Menolly obediently sipped the drink. It wasn’t feUis juice, but there was a slightly bitter taste. Manora urged her to drink deeply, and gradually Menolly felt her chest loosen, her throat stop aching and she began to relax.
She looked up to see that Manora was the only one at the little table, sitting with her hands folded serenely in her lap, her aura of calm patience very soothing.
“Feel more like yourself? Now, you just sit quietly and eat We don’t take in many new people, so there’s bound to be a fuss about you. Soon enough to do everything else. How many fire lizard eggs did you find in that clutch?”
Menolly found it easy to talk to Manora, and soon she was showing the headwoman the oil and explain’ ing how she’d made it
“I think you did wonderfully well all on your own, Menolly, not but what I’d expect it of someone Mavi has trained.”
Menolly’s ease disappeared at the sound of her mother’s name. Involuntarily she clenched her left hand, feeling the scar tissue pull painfully from the intensity of her grip.
“You wouldn’t like me to send a message to Half-Circle?” asked Manora. “To say that you’re safely here?”
41 don’t want you to, please! Fm no use to them there.” She held up her scarred hand. “And …” she halted, she’d been about to add “a disgrace.” “I seem
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to be useful here,” she said quickly, pointing to the basket of fire lizard eggs.
“So you are, Menolly, so you are.” Manora rose. “Now eat your meat, and we’ll talk again later.”
When she had finished her food, Menolly felt much better. She was content to sit in her hearth corner, watching the industry of others. And in a little while, Felena came over with her shears and trimmed Menolly’s hair. Then someone watched the fire lizard eggs whfle Menolly changed into the first brand new garments she’d ever had, being the youngest in a large family. The tanner came and not only measured her feet for proper boots but by evening he’d also made up some soft hide slippers that fit loosely over her bandaged feet
She was so changed in appearance that Mirrim, passing her table just before the evening meal, almost failed to recognize her. Menolly had been worrying that Mir-rim was deliberately avoiding her because Menolly had Impressed nine fire lizards, but there was no restraint in Minim’s manner. Flopping into a chair across the table, she heartily approved the hair trim, the clothing and the slippers.
“I heard all about the clutch, but I’ve been so busy, up, down, in, out, running errands for Manora that I simply haven’t had a moment.”
Menolly suppressed a grin. Minim sounded exactly like Felena.
Then Minim cocked her head at Menolly. “You know, you look so much nicer in proper clothes that I didn’t recognize you. Now, if we can only get you to smile once in a while…”
Just then a little brown lizard glided in to land on Minim’s shoulder, snuggling affectionately up to her neck, and peering at Menolly from under her chin.
“Is he yours?”
“Yes, this is Tolly, and I have two greens, Reppa and Lofc. And I’ll make it very plain that three is quite
enough for me. How ever did you manage to feed nine? They’re so ravenous all the time!”
Tlie last of Menofly’s awkwardness with her friend disappeared as she recounted how she had coped with her fair of fire lizards.
The evening meal was then ready, and Minim, ignoring Menolly’s protests that she was able to fetch her own, served them both. Tgellan joined their table and managed to coax Beauty, much to Menolly’s amazement, to accept some food from his knife.
“Don’t be surprised,” Mirrim told Menolly with just a touch of condescension. “Hiese greedy guts will eat what* s offered from anyone. But that doesn’t mean that they’ll Zoofe to whoever feeds them. Besides, with nine .. .*’ She rolled her eyes so expressively that Tgellan chuckled.
“She’s jealous, so she is, Menolly.”
“I am not Three’s quite enough, though … I would’ve liked a queen. Lef s see if Beauty will come to me. Grail does.”