“ | It was the Runner Stationmaster himself who carried the message immediately to the Weyr, for Leri from Thaniel of Waterhole Hold. Everyone read it: „She comes every evening at the same time, just after sundown, when it’s growing dark. She asks for Leri. What can I do?“. | ” |
Beyond Between is a short story of the Dragonriders of Pern series written by Anne McCaffrey and included in the anthology Legends II. It was first published in September 2003.
Synopsis[]
An epidemic is rampant on Pern. Weyrwoman Moreta must deliver dozens of pestilence vaccines in one day. But her queen Orlith protective of her eggs, and she is forced to fly on the dragon of another, old Lady Leri — Holth. Using the Between, Moreta moves not only in space, but also in time, exhausting himself and the queen. Hurrying home after the completion of the case, Moreta does not have time to give Holth the coordinates of the place of return, and they are both stuck in the Between. But the strange dragonrider finds them in the darkness and helps to reunite the lost halves…
Plot Summary[]
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During the Plague in the Sixth Pass, Thaniel, the holder of Waterhole Hold, awaits the delivery of the vaccine. To his surprise, a dragonrider, Moreta, the Weyrwoman of Fort Weyr ends up being the one to do this. Thaniel notices as she leaves — traveling between — that she is not riding her own dragon, but thinks nothing more of this, until the arrival of Masterhealer Capiam and several dragonriders later that night. They ask about Moreta, and Thaniel realizes from their words that she has failed to emerge from between and has died.
In between, Moreta and Holth realize their mistake and find themselves trapped. Not long afterwards, they are guided out of between and to Paradise River Stake by a mysterious dragonrider, Marco Galliani, who tells them to rest. The next day, Marco explains things to Moreta: he and Duluth retrieve the dragons that do not emerge from between and guide them to Paradise River until they go beyond "between". Since Holth is not Moreta’s dragon, the two are unable to go beyond and are stuck at Paradise River as spirits. Despite this, Holth is able to return to the last place she came from, Waterhole Hold, and Moreta decides to return there to attempt to signal Thaniel.
At Waterhole Hold, Thaniel notes his runnerbeast Rusty panicking but is unable to find the reason why, as he cannot see the ghosts of Moreta and Holth. Moreta and Holth return between, where Marco tells them old Earth legends about «ghosts», suggesting the two «haunt» the hold until Thaniel realises their needs. Moreta and Holth return to the Hold over the next few nights, resulting in Thaniel sending word to Fort Weyr after he sees Moreta's figure illuminated by the moon.
At Fort Weyr, Leri is comforted by the weyrwomen of the other Weyrs, while she waits for Orlith to leave her eggs and travel between. In time, she receives a message via runner from Thaniel, describing the appearance of Moreta at his hold. When Orlith’s eggs are ready to hatch, Leri and she travel to Waterhole Hold, where they wait with Thaniel.
As evening falls, Moreta and Holth arrive, and the two dragonriders are reunited with their dragons. After hearing the news of the hatching, Moreta and Leri thank Thaniel, and travel beyond "Between", leaving Thaniel to wonder what may happen after death.