Dragonchoice 3: Weyrleader of Pern

Dragonchoice 3 cover illustration by Melanie Reynolds

Time
He’s waiting in the wings
He speaks of senseless things
His script is you and me, boy
— David Bowie, Time

The riders of Madellon Weyr are still reeling from the dramatic events of Hatching Day. But when a mysterious tragedy befalls some of the young weyrlings, Weyrleader T’kamen and his bronze Epherineth set out on an epic quest to discover what went wrong.

And Weyrwoman Valonna must learn to take the weight of the Weyr on her shoulders as the epic final chapter of the Dragonchoice trilogy spans all of Pern…and journeys through time itself…

All characters and events © Faye Upton.

All artwork © its respective artist and used with permission.

Acknowledgements

I wouldn’t have got through this monster without the wonderful Laurie Hicks, whose advice, feedback, and inhuman patience have been completely indispensable from start to finish.
Katherine Inskip and Jennifer Quail have provided invaluable beta-reading services. And also astrophysics, obviously.
Melanie Reynolds continues to both awe and inspire me with her artistic talent, which you’ll find through Dragonchoice 3.
Amy Brennan for short-notice beta-reading, commentary, and art.
Multi-Facets for artwork of Valonna.
Emily Holland for many gorgeous paintings.
Ssthisto for illustrating all three Dragonchoice novels

Artwork

You can find all the artwork for Dragonchoice 3 at the Dragonchoice 3 art page!

Dragonchoice 3 ebooks

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Prologue: Out Of Time

A green rider flying a routine sweep from the Peninsula Weyr finds a young dragon and his rider in distress near Sixer Hold.

Act One

Chapter one: T’kamen

T’kamen, Weyrleader of Madellon, presides over the business of the day – but a mysterious disturbance interrupts the sleeping dragons and riders of the Weyr.

Chapter two: Sarenya

Journeyman Sarenya finds herself torn between her two crafts – and between lovers old and new – as she tries to shake the ghosts of her past.

Chapter three: C’mine

C’mine and his blue Darshanth go through the motions of another day together in a world without C’los.

Chapter four: Carleah

Weyrling Carleah gets herself into trouble with the Weyrlingmaster as the Wildfire weyrlings begin final preparations for going between.

Chapter five: Sh’zon

Sh’zon settles into his new role as Deputy Weyrleader – but his political ambitions don’t end at Madellon’s borders.

Chapter six: L’stev

The Weyrlingmaster, L’stev, readies himself for a difficult day as the Wildfire weyrlings prepare for their first trips between.

Chapter seven: T’kamen

In the aftermath of the tragedy, T’kamen seeks answers in the records – and shares his fears that Epherineth is at fault with the Weyrlingmaster.

Chapter eight: C’mine

C’mine and Darshanth are forced to make a decision about their future when T’kamen delivers them an ultimatum.

Chapter nine: Sarenya

Saren tries to motivate the failing Sejanth, and finds C’mine settling into his new role as assistant Weyrlingmaster.

Chapter ten: T’kamen

T’kamen goes to the other Weyrs of Pern for advice, but finds that a Weyrleader of Madellon is not always a welcome visitor.

Chapter eleven: Valonna

The dragons keen the loss of one of their own, and Valonna, Madellon’s Weyrwoman, must face a fresh tragedy alone.

Chapter twelve: T’kamen

T’kamen awakes groggy, injured, and disorientated by Epherineth’s disastrous trip between, and tries to piece together what happened.

Characters in Act One

A list of the characters and dragons from Act One of Dragonchoice 3. Weyrleader of Pern.

Act Two

Chapter thirteen: Sh’zon

Sh’zon faces a mixed reception when he briefs T’kamen’s Wing about the Weyrleader’s disappearance – and learns some unsettling things from M’ric.

Chapter fourteen: T’kamen

As T’kamen and Epherineth recover from their injuries, they begin to realise how dramatically Madellon has changed in their absence.

Chapter fifteen: C’mine

C’mine and M’touf have a heart-to-heart, and Weyrlingmaster B’reko brings unsettling news from the High Reaches.

