“Hey there

“Hey there! You guys must be the ones from the Harper Hall, right? I’m T’son. Hey, Jaxom.” The tall man said, grinning at the three as they whirled around.

“Hey yourself, T’son. You’re right; these two are from the Harper Hall.” Jaxom told him, quickly recognising the young wingleader.

“You’re the girl who’s coming here to stay?” T’son asked Menolly, walking up to them, throwing a smile over his shoulder at his dragon. Staeth bugled into the air before running down to join Ruth in the warm waters of the cove. “Come on, you guys, the weyrleaders are in there, with Sharra and Brekke. Jerom is pining for you, Jaxom.”

“Right behind you.” Jaxom replied, almost beside himself with the desire to see his son. They were all nearing the doors of the hold, Sebell supporting Menolly slightly, when they burst open and an unsteady toddler ran out onto the sand.

“DADA!” He yelled, bubbling over with mirth and delight. Jaxom ran towards him and scooped him up, laughing. He put the child on his shoulders and held onto his legs. Menolly, Sebell and T’son followed soon after, taking the steps a little more sedately.

When they reached the main room, a rush of people came towards them. The confusion that the fire lizards added gave Menolly a desperate need to sit down. Sebell helped her to fight her way towards a chair. When they eventually gained that small sanctuary, everyone pressed in on them, crowding them, until Lessa’s sharp voice cut through the disturbance, and Menolly was able to work out that there were in fact only seven people crowding round, excluding Sebell.

“Alright, everyone, give the girl some space! Jaxom, go say hello to your wife. F’nor, help Brekke make klah. T’son, get those fire lizards out of here!” Lessa said. The people and lizards dispersed until only F’lar, Lessa, Sebell and Menolly were left in the room.

“Listen, child, we have only a minute. F’lar and I are very much aware of your children’s parentage, and we wish it to be understood that, although we disapprove, we will not tell anyone. Is that ok?” Lessa asked. Menolly was still for a moment, wondering how they had found out.

“That’s …… wonderful, weyrwoman, thank you.” Menolly replied hastily, aware that the people were beginning to return.

“Hey, Menolly, let me show you to your room.” Brekke said, catching Menolly’s hand and pulling her towards the corridor which led to the bedrooms. Sebell stayed in the room behind, catching up on the latest news from Southern.

“So I hear the oldtimer threat is finally receding?” Sebell asked F’lar, watching Menolly disappear into another room.

“Yes. They haven’t stirred to fly Thread for over six months, and Mardra died and her queen went between a couple of weeks ago. That leaves them with only one queen, and she an old one. I think we can finally rest easy now.” F’lar told him.

“Great. Master Robinton’s refusing to tell anyone anything about Southern. He reckons that if people find out it’s safe they’ll be down here by the boatload.”

“I can’t agree more.”

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

Menolly turned into the room, following Brekke. It was small, simple, but Menolly appreciated its cleanliness and the view out into the trees.

“Do you like it?” Brekke asked, neatly folding a towel on the end of the bed.

“It’s lovely.” Menolly replied, dumping her pack. “Maybe I could pick some flowers to brighten it up a little.”

“Of course. Come on, I’ll show you a good spot.”

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

“Are you going to stay here, Sebell?” Sharra asked him, smiling indulgently at Jaxom and Jerom, the former chasing the latter around the room.

“No, I don’t think so, at least not now. I may come back later, but there’s business I need to attend to. Are you settled in now, Menolly?” He caught sight of her as she crossed the room to the doors, walking next to Brekke.

“Yes, thanks. We’re going to find some flowers to lend this place a little colour.” Menolly replied, smiling at him before exiting the building and disappearing among the trees. Sebell called goodbye after her, then turned to the dragon riders.

“Could I possibly grab a lift back to Fort?”

“Sure, I seem to be on carry-duty today. Staeth!” T’son called, grinning at the room. Lessa awarded him a small smile before starting to discuss something in a low voice with F’lar.

