Flipping among the many Pern books that you own, you pick up one that you haven't read in a while. Moreta's Ride. Pretty quickly, you get lost in the book, all the while wishing that it were real. Oh, what you wouldn't give to live there, to escape the drab life here on Earth. You smile wistfully as you keep reading, not noticing your surroundings melting... until it's a bit too late. You drop the book with a startled yelp, and it vanishes before it hits the ground. The Red Star gleams dully in the mist of early morn, and a watchdragon circles high overhead. Or, no. You peer, awe-struck, as what appeared to be a watchdragon swoops lower. A Gold. A Queen. Your heart in your throat, you watch as the magnificent animal hovers. Oh. Oh wow. Gracefully, the beautiful dragon lands perfectly. A young, stunningly pretty woman slips off with ease of long practice and strides over to you. She smiles warmly and extends a welcoming hand, which you shake.
"My name's Ginny. That's gold Areyeth behind me. I'm Weyrwoman of Benden Weyr."
You introduce yourself, and she smiles. "Come on, I'll take you to where you register. We like to keep track of who we have around here." You start to follow her back to Areyeth, before freezing as you realize that you'll be riding the wondrous queen. Ginny laughs, a light, pleasant sound, and you catch up. Areyeth lowers her huge, wedge-shaped head to sniff you, then offers a foreleg to help you up. Ginny assists, and soon you're straddling the neck of the greatest gold on all of Pern. The Weyrwoman, behind you, instructs her lifemate to rise. The great dragon settles back on her haunches, then leaps, mighty pinions snapping out and stroking the air in the vital downbeat. You clutch the riding straps and hope you don't fall.
Quickly enough, Areyeth lands near Benden Hold. Ginny dismounts, and again you accept her aid in getting down from the impressively large queen. She smiles kindly. "Just go into that building, fill out the form, and then you're free to explore! Maybe, maybe one day you'll be Searched. Or, perhaps you'd prefer to be a Harper, Holder... even a Dolphineer!" Her voice is wonderfully encouraging, and you feel yourself ready to face anything.
