Mawgrim

Well done @Mrsgnomie and well deserved.

Like all good stories, it has a basis in fact. When my mother was a little girl, her father rented a house in rural Ireland. She remembered vividly seeing the bedroom door handle turning most nights and how scared all the kids were. Her mother, who was quite a sensible, practical woman, was terrified after having seen something she'd never talk about. On certain nights, they heard the noise of a cart going past, faster and faster until it crashed on a bend in the road. Apparently, this was the ghost of a local farmer, whose horses used to get him home after a drinking session, until one night something spooked them into bolting. The cart crashed, killing him and both the horses. I agree with you about the blood and gore not being as frightening as something unseen.

Interesting to see the techniques the therapist uses to encourage to Josh to reveal his story.

What a rollercoaster ride of a chapter. The building tension, the action, wondering if Bruce had died in the line of duty. Then the relief and declarations of love. A perfect ending. The fact that Marc Greene considered his brother as expendable took his already chilling personality to a new level. He's so much of a psychopath he doesn't really have any empathy or feelings towards other human beings.

The realization of what has happened hits all at once, although on a second read there are little clues of foreboding set up.

An interesting setup chapter. Engaging characters and great banter between the siblings.

Sounds as if the author has managed to pack a lot of issues and information into a fairly short story. Your review has been a good enough trailer to make me want to see the main feature.

Such sexual tension in this chapter. Someone is going to have to make a move soon, just to find out one way or another.

Oh no. Just as Lukas and Set seem to be reaching, well, something, the shit hits the fan. Brilliant description of the confusion of battle. I could almost taste the dust. It's left me feeling edgy and worried for both Seb and Lukas.

His weekend with James is going to give him a lot of food for thought.

Maybe not right away, although he may start to realise he has other options.

It's a good one. I used to take my work phone on holiday just so I didn't have to trawl through 300 odd emails when I returned. Not a healthy way to live.

D'gar and S'brin have very different attitudes to the relationship. Also, D'gar is more forgiving - he can put himself in the other man's shoes. S'brin is, in many ways a typical green rider, impulsive and influenced by his dragon's moods. J'rud is more thoughtful and is actually a better match for D'gar, temperamentally. I do feel sorry for him, though.

The engineer who trained me was just two years away from retirement. He and his wife had a narrow boat and intended to explore the canals of England once he retired. He had a massive heart attack while on holiday on the boat and never got to do it.

It may take a little time. Craig has to think about things for a while and although he's comfortable with James, they still haven't known each other for very long. In James's case it was one big event - Pete's death - which made him take stock of where his life was heading. For Craig, it's more likely to be a slow realization of how the job he used to enjoy is evolving into one he doesn’t, and that he can take control over where his life ends up.

It depends on whether his fear of change is greater than his fear of losing the chance of being with James.

Lukas obviously left the diary around so Seb would read it. It's sad when one person feels so strongly for another with very little chance the feelings will be reciprocated. Although, as stress levels increase, Seb may finds he needs someone he can talk to and be close to. Seeing and hearing about all those terrible things happening and knowing it could happen to you must gradually wear someone down. Only those with very little imagination or empathy would remain unaffected.

‘That was great.’ Craig lapped the last drop of soup, wiping out the bowl with a piece of crusty bread. ‘Home made, I’ll bet.’ ‘Tell the truth, the bread was from the bakery at the local supermarket. And soup’s easy. Throw in all of your elderly veg, a pinch of herbs, a shake of seasoning and voila.’ 'I used to cook. Back when I had time.’ James looked at him with a touch of sadness. ‘I know what that’s like. Not good for you, though.’ ‘Tell me about it.’ All of a sudden his

The tension mounts! I was getting stressed just reading this, with all the delays, no matter how necessary to plan the operation. Clever of Nikki to remember those little details which enabled them to find out Marc Greene is not alone. Now I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Lukas is good for Seb. This chapter really brought home the daily reality of being in a war zone.

Great to see this story resolved so the bad guys got their just desserts. Quick thinking by Levi, which saved his life.

In the timeline I sketched out, they are currently three Turns before the end of the Pass. S'brin died just a few Falls before the last one, which we know from canon (the tapestry Lessa used to go back) was over Ruatha in autumn. There is a clue in 'Dragonflight' when Lessa wakes up at Fort Weyr and has been babbling about Thread and the Red Star. Mardra tells her, '...my dear, don't you realise the Red Star has been past Pern these two months.' It's later referred that she has been ill and delirious for 'some weeks'. There’s also another reference to riders becoming bored having had, 'close to four months of unexciting routine patrols'. Based on that, I've worked out that the last Fall must have been around Tenth month (our October) and that Lessa arrived in the second month of the first Turn of the Interval, so actually not very long after Thread stopped at all. Whew! I'm going to finish this when Lessa arrives, but before T'ron announces that they will all be going ahead, so just before the point where 'Gone Away, Gone Ahead' begins.

I think everyone expects that result from the trials. Yes, we're getting towards the end now, although there are a few twists and turns on the way.

Absolutely. And you might like to take a guess as to who is the nasty Wingsecond at High Reaches M'lir mentioned.

Emerging from between into the strong southern sunlight made D’gar realise how much he’d missed it. Below them, Big Bay sparkled and a long beach of reddish sand curved away into a hazy distance. Z’ma didn’t take them down there, though, but across some cliffs to drop down into a smaller, more sheltered cove. The sand was almost the same colour, but the waves smaller. Most of the dragons splashed straight into the sea as soon as their straps were removed. It was a delight to watch them play, div