Ever the Twain

"Well," H'ran said, "I think those two are well suited. And our little queen has done the best for herself. Now I must busy myself to ensure that all my new weyrlings are securely settled in their weyrs; they'll need to sleep. Follow me as you will, young dragonriders. Or should I say follow me, Nian, rider of golden Quinth and, N'ru, rider of bronze Larinth?" H'ran's kindly tone was not lost on the twins and they smiled in unison at the man who would teach them all they'd need to know about dragons. Neru stood all the taller when he heard the Weyrlingmaster use his newly contracted name, the sign to all on Pern that he was, indeed, a dragonrider.

As Nian and Neru walked together off the hot sands and toward the weyrs, each closely escorting their dragons, they saw the crowd who had witnessed their Impressions slowly take their leave of the gallery around Ista Weyr's Hatching Ground. Life was returning to normal for those spectators, but it had just begun for Nian and Neru. A pensive air settled over the twins as they encouraged their dragons onward to the weyrling barracks.

Both Quinth and Larinth were exhausted as their riders gently steered them toward the nearest unoccupied beds. Quinth settled herself in, and as soon as her head lay on her forelegs, she fell immediately and deeply asleep.

With a deep, satisfied sigh, Nian clambered up next to her golden dragon, and rested her head on Quinth's right foreleg, curling her body up close to her dragons. Nian inhaled the dragon's scent; spicy, like the kitchen at Lado before a big Gather. Spicy and slightly meaty, as the little queen breathed down on her rider. And comforting as if they had known each other forever, just as Nian and Neru had known each other all their lives.

"Ni?" Nian heard Ru's voice gently calling to her from her left. "Larinth is fast asleep and I just wanted to…" Ru's voice faltered and Nian immediately rose from her perch and found her brother in the passageway. Most of the other new riders were already asleep and several were snoring.

"What is it, Ru?" Nian asked, concern coloring her voice.

"I… I just wanted to tell you. Oh, Shards! Thanks Ni, for everything you—"

"Hush," Nian interrupted her brother. "You don't ever have to thank me. You are my twin."

"But I want to, Ni." And he raked a hand through his thick hair before continuing. "Back at Lado, when the dragons came on Search, I was so gobsmacked that the dragons didn't select me right away, I couldn't do or say anything. I…" It was obvious to Nian that her younger brother was struggling to say something of great importance to him. She reached out and clasped his hand tightly, he responded but then gently shook his hand free of her grip. Straightening his shoulders, Neru stood resolutely and looked his sister squarely in the eyes.

"I've never felt this before, Ni, but back at Lado I was jealous that the dragons Searched you first and only took me along as an afterthought. I'm sorry, Ni, I've never been jealous of you before in all my life. But when I thought you were going to Impress a dragon and I wouldn't, I–I felt gutted." He lowered his head then, mumbling, "I thought you were stealing my dream."

Nian took a step closer to her brother and gently tilted his chin upward until his eyes were forced to meet hers.

"But, Ru," Nian exclaimed, "I felt the same way too! I was afraid that I'd steal your dream and leave you — all in the same day! I didn't want our separation to be that way." They looked at each other in silence for a time, and then Ru spoke gently to his twin.

"You know, Ni, even though we both have dragons, the moment we Impressed our separation began."

"But what do you mean? We're both here in the same weyr," Nian said, suddenly remembering the strange jolt of emotion she felt when Neru Impressed Larinth.

"You are a queen rider now, Nian, and I a bronze. You and Quinth may be sent to another Weyr, and I will remain here at Ista. And, as a queen rider, your duties will be far different from mine." He gave a little laugh and then grinned warmly at his sister. "Being dragonriders has more effectively separated us than if we'd been sent to opposite ends of Pern. It's ironic, isn't it?"

From Quinth's sleeping ledge, and beyond, where Larinth slept, the twins heard their dragons rumbling. Two large dragon eyes opened, whirling in blue, and peered at them from the darkness of Quinth's bed.

Separate you may be, but Larinth and I, your dragons, will always keep you together. You'll never be more than a thought apart — and you'll never be alone, golden Quinth assured the twin dragonriders.