“Don’t be silly. Feet are very awkward, but you’re not You should just hear CTtarel complain. He got Threadscored during the last Fall. You’d think he was the only one ever in the world scored. And besides, Manora said I was to take care of you. You’re easy, you don’t moan, groan, complain, and swear like C’tarel. Now, these are healing nicely. In spite of the way it might feel to you. Manora says that feet hurt worse than any part of your body, but hands. Thaf s why it seems much worse to you, I expect”
Menolly had no argument and breathed a sigh of relief that the painful session was now over.
*Tou taught the weyrlings how to make those little boats, didn’t you?”
Menolly flipped over, startled, and wondering if she’d done wrong, but Minim was grinning.
“You should have seen the dragons snorting them about the lake.” Minim giggled. “Having the grandest time. I haven’t laughed so much in weeks. There you arel” And Mirrim bustled away on some other errand.
The following day Mirrim hovering beside her, Menolly walked slowly and not too painfully through the living cavern and into the main kitchen cavern for the first time.
“Ramoth’s eggs are fust about to Hatch,” Mirrim told her as she placed Menolly at one of the worktables along the back side of the huge cave. ‘“There’s nothing wrong with your hands, and well need all the help we can get for the feast…”
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“And maybe your Brekke will be better?”
“Oh, she’s got to be, Menolly, she’s got to be.” Mirrim scrubbed her hands together anxiously. “If she isn’t, I don’t know what will become of her and Fnor. He cares so much. Manora’s as worried about him as she is about Brekke…”
“Ifll all come right, Mirrim. I’m sure it will,” Menolly said, putting all the confidence she could muster into her voice.
“Oh, do you really think so?” Minim dropped her pose of bustling efficiency and was briefly a young, bewildered girl in need of reassurance.
“I most certainly dol” And Menolly was angry with Sanra’s unkind statements of the day before. “Why, when I thought I’d be scored to death, Tgran appeared. And when I thought they’d all be Threaded …” Menolly hastily shut her mouth, frantically trying to think of something to fill that gap. She’d almost told Minim about saving the fire lizards.
They must belong to somebody,” a man said in a loud, frustrated tone of voice.
Two dragonriders entered the kitchen cavern, slapping dusty gloves against sandy boots and loosening their riding belts.
“They could be attracted by the ones we have, Tgellan.”
“Considering how badly we need the creatures .. .**
“In the egg…”
“It’s a raking nuisance to have a whole flaming fair that no one will claiml”
The next thing Menolly knew, Beauty appeared over her head, gave a terrified squawk and landed on Me-noll/s thinly clad shoulder. Beauty wrapped her tafl, choking tight, about Menolly’s neck and buried her face into her hair. Rocky and Diver seized the cloth of her shirt in their claws, struggling to burrow into her arms. TTie air was full of frightened fire lizards, diving at her, and Minim, who made no attempt to defend herself, stared with utter amazement at Menolly.
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“Mirrim? Do they belong to you after all?” cried Tgellan as he strode towards their table.
“No, they’re not mine.” Mirrim pointed to Menolly. “They’re hers.”
Menolly was speechless, but she managed to contain Rocky and Diver. The others toot refuge on ledges above her, broadcasting fear and uncertainty. She was just as confused as the fire lizards, because why were they in the Weyr? And the Weyr seemed to know about fire lizards, and…
“Well soon know whose they are,” said a woman’s angry voice, carrying clearly in the pause. A small, slim woman in riding gear came striding purposefully into the main section of the kitchen cavern. “I asked Ra-moth to speak to them…”
She was followed by another rider.
“Over here, Lessa,” Tgellan said, beckoning, but his gaze did not leave Menoll/s.
At the sound of that name, she struggled out of the chair, with the fire lizards squawking and trying to retain their balance and hold on her. All Menolly could think of was to keep out of Lessa’s way, but she got tangled up in the chairs about the table and painfully stubbed her toes. Mirrim grabbed her arm, trying to make her sit down, and there seemed to be more fire lizards than Menolly could claim circling over her head and cluttering wildly.