Author's Note/Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Anne McCaffrey, I'm making no profit off of this, etc. etc. All feedback, constructive criticism in particular, is welcome. With that said, enjoy.

Honor those the dragons heed,
In thought and favor, word and deed.
Worlds are lost and worlds are saved,
From those dangers dragon-braved.

Chapter One: Refusal

6.5.198

6th Interval

"No."

"What?"

"Thank you, but no."

There was a mixture of disbelief and offended pride in the face of the rider in front of her. Carima sighed and turned away, ready to resume her interrupted path across the Weyrbowl when an iron grip encircled her upper arm.

"I don't think you quite understand what I'm trying to tell you. You've been searched, girl, by my Cirinth. He thinks you should stand for the next Hatching." The rider paused and peered into her eyes, seemingly trying to find some hint of recognition or excitement at his news. "Don't you want to be a dragonrider?" There wasn't a boy or girl on Pern who wouldn't give up virtually anything to have the opportunity presented to this girl.

Carima smiled faintly and shook the rider's hand off of her. "My duty to Cirinth, and I thank you for your attention, but no, I have no desire to be a rider. If you'll excuse me, I have things to take care of in the kitchens." She strode quickly across the bowl, leaving the blue rider staring bewilderedly after her.

The cacophony of noise and bustle of the kitchens was a soothing balm. Here she could throw herself into the flow of activity and chores needed to successfully run the Weyr. Chop tubers here, wash dishes there, bring loaves of bread out to the dining caverns, return with more empty dishes to wash. There was no need to dwell on the surprising offer or think at all.

She managed to forget about it entirely until much later, when most of the dishes had been washed (one could never say all the dishes had been washed) and the rest of the weyrfolk had long since finished with the evening meal and retired to their individual weyrs, barracks, or wherever else they spent their nights. Carima sat in the corner of the dining caverns, a mug of klah in one hand and a plate with a plump redfruit pastry in front of her.

"There you are. We've been looking for you all day." Carima glanced up and found herself being stared at by a short, blond haired girl wearing candidate knots and a much taller, auburn haired man wearing brown wingrider knots.

"Hello C'rin, Elias," she said, putting down the mug. She had a bad feeling about why the two had cornered her together. Her brother had always regarded Elias as a bit of a nuisance and spent his entire childhood trying to get away from the two of them. The only time they ever banded together was to try and bully her. "What brings you two here at this hour?"

They spoke simultaneously.

"We just wanted to come see you and talk about—"

"Why in Faranth's name did you refuse a search today?"

C'rin glared at Elias, annoyed as ever by her inability to be tactful and tendency to jump headfirst into confrontation without planning out a strategy. "Well, yes, we also wanted to talk to you about that. Is it true?"

They dropped into the seats across from Carima and stared at her expectantly. She took a bite of her pastry and chewed carefully, then washed it down with a sip of klah, letting them stew in their own anticipation for a moment. Finally she lifted her chin and affirmed quietly, "It is true. Blue Cirinth seemed to think I would make a good rider, and I respectfully turned him down."

They each reacted differently. Tears welled up in Elias's bright blue eyes and she affected a look of utmost betrayal. C'rin, on the other hand, simply seemed disappointed.

"But why? It's finally happened! We've wanted to be candidates together forever. You can't have forgotten all the hours we spent as kids pretending to ride our dragons all over the Weyr? Sneaking in to the Hatching grounds to look at the eggs? Hanging out near the blues and greens when they were getting baths and hoping to be searched?" Elias shook her head indignantly. "You cried for three days when I was searched and you weren't. What's wrong with you?"

Carima smiled faintly as Elias listed their various childhood escapades. "Of course I haven't forgotten all that. But I also need to be practical. I'm nineteen, Elias. I'll be twenty in a few months and then I won't even be eligible to stand anymore. You still have at least two Turns left, but it's too late for me. Why should I put aside everything I'm doing now to chase an old dream?"

Tears burst from Elias in a vengeance now. "It may be old, but it's still our dream! I can't believe you won't even try. What could it possibly hurt?" When Carima remained unmoved, she spat, "I hate you!" and fled from the dining caverns, most likely back to the Candidate barracks where she could revel in her own misery.

"She'll be over it in a few days," Carima told C'rin, who was looking rather shocked by her outburst.

"I guess I'd forgotten how loud she can be when she doesn't get her way," C'rin admitted. "D'you see now why I never wanted to hang out with you two? It wasn't ever you that I minded, just her."

Shrugging, Carima took another sip of klah. "She's not usually that bad. This is just a big disappointment for her. She never really gave up the idea of the two of us Impressing together."

