Jan 2003. This is a short piece of fan fiction I wrote many years ago. It is set in Anne McCaffrey’s<\/a> Pern universe. Thankfully, Anne McCaffrey not only allowed but encouraged fan fiction inspired by her works. She is greatly missed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

_____________________________________________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ballid\nknelt, carefully picking up shards of discarded shells and placing them in his\ncarry basket. Hands and knees wrapped in rags as protection from the blistering\nsands, he worked diligently, sifting the volcanic residue for even the tiniest\nof pieces. He took pride in his work. It was important. Everything he did was\nimportant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Must clean up after the pretties. Silly things. Can\u2019t leave messes.<\/em> He thought amusingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nsounds of festivities and the tantalizingly delicious smells of roasted meats\ndrifted to him from across the bowl. Ballid ignored the temptation. There would\nbe plenty left over, there always was after the new pretties hatched. This\nhowever, couldn\u2019t wait. It was important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He remembered the day he had stood on these very sands. So long ago. He had come to do something important. He remembered the great mottled eggs. They seemed so much bigger then. He even remembered the pretty who had come and stood at his feet, it\u2019s wet head cocked as if listening, regarding him with whirling jeweled eyes. It was the most beautiful pretty he had ever seen. It was colored the blue of the morning sky with wonderfully dappled flanks and wing sails. He thought he had heard a voice, so far away. He remembered looking around for the source of the voice. It was so beautiful, even if he couldn’t understand the words. When he looked back, the blue colored pretty was gone, tottering off to look at another boy. He had watched them leave together. They were very happy but he felt very sad. He still remembered that siren call; it haunted his dreams like something very important missed. He didn\u2019t like to miss important things. He was never again asked to stand on the sands and wait for the pretties to come out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

His basket full, Ballid stood stiffly and brushed the sand from his clothes. He was wearing his best shirt today. It only had a few small stains on it. Shirts weren\u2019t important, but Sarina said he should wear it today. He liked Sarina, she made sure he was well fed and always praised him on a job well done. Today was<\/em> important, even if shirts weren’t, so he wore his best, which meant cleanest, clothes. He took the full basket to the kitchen midden and dumped it in with the other seven loads already there before heading back to the broiling sands. When he was done, the sands were as clean as the day they were laid. It was a good job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\nentered the lower kitchen cavern and looked for Sarina. She had been very busy\ntoday. She was an important person. She made sure there was always food for\neveryone. She handed out the jobs and made sure everything was done right. She\nliked Ballid best though, and always gave the most important jobs to him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\ndidn\u2019t find her and he was hungry. There was lots of food left on the plates\nbrought in from the dinning hall so he picked the best stuff off each one and\nmade a plate for himself. It was very good, even if cold. After a while he\nretired to his place and went to sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ballid\nwoke well before first light. He always woke early. He liked mornings. He\nsmelled the klah warming on the night hearth and poured himself a cup before\ngoing outside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHas\nanyone seen Ballid? I need him to start butchering those herd beasts before the\nweyrlings wake up. Dear but they will be famished.\u201d Sarina called to no one in\nparticular.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAren\u2019t they always?\u201d Bekaba chuckled amiably as she entered from the side hearth. \u201cBesides wasn’t today supposed to be bath day? He is probably hiding in the storage caves again. Leave it to him to disappear whenever a bath is involved. I swear that man has the worst fear of water I\u2019ve ever seen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome\non. Do you blame him?\u201d Sarina defended \u201cthings would be a lot different for him\nif he hadn\u2019t nearly drowned that day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh. Your right, I\u2019m sorry. I keep forgetting about that. Poor kid. I wish we had found him sooner. Only a sevenday before the hatching and he had to go nearly drowning himself in the bowl lake. What ever had he been doing there? He didn\u2019t even know how to swim! Is it true the healer almost couldn\u2019t save him.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, it was a close thing. Nothing for it now.\u201d Sarina said before spying another of the kitchen drudges. \u201cRellis. Have you seen Ballid?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes\u2019m \u2018soutside\u201d Rellis answered, quickly ducking away and disappearing before Sarina could think of something for him to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cExcuse me Bekaba, I have to go find him.\u201d Sarina called over her shoulder as she hurried off in a swirl of skirts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ballid\nwas just draining the last of his klah as the horizon above the bowl rim began\nto lighten with the coming morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBallid\nthere you are!\u201d Sarina hurried to him \u201cI need you to start butchering those\nherdbeasts the Lord Holder brought in yesterday. Do you know the ones I talking\nabout? The black ones in the far pen?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes\nLady Sarina. I know the ones.\u201d He was always polite. It was important to be\npolite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGood. I knew I could count on you.\u201d She said warmly, taking his now empty cup and pushing him in the proper direction. \u201cNow get along. We need that meat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\ntrudged across the still dark weyr bowl to begin his new task. It was, after\nall, important. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The watch dragon, perched on the high rim, followed Ballid\u2019s progress as he made his way to the distant beast pens. After a while, it turned it head to the rising sun, its dappled blue flanks catching the first rays of morning light.<\/p>\n