The Renegades of Pern

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, 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 homes. Regardless of their differences, however, they all feared the outlaws who preyed on holds an…