Chapter sixteen: Valonna

Valonna and the bronze riders of Madellon carry out an audacious and controversial mission to Southern Weyr.

Chapter seventeen: T’kamen

M’ric helps T’kamen to make Epherineth a new harness in preparation for the trip between that will prove they are who they claim to be.

Chapter eighteen: Carleah

Carleah and the other Wildfire weyrlings get to know the new arrivals from Southern Weyr over breakfast.

Chapter nineteen: L’stev

L’stev and C’mine discuss the issue of the Southern weyrlings, and L’stev makes an unexpected discovery.

Chapter twenty: T’kamen

M’ric gives T’kamen renewed reason to hope, and a token from the past leads to a long-overdue meeting.

Chapter twenty-one: L’stev

L’stev discusses T’gala with the Weyrwoman, and the Southern weyrlings confront him with a demand.

Chapter twenty-two: Carleah

Tensions between the Wildfires and Southerners come to a head, while Carleah becomes party to a startling secret.

Chapter twenty-three: T’kamen

T’kamen is formally introduced to the Weyrleaders of Pass Madellon, and learns more about his new place in the world.

Chapter twenty-four: Valonna

As Valonna and H’ned work to pick up the slack left by T’kamen’s disappearance, the magnitude of Madellon’s supply issues begins to come into focus.

Chapter twenty-five: T’kamen

M’ric reveals more startling truths about Pass Madellon as T’kamen and Epherineth get settled in their new role.

Chapter twenty-six: Sarenya

Sarenya examines an in-clutch Agusta before paying a visit to Blue Shale Seahold’s sevenday market with M’ric.

Chapter twenty-seven: Sh’zon

Sh’zon and H’ned discuss Madellon’s low firestone stocks, and L’stev presents his plan to solve the problem with between.

Chapter twenty-eight: C’mine

C’mine keeps the weyrlings busy as the Weyrlingmaster puts his plan to solve between into action.

Chapter twenty-nine: T’kamen

T’kamen and Epherineth travel to Kellad Hold in search of answers at the Harperhall – and to avoid Donauth’s flight.

Chapter thirty: C’mine

C’mine suffers L’stev’s displeasure in the aftermath of the keen for Grizbath, and seeks a dangerous form of comfort with Darshanth.

Chapter thirty-one: Valonna

An expectant green rider distracts Valonna ahead of the arrival of the Weyrleaders of Southern and the Peninsula.

Chapter thirty-two: T’kamen

T’kamen meets Masterharper Marlaw and learns more about his past – and his future.

Chapter thirty-three: Valonna

Valonna clashes with P’raima as the Weyrleaders of the Peninsula seek to broker a solution to Southern’s crisis.

Chapter thirty-four: T’kamen

T’kamen and Epherineth come face to face with the brutal reality of the Eighth Pass as they fly their first Fall.

Characters in Act Two

A list of the characters and dragons up to and including Act Two of Dragonchoice 3: Weyrleader of Pern.

Act Three

Chapter thirty-five: Sarenya

Sarenya and M’ric go to Long Bay Hold for the first day of the long-awaited Gather.

Chapter thirty-six: T’kamen

T’kamen consults with M’ric and Dalka about finding fire-lizards, and has a run-in with the Weyrlingmaster.

Chapter thirty-seven: Sh’zon

Sh’zon attends the first evening of the Long Bay Gather, and discovers a plot afoot at the Peninsula Weyr.

Chapter thirty-eight: T’kamen

T’kamen and M’ric go to Little Madellon to meet the dragonless queen rider Alanne.

Chapter thirty-nine: Valonna

Valonna deals with matters both foreign and domestic as she prepares for Lady Coffleby’s luncheon at Long Bay.

Chapter forty: T’kamen

T’kamen faces the personal and professional consequences of his visit to Little Madellon.

Chapter forty-one: Sarenya

Sarenya and Arrense investigate the herdbeast discrepancy at the second day of the Long Bay Gather.

Chapter forty-two: T’kamen

T’kamen serves his disciplinary sentence as M’ric faces the final assessments that will decide his future at Madellon.

