At the entrance, Menolly turned for one last look at the cave and smiled to herself. She’d never thought to leave it; certainly not to step to the shoulders of a dragon. But then, she’d never thought she’d live in a cave like this at all, much less ride a dragon. Nothing now marked that anyone had ever sheltered in this cave. Even the dry sand was falling back into the depressions their feet had made. Tgellan held out his hand to help her to Monarth’s back, and then they were away to find the fire lizard’s clutch.
Chapter 11
The little queen, aU golden
Flew hissing at the sea.
To keep it back,
To turn it back
She flew forth bravely.
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Menolly and Tgellan brought the thirty-one eggs of the clutch safely to Benden Weyr without so much as cracking a shell in the double, furred sack that had been provided for the journey between. Their return caused a flurry of excitement, the weyrfolk crowding around to examine the eggs. Duly informed, Lessa arrived, imperiously ordering a basket of warm sand from the Hatching Ground; directing it to be placed by the small sauce hearth and scrupulously turned at intervals to distribute the heat evenly. She judged that the eggs were a good sevenday from hatching hardness.
“As well,” she said in her dry fashion. “One hatching at a time is enough. Better still, we can present the worthies with their eggs at the Impression.” She seemed inordinately pleased with that solution and smiled on Menolly. “Manora says that your feet aren’t healed yet, so you’re in charge of the clutch. And, Felena, get this child out of those ridiculous boots and into some decent clothes. Surely we have something in stores that’ll make her look less disreputable.”
Lessa departed, leaving Menolly the object of in—
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tense scrutiny. Felena, a tall, willowy woman with very beautiful, curved black eyebrows and green eyes, gave her a long appraisal, sent one helper off for clothing from a special press, another to get the tanner to take Menoll/s measure for footwear, a child for her shears because Menolly*s hair must be trimmed. Who had hacked it off? They must have used a knife. And such pretty hair, too. Was Menolly hungry? Tgellan had snatched her out of the cavern without a nay-yea or maybe. Bring that chair here and push that small table overl Don’t stand there gawking, get the girl something to eat
“How many Turns do you have?” Felena asked on the end of that long series of orders.
“I’ve fifteen, please,” answered Menolly, dazed and trying very hard not to cry. Her throat ached and her chest was tight and she couldn’t believe what was happening to her: people fussing over how she looked and what she wore. Above all, Lessa had smiled at her because she was so pleased about the clutch. And it seemed as if she didn’t have to worry about being sent back to Half-Circle. Not if the weyrfolk were ordering her shoes and giving her clothes….
“Fifteen? Well, you wouldn’t need much more fostering, would you?” Felena sounded disappointed. “Well see what Manora has in mind for you. Fd like you as mine.”
Menolly burst into tears. That provoked more confusion because her fire lizards began swooping dangerously close to people’s faces. Beauty pecked at Felena, who was only trying to offer comfort
“Let us have some order here/’ said a fresh, authoritative voice. Everyone, except the fire lizards, obediently subsided, and room was made for Manora. “And you be quiet, too,” she said to squealing Beauty. “Go on,” and she waved at the others, “go sit quietly somewhere. Now, why is Menolly crying?”
“She fust burst into tears, Manora,” said Felena, as perplexed as everyone else.
Tm happy, I’m happy, I’m happy,” Menolly managed to blurt out, each repetition punctuated by a heaving sob.
“Of course you are,” said Manora understandingly, and made gestures to one of the women. “If s been a very exciting and tiring day. Now you just drink this.” The woman had returned with a mug. “Now, everyone wfll go about their duties and let you catch your breath. There, that’s better.”