get them settled, then join the festivities down below, shall we?” Ren asked, trying to lead his friends away from the uncomfortable conversation they were having. He was relieved for the interruption from his dragon.
A few dragons were popping in and out of between above the Weyr, atendees of the Hatching that couldn’t stay for the feast heading back to their holds, and a few new arrivals that missed the hatching, but had heard the news of the new pairs.
“Isn’t that Belanth?” S’haru pointed at one of the golden queens now lounging on the rim.
“I believe that is.” Ren grinned, and then his grin faded. “She’s going to be disappointed.”
“She won’t be, I promise.”
They walked into the festivities in the lower cavern. M’haru and S’haru were greeted by their father, a bronze rider who had been in the weyr a while. They were congratulated, and were told that their respective mothers would like to congratulate them as well.
The long black hair, and narrow face was a welcome sight to Ren, as he ran to his sister.. “Hitomi!” He cried, hugging her. “I saw Belanth on the heights. News travels fast, doesn’t it?”
She hugged her little brother back. “It sure does.” She replied. “Congratulations.” He grinned, despite himself. “I take it this was a situation where the dragon wasn’t happy with the candidates?” She asked.
“I suppose so. She sought me out from the stands, so I didn’t really have much choice, did I?” He asked, pushing his hair back out of his face.
“I suppose not.” Hitomi mused. “How did your friends fare?”
“S’haru and M’haru both impressed blues. One of the candidates I met a week ago impressed the bronze that hatched first. I don’t know about his friend.” Ren said.
“I impressed a brown.” The young man sat down next to them. “I hope you don’t mind me joining you, my family wasn’t able to make it to the Hatching.”
“It’s fine.” Hitomi reassured him. “If I might ask your name though?”
“S’ichi now, weyrwoman.” He smiled charmingly at her. “Rider of brown Kinth.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Hitomi, rider of gold Belanth.”
“Congratulations on impressing.” Ren said. “What about your friend? I saw that bronze went straight for him...and then Akayath happened.” He laughed a little.
“He impressed him. I haven’t found out his dragon’s name yet though. He’s with his family right now though. We’ll find out soon enough, with being weyrlings now.
“I suppose so.”
“Don’t be so sullen, Ren. This is a happy occasion.” Hitomi told him. “So, you weren’t supposed to stand as a candidate until next year. It’s the dragon’s choice, and they’re never wrong.”
“Are you sure about that?” He asked. “After all, I impressed a green.” He whispered. Hitomi patted him on the back.
“If you’re worried about that, don’t think about it right now.”
“I’ve already had that particular conversation with some of her hatchmates. Or rather, offers already.”
Hitomi sighed. “Not surprising, really. Though maybe a hair cut would help people not think you’re a girl.” She teased gently.
“I like it this way.” Ren complained.
“It’s going to get in the way when you’re riding, unfortunately.” Hitomi told him. “You’ll have to do something to make it practical.”
“I suppose you have a point.” He said.
“You’re not the only one.” S’ichi sighed. His long tresses got him in about as much trouble with the other boys as Ren, and they both had the same problem of being mistaken for the opposite sex. Ren wondered for a moment how it was that despite that, his friend had managed to impress a male dragon. Did he have some attraction he wasn’t aware of towards another man that the female dragon picked up on? He really didn’t have much of an interest in girls, but he didn’t feel like he was old enough to give it much thought. Well, there was always the plan to leave the Weyr when they were old enough. Whether or not they had mates didn’t matter right now.
Chapter Two