The two men went over to where the bronze dragon was crouched. T’son leapt up, and Sebell followed him. Menolly came back out from under the trees to wave goodbye as Staeth flew up and went between.

Menolly sighed. She was not looking forward to the months ahead.

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

“SEBELL! GET OVER HERE NOW!” Jaxom yelled at the harper. “COME ON, FOOL! HURRY UP!”

“What?” Sebell demanded as he got closer to Ruth.

“It’s Menolly, idiot, come one, get up!” Jaxom replied. Sebell gasped and pulled himself up to the dragon’s shoulder, before finding a seat behind Jaxom.

“Let’s go, Ruth.” Jaxom said. Ruth spread his wings and sprang for the sky, bugling excitedly before exiting between and emerging over the cove.

An ecstatic figure ran out onto the sand as Ruth landed. Jaxom vaulted down to hug his wife, pausing to take Jerom into his arms and toss him happily up into the air. Sebell scrambled down from the saddle and ran into the hold. Jaxom and Sharra watched him go.

“How is she?” Jaxom asked. Sharra sighed.

“Tired. It was difficult, and with twins …… she had two girls, by the way.” Sharra told him. They gave it a few more minutes, allowing Ruth to greet Jerom, before entering the hold.

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

Menolly looked up wearily and smiled at Sebell when he arrived, all but throwing himself through the door. Brekke smiled at him and handed him one of the babies. Menolly held the other, a fascinated Beauty staring at the child with whirling eyes. Sebell noticed the other fire lizards all watching as he sat down in the chair next to Menolly, cradling the small bundle carefully, afraid he would break her.

“Hi, Sebell,” Menolly said, raising herself onto the pillows and smiling her gratitude to Brekke as the other woman left the room.

“Hi, yourself. How are you? She’s so gorgeous.” Sebell said, gently cupping the baby’s skull with a tender hand. He studied the child in his arms, noting with pleasure the deep and unusual grey colour of her eyes. The look of love on his face was so intense that Menolly felt tears well up. Sebell put out a hand to reassure her, but his movement set the child crying. He blushed, unsure of what to do. Menolly deftly relieved him of the baby and handed him the other, starting to nurse the child. She stopped crying immediately, and Sebell grinned in delight.

“They’re both so perfect. Both girls, huh? Have you decided on names, yet?” Sebell asked, studying the baby he was holding. Menolly lay back on her pillows with a sigh.

“The one you’re holding, I think I want to call her Libellule, if you’re okay with that?” She asked, gazing at him worriedly.

“Sure. It’s beautiful. Does it mean anything?”

“It means dragonfly. I figured we could shorten it to Bella or something. But, I want you to pick the name of this one. After all, they’re both going to be yours.” Menolly informed him, smiling delightedly. Sebell frowned for a moment, thinking.

“You know what; can I have a while to think about it? I want to pick something perfect.”

“Of course. They’re here to stay, now.”

Fourteen years later:

“Oh, hurry up, Bella! I want to use the bathroom!” The girl yelled in disgust, fed up with always having to wait just to use the frickin’ toilet.

“I said, I’ll be done in a minute! Go find some mud to play in or something.” Bella replied, pouting at her reflection in the polished silver, grinning slightly as her sister began to pound the locked door.

“What is going on in here?”

Both girls winced as their mother entered, but Bella was quickest to answer, as always, rapidly exiting the bathroom.

“Mother, I was just trying to use the bathroom, to get ready for the concert, but Selene kept bothering me. She only wants to look at her reflection.” Bella said, grinning maliciously at her sister as her mother took her into a hug. Sighing, readying herself for her mother’s tirade, Selene decided to make the most of the opportunity and sidled into the bathroom. Locking the door, she ignored Menolly as she ordered her to open the door. She used the necessary, then opened the window and climbed out, before allowing herself to drop to the next ledge down, and from there into the courtyard. Grinning up at the open window, her grey eyes sparkling with amusement, she didn’t notice the man coming up behind.