Chapter forty-three: Carleah

Carleah is reunited with her mother at Long Bay, and enjoys the Gather with some of the other Wildfire weyrlings.

Chapter forty-four: Valonna

Valonna and Sh’zon meet friends and enemies both old and new at the Long Bay luncheon.

Chapter forty-five: L’stev, Sh’zon, C’mine

L’stev wrangles dragonets while Sh’zon takes charge at Long Bay and C’mine does something incredibly dangerous.

Chapter forty-six: L’stev, Carleah, Valonna

Karika and T’gala betray a Southern secret. Carleah and Tarshe assess their situation. Valonna discovers an unexpected ally.

Chapter forty-seven: Sh’zon, Carleah, L’stev

The Deputy Weyrleaders treat with Southern; Carleah and Tarshe face a crisis point; L’stev coordinates the Ops Wing search.

Chapter forty-eight: Carleah, Valonna, Sh’zon

Carleah and Tarshe act in desperation while things reach breaking point at Long Bay.

Chapter forty-nine: Valonna, Carleah

D’pantha and R’maro of Southern Weyr petition Madellon’s Weyrleaders for support – and the queen they both need.

Chapter fifty: Sh’zon, Valonna

Sh’zon and H’ned return Megrith to Southern Weyr – and bring a guest of their own back to Madellon.

Chapter fifty-one: Sh’zon

Sh’zon endures a restless night as Madellon waits for Southern to take action.

Chapter fifty-two: Valonna

The dragonriders of Madellon and the Peninsula confront P’raima and Tezonth at last in a final and terrible showdown.

Characters in Act Three

A list of the characters and dragons up to and including Act Three of Dragonchoice 3: Weyrleader of Pern.

Act Four

Chapter fifty-three: T’kamen

Winter in the Pass brings a respite from Thread, and T’kamen faces the reality of attempting to go between once more.

Chapter fifty-four: Valonna

Valonna picks up the pieces in the aftermath of the Long Bay Incident as life goes on at Madellon.

Chapter fifty-five: T’kamen

T’kamen brings the news of Epherineth’s trip between to R’lony and Ch’fil – to a mixed reception.

Chapter fifty-six: Carleah

Carleah is given a surprising new assignment as the routine of life in the barracks changes pace.

Chapter fifty-seven: C’mine

C’mine and Darshanth get permission to take another journey through time to close their incomplete loop.

Chapter fifty-eight: T’kamen

T’kamen and M’ric, hunting through Peninsula records in search of answers, contemplate the nature of the time-loop that connects them.

Chapter fifty-nine: Sh’zon

News of Ipith’s imminent rising at the Peninsula reaches Sh’zon through a familiar – and unwelcome – source.

Chapter sixty: T’kamen

T’kamen is forced to examine his relationship with Leda, and M’ric makes a confession.

Chapter sixty-one: Sh’zon

Sh’zon faces up to the consequences of Kawanth’s participation in Ipith’s leadership flight.

Chapter sixty-two: L’stev

L’stev and Vanzanth attend between trials at Telgar and pay a visit to Jenavally at Teller Hold.

Chapter sixty-three: T’kamen

T’kamen finds himself the subject of hero-worship at Madellon, and makes an unsettling discovery about M’ric.

Chapter sixty-four: Sarenya

Sarenya and Arrense make an alarming discovery about the culprits behind Madellon’s livestock shortage.

Chapter sixty-five: Valonna

Valonna and H’ned find themselves frustrated in the aftermath of Arrense’s murder, while the Healers make a breakthrough.

Chapter sixty-six: Sarenya

Sarenya seeks help from the Weyr Healer as she struggles to cope with her double bereavement.

Chapter sixty-seven: T’kamen

T’kamen goes to Ista in search of fire-lizards, but finds much more than he’d bargained for.

Chapter sixty-eight: Sarenya

Sarenya confides in C’mine, and discovers some truths she’d never even imagined.

Characters in Act Four

A list of the characters and dragons from Act Four of Dragonchoice 3: Weyrleader of Pern.