A/N: I've been wanting to write this for a long time now, and here it is! Italics denote dragon speech.

Long after the eradication of thread on Pern, Dragons became rarer and rarer, as they were no longer needed. The few remaining joined together in an effort to preserve Pern's history. The only remaining weyr, Benden currently has 15 dragons alive. They were often called upon during plague years and to aid if natural disasters were to occur.

Tessa, rider of the only remaining queen dragon on Pern sat by the lake as she watched her gold Cireth bathe. In her heart, Tessa was sad. Her generation would most likely be the last of the dragons. The strong, beautiful creatures would become a memory of those that had protected Pern. Memory would become legend, legend would become myth, and before too long things will be forgotten that should have been remembered forever. Sacrifices of rider and dragon forever lost will no longer be mourned.

You are sad

Tessa smiled slightly, her beautiful Cireth was concerned about her. Dragons often heard the thoughts of their riders, although whether they paid attention or not was entirely up to the dragon.

"There are only two bronzes to fly you," Tessa murmured quietly. She needn't speak loud, for her dragon always read her thoughts.

Neither could possibly catch me

Tessa laughed. Renath had been in the same clutch as Cireth's father! In an unfortunate accident, Cireth's mother, father, a bronze and two browns had all perished. That storm had claimed many, but none took the hit as badly as the weyr did. Without a mature queen, no new dragons would be born. The dragons however, had refused to give up until every person had been accounted for. The fatigue of the dragons was so great, that many did not return from between, Tessa's mother included. Tessa was not close to her mother however, as she had been sent to the healer hall at a young age. But that's another story entirely. The only other bronze Managath, was a full two clutches younger than Cireth. The rider T'rin was a mere 11 years of age. Younger ones were chosen, to start mating flights at a younger age. The weyrfolk were trying to prolong the extinction of their beloved dragons, the only thing remaining of their ancestors.

I itch

"You wouldn't if you didn't bath in icy cold water," Tessa scolded affectionately. It was a short walk back to Benden Weyr. They did not fly, for Cireth's harness was being repaired. Although the queen was nearly full grown now, inbreeding prolonged the patchy skin associated with immature dragons up until the first mating. Tessa paid good attention to Cireth, her beautiful queen by oiling her hide daily, more if needed. Tessa was one of the few who was blessed to hear dragons, and that is how she ended up being able to impress a queen. One urgent dragon voice in particular caught her attention.

My hide burns and itches!

Tessa went into a fury. She knew exactly which dragon it was, the young bronze, the only one young enough to ever mate with Cireth. The last healthy bronze of Benden was being neglected! Tessa herself oiled the very young Managath. He was the very last clutched before the previous queen had died. He was a mere four months old, but time had been playing by quickly. The crack under his left wing was not severe, and would probably disappear once he achieved full size and his hide thickened a bit.

Thank you, Tessa

The young bronze rumbled in contentment.

"What are you doing!" an infuriated T'rin greeted Tessa.

"And what are you doing?" Tessa countered. At 15, she was becoming a tall slender woman with good bone structure. A descendant of the Lady Lessa herself, Tessa was a spitting image of the last true Ruathan.

"I'm not doing anything!" T'rin whined.

"Exactly! If Managath's crack had opened more, he'd never fly Cireth, you'd never become a weyrleader, you are such a pathetic excuse of a rider! You could doom the entire dragon race by being so careless!" Tessa's cheeks were hot, her blood felt as if it was boiling. Slowly, she managed to relax, her anger being unleashed on T'rin.

T'rin is too young to be a dragonrider. The bond is weak between his dragon and him.. I would rather not fly than force you to be weyrwoman with T'rin as your weyrleader.

Mentally, Tessa replied, "but that's not fair to you! Managath is a noble bronze and will grow to be strong if T'rin ever learns to take care of him. Managath would be a wonderful mate for you.

