Author: Sam

Story: A New Start: 1 of 3

Series: Islinne Weyr

Characters: J'son (Jaeson) and Gideonth, Nicholai, Shasta, Jaemar

Rating: PG: Some violence

Summary: A few new people transfer into Ista Weyr… for various reasons.

Setting: AU 10th pass: AU 10th pass: Telgar Weyr; Islinne Weyr; Ista Weyr

Spoiler: Not really, no, unless you are unfamiliar with anything basic in the Dragonriders.

Category: Drama, General

Note:

Disclaimer: “Dragonriders of Pern (R)” is a registered trademark to Anne McCaffrey 1967(c). All the ensuing titles therein are also trademarks of Anne (and Todd McCaffrey) and The Worlds of Anne McCaffrey, Ltd. I am in no way connected with these people, and I do not claim ownership to these characters, lands, or names. I have borrowed them to share a story... and most likely not a story either would have written, had they had the time or no. I am making no money from this, and it is just for my entertainment and that of free entertainment to a select group of friends. Thank You.

Note: I have not yet read any of the Todd McCaffrey books in the series, so this is AU, concentrating on a time almost 1000 years after Anne McCaffrey’s 9th Pass ends. If this story contradicts any of Mr. McCaffrey’s revelations, please forgive me. None of the characters are based on the canon characters, nor are the canon characters ever mentioned.

Second Note: Islinne Weyr was formerly Southern Weyr. For those who wish to know more about the 10th Pass hinted at in this fan-fiction, please contact me.

Distribution: Please ask first?

Feedback: Yes, please? Especially constructive. samwise_baggins@yahoo.co.uk

Webpage: http://www.oocities.org/samwise_baggins/index.html

3380.10.25 (October 4, 1980); Telgar Weyr

J’son quietly leaned against Gideonth's shoulder, eyes closed, gently scratching the bronze dragon's eye ridge. He slowly let all thoughts of the now empty weyr slide to the back of his mind. Drifting peacefully on a daydream, J’son mentally wandered back in time... almost fifteen turns.

3365.11.19 (October 26, 1965)

The Weyrbowl was chaotic in the mid-autumn chill. Dragons were flying everywhere, and people were hurrying towards the Hatching Caverns in a mad rush. Every once in awhile, a pair of dragons passed so close it would seem like a certain collision, but they knew their paths too well for mishap.

Jaeson slowly spun around in a tight circle, nearly bumping into his brother, Nicholai. Absentmindedly, he nodded at the older boy's disgusted exclamation. The twelve turn old continued to look around, as if he'd never seen the Weyr before, though he'd been born and raised there.

"Look, Nicholai!" He excitedly pulled on his brother's tunic sleeve. There's one of the Queens!" Jaeson watched the graceful, gleaming dragon glide then swoop into the upper tiers of the Hatching Cavern. The antics of the other dragons soon caught his attention, and he rocked back on his heals in excitement.

"Hey, Dimwit, hurry up. We'll miss the Hatching! Come on..." Nicholai took off running toward the area set aside for the candidates. Jaeson paused briefly to glance toward the Hatching Cavern then he too ran to the changing area.

When he entered the room, it was just as confusing as the Weyrbowl. Unfamiliar voices mixed with those he recognized, as boys changed into the white candidate robes provided for those lucky enough to have been chosen. Someone thrust a robe into Jaeson's hands. He stared at it dumbly for a moment; Nicholai yelled at him to change quickly.

As he pulled the shift on, Jaeson heard a deep voice speak to the assemblage. He couldn't make out the words. Popping his head through the shift opening, he heard the boys respond affirmatively. He looked for his brother, but didn't see him.

A small dark-skinned lad, smelling of new hides, tapped Jaeson's arm. "C'mon, we're going in."

"What did he say?" Jaeson asked as he stepped into rank next to the boy... a tanner apprentice named Shasta who’d arrived the day before.

