Date: Fri, 5 Mar 2004 21:47:41 -0800 (PST)
From: Corrinne S <quasito_cat@yahoo.com>
Subject: The Red Orb of Pern - Part Seven

The Red Orb of Pern

M.C. Gordon

Disclaimer is attached to the beginning of this
series.  This is fan fiction written for a friend who
enjoys Anne McCaffrey's Pern as much as I do.
Comments welcome to quasito_cat@hotmail.com or
quasito_cat@yahoo.com


Chapter 17:

   Thread, already falling erratically, became more of
a menace than ever to Pern.  The dragons and their
riders were hard pressed to defend the planet from its
ancient nemesis.  Benden, along with Fort, High
Reaches, Igen, Ista, and Telgar Weyrs began to see an
increase in the number of scored dragons and riders.

   Fenely, overwhelmed by human and dragon injuries,
sent an urgent message to Healer Hall for assistance.
Masterhealer Benaren sent his journeymen and most
promising apprentices to aid the weyrs.

   "I'm sending you to Benden Weyr," he said to
Andren.  "You're familiar with the place and won't
have to learn your way around.  Mind you, you're to
follow Fenely's directions.  You can't help with the
dragons until you become a journeyman and specialize
in dragonkind.  But you know how to deal with minor
scoring of the riders and any other general task
Fenely may set for you."

   Andren, both pleased and proud that Masterhealer
Benaren was sending him to Benden, promised to do his
best.  "I won't let you down, Master Benaren," he
said.

  "I know you won't," replied the Masterhealer.  "I'm
giving you the extra task of keeping a good account of
healing procedures for the archives.  Each weyrhealer
develops different solutions to the situations they
face.  It's important this information be centralized
here and then distributed to the other healers."

   "I'll do a good job," Andren promised.

   Two days later L'nereth arrived on blue Wilaren.
Andren was strapped to the dragon's back, sandwiched
between L'nereth and journeyman Sensat.  He wrapped
his arms around L'nereth's waist and prepared for the
mind-numbing cold of between.

Chapter 18

   Lurah greeted them as Wilaren made a hurried
landing at the entrance to the weyr.  "We're so please
that Masterhealer Benaren could send you," she said.
"Fenely and her journeymen can certainly use your
help.  And you," she said as she looked at Andren,
"you are most welcome.  Your friends are busy right
now but you can see them at the evening meal.
Mitchell and Lydel are looking forward to seeing you."

   She continued talking as she led them across the
open area and into the weyr.  "You'll both be sharing
sleeping quarters with Journeyman Jemison."  Noticing
the disappointed look on Andren's face she added,
"your old cubicle is full now and one of the younger
boys was badly hurt not long ago."

   "Maybe I could help take care of him," Andren
offered.

   "That's for Fenely to decide," Lurah said.  "She'll
set you tasks that will most benefit the weyr.
Besides, that young rascal has the entire weyr waiting
on him hand and foot.  Here we are," she said as they
reached the entrance to the Healer section of the
weyr.

   Healer Fenely, more care-worn and haggard than
Andren had ever seen her, was sipping a cup of hot
klah.  She set it down and stood as Andren and Sensat
approached.  "Welcome home, Andren," she said.  "I can
use a bright young apprentice right now.  You can have
today to settle in.  Tomorrow you're to take an
inventory of our supplies.  I know we're running short
on fellis juice but I need to know exactly what else
we need before I send a message to Healer Hall.  Oh,"
she added, "I know Lurah wanted to put you in with
Jemison but I think you'd better stay with Mitchell
and Lydel instead.  You'll be a bit crowded, I'm
afraid, since they've got a pair of twins to keep an
eye on and the oldest managed to fall near the Star
Stone three seven-days ago.  Tomin's just beginning to
heal enough to be irritating.  Even Lydel's well-known
patience is wearing thin.  Helping to care for the boy
will ease some of their responsibility."

   Andren was overjoyed.  He was terribly upset that
the number of injuries in the weyrs required
journeymen and apprentices to assist, but the thought
of being with his friends again and putting some of
his training to use filled him with a sense of
purpose.

   "You know the way," Fenely told him.  "Tell whoever
is with Tomin now to return to regular duties."
Turning from Andren she addressed Sensat.  "I'm glad
the masterhealer sent you," she said, "I know you've
been studying dragonkind and I wanted to ask your
opinion about..."

Chapter 19

   Andren began to understand Fenely's remarks about
Lydel's patience when he'd spent three hours with
Tomin.  The boy wanted his pillow fluffed; he was
either too hot or too cold; his leg hurt or his arm
itched; he wanted a bubbly pie; he needed to pee.

   "I'm not your drudge," Andren finally said in
exasperation.  "And don't stick your bottom lip out at
me.  I don't care very much for little boys who pout
and sulk."

   "You sound just like Mitchell," Tomin said.

   "That's because we grew up together," Mitchell
chuckled from the door.  "See what they did to us when
you left?" he asked Andren.  "Lydel and I got stuck
with this little twit and his brother.  You'll meet
Davis later.  He's in Harper class right now."

   Mitchell crossed the small room and greeted his old
friend with a warm hug.  "It's good to see you again,"
he said.

