Anne McCaffrey - Dragonsong

“I didn’t think fire lizards clutched in caves,” Lessa remarked.

“It was only because the tide was high and the clutch would have been washed away. I helped the queen put them into the cave.”

Lessa regarded Menolly steadily for a long moment. “You helped the fire lizard?”

“Yes, you see I’d fallen over the cliff, and they—the queen and her bronzes, from the old clutch, not these here,” and Menolly jerked her chin at Beauty, Rocky and Diver, “they wouldn’t let me get off the beach until I helped them.”

T’gellan was staring at her, but the other two riders were grinning broadly. Then Menolly saw that Mirrim, too, was smiling with delight. More unbelievable to Menolly in her confusion, was the fact that a little brown fire lizard was perched on Mirrim’s shoulder, intently staring at Beauty who wouldn’t take her head out of Menolly’s hair.

“I’d like to hear the whole story, in sequence, one day,” Lessa said. “Right now, will you please keep your lot under control and with you? They’re upsetting Ramoth and all the others. Nine, eh?” And Lessa sighed, turning away. “When I think where I could use nine eggs to good purpose…”

“Please…do you need more fire lizard eggs?” Lessa whirled so fast that Menolly took an involuntarily backward step.

“Of course we need fire lizard eggs! Where have you been that you don’t know?” She turned on T’gellan. ‘You’re wingleader. Didn’t you inform all the sea holds?”

“Yes, I did, Lessa,” and T’gellan looked straight at Menolly now, “just about the time Menolly first disappeared from her hold. Right, Menolly? The sweep riders have been on the lookout for her ever since, but she was holed up snug as you please in that cave, with nine fire lizards.”

Menolly hung her head in despair. “Please, Weyrwoman, don’t send me back to Half-Circle Holdl”

“A girl who can impress nine fire lizards,” said Lessa in a sharp rippling tone that made Menolly look up, “does not belong in a Sea Hold. T’gellan, find out from Menolly where that clutch is and secure it for us immediately. Let us fervently hope it hasn’t hatched.” To Menolly’s intense relief, Lessa actually smiled at her, obviously in a much improved temper. “Remember to keep those pesky creatures away from Ramoth. Mirrim can help you train them. Hers are quite useful now.”

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 T’gellan 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 tumed 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 tell me about them? Didn’t you see mine? I’ve only the three…”

T’gellan 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,” Minim went on, “accusing riders of hoarding eggs…”

“I didn’t know you people needed fire lizards…”

“Mirrim, stop teasing her; she’s unnerved. Menolly, drink your klah and relax,” T’gellan 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 T’gellan. “But let’s get to that 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 T’gran rescued me. And it’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.”

T’gellan raised his eyes in exasperation. “That describes too many places. You’d better come with me.”

“T’gellan,” Mirrim sounded shocked. “Menolly’s feet are in shreds…”

“So is Lessa’s temper. We’ll wrap her feet in hides, but we must get those eggs. And you’re not headwoman yet, my girl,” T’gellan said, waggling a finger at Mirrim.

It didn’t take long to outfit Menolly. Mirrim, as if to make up for her officiousness, 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 T’gellan when he half-carried Menolly to Monarth, waiting patiently just outside the kitchen cavern.

T’gellan threw Menolly up the dragon’s shoulder. She hauled herself up to his neck ridges by the fighting straps, giving her feet one or two painful knocks.

T’gellan 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, will you speak to her?”, asked T’gellan good-naturedly. The next instant, Beauty stopped mid-hiss, chirped 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 stare!”

“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…”T’gellan paused, “I have. We’re away!”

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,” T’gellan 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.

Her group arrived, carolling in wild delight at corning home. A single firelizard appeared above and to one side of them.

“Look, T’gellan, that’s the old queen!”

But she’d gone when T’gellan looked up.

“I’m sort of sorry she saw us here. I was hoping…Where was the clutch when you rescued it?”

“We’re standing on the place.” Monarth moved to one side. “Does he hear what I’m telling you?” Menolly whispered anxiously in T’gellan’s ear.

“Yes, so be careful how you speak of him. He’s very sensitive.”

“I haven’t said anything, have I, that would hurt his feelings?”

“Menolly!” T’gellan looked back at her, grinning, “I was teasing you.”

“Oh!”

“Hmmm. Yes. Well, so you managed to climb that cliff face?”

“It wasn’t so hard. If you’ll look, you’ll see there’re plenty of hand and foot holds, even before I made a regular path.”