"Huh? Oh, show no fear and don't let him over eat. The girls will be behind us in rank, but we're to let them into the circle." The last was said with obvious disgust. Definitely not Weyrbred, Jaeson decided.

Jaeson didn't respond to the instructions; he'd heard them often enough before. They were common sense after all. Instead he concentrated on not looking foolish as his bare feet hit the hot sands.

Standing in the loose circle, Jaeson looked around at the hopeful faces of the boys and girls on the sands. He spotted his brother, a tall confident looking twenty turn old. They had never gotten along very well, especially now that Jaeson had come of candidate age, too. He fervently hoped that his brother would Impress this time. The older boy would never forgive him if he Impressed first.

As the egg in front of him rocked suddenly, realization came to Jaeson. He was here, on Telgar Weyr's Hatching Grounds, and he was a candidate for Impression! Nervous for the first time that day, the young adolescent straightened his shoulders and tried to look as confident as his older brother. It wasn't an easy stance to take due to the hot sands underfoot.

Nervous sweat trickled down between his shoulder blades, making him itch. Trying to ignore his discomfort, Jaeson looked around for a distraction. He saw the egg in front of Nicholai rock and decided to concentrate on that. Maybe if he willed it hard enough, the dragonet inside would break shell and Impress his brother. Then the older boy would stop bullying him.

To the left, an egg let out a loud popping noise, and the shell fell away in large fragments. A blue dragonet stood there, almost looking triumphant. Jaeson grinned at the little blue. The dragonet seemed to know exactly who he wanted... Shasta, the small tanner apprentice… or would it now be Sh’sta? Jaeson returned his attention to the other egg.

Minutes went by with nothing happening aside from the vigorous rocking of the remaining eighteen eggs. Several candidates seemed to be drooping from the heat. Jaeson noticed his brother's confident stance weaken slightly. Then everyone was brought back to attention.

Six eggs seemed to crack simultaneously, one of them the egg in front of Nicholai. It was a bronze! Jaeson was so stunned he forgot to hope his brother would Impress. He watched the little dragonet make his way slowly around the circle of boys and girls. The bronze looked into each face, male and female alike.

Jaeson forgot all about the rocking, splitting eggs around him. All his focus was centered on the dragonet stumbling along the circle. He silently begged the little bronze to look at him. Somehow, the teenager knew he'd be eternally happy if he could just see the dragonet's gaze... just once.

When the dragonet reached Jaeson and looked up, the boy couldn't resist a warm smile of welcome. He gasped. Those beautiful eyes! Jaeson dropped to his knees and hugged the dragonet to him.

“Finally! My name is Gideonth. May we eat now? I'm very hungry!”

Smiling, and still oblivious to the surrounding confusion, J’son led a very wobbly Gideonth outside and to the desired food.

3380.10.25 (October 4, 1980)

“I like when you think about us.”

The soft comment brought J’son out of his daydream. Laughing softly, he slapped the big bronze neck. Gideonth rumbled softly, his eyes whirling a slow pleased blue.

“Do you, my heart? Well, I was thinking of more than us when I requested this transfer. Let's get going, or our new Weyrleaders aren't going to be too impressed with us.”

“Impressed with us? You are joking.”

J’son threw back his head and laughed. “Yes, my heart, I am.”

The pair contentedly walked out of the weyr. In the weyrbowl, they spotted the happily running figure of Jaemar, J’son’s young son. Catching up the under-sized boy when he got near enough, the bronzerider took a few moments to cuddle the small eight turn old to him before carefully mounting his dragon with his boy held in one arm.

J’son settled Jaemar securely in the riding straps then gave the great bronze the instruction to take off. They flew high above the StarStones, circling once around the Weyr. Looking one last time at Telgar Weyr, J’son realized that it'd be a long time before any of them would see their birth place again.

“On to our new life, Gideonth! ‘Between’ to Ista Weyr!”

Raising his arm in a silent farewell, J’son gave the silent order, and the dragon went between. The sky was once more empty above the old Weyr.