My only true mate is you, Tessa

Tessa smiled. Her dragon was the best, the best to ever live. Cireth was big, as big as the fabled Ramoth was, for Cireth occupied Ramoth's old weyr, disused for nearly a thousand years, for the large stone couch was far too large for any later queen. But it fit Cireth perfectly. Cireth still had a bit of growing to do, and Ramoth's couch may in fact be too small. Tessa retired to the weyrwoman's quarter. She wasn't weyrwoman yet, her dragon had yet to mature fully. However Tessa acted as if she was, Cireth was the only queen dragon. As soon as she was flown, Tessa would officially be weyrwoman. She had learned much over the past 5 years living in Benden weyr. She had once been the apprentice to the master healer himself. However when Tessa was searched by the blue Rinth, the ancient Ruathan blood tingled, she longed to ride gold.

And I longed to have you

Tessa laughed quietly. "So you were listening?"

I always listen to you, it amuses me

Tessa curled up into a ball next to Cireth, who placed a protective wing over Tessa to keep her warm. They often spent the night together.

You are tired, let us sleep..

And so they did, together for the bond between dragon and rider was so strong, they even dreamt together.

The future weyrwoman was awoken by B'non, brown Branath's rider.

"Forgive my intrusion, but you've been summoned,"

"Where?" Tessa asked sleepily.

"The master healer asks for your aid,"

"Alright, I'll go, is Cireth's harness repaired?"

"Yes, I'll go fetch it for you," B'non said quickly.

You like him

"I do not! At least not in the sort you're implying! He's responsible, he would make a much better weyrleader than T'rin ever could!"

I would let Branath fly me

"No! That isn't a good idea! Browns don't fly golds well, the only mating flights I've seen where a brown flew, he either lost miserably, or wore his heart out trying to catch the queen! Besides, longer mating flights mean larger clutches,"

Our number dwindles not because of clutch number, but because we are no longer necessary. We were made to be protectors, we are now just a burden, waiting for our time to come.

"You are worth much more than that, my dear queen,"

It is more important to have a strong weyrleader than a strong clutch, and if it brings us both happiness, then it is to be our fate, is it not?

"We'll just have to leave it to them, I suppose if the brown can catch you then he is superior!"

It is not only the fastest dragon, but the most clever, the most supported, and the one the queen prefers, you know that don't you?

"Then we have nothing to worry about, right? T'rin's bond is weak with his dragon, he will not be able to control Managath properly, whereas B'non will guide his dragon and win you,"

He will win us.

Tessa smiled. Her dragon was a part of her, if a dragon flew her queen, Tessa was sure to pair with that rider, it simply couldn't be helped. Cireth always understood Tessa's desires, no matter how hard she tried to hide them. Cireth would fly soon, maybe within the next 5 months. Tessa wondered if Managath would even be fully mature. Immature bronzes could never win, they were not clever enough, they did not have enough experience in flying to catch a queen. Branath, the brown however was a clutch older than Cireth, and was so large, that he was as big as the last bronze that flew a queen. Tessa had renewed confidence in the future.

B'non returned with Cireth's harness, and helped Tessa put it on. It's not that Tessa couldn't do it herself, it was that he secretly wanted to spend time with Tessa. When she had first entered the weyr at age ten, and he was fourteen, he had hoped she would impress gold. He had often been troubled, knowing that bronzes always won over browns, but Branath had comforted him, as he did now.

I will catch Cireth for you, I will try my hardest. Managath's rider is far too weak to be weyrleader anyways.

B'non replied to his dragon "Thank you, my wonderful brown,"

Tessa...

Cireth was speaking quietly to her rider. Tessa replied "Yes, my lovely queen?"

I overheard B'non and Branath, did you?

"I didn't wish to eavesdrop,"

Branath said he's going to fly me!

Tessa hugged Cireth passionately. Relief flowed through her. Tessa did not wish to deal with T'rin, if at all possible. Tessa shuddered at the thought of being mated with that..child.

A/N: Yay, chapter one is complete! If you see any errors in this, as always please let me know! Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated, thanks for reading!

Updated: 11/12/09