"What, did she think you would be sharing the queen between the two of you?" the brownrider asked sarcastically.

"Of course not. In Elias's perfect world, she Impresses the queen and I keep standing until another gold egg shows up, and then I Impress and we live happily ever after as sister queen riders. Simple, right?"

C'rin just shook his head and then reached over and snagged her klah, took a sip, and set it down hastily, a twisted expression on his face. "Faranth! I forgot how much sweetener you always put in your klah. Better watch out or your teeth will rot away," he teased, referring to the old warning their foster mother had always used.

They sat in companionable silence for several minutes before C'rin finally sighed. "Are you sure about this? It's not too late to change your mind."

"I know," Carima said slowly, "but I've made up my mind. Don't think I haven't considered the idea before. For a while after Elias was searched I kept thinking that there was still time for me to be searched too. After all, sometimes a dragon will pass you a hundred times and it's the hundred-and-first time that he sees your potential. But after a while I started thinking about it more and more, and I realized I don't particularly want to be a rider. Elias always wanted it more than I did." She fiddled with the handle of the klah mug, considering how best to phrase her words. "C'rin, I like working in the lower caverns. I'm good at it. I'm a good cook, I enjoy organizing big feasts, I have a great head for figures when it comes to adding up what supplies we're going to need each month, and I don't even mind dishes all that much."

"I still think you just like being in the lower caverns because it means you can sneak as many sweets as you want all day," C'rin insisted.

"Well, that doesn't hurt," she admitted. Then she reached over and took her brother's hand, marveling as always at how large it was. "I'm happy being a lower caverns worker. And I was waiting for a better time to tell you this, but I suppose now will do. Gareena talked to me the other day and she says she wants to train me to be her successor." She let the impact of her words sink in before a grin spread across her face. "Can you imagine? Me, the headwoman of the entire Weyr? It's a huge responsibility, but I know I would be good at it. She's already started keeping me close to her so I can learn all the things she does to keep the Weyr running. If I were to take time off to stand for this Hatching, I'd be missing valuable time with her. She might choose someone else."

"Maybe, but I doubt it. It's been fairly obvious to the rest of us that Gareena wanted you to be her successor. I'm sure she would understand if you took just a month off to try your chances as a candidate."

Carima shook her head stubbornly. "I know that, but there's something else. I don't know if I could handle the rejection of not being chosen. I've seen too many candidates crushed when all the eggs have hatched and there's no lifemate waiting for them. I don't want to go through that. Better to avoid the heartbreak altogether and stick with what I like doing."

For several long moments C'rin didn't respond, but finally he gave a slow nod. "I understand. I stood for enough Turns to know the heartbreak of not making Impression. It certainly isn't for everyone. Still…it was all worth it." A glazed look passed through his eyes, and Carima knew he was sharing the memory of that perfect moment with his brown.

"How is Shelth doing these days?" she asked C'rin.

Her brother smiled and all the tenseness of the situation diffused for good. She knew he wouldn't question her decision again. "Wonderful, as always. Working hard in drill and chasing every green that rises." A faint blush stained his cheeks. "I swear, no other dragon chases as much as he does.

"Like rider, like dragon, I suppose. Tell me, how have your attempts to seduce the lovely Sheela been going?" she asked, referring to the black-haired healer beauty that C'rin had been mooning over for the past few months.

"She's indifferent. I fear I'll never be able to win her heart. Shelth will just have to keep winning greens to take my mind off things."

Carima rolled her eyes. Her brother was really very attractive, he just always went after the most unavailable, stunningly beautiful women in the Weyr. If he paid any attention, he would realize that there were several other women who would be more than willing to comfort the tall, broad-shouldered rider.

"I'm sure he'll do his best." She finished her last sip of klah and stood. "I'd best get these dishes back to the kitchens and then head to bed. Unlike you lazy riders, we have to be up at the crack of dawn to make sure you get fed!"

"This lazy rider won't be sleeping in," C'rin said mournfully. "Early drill tomorrow. T'let has been getting more and more fanatical with every turn. He's convinced Thread will start falling a few turns early, which means we must be in full fighting form."

"It's good for you." The siblings reached the exit of the dining caverns and Carima gently touched his arm. "Thank you for understanding. I know you'd probably like to see me Impress just as much as Elias does."

C'rin grinned affectionately back. "Of course I would, but I'll love you no matter what." He reached over and hugged her, then disappeared into the shadows of the Weyr.

Carima waited until he had melted away completely, then headed back to the kitchens, where she belonged.