NEXUS CHRONICLES

"Elonaye, there's a dragon rider in the hold!" Dulwene's squeak of excitement proceeded her appearance, flying through the mineshaft with black dust scuffed across her huffing, red face. She was the youngest of Master Soridyn's apprentices and had taken a shine to Elonaye, despite the woman's insistence that she didn't have time to babysit.

It was only experience with Dulwene's outburst and a practiced steady hand that kept Elonaye's hammer from slipping and splitting the piece of jeweled quartz she was meticulously extracting from the shaft's rocky walls. For caution's sake, she lowered the hammer as she turned to face Dulwene.

"There's dragon riders in the hold all the time." Mostly to pick up their tithes, occasionally to visit friends or family in the area. Thread hadn't fallen near the hold in a sevenday so there were no riders or dragons waiting for a healer's assistance.

"But this one's different, El." She stressed the syllable of Elonaye's name like a plea. "He's an elf!"

"An elf?" Elonaye's brow wrinkled with thought. She'd heard a few elves had come to Pern from offworld places but she'd never had the opportunity to meet one. She'd heard of an influx of elves and magic users several turns back, but that was weyr business and the only interactions Elonaye ever had with dragon riders was watching master Soridyn and his journeymen trade precious gems to them. If she found an opportunity to endear herself to a dragon rider, she'd take it. What she wouldn't give to receive the prestige and respect their position granted.

"You should go on to the market," said Soridyn from his corner of the mine shaft, his voice gravelly as old boulders. "You're due for a break, Elonaye, before you whittle the skin off your bones."

Elonaye frowned. Once Soridyn gave her an order he wouldn't accept anything but utter compliance. Elonaye didn't have time to rush to the market and gawk at an elven dragonrider. The man was probably here on business and she wouldn't have the opportunity to interact with him anyway, so what was the point? She'd much rather continue her work here. She nearly had the elegant piece of quartz free and then she'd planned on taking a break to fill her belly. She wasn't in any sort of state to meet a dragon rider anyway, covered in dirt and wearing only her unkempt miner's clothes.

"Go on," Soridyn grumbled.

Dulwene stared at her with wide, pleading eyes.

Elonaye bit back her scowl and got to her feet. "I'm going to wash up first. If he's gone after, he's gone."

Dulwene squealed with delight, grabbed Elonaye's calloused hand, and all but yanked her down the shaft to to the apprentice quarters.

---

A quick wash and a change of clothes later, Elonaye followed Dulwene through the crowded halls of the hold until they reached open air and clear blue skies. Elonaye picked one of her richest outfits on the off chance she might be spotted by the dragonrider. Deep magenta velvet for her coat and the softest blood orange for the peak of shirt beneath it, with matching beads braided into her still damp hair. She was a good foot shorter than most of the crowds, which made searching for the elf nigh on impossible, but that was fine. It helped temper her excitement.

Dulwene gasped. "Look!"

Elonaye tried, but she was too short, even standing on the tips of her toes in attempt to peer over the crowd. "Look for what?"

As the words left her mouth, she spotted precisely what had Dulwene so excited. Eight feet tall and the brightest blue, a dragon emerged from the throngs of people, spreading night black wings wide enough to blot out the sunshine. He was magnificent and Elonaye had never been so close to a dragon before. Her heart stammered in her chest and if it weren't for Dulwene tugging her along by her wrist, she would have stopped in her tracks.

"He's gorgeous," Elonaye whispered, her lips feeling sticky and dry around the words.

"He is! Let's go!"

Being small had one advantage: It was easy to slip through the cracks between bystanders. Dulwene, being only 15 herself, was even tinier than Elonaye and the women soon wound their way through the throngs until the dragon and his elven rider were entirely visible. The elf wore a wide grin and sang something in soft, melodic tones that, to Elonaye, sounded much like a lullaby. The people nearest to him appeared entranced, laughing together and dipping their heads to the beat.

"I've never heard an elf sing," Dulwene whispered, tightening her grip on Elonaye's wrist.

"You've never heard an elf at all." Elonaye wondered briefly if dragons could sing as well, if their bellows could become baritones in a duet with their rider. As soon as the thought came to her, the elf's song ended, and he cheerily shook the hands of those gathered closest to him.

Elonaye wanted to meet him.

She had no reason to, no knowledge of elves at all and very little of dragons, but the urge was an undeniable burn. She pulled her wrist free from Dulwene's hand and squeezed her fingers to reassure her. Elonaye had nothing on her but a few rough hewn gems of little worth she'd been practicing cutting on. They clustered in a tiny mess inside her trouser pocket, but now felt heavy and vibrant against her leg.

"Let's say hello." Elonaye offered Dulwene a rare smile.

The girl crowed with delight and led the way.

A rumbling groan rolled out of the dragon as they approached, nearly bringing the pair to a stand still. Dulwene swallowed hard, but Elonaye had a task in mind now, so she gently took the girl's hand and led her forward. The dragon did nothing to stop them, but settled his wings neat against his body and watched them with swirling jeweltone eyes.

"Master dragonrider." Elonaye stuffed her hand into her pocket and grabbed the meager clutch of gems. She held them out to the elf. "A gift for you, for your lovely song."

The elf turned to her and Elonaye found herself caught in a soul searching stare. She felt as if she was flayed to the bone, every aspiration, every desire, every moment of weakness flitting through her mind in a turbulent swirl of ambivalent emotions. Finally, the elf smiled wide and the intensity dissipated.

He held out his hand for the gems and Elonaye dropped them neatly into his palm.

"What's your name, child?" he asked, rolling the partially cut collection of quartz between his fingers.

"Elonaye, miner apprentice to master Soridyn."

"A miner, of course. This is decent work for an apprentice." He held the gems up for his dragon to examine. "I'm Philippe."

"A pleasure to meet you, master Philippe."

"Y-yes, a pleasure!" Dulwene squeaked at Elonaye's elbow.

"You have ambition in your heart and dedication in your soul." Philippe turned to his dragon and the beast's eyes whirled rapid green and blue. The elf laughed, nodded, and looked back to her with a broad smile. "My Faroth thinks you could have the makings of a dragon rider. I don't normally search for candidates on Pern, but there's no sense in passing up an opportunity. Isla has a clutch on the ground if you want to come with me?"

Isla? Isla weyr? Elonaye's eyes danced between Philippe and his dragon, her heart swelled and beat so rapid she thought it would burst from her chest. Elonaye hadn't dared dream of becoming a dragonrider, afraid of the heartbreak failing to achieve that lofty goal would cause if she set her sights on it. She knew standing didn't guarantee an impression, but that she was being searched at all was a feat beyond her imagination.

"Yes," Elonaye stepped toward him, her face bending bright with gratitude. "I'd love to."