   "I wish it was under better circumstances," Andren
replied.  "Is he like this all the time?" he asked,
indicating Tomin.

   "He'd like to be, wouldn't you, Tomin?" Mitchell
asked as he ruffled the red hair.  "He'll wear you
down if you let him.  Only I won't let him do it to
me, will I you little watch-wher?  He hurts and
itches; he's uncomfortable and demanding.  And it's
his own fault.  But he's going to be a great bronze
rider, maybe even Weyrleader some day.  At least that
what he says."

   Andren watched as Mitchell pulled a hidebound
package from his pocket, unwrapped it, and handed
Tomin a bubbly pie.

   "I could only snitch one for you," the older boy
said.  "Breathe a word of this to anyone and I'll see
that you get sent to Crom Hold myself."

   Andren watched the interplay between the two and it
was obvious that child adored Mitchell and looked up
to him.  It wasn't the kind of role Andren had ever
thought to see his friend fill, but Mitchell seemed to
have the youngster well in hand.

Chapter 20

   The days passed quickly for everyone at Benden
Weyr.  Dragons and their riders returned from fighting
thread tired and disheartened.  L'noth finally had no
recourse but to add younger dragons to the flying
wings to keep their numbers up to strength.  M'sel had
disagreed with the decision, feeling that the young
riders would put themselves and their dragons in
danger.  L'noth and Adelmisa agreed with M'sel but
knew they could follow no other course if Pern were to
survive with as little damage as possible.

   Fenely gave Andren the responsibility of tending
the least severely scored riders.  His hands were
gentle as they applied numbweed and the riders knew
him as one of Benden's own and trusted him.  His soft
voice lavishly praised each rider and his dragon as
his nimble fingers worked.  He was beginning to
practice his craft and looked forward to the day when
he would walk the tables from apprentice to
journeyman, eventually to Healer -- unaware that Fenely
watched him with a critical eye and sent glowing
reports back to Masterhealer Benaren.

   At the same time, M'sel decided to set those boys
most likely to Impress into weryling training.  They
couldn't actually train with the young dragons, but
they could learn the fundamentals of being a dragon
rider.  Mitchell and Lydel, along with twenty other
young hopefuls, were sent between with veteran riders
to learn the landmarks that were used as guides for a
rider to tell his dragon where to go.  They were taken
out of Harper class, for they could already recite the
ballads in their sleep, and taught the various wing
formations used for the different patterns of
Threadfall.

   N'tan, a blue rider confined to the weyr until his
Horathan mended from a badly scored wing tip, assumed
the responsibility for Tomin and Davis.  He and his
weyr-mate, S'vern, green Isinger's rider, loved
children and his patience surpassed even that of
Lydel.  He cozened the boy a bit more than was
necessary, but he also made Tomin work at learning his
ballads until the child could return to Harper class.

   Mitchell, Lydel, and Andren were bone tired each
evening when they returned to their cubicle.  Davis,
absent from Tomin's influence during the day, was
beginning to show some self-control.  He was so
impressed with the role Andren filled that he
announced he'd like to be a healer when he grew up --
which greatly pleased Andren and filled Fenely's mind
with dread.

   Tomin, firmly believing N'tan's threat to never
again tell him about battling Thread with Horathan,
resigned himself to watching Mitchell and Lydel draw
wing formations on the floor of their cubicle while
Andren wrote in his journal.

   One evening the conversation turned to the
Hanmath's clutch, hardening as the days passed and the
sands of the Hatching Ground grew hotter.  It was a
bitter conversation for Mitchell because Lydel had
already been selected as a candidate and he was not.

   "I thought Sonath told you that you'd Impress,"
Andren remarked.

   "That was a long time ago," Mitchell replied.  "He
hasn't spoken to me since the day we found that old
cavern."

   "I won't stand if you can't," Lydel said.  "Maybe
we'll both be selected for the next clutch."

   "Nah," Mitchell replied.  "You go ahead.  Adelmisa
and L'noth wouldn't have selected you unless you were
ready.  I guess I'm just not ready yet."  Disappointed
that he wasn't going to be a candidate he suddenly
announced, "I'm going to see if I can get us all some
bubbly pies."

   He wasn't really in the mood for bubbly pies or any
other kind of food but he didn't want his friends to
see that he was on the verge of crying.  Mumbling to
himself, he kicked small pebbles out of his path as he
made his way toward the kitchen.  Cook, for some
reason, kept plenty of the delicious pastries
available since the day Tomin had taken a nose dive
from the Star Stone and Mitchell knew where she kept
them.

   He was about to take five of the now cool pies when
a voice boomed out in his head.

   "You will Impress," Sonath told him.

   "I wasn't chosen as a candidate," Mitchell replied.
 "How am I supposed to Impress?"

   "Hanmath told the Weyrwoman that you would Impress
but were not to be selected," the brown dragon
responded.

   Mitchell puzzled over Sonath's remark as he carried
a tray heaped with bubbly pies and five cups of
herdbeast milk back to his cubicle.  He still didn't
understand how he was going to Impress a dragonet if
he wasn't going to stand on the Hatching Ground.  But
he trusted Sonath for dragons didn't know how to tell
a lie.

  "Bubbly pies," he announced when he returned to his
friends.  "I got two apiece for everyone."