“Selene, is there a reason that you have ripped your trousers for the second time in a week, and that there are several rather explicit words issuing from that window?”

Selene whirled around, pausing for a moment before throwing her arms around him. “Hey, Daddy.”

Sebell smiled down at her. “Don’t you have to be somewhere right now?”

“Yeah, getting told off. I mean, just because she has all the talent AND the good looks, why should I ALWAYS be the one in trouble?” Selene complained, determined to win at least one person onto her side. Sebell merely winked at her, before detangling her arms from around his waist and sweeping her hair off her face.

“You’re perfect, sweetheart. Now, be good, I’ve got to go, I’m accompanying Libellule in this concert. Your mother will kill me if I’m late. Now, I know you don’t want to, but you need to look after your brothers and sisters this afternoon. I can leave them somewhere if you’d rather come to the concert, but I thought you wouldn’t be desperate to attend.”

“Fine. How long do I have to be? I’m meeting … someone … in an hour.”

“Who?” Sebell asked. As determined as he was to have his daughters independent, he was fiercely overprotective when it came to boys. “It had better not be that boy you were with the other day, what’s-his-name …”

“Xander? No, not him. If I met him we would just fight anyway.”

“Why? Selene, what did you do to him?” Sebell’s voice took on a warning tone, and Selene immediately recognised that her father thought she had annoyed the boy. Her outrage was immediate.

“I didn’t do anything! Why do I automatically get the blame? You’re just like mum. It’s always my fault. Besides, it was him, he pushed me in the lake when I was wearing my best clothes, and they’re all ruined now. I hate him!” Selene finished with emphasis, frowning heavily. Sebell sighed.

“Well, darling, I have to go now, but I want you to be good, okay? You will only need to attend to your siblings for a half hour or so. I’ll see you later.” Selene smiled at her father as he walked off. Then she turned to find the room her siblings were in.

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

“Selene!” Was all she heard before a rather over-enthusiastic three year old toddled up and grabbed her leg – the highest point he could reach.

“Hey, Alex, what’s up?” Selene replied, picking up her brother and spinning him round once before resting him on her hip and taking stock of the rest of the room.

A five Turn old girl – her youngest sister, Eleni, was sitting on the floor beating a small herdbeast-skin drum with unpractised fists. Selene smiled. The smile deepened to a frown, however, as she noticed that Tykyl, the six-Turn old boy, was trying to unscrew a pot of fresh ink. Quickly, she bore down on him and snatched it from his grasp, Alex protesting as her sudden movement jogged him. She bounced him up and down a couple of times, and he giggled delightedly. Tykyl screamed at her. Alex, sensing an impending tantrum, took a deep breath and buried his face in Selene’s shoulder. Selene gave a don’t-you-dare look at Tykyl, but the child just increased his volume. Selene set Alex down, picked up Tykyl with some effort, then shut him in the broom-cupboard.

“You can come out when you decide to behave like a human, Tykyl.”

“You know you’re supposed to use broom cupboards for other things than locking upset kids in.” Selene whirled round, furious to see Xander lolling against the door frame. All five of her siblings backed away, apart from Tykyl who was still in the broom cupboard. No-one, except Xander, was stupid enough to stay close when Selene lost her temper. Unfortunately, this happened all too regularly.

“Shut the hell up. You have no idea what you’re talking about.” The boy smirked and walked closer. Alex whimpered from his corner.

“I’m quite sure I know a lot more than you do, Selene the exceptionally untalented.”

Xander didn’t even see her hand move. All he registered was hatred and fury in her eyes before his cheek was bright scarlet and singing. Hurriedly, Selene turned around and picked up Eleni as means of defence, knowing that however low Xander would stoop, he would never risk hitting a child. Eleni sat very still, afraid of doing anything that might turn her sister’s temper on her.

