The White Dragon

Volume III of The Dragonriders of Pernr, the influential series by sci-fi/fantasy titan Anne McCaffrey Never in the history of Pern has there been a dragon like Ruth. Mocked by other dragons for his small size and pure white color, Ruth is smart, brave, and loyal--qualities that he shares with his rider, the young Lord Jaxom. Unfortunately, Jaxom is also looked down upon by his fellow lords, and by other riders as well. His dreams of joining the dragonriders in defending Pern are dismissed. What else can Jaxom and Ruth do but strike out on their own, pursuing in secret all they are denied? But in doing so, the two friends will find themselves facing a desperate choice--one that will push their bond to the breaking point . . . and threaten the future of Pern itself.

Auteur

Anne McCaffrey

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • FINALIST FOR THE LOCUS AWARD • The third novel in the legendary and magical series featuring dragons, adventure, romance, and heroism, from Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author Anne McCaffrey, “one of my favorite authors of all time” (Brandon Sanderson)

“Anne McCaffrey’s Pern novels are truly foundational books; it’s hard to imagine the modern-day landscape of fantasy and science fiction without them.”—Naomi Novik, author of the Temeraire series
 
When Lessa chose a dragon over her birthright, the hold she was to have inherited passed to Lord Jaxom instead. But Jaxom then muddied generations of Pern tradition by impulsively Impressing Ruth, the small and singularly unique white dragon, as a child. From that moment on, the debate has raged. Is Jaxom now a dragonrider, or a lord holder? All anyone agrees on is that he cannot be both. But perhaps it is all academic anyway, for no one expects Ruth to survive.

But Ruth not only survives, he thrives. With Jaxom on the cusp of adulthood, the thing the pair most desire is to fight Thread side-by-side with the larger dragons. Jaxom knows what his dragon is capable of, and now that he is—mostly—grown, he is determined to buck tradition. Fortunately, a teenage rebellion may be the key to both Pern’s salvation and winning the woman of his dreams.
 
Don’t miss the original trilogy from Anne McCaffrey’s beloved Dragonriders of Pern series:
DRAGONFLIGHT • DRAGONQUEST • THE WHITE DRAGON

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Chapter I

At Ruatha Hold, Present Pass, 12th Turn

“If he isn’t clean enough now,” Jaxom told N’ton as he gave Ruth’s neck ridge a final swipe with the oiled cloth, “I don’t know what clean is!” He wiped his sweaty forehead on his tunic sleeve. “What do you think, N’ton?” he asked politely, suddenly aware that he had spoken without due regard for his companion’s rank as Weyrleader of Fort.

N’ton grinned and gestured toward the grassy bank of the lake. They squelched through the mud created by rinsing soapsand from the little dragon and, as one, turned for a full view of Ruth gleaming wetly in the morning sun.

“I’ve never seen him cleaner,” N’ton remarked after due consideration, adding hastily, “not to imply that you haven’t always kept him immaculate, Jaxom. However, if you don’t ask him to move out of that mud, he won’t stay clean long.”

Jaxom passed on the request hastily. “And keep your tail up, Ruth, till you are on the grass.”

From the corner of his eye, Jaxom noticed that Dorse and his cronies were creeping away, just in case N’ton had any further hard work for them. Jaxom had somehow managed to keep the smugness he felt under control all during Ruth’s bath. Dorse and the others hadn’t dared disobey the dragonrider when N’ton had blithely pressed them into service. To see them sweating over the “runt,” the “oversized fire-­lizard,” unable to tease and taunt Jaxom as they’d planned to do this morning, had raised Jaxom’s spirits considerably. He entertained no hopes that the situation would last long. But, if today the Benden Weyrleaders decided Ruth was strong enough to bear his weight in flight, then Jaxom would be free to fly away from the taunts he’d had to endure from his milkbrother and his cronies.

“You know,” N’ton began, frowning slightly as he folded his arms across his damp-­spattered tunic, “Ruth isn’t really white.”

Jaxom stared incredulously at his dragon. “He’s not?”

“No. See how his hide has shadows of brown and gold, and ripples of blue or green on the near flank.”

“You’re right!” Jaxom blinked, surprised at discovering something totally new about his friend. “I guess those colors are much more noticeable because he’s so clean and the sun’s so bright today!” It was such a pleasure to be able to discuss his favorite topic with an understanding audience.

“He’s . . . more . . . all dragon shades than the lack of any,” N’ton continued. He slanted one hand against the angle of Ruth’s heavily muscled shoulder, then cocked his head as he stared at the powerful hindquarters. “Beautifully proportioned, too. He may be small, Jaxom, but he’s a fine-looking fellow!”

Jaxom sighed again, unconsciously straightening his shoulders and pushing out his chest with pride.

“Not too much flesh, not too little, eh, Jaxom?” N’ton shot an elbow to catch Jaxom on the top of his shoulder, a sly grin on his face for all the times Jaxom had had to call on the Weyrleader to help him cope with Ruth’s indigestion. Jaxom had erroneously concluded that if he could stuff the proper amount of food down Ruth’s gullet, the little dragon would grow to match the size of his clutch-­mates. The results had not been good.

“Do you think he’s strong enough to fly me?”

N’ton awarded Jaxom a thoughtful gaze. “Let’s see, you Impressed him a Turn last spring, and we’re into cool weather now. Most dragons achieve their full growth in their first Turn. I don’t think Ruth’s grown a half-­hand in the last six months so we have to conclude that he has reached his full growth. Hey, now,” N’ton reacted to Jaxom’s sad sigh, “he’s bigger than any runner beast by half a head, isn’t he? They can be ridden for hours without tiring, right? And you’re not exactly a heavyweight like Dorse there.”

“Flying’s a different sort of effort, isn’t it?”

“True, but Ruth’s wings are proportionately large enough to his body to support him in flight . . .”

“So he is a proper dragon, isn’t he?”

N’ton stared at Jaxom. Then he put both hands on the boy’s shoulders. “Yes, Jaxom, Ruth is a proper dragon, for all he’s half the size of his fellows! And he’ll prove it today when he flies you! So let’s get you and him back to the Hold. You’ve got to get yourself fancied up to match his beauty!”

“C’mon, Ruth!”

I would rather sit here in the sun, Ruth replied, moving to Jaxom’s left, his stride graceful as he kept pace with his friend and with the Fort Weyrleader.

“There’s sun in our court, Ruth,” Jaxom assured him, resting a light hand on Ruth’s headknob, aware of the happy blue tone of Ruth’s lightly whirling, jewel-­faceted eyes.

As they walked on in silence, Jaxom raised his eyes to the imposing cliff face which wa…