The hatchlings and their weyrlings were all gone now, having been transported to Igen Weyr for eventual distribution to their “proper” Weyrs.
Even so, Xhinna was in the presence of over two thousand dragons, more than half of whom were ready and able, and blooded in the fight against Thread.
Jirana says: “You did it,” Tazith relayed to her.
Xhinna shook her head firmly. She sought out and found the queen and her rider, nestled proudly in the great wings of the queen dragons that were arrayed below her.
Tell her, WE did it.
K’dan says for you to give the signal, Tazith relayed as he bugled triumphantly.
Me?
Lorana has given us the image, the blue dragon added, sensing the growing rebellion in his rider. Are we ready?
Behind her, Seban chuckled, having observed her and been the recipient of her dragon’s thoughts. “He’s twitting you and he’s right,” the ex-dragonrider shouted in her ear. He waved a hand down at the thousands of dragons below them. “It’s your right—you’ve earned it, dragonrider.”
Xhinna groaned, then joined in the ex-dragonrider’s bellow of laughter.
You’d think, Xhinna mused, that by now I’d learn to give in gracefully.
Never, Tazith replied.
Very well, Xhinna said, taking one last, long, wistful look at the broom trees and the Weyr that had given them life. Let’s go.
As one, on her command, the dragons of the Western Isle blinked out between to return, triumphant, to the fight to save Pern.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
ANNE MCCAFFREY wrote the very first Pern novel, Dragonflight, more than forty years ago. She received a plethora of awards, including the Grand Master Nebula Award, and was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame.
She passed away in November 2011, leaving an immense following of dedicated fans worldwide.
TODD MCCAFFREY is Anne McCaffrey’s middle child and has written three solo books on Pern as well as five collaborations with his mother, of which Sky Dragons is the last.
He and his sister, Georgeanne Kennedy, are the only two people designated by Anne McCaffrey to write in the Pern universe.