TTie little queen was Beauty because she was and because she took such elaborate pains with her grooming and required much more attention and oiling than the others. She was forever digging at her talons with her teeth, spreading them to dean between the toes, or licking any specks of dust from her tail, burnishing her neck ridges in the sand or grass.
At first Menolly talked to her creatures to hear the sound of her own voice. Later she spoke with them because they seemed to understand what she was saying. They certainly gave every indication of intelligent listening, humming, or crooning an encouraging response when she paused. And they never seemed to get enough of her singing to them, or playing her pipes. She couldn’t exactly say that they harmonized with her, but they did hum softly in tune as she played.
Chapter 8
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Wheel and turn
Or bleed and burn.
Fly between,
Blue and green.
Soar, dive down,
Bronze and brown.
Dragonmen must fly
“When Threads are in the sky.
As it turned out, Alemi sailed Elgion to the Dragon , Stones to search there for the elusive fire lizards. One |; windy day, not long after the visit of N’ton, tie young v Sea Man broke a leg bone when the rough seas tossed jfchim against the pilot house of his ship. They were ; coming into harbor and the high tide made for heavier
waters there than he’d expected. Yanus grumbled a
good deal about Alemi being too experienced a seaman I Jo get injured, but his grumbling subsided when Mavi I/pointed out that here was a chance to see if Alemi’s .5 first mate would be capable of assuming command of ;^the ship being finished in the building Cavern.
Alemi tried to take the injury in good part, but after Jfour days in bed, with the swelling eased, he was heart-bored and restless. He plagued Mavi so constantly she handed him the crutch she had not meant to him for a full sevenday more, and suggested that
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if he broke his neck, too, he would have only himself to blame.
Alemi had more sense than that and navigated the inner stairways, narrow and dark, slowly and carefully, he kept to the wider outer stairs and the Sea Hold’s main rooms and the holdway whenever possible.
While he had some mobility, he didn’t have much activity if the fishing fleet was out; so he was soon attracted by the sound of the children learning a new ballad from the Harper. He caught Elgion’s eye and received a courteous wave to enter the Little Hall. If the children were startled to hear a baritone suddenly take up the learning, they had too much respect for the Harper to do more than hazard a quick peek and the class progressed.
To Alemi’s pleasure he found himself as quick to memorize the new words and tune as the youngsters, and he thoroughly enjoyed the session; he was almost sorry when Elgion excused them.
Hows the leg, Alemi?” the Harper asked when the room had emptied.
*TH have a weather-wise ache now for sure.”
“Is that why you did it?” Elgion said with a broad grin. “I’d heard you wanted to be sure Tilsit got a chance at command.”
Alemi let out a snort of laughter. “Nonsense. I haven’t had a rest since the last five-day gale. TTiafs a fine ballad you’re teaching.”
“That’s a fine voice you were singing it with, too. Why don’t you sound out more often? I was beginning to think the sea wind snatches the voice of everyone at about twelve Turns.”
**Ybu should have heard my sis . . ” and Alemi stopped, flushed, and clamped his lips tight
“Which reminds me: I took the liberty of asking N’ton, Lioth’s rider, to spread the word at Benden Weyr that she’s missing. She may still be alive, you know.”
Alemi nodded slowly.
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“You Sea Holders are full of surprises,” said Elgion, linking to switch to a less painful topic. He went to
the racks of wax tablets and removed the two he Ťmght. “These must have been done by that fosterling who took over when Petiron died. The other slates are all in the older script notations, which the old Harper used. But these … A lad who can do this sort of work is needed in the Harper’s craft. You don’t know where the boy is now, do you?”