I saved this planet a few weeks ago and I couldn't have done it if I'd shut up and meekly accepted what I was given, and I certainly couldn't have done it if everyone had kept on telling me as little as possible. I don't know what a science fantasy story is or how you'd try to have one, but certainly all kinds of things might happen any time you try anything worth doing. They're hardly as bad as the things that happen when you don't try.

Okay, well, maybe you are an epic level adventurer, but I'm not. I intend to go back to school and be a therapist and if I live out my natural lifespan I can help lots and lots of people, same way I just helped Verlan though not with the same problem.

I see. Though I don't see why helping Verlan seems so much safer to you.

It's smaller scale, it's something I'm in training for, he was - placed in my path?

Lessa rather thinks she's placed herself in Bella's path... but, no, something's wrong here. Lessa has known, has pretended to be, people trying to stay small, escape notice, live another day. They don't stand up to the most powerful person on the planet.

Just who or what are you more afraid of than me, anyway?

...should I be afraid of you?

She shrugs and makes legible that she's shrugging. I mean you no harm and I owe you. You haven't thought of trying to leverage that against whoever has you too afraid to swap technology, or you have and you think they're a greater threat than me.

I mean, I don't think you're planning to come back to my world, are you? So maybe it can't get to you and you have nothing to worry about but I still do.

I suppose even if I offer you sanctuary here you would rather face whatever it is than the Threads?

I don't even know what Threads are.

Lessa has fought them herself as well as tending to the wounds of others who have fought them. She fills her thoughts with sensory impressions and memories - the tangle of lines cut into C'gan's face as he died with blood and vitreous humor mingling on his cheeks; the sight of a group of fine silvery threads fluttering in the air, the weight of the flamethrower in her hands, the vertiginous sensation of Ramoth banking to get Lessa a good angle while keeping it away from her wings; an empty place in the middle of the jungle where it made landfall, visible from right above on dragonback.

They come to us from the Red Star and try to devour everything. You'd be safe in the Weyr; they can't reach you through solid stone.

Sounds bad. But I didn't know about that and I already knew I couldn't go to live on your world.

"Couldn't?" Not "don't want to"?

Maybe it'd be lovely, but I'd hate to learn it would be lovely and still not be able to!

All right. Is there anything you would have of us? Since you helped one of us.

I don't need anything? And I'm not sure what would be - appropriate, in like, scope.

I'm not about to eat you alive if you overshoot the mark!

I appreciate that! I'm still not sure what to suggest here. In part because she doesn't know if this is the sort of situation where you must ritually refuse a reward some number of times.

I don't know either, but if you wanted a diamond necklace I'd give you one when we've got a hole in that wall.

I'm not really a jewelry person... And it might be rude to sell it.

I'd offer you something more practical but I nearly believe you’re trying to avoid success itself.

Well, sometimes success conditions are really complicated.

What are yours?

I don't want to offend anyone such as my universe.

She could be so useful if she just wanted something she couldn't give herself by doing drudge work and never speaking to anyone. Which isn't what she's doing, apparently because she's decided to help people with her powers out of sincere altruism.

Lessa does not snort in dark amusement at finding such a person only now that Pern is safe. Pern isn't truly safe, anyway. There will always be new threats.

You seem like you'll do a lot of good in your world. Or wherever you go. I... would have liked to be able to offer you help.