Sunday, April 15

The Girl Who Heard Dragons

Its a short Story by Anne McCaffrey. Set in Pern, the colorful world with the 5 colors of Dragons live and protect the people from the deadly Thread that rains from Outerspace.

This story is about Aramina. Although she has been introduced in All the Weyrs of Pern and is in the Renegades of Pern, this short story is her flight from Igen Lower Cavern to Lemos and how she met Heth and Lessa.


Lady Hodless Thella, the queen of the renegades, is set to capture Aramina. She will destroy all, sacrifice her men and kill to get what she wants and what she was in the gilr who can hear dragons.
Aramina, daughter of Lady Barla of the Ruathan blood, is a holdless member of the Igen Lower Cavern. They have nowhere else to shelter from Thread and is cheated by the holders whom they have no affiliation to. Proud and threatened, Aramina and her family runs from Igen to Lemos because Thella is on their heals. Accident happens and the cart they ride falls atop her father. Without thinking, she calls to the dragon that passes. The dragon drops and reveals his rider, the smallest dragon boy. (He has his own Short Story entitled The Smallest Dragon Boy). K'van is small but Heth is still a bronze. He lifts the cart and helps them to the cavern.
Barla is scaredfor her daughter. A girl who hears dragons must stay in the Weyr. If not, Thella might catch them. F'lar, F'nor, T'gellan and Mirrim comes and lends a hand. Lord Asgenar of Lemos sends his mn to protect Aramina and her family but still Lady Holdless Thella evades them and catches Aramina.
Ara calls to Heth who responds at once. The rest of the dragons come too. Thella escapes but Ara is hurt. Lessa arrives and decided that for the good of Ara, she must go to Benden Weyr.


That was the short story. Though in Renegades, it is all in the point of view of Jayge, Ara's soon-to-be-husband.

About Aramina and Jayge in Anne McCaffrey's The Renegades of Pern
Major Spoilers!

Jayge is a holdless man but a trader like his family. He does not know who Ara is, only that Thella is chasing her. Knowing that a helpless girl is in trouble, Jayge embarks on a journey to save a girl he does not know. In Renegades, Ara refuses to impress in Benden Weyr. She can't block the dragon's voices and it begins to get on her nerves. She is sent to Benden Hold but is kidnapped by Thella for the second time. She is put in a dark tunnel, naked. Because of the this rocks, she can't reach for the dragons of Benden. Jayge is helped by his uncle Readis. They rescue Ara but Readis is killed. Ara and Readis runs away to the Southern Continent but is caught by storm and is shipwrecked at an ancient settlement. She gives birth to a son they call Readis in honor of Jayge's uncle who saved her. Harper Journeyman Piemur sees them and helps them out. They soon discover the ancient name of the hold, Paradise River Hold. Master Robinton helps them acquire it as a permanent Hold. Upon his arrival on dragonback, Ara faints upon realizing she can no longer hear dragons. It must be a thing only young girls can have.
Jayge calls his family to help him hold Paradise River. Ara and Jayge prospers and has three children. Piemur visits along with Jancis.
One day, Lady Holdless Thella arrives and tries to take Ara again. She knocks Jayge, Piemur and the other with him. Luckily, Jancis is a quick thinker and luckily, K'van comes. K'van is now Weyrleader of Southern Weyr. Heth called him to help Ara. Itseems Heth can still hear the Girl who Heard Dragons even if the ability is waning. F'lar and Lessa had impossed new rules that Weyrs will not intercept holder business but that doesn't stop Heth. Jayge finishes the job by capturing Thella's men and killing the Renegade herself.
Lessa is disappointed at K'van but is relived to see Ara is alright. She had thought the girl died after being kidnapped by Thella but has instead ran to the south with Jayge.
All wa well for now...
The story will continue at Dolphins of Pern.
Their son, Readis, crippled in body but not in spirit. He wants to be a dolphineer and not even Aramina can stop him. Ara hides a secret from everybody. She soon discovers nothing can stop the sad songs she hears at night. Not even dragon songs. Readis will hear it and its lure to the sea is more powerful that tides.

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