I saw my last IRJE entry and I am going to try and make this one a lot shorter. In part three of The Dragonriders of Pern, The White Dragon, by Anne McCaffrey, the young Lord Jaxom of Ruatha hold is faced with a challenge. He and his dragon Ruth are making history as the first Lord Holder to ever own a dragon, but the problem is that he can’t be a full time dragon rider, and Ruth is different from all the other dragons. He is the only White Dragon on all of Pern, and he is much smaller than even the smallest of the small dragons. Together they will strike out on their own and pursue what they are denied in secret, but in doing so will find themselves facing a desperate choice, one that will push their bond to the breaking point and threaten Pern itself.
“Ruth, what if N’ton finds out we’ve been timing it,” Jaxom said through chattering teeth as they broke out of between into the hot midmorning sun of Telgar over the Mastersmithcrafthall. He will not ask. Jaxom wished that Ruth wouldn’t sound so complacent. But then, the white dragon wouldn’t have to take N’ton’s tongue-lashing. Timing was bloody dangerous! I always know when I’m going, Ruth replied, not at all perturbed. That’s something few other dragons can say (p.540).
I chose this quote because I find the confidence in the dragon funny and entertaining. Dragons generally do not differ from their riders opinions, and are usually quite polite and respectful. I just enjoy the way that Ruth sounds so confident in his abilities to tell when he is going.
