The still smoldering hole of the nearest Thread entry was prodded with a metal rod. A brown fire lizard darted from the shoulder of one man and, chirping to himself, waddled over to the hole. He poked an inquisitive half-inch of nose into the ground. Then he rose in a dizzying movement and resumed his perch on the specially padded shoulder of his handler and began to preen himself fastidiously.
His master grinned at the other men.
“No Thread, F’lar. No Thread, Corman!”
The Benden Weyrleader returned Asgenar’s smile, hooking his thumbs in his broad riding belt.
“And this is the fourth Fall with no burrows and no protection, Lord Asgenar?”
The Lord of Lemos Hold nodded, his eyes sparkling. “No burrows on the entire slope.” He turned in triumph to the one man who seemed dubious and said, “Can you doubt the evidence of your eyes, Lord Groghe?”
The ruddy-faced Lord of Fort Hold shook his head slowly.
“C’mon, man,” said the white-haired man with the prominent, hooked nose. “What more proof do you need? You’ve seen the same thing on lower Keroon, you’ve seen it in Telgar Valley. Even that idiot Vincent of Nerat Hold has capitulated.”
Groghe of Fort Hold shrugged, indicating a low opinion of Vincent, Lord Holder of Nerat.
“I just can’t put any trust in a handful of squirming insects. Relying on dragons makes sense.”
“But you’ve seen grubs devour Thread!” F’lar persisted. His patience with the man was wearing thin.
“It isn’t right for a man,” and Groghe drew himself up, “to be grateful to grubs!”
“I don’t recall your being over-grateful to Dragonkind either,” Asgenar reminded him with pointed malice.
“I don’t trust grubs!” Groghe repeated, jutting his chin out at a belligerent angle. The golden fire lizard on his shoulder crooned softly and rubbed her down-soft head against his cheek. The man’s expression softened slightly. Then he recalled himself and glared at F’lar. “Spent my whole life trusting Dragonkind. I’m too old to change. But you’re running the planet now. Do as you will. You will anyhow!”
He stalked away, toward the waiting brown dragon who was Fort Hold’s resident messenger. Groghe’s fire lizard extended her golden wings, crooning as she balanced herself against his jolting strides.
Lord Corman of Keroon fingered his large nose and blew it out briskly. He had a disconcerting habit of unblocking his ears that way. “Old fool. He’ll use grubs. He’ll use them. Just can’t get used to the idea that it’s no good wanting to go to the Red star and blasting Thread on its home ground. Groghe’s a fighter. Doesn’t sit well with him to barricade his Hold, as it were, and wait out the siege. He likes to charge into things, straighten them out his way.”
“The Weyrs appreciate your help, Lord Corman,” F’lar began.
Corman snorted, blew out his ears again before waving aside F’lar’s gratitude. “Common sense. Protect the ground. Our ancestors were a lot smarter than we are.”
“I don’t know about that,” Asgenar said, grinning.
“I do, young fellow,” Corman retorted decisively. Then added hesitantly, “How’s F’nor? And what’s his name – Canth.”
The days when F’lar evaded a direct answer were now past. He smiled reassuringly. “He’s on his feet. Not much the worse for wear,” although F’nor would never lose the scars on the cheek where particles had been forced into the bone. “Canth’s wings are healing, though new membrane grows slowly. He looked like raw meat when they got back, you know. There wasn’t a hand-span on his body, except where F’nor had lain, that hadn’t been scoured bare. He has the entire Weyr hopping to when he itches and wants to be oiled. That’s a lot of dragon to oil.” F’lar chuckled as much to reassure Corman who looked uncomfortable hearing a list of Canth’s injuries as in recollection of the sight of Canth dominating a Weyr’s personnel.
“Then the beast will fly again.”
“We believe so. And he’ll fight Thread, too. With more reason than any of us.”
Corman regarded F’lar levelly. “I can see it’s going to take Turns and Turns to grub the continent thoroughly. This forest,” and he gestured to the plantation of hardwood saplings, “my corner on Keroon plains, the one valley in Telgar, used all the grubs it’s safe to take from Southern this Turn. I’ll be dead, long since, before the job is finished. However, when the day comes that all land is protected, what do you dragonmen plan to do?”
F’lar looked steadily back at the Keroon Holder, then grinned at Asgenar who waited expectantly. The Weyrleader began to laugh softly.
“Craft secret,” he said, watching Asgenar’s face fold into disappointment. “Cheer up, man,” he advised, giving the Lord of Lemos an affectionate clout on the shoulder. “Think about it. You ought to know by now what dragons do best.”
Mnementh was settling carefully in the small clearing in response to his summons. F’lar closed his tunic, preparatory to flying.
“Dragons go places better than anything else on Pern, good Lord Holders. Faster, farther. We’ve all the southern continent to explore when this Pass is over and men have time to relax again. And there’re other planets in our skies to visit.”