“YOU LITTLE BITCH!” Xander yelled, glaring daggers at her.

“DON’T YOU DARE PATRONISE ME, NUMBWIT!” Selene put Eleni down and raised both fists in readiness. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the door burst open and the Masterharper, silver hair disordered, arrived in the room, followed by Robyn. Selene lowered her fists and evilled her brother, who was only two Turns her junior. He had left the room without her seeing and sought a grown-up. Robinton was the one he found, and Robinton was the one he asked. He shifted uncomfortably under her angry look.

“Selene, Telanxander, I am going to have to ask you to be a little more peaceful. We do not tolerate fighting in the harper hall. And Alexander, trying to hit a girl?” He asked, in quite an amiable tone, but there was a spark of danger in his eyes.

“No, sir. But she did hit me first, sir.” Xander replied, trying to edge towards the door.

“Is this true, Selene?”

“Perfectly true, sir, but I only hit him because he insulted me, sir.”

“Well then, I do not want to hear of you two fighting again. Don’t you get tired of it, fighting each other almost every day?”

The two replies were simultaneous. “No, sir.”

Robinton allowed himself a small smile before turning to Xander. “You may go.”

Xander nodded gratefully and left the room hurriedly. Robinton awarded Selene a long, hard stare before exiting. He heard Selene let Tykyl out of the cupboard, muttering swear-words under her breath.

-o-x-o-x-o-x-o-

Selene ignored Tykyl, who was still sobbing quietly. She went over and picked Alex up. The little boy rested his head on her shoulder as she paced, muttering to herself. She had been pacing for a long time when she eventually looked out of the window to measure the sun’s progress, sighing as she realised that it had been forty minutes and she was due to meet Sebb in twenty.

When she finally heard footsteps, she carefully laid the sleeping Alex on the small cot to one side of the room, flinging the door wide, only to see her sister on the other side.

“Well, the concert is going splendidly,” Bella said, sweeping past her sister. “I’ve been given half an hour’s break so you can go do something stupid. Mother says to be good, by the way. She saw the Masterharper looking mad and she suspects you have something to do with it, so I suggest staying out of the way. Oh, and I saw your boyfriend, that Sebbastien boy, with some girl, pretty … busy, so I guess that’s your afternoon messed up, huh?”

“He is not my boyfriend, Bella, you know that. So shut up, and leave me alone. Do try not to bore this lot to death with your egotistical crap, okay?” Selene replied scathingly. Alex woke up at this point and fell off the tiny bed. Selene hurried over and swooped him up before departing, shooting Bella a couple of rather rude hand-signs before disappearing. Bella sighed and sat back, her long, wavy brown hair falling into her deep, intense brown eyes, her small rosebud mouth curled into a grim smile, and her perfect cheekbones accentuated as her face seemed to glow with the beauty she knew smiling gave her.

the/end/the/end/the/end

Okay, I know everyone will tell me it went too fast, and probably have lots of helpful things to say. I will however say this:

Libellule IS a Mary-Sue, so don’t bother telling me. This is EXTREMELY deliberate. She is the perfect child – a musical prodigy, absolutely stunningly beautiful, hundreds of boys chasing after her etc etc …..

And before you start telling me that Selene is also a Mary-Sue, I will tell you that she is not. She does not have any musical ability, (hence Bella playing in the big concert, and not her) her mother views her as a corrupting influence, she has a very short temper – as I hope is evident – and she cannot be bothered with normal girl stuff, like dressing up, finding out how to mess with boys, and everything. All she has at the moment is an unusual ability with young children, when her temper doesn’t get the better of her.

Neither girl is aware that their real father is Robinton.

Robinton is very old now, but still a relatively powerful figure.

This story will not run in concurrence with any part of the Dragonriders of Pern series now, it is a plot solely of my own making.

So, after that rambling, (which I am sorry about, I just had to get it all out of my system!) please leave a much appreciated review!

Much love (especially to reviewers!)

SilverAurora