Dragon's Kin by Anne McCaffrey Read Free Book Online Page A

burst out from the sky above Silstra and followed her as she made her way down the aisle.
    “Kindan, what is that?” Zist hissed in between his piping.
    “That’s Dask,” Kindan said proudly. “He must be flying with a glow in his claws.”
    “Even as I see it, I can scarcely believe it,” Zist whispered in awe. “Truly amazing.”
    Indeed, above the pipes, Kindan could hear the watch-wher’s chirping voice in counterpoint to Master Zist’s melody.
    Zist’s pipes stopped when Silstra reached her place on the platform, facing the audience.
    Jofri began a different, more martial drum sequence and Terregar, resplendent in his craft’s colors, started his walk up the aisle, accompanied by Journeyman Veran, the trader in charge of the caravan.
    Again, Dask flew overhead, illuminating the groom from above as he had the bride.
    Terregar’s assumption of his position beside Silstra on the wedding platform was the signal for Kindan and Zenor to start their duet. Jofri introduced them with a flourish and Kindan started to sing only to realize that Zenor had not joined in.
    Kindan looked frantically at his friend but saw that Zenor’s eyes were skyward, watching Dask as he hovered over the wedding platform.
    Kindan strengthened his volume to cover Zenor’s lack until Jofri tapped Zenor on the shoulder. With a horrified look of apology at Silstra and Terregar, Zenor joined in singing the song with Kindan. A titter ran through the watching crowd.
    After they had completed their song, Master Zist stepped to the center of the platform and started the ceremony. Kindan had seen three other weddings in his life, but he’d never participated in one before. He listened carefully to the words Master Zist used to ask Silstra if she would have Terregar as her husband and to ask Terregar if he would have her as his wife. Then Master Zist spoke of the changes that each had agreed to, and the joy that their union brought those gathered here and his hope that their union would bring joy to all of Pern.
    “For now that these two are one, we are all more,” Master Zist intoned. He placed Silstra’s hand in Terregar’s and kissed each lightly on the cheek. “To Terregar and Silstra!”
    The crowd stood up and roared back: “Terregar and Silstra!”
    “Long life and happiness!” Master Zist intoned.
    “Long life and happiness!” the crowd roared back.
    Master Zist stepped back from the married couple. He waited until the shouting had died down and then nodded to Kindan.
    Kindan started his solo.
    “In early morning light I see,
A distant dragon come to me.”
    But as he sang, he heard a strange echo. He tried not to look around and merely concentrate on his singing, but his expression must have been noticed by Master Zist, because the Harper surreptitiously pointed skyward—Dask was singing along! Kindan broke into a grin as he continued his song, working in Dask’s counterpoint to the beat of the music and the spacing of the words. He finished with the opening refrain again:
    “In early morning light I see,
A distant dragon come to me.”
    Kindan let his voice fade softly away. As his voice died out, Dask uttered one final, satisfied chirp.
    A huge hand grasped Kindan’s shoulder and Master Zist told him, “Well done, Kindan. Well done.”
    And then Silstra was hugging and kissing him, tears of joy streaming from her eyes. “You were wonderful, thank you!” Terregar shook his hand and clapped him on the back, and then the bride and groom marched back down the aisle. Veran gave Terregar a torch, and the two ceremonially lit the wedding bonfire, bringing the light of their union to the mining camp.
    At that, the partying started. Master Zist and Journeyman Jofri started with a reel. Kindan had never heard a fiddle played before, but he found that its pleasant tones could be very lively.
    As he leapt off the wedding platform, he was accosted by Kaylek. “Dad says that you’re to change into everyday clothes now.”
    Kindan