«Dragonsinger», Anne McCaffrey

At the Harper Craft Hall

Robinton—Masterharper; bronze fire lizard, Zair

Masters:

Jerint—Instrument maker

Domick—Composition

Morshal—Musical Theory

Shonagar—Voice

Arnor—Archivist

Oldive—Healer

Journeymen:

Sebell; gold fire lizard, Kimi

Brudegan

Talmor

Dermently

Apprentices:

Piemur

Ranly

Timiny

Brolly

Bonz

Menolly; 9 fire lizards:

Gold: Beauty

Bronze: Rocky, Diver

Brown: Lazybones, Mimic, Brownie

Blue: Uncle

Green: Auntie One, Auntie Two

Students:

Amania

Audiva

Pona

Briala

Silvina—headwoman

Abuna—kitchen worker

Camo—half-witted kitchen drudge

Dunca—cotholder of girl’s cottage

At Fort Hold

Lord Holder Groghe; gold fire lizard, Merga

Benis—son of Groghe

Viderian—fosterling

Ligand-journeyman tanner

Palim—baker

T’ledon—dragonrider

At Half-Circle Sea Hold

Yanus—Sea Holder

Mavi—Sea Molder’s Lady

Alemi—son of Yanus

Petiron—old Harper

Elgion—new Harper

At Benden Weyr

F’lar—Weyrleader

Lessa—Weyrwoman

T’gellan—bronze dragonrider

F’nor—brown dragonrider; gold fire lizard Grall

Brekke—queenrider; bronze fire lizard Berd

Manora—Headwoman

Felena—second in charge

Mirrim—fosterling of Brekke; 3 fire lizards

Chapter 1

• The little queen all golden
• Flew hissing at the sea.
• To stop each wave
• Her clutch to save
• She ventured bravely.

As she attacked the sea in rage

A holderman came nigh

Along the sand

Fishnet in hand

And saw the queen midsky.

• He stared at her in wonder
• For often he’d been told
• That such as she
• Could never be
• Who hovered there, bright gold.

He saw her plight and quickly

He looked up the cliff he faced

And saw a cave

Above the wave

In which her eggs he placed.

• The little queen all golden
• Upon his shoulder stood
• Her eyes all blue
• Glowed of her true
• Undying gratitude.

When Menolly, daughter of Yanus Sea Holder, arrived at the Harper Craft Hall, she came in style, aboard a bronze dragon. She was seated on Monarth’s neck between his rider, T’gellan, and the Masterharper of Pern, Robinton. For one who had been told that girls could not become harpers, who had run away and actually lived holdless because she could not continue life without music, this was something of a triumphal success.

Yet it was also frightening. To be sure, music would not be denied her at the Harper Hall. True, she had written some songs that the Masterharper had heard and liked. But they were just tunings, not anything important. And what could a girl, even one who had taught her Hold’s youngsters their Teaching Songs and Ballads, do at a Harper Hall from which all teaching songs originated? Especially a girl who had inadvertently Impressed nine fire lizards when everyone else on Pern would give a left arm to own just one? What had Master Robinton in mind for her to do here in the Harper Hall?

She couldn’t think, she was so tired. She’d had a busy, exciting day at Benden Weyr on the opposite side of the continent where night now was well advanced. Here in Fort Hold, the sky was just darkening.

“Just a few minutes more,” said Robinton in her ear. She heard him laugh because just then bronze Monarth trumpeted a greeting to the Fort Hold watch dragon. “Hang on, Menolly. I know you must be exhausted. I’ll put you in Silvina’s care the moment we land. See, there,” and she followed the line of his pointing finger and saw the lighted quadrangle of buildings at the foot of the Fort Hold cliff. “That’s the Harper Hall.”

She shivered then, with fatigue, the cold of their passage between and apprehension. Monarth was circling now, and figures were pouring out of the Harper Hall into the courtyard, waving wildly to cheer the Masterharper’s return. Somehow, Menolly hadn’t expected that there’d be so many people in the Harper Craft Hall.

They kept well back, though their shouts of welcome didn’t abate, while the big bronze dragon settled in the courtyard, giving him plenty of wingroom.