Shock and horror were mirrored in the faces of the two Lord Holders. Both had had lizards when F’nor and Canth had taken their jump between the planets; they’d known intimately what had happened.
“They can’t all be as inhospitable as the Red Star,” F’lar said.
“Dragons belong on Pern!” Corman said and honked his big nose for emphasis.
“Indeed they do, Lord Corman. Be assured that there’ll always be dragons in the Weyrs of Pern. It is, after all, their home.” F’lar raised his arm in greeting and farewell and bronze Mnementh lifted him skyward.
Dragondex
THE WEYRS IN ORDER OF FOUNDING
Fort Weyr Ista Weyr
Benden Weyr Telgar Weyr
High Reaches Weyr Southern Weyr
Igen Weyr
THE MAJOR HOLDS AS BOUND TO THE WEYRS
Fort Weyr
Fort Hold (oldest hold), Lord Holder Groghe
Ruatha Hold (next oldest), Lord Holder Jaxom,
Lord Warder Lytol
Southern Boll Hold, Lord Holder Sangel
Benden Weyr
Benden Hold, Lords Holder Raid and Toronas
Bitra Hold, Lords Holder Sifer and Sigomal
Lemas Hold, Lord Holder Asgenar
High Reaches Weyr
High Reaches Hold, Lord Holder Bargen
Nabol Hold, Lords Holder Fax, Meron, Deckter
Tillek Hold, Lord Holder Oterel
Igen Weyr
Keroon Hold, Lord Holder Corman
Parts of Upper Igen
Southern Telgar Hold
Ista Weyr
Ista Hold, Lord Holder Warbret
Igen Hold, Lord Holder Laudey
Nerat Hold, Lords Holder Vincet and Begamon
Telgar Weyr
Telgar Hold, Lord Holder Larad
Crom Hold, Lord Holder Nessel
Southern Weyr
Southern Hold, Holder Toric
THE PRINCIPAL LORDS (AND THEIR HOLDS)
Asgenar (Lemos)
Banger (Igen Plains)
Bargen (High Reaches)
Begamon (Nerat, 2)
Corman (Keroon)
Deckter (Nabol, 3)
Fax (Nabol, 1)
Groghe (Fort)
Jaxom (Ruatha)
Larad (Telgar)
Laudey (Igen)
Lytol (Ruatha Warder)
Meron (Nabol, 2)
Nessel (Crom)
Oterel (Tillek)
Raid (Benden)
Sangel (Boll)
Sifer (Bitra, 1)
Sigomal (Bitra, 2)
Toric (Southern)
Toronas (Benden 2)
Vincet (Nerat 1)
Warbret (1st)
CRAFTMASTERS AND MASTERCRAFTSMEN
Crafter Rank/craft Location
Andemon Masterfarmer Nerat Hold
Arnor Craftmaster, scrivenor Harpercraft Hall
Fort Hold
Baldor Weyrharper Ista Weyr
Belesdan Mastertanner Igen Hold
Bendarek Craftmaster, woodsmith Lemos Hold
Benelek Journeyman, machinesmith Smith Hall
Briaret Masterherder Keroon Hold
Brudegan Journeyman Harper Harpercraft Hall,
Fort Hold
Chad Harper Telgar Weyr
Domick Craftmaster, composer Harpercraft Hall,
Fort Hold
Elgin Harper Half-Circle Sea Hold
Facenden Craftmaster, smith Smithcraft Hall,
Fandarel Mastersmith Smithcraft Hall,
Telgar Hold
Idarolan Masterfisher Tillek Hold
Jerint Craftmaster, instruments Harpercraft Hall,
Fort Hold
Ligand Journeyman tanner Fort Hold
Menolly Journeyman Harper Harpercraft Hall,
Fort Hold
Morshall Craftmaster, theory Harpercraft Hall,
Fort Hold
Nicat Masterminer Crom Hold
Oharan Weyrharper Benden Weyr
Oldive Masterhealer Harpercraft Hall,
Fort Hold
Pailm Journeyman baker Smithhall
Petiron Harper Half-Circle Sea Hold
Piemur Apprentice/journeyman Harpercraft Hall,
Fort Hold
Robinton Masterharper Fort Hold
Sebell Journeyman/Masterharper Harpercraft Hall,
Fort Hold
Sharra Journeyman healer Southern Hold
Shonegar Craftmaster, voice Harpercraft Hall,
Fort Hold
Sograny Masterherder Keroon Hold
Tagetarl Journeyman Harper Harpercraft Hall,
Fort Hold
Talmor Journeyman Harper Harpercraft Hall,
Fort Hold
Terry Craftmaster, smith Smithcraft Hall,
Telgar Hold
Timareen Craftmaster, weaver Telgar Hold
Wansor Craftmaster, glassmith Smithcraft Hall,
Telgar Hold
Yanis Craftmaster Half-Circle Sea Hold
Zurg Masterweaver Southern Boll Hold