“Let us have some order here,” said a fresh, authoritative voice. Everyone, except the fire lizards, obediently subsided, and room was made for Manora. “And you be quiet, too,” she said to squealing Beauty. “Go on,” and she waved at the others, “go sit quietly somewhere. Now, why is Menolly crying?”

“She just burst into tears, Manora,” said Felena, as perplexed as everyone else.

“I’m happy, I’m happy, I’m happy,” Menolly managed to blurt out, each repetition punctuated by a heaving sob.

“Of course you are,” said Manora understandingly, and made gestures to one of the women. “If s been a very exciting and tiring day. Now you just drink this.” The woman had returned with a mug. “Now, everyone will go about their duties and let you catch your breath. There, that’s better.”

Menolly obediently sipped the drink. It wasn’t fellis 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 explaining 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?”

“I don’t want you to, please! I’m no use to them there.” She held up her scarred hand. “And ... ” she halted, she’d been about to add “a disgrace.”

“I seem 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.”