She swept away, leaving the entire cavern breathless. Activity suddenly picked up on all sides of the kitchen. Menolly felt Mirrim pressing her into a chair, she sank weakly down. She found a cup of klah in her hands and heard Tgellan urging her to take a few sips.
“One’s first encounter with Lessa is apt to be unnerving.”
“She’s… she’s so small,” Menolly said dazedly.
“Size is irrelevant”
Menolly turned anxiously to Mirrim. “Did she really mean it? I can stay, Mirrim?”
“If you can impress nine fire lizards, you belong here. But why didn’t you tefl me about them? Didn’t you see mine? I’ve only the three…”
Tgellan clicked his tongue at Mirrim, who stuck hers out at him.
“I told mine to stay in the cave…”
“And here we’ve been wracking our brains,” Mirrim went on, “accusing riders of hoarding eggs.. .**
“I didn’t know you people needed fire lizards…”
“Minim, stop teasing her; she’s unnerved. Menolly, drink your klah and relax,” TgeEan told her.
Menolly obediently sipped her klah, but she felt obliged to explain about the boys in her Sea Hold who could think of nothing but snaring fire lizards; and she felt so strongly that that was wrong that she hadn’t even mentioned seeing them mating.
“Under the circumstances, you did just as you should, Menolly,” said Tgellan. “But let’s get to that
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clutch and rescue it Where did you see it? How close do you think it is to Hatching?”
“The eggs were still pretty soft when I found them the day Tgran rescued me. And if s about a half-morning’s walk from the Dragon Stones.”
“A few minutes’ glide by dragonback; but south? north? Where?”
“Well, south, where a stream feeds into the sea.”
Tgellan raised his eyes in exasperation. “TTiat describes too many places. You’d better come with me.”
“Tgellan,” Minim sounded shocked. “Menolly’s feet are in shreds…”
“So is Lessa’s temper. Well wrap her feet in hides, but we must get those eggs. And you’re not headwoman yet, my girl,” Tgellan said, waggling a finger at Mir-rim.
It didn’t take long to outfit Menolly. Mirrim, as if to make up for her offitiousness, brought her own wherhide riding jacket and headgear and a pair of vastly oversized boots. They were eased over Menolly’s sore and bandaged feet and fastened tightly around her legs with leather strips.
Rocky and Diver were reassured by tidbits of meat, but Beauty refused to unwrap her tail from Menolly’s neck. She chattered angrily at Tgellan when he half-carried Menolly to Monarch, waiting patiently just outside the kitchen cavern.
Tgellan threw Menolly up the dragon’s shoulder. She hauled herself np to his neck ridges by the fighting straps, giving her feet one or two painful knocks.
Tgellan started to settle himself in front of Menolly, but Beauty came alive, hissing menacingly and lashing out at the dragonrider with one foreleg, talons unsheathed.
“She’s never been so bad mannered,” Menolly said apologetically.
“Monarth win you speak to her?’, asked Tgellan good-naturedly.
The next instant, Beauty stopped mid-hiss, chirped
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experimentally, her eyes whirling less frantically, and her tail relaxed from its choke hold on Menolly’s throat
‘That*s a sight better. She does have a baleful starel”
“Oh dear!”
“I’m teasing you, Menolly. Now, look, I shall have Monarth tell your fair of fire lizards exactly what we’re going to do so they don’t go mad when we take off.”
“Oh, would you?”
“I would, and I…” Tgellan paused, tfl have. We’re awayl”
This time Menolly could enjoy the sensations of flying. She couldn’t imagine why Petiron had found the experience so horrible. She didn’t even fear the lack of all sensation as they went between. She did feel the bitter, bitter cold in the soles of her half-healed feet, but the pain lasted such a fleeting second. Abruptly, they were low over the Dragon Stones, coming in from the sea. The sheer thrill of the flight took Menolly’s breath away.
“There is a chance that the first queen might lay another clutch in that cave,” Tgellan said over his shoulder. “But it should be cleared of your things.”
So they landed on the beach with Monarth peering rather disapprovingly at the little cove while the water lapped gently on his feet