Author's Note: This is something that just came to me. There are more author notes at the end. And yes, I'm still working on To Ride White. I'm stuck and seem to have a sever case of the cursed writer's block when it comes to that story. Maybe this one will get the creative juices (or whatever they are) flowing again. Reviews are expected and missed when absent.

Disclaimer: The Dragonriders of Pern is a trademark of and copyrighted to Anne McCaffrey and her son Todd. This is fan fiction which garners NO MONEY WHATSOEVER for the author of this work.

The Final Joy

The old man woke up and made a decision. 'This will be the day.' He arose and prepared himself for the day, then went out into the kitchen of Cove Hold.

D'ram was already up and at the table enjoying his repast. Lytol sat down and the two old men regarded each other solemnly.

Lytol spoke. "D'ram, my friend, may I impose on you for a one way trip between?"

D'ram looked at his friend and smiled. "Of course, old friend. I have wondered when you would ask."

"My sight is going fast. If I can't see to read and research, what good am I here? I still miss Larth and want to join him. Desperately."

D'ram continued to smile. No dragonman would ever refuse such a request. And now that he thought of it, it was time for him and Tiroth to be moving along as well. Tiroth was old and could barely hunt. But he would not leave without his beloved D'ram. 'How can I be so selfish?' he asked himself. He knew Tiroth wanted to go between for the last time.

"Tiroth and I will join you. There is nothing to hold me here and he is old and tired. He wants to go between but won't even consider leaving me."

Jaxom was engaged in hold business at Ruatha. He had just signed his name when he heard Ruth bugle.

What is it, dear heart, he asked silently.

D'ram and Tiroth are leaving, Ruth told him simply. They are taking him with them. He gave Jaxom a picture of Lytol.

Leaving? What do you mean, leaving? Then it hit him and he was up and running for the stable that was Ruth's weyr. He arrived and quickly harnessed Ruth. He mounted and said, "Take us to Cove Hold."

Ruth walked the few steps to get clear of the structure and then launched himself.

At the proper height he winked between.

Ruth deposited his rider and then went to say goodbye to Tiroth.

Jaxom entered the hold to find D'ram and Lytol in the sitting room. Lytol saw him and smiled. "I'm glad you've come, lad. You've been like a son to me and I want to say goodbye."

"You don't have to do this, Lytol," Jaxom told him. "Even if you are losing you sight, you have a good many turns left."

Lytol shook his head. "I don't want to stay a good many turns. I miss Larth terribly. As much as when it first happened. You ride a dragon yourself. What if something happened to Sharra and Ruth? Would you continue to linger after you were too old to govern Ruatha?"

Jaxom shook his head sadly. His former mentor was right. He wouldn't even wait until he was too old; He would begin succession procedures immediately. And as soon as one of his sons had taken power he would immediately ask a dragonrider for a one way trip between.

"I'm going to miss you, old man," Jaxom told him. "And that goes for you too," he said looking at D'ram. "I know Ruth will miss the company of Tiroth."

"Tiroth is old and tired. He has wanted to go between for some time, now. But he won't leave without me. There's nothing here left here for me with Fanna gone and me being too old to govern Landing anymore, so we'll find out what happens next."

Usually when a dragon/rider pair took a dragonless man between for the last time, the dragon would take the unfortunate rider in his forearms and after they were between, he would open those arms to release his passenger. In this case since Tiroth and D'ram were not going to emerge, Lytol rode behind D'ram.

Tiroth launched himself and then slipped between. Lytol begin counting. He had reached ten when the blackness seemed to change. It was now an extremely dark gray instead of complete blackness.

Suddenly he felt a presence that he had never forgotten and had always longed for. A presence he hadn't felt in forty turns.

Larth?

I'm here Ly, Lytol heard in his mind. I've been waiting for you. You need to jump. Tiroth can't continue with you on him.

Lytol could now dimly see D'ram and Tiroth, the dragon he now rode. It wasn't clear, but he could see them. He jumped off.

Suddenly he was on the neck of another dragon and the presence he had felt before strengthened with the contact. It more than strengthened. It almost became a merging. Lytol experienced a joy that would be impossible to explain, even to a dragonman. It wasn't a mating merge. It was something more. Something... different; intense, joyful, ecstatic.

My rider and I wish you good journey, friends, Lytol heard. It was Tiroth.

Good journey to you and your rider, as well, Tiroth.

Thank you for bringing my rider to me, Lytol heard Larth tell Tiroth.

Suddenly D'ram and Tiroth were gone. So what now, dear heart? Lytol asked.

Now we move on. I have missed you terribly, but now we can go.

Larth began moving toward a brilliant white light.

Author's note: This is an idea that came to me out of the blue. I didn't even know the direction it would go until I started writing. It seemed as if the words just appeared in my head as I typed. And I was actually very surprised at the way it went. I had envisioned it somewhat differently, but it's like the story just wrote itself. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I know it's short, but this is just the way it came to me and there isn't really anything more to say. And it wasn't rushed. Don't forget to review