As long as the people of Pern could remember, the Holds had protected them from Thread, the deadly silver strands that fell from the sky. In exchange for sanctuary in the huge stone fortresses, the people tithed to their Lord Holders, who in turn supported the dragonriders, Pern’s greatest weapon against Thread.

But not everyone on Pern was protected. Some had been rendered holdless as punishment for wrongdoing. Some, like Jayge’s trader clan, simply preferred the freedom of the roads to the security of a hold. Others, like Aramina’s family, had lost their holds. And they all feared the outlaws who preyed on holds and holdless alike.

The Lady Thella’s renegades were the most dangerous yet—all they needed was Aramina, whose telepathic link with dragons could help them evade the dragonrider patrols. But Jayge was out to stop Thella…and he would never let her have Aramina!