“Yes, precisely, Harper,” said N’ton with a wide grin. “And now everyone wants a fire lizard. I can’t imagine Yanus Sea Holder wasting the time and energy of his men looking for fire lizard clutches. But if fire lizards have been seen, any cove with warm sand might just hide a clutch.”

“The high tides this spring have been flooding most of the coves.”

“Too bad. See if you can’t organize the Hold youngsters to search. I don’t think you’d have much resistance ... ”

“None at all.” And Elgion realized that N’ton, dragonrider though he now was, must have been susceptible to the same boyhood designs on fire lizards that Elgion had once planned. “When we find a clutch, what do we do?”

“If you find one,” N’ton said, “fly the signal banner and the sweep rider will report. If the tide is threatening, put the clutch in either warm, sand or warmed hides.”

“If they should hatch, you did mention they can be Impressed ... ”

“I hope you’re that lucky, Harper. Feed the fledglings. Stuff their faces with as much as they can eat, talking all the time. That’s how you Impress. But then, you’ve been to a Hatching, haven’t you? So, you know how to go about it. Same principle involved.”

“Fire lizards.” Elgion