Mawgrim

Absolutely. They've been tolerating it so far because it applied to everyone.

One reason why he's not changed anything yet, even though he doesn't wholly agree with leaving the system as it is.

D’gar was pleased to see a large number of riders squashed into his weyr the following afternoon. Everyone from Fort had attended, even T’mudra. As he made a rough head count, he realised that almost everyone who had been seconded from the five other Weyrs were there. He also felt slightly nervous. There were older, more experienced riders present, even a couple of bronzes. Yet they were all waiting for him to speak. He cleared his throat. ‘I’d like to start by thanking you all for being he

It's not quite so shocking this time around. I knew this was going to happen sooner or later. But yes, it does make you reassess your priorities.

Waiting for CT scan results is a bit like being the cat in the box. You aren't sure if it will be good or bad news, if indeed you will be pronounced alive or dead once the result comes through. Today, I got the news I - kind of - expected. Not for any particular reason except my usual cautious pessimism and the feeling things had gone too well for too long. You can tell by their tone of voice, even before they actually say anything. The lesions in my liver are spreading and there is a need to review my treatment. It's weird, but I'd been preparing myself for it. I drew The Tower in a Tarot spread the other day. I've been feeling occasionally sick. None of that may have meant anything, but you always read portents into perfectly normal events with hindsight. So, what am I going to do? Stop drinking, for one thing, although I haven't exactly been drinking a lot. Less than 4 glasses of wine a week, with meals. Keep exercising. Write as fast as I can. Hone my life back down to the essentials - enjoying each day, eating well, taking time for myself. I think I will take the house off the market. Don't need that stress. I've been almost feeling 'normal' again recently, thinking about the future and stuff like that. Suddenly, focus has shifted back. Suddenly, life feels precarious and very precious. I want to stay healthy for as long as possible. I want to get things finished. Only I may not have as much time as I'd hoped.

Aleks is just getting in deeper and deeper. I have a bad feeling that all his scheming will come undone and someone will get hurt.

Lovely story. Starts right in the middle of the action and has a great buildup of tension.

Happy Anniversary. Your post just made me check when I joined and realised I’d missed mine as well!

Have really enjoyed each chapter of this story. With all of the extended 'family' growing up and now little Gustin arriving, I look forward to many spin off stories.

That's right, named after Paul Benden. Other holds named after the original colonists were Tillek, Boll, Nabol, Telgar, Bitra and Lemos.

It's on the way! Depending on life, I'm hoping it will be ready by next weekend.

All other colours will obey a queen dragon and Solth is enforcing a rule which doesn't stop them eating entirely. But yes, they are unlikely to be content or happy on only eating a small meal rather than gorging themselves until bursting, which is the usual draconian tendency.

None of Pern is particularly democratic, but remember that Telgar Weyr was desperate for help and if it looks like they are about to lose the services of 40 or so dragons and their riders they may decide to bend their rules.

They have a good bargaining chip as Telgar needs them more than they need to be there. Part of the secondment process is to let riders see there is more than one way of doing things, but all they're learning here is how not to do it.

Eighth Pass - Fort Weyr Characters Weyrleader and Weyrwomen T'ron & Fidranth (bronze) - Weyrleader - also Wingleader of 'A' Wing. Mardra & Loranth (gold) - Weyrwoman - leads the Queens' Wing. Valli & Kadoth (gold) - Former Weyrwoman when D'gar Impresses Herebeth, who hatches from Kadoth's last clutch of eggs in Turn 43 of the Eighth Pass. Tirelle & Suderoth (gold) - junior weyrwoman and weyrmate of V'dul (bronze Sarneth). Zalna & Gemalth (

Sometimes it takes an outsider to see what's wrong. Also, D'gar just can't stop himself from asking 'why?' even when it annoys people.

Very clever short story. I have often thought that if heaven exists and is full of religious bigots, it probably wouldn't be a fun place to spend eternity.

In an ideal world, Cathy would never have thrown her own son out on the streets, but at least she has learned and is atoning for it. Jason needs a helping hand and at least there is someone there for him.

That was very decent of Nathan, to take the blame for messing up the shop doorway. And he's still not telling Jason everything. Can't wait to find out what happens next.

Some members of the Wing regarded the new riders as you might something unexpected and unpleasant; as if a crawler had fallen from its web into your bowl of stew. Maybe that was unfair. A few looked friendly enough, while others simply ignored them. D’gar noticed that, unlike at Fort, where riders tended to sit roughly in colour order, here it was much more mixed up. The unfriendly group comprised a bronze, a brown plus a couple each of blues and greens. All of the new riders clustered toge

Lovely story, with a twist to it. I enjoyed the slowly building sense of looming menace and it was appropriate that Rowan, with his lineage, became the new protector of the forest.

Thank you. When I’m writing my cinema stories I always use the name of somewhere that either doesn’t exist in the UK, or that doesn't have a cinema. This avoids the possibility of anyone reading it thinking it's their cinema I’m writing about! However, all of the cinema breakdowns mentioned in the story actually happened somewhere, when I was still doing that job.

It was all going so well until that phone call...

Compulsive reading. Once you start, it’s a rollercoaster ride, following Carter's surprising adventures after being hit by a truck. In the process, he learns an awful lot about his best friend Aron, Aron's marriage to Alex and most importantly, about himself. Romantic, quirky and unputdownable. 'Just one more chapter', I found myself saying many a time.

A strange coincidence or was this really a case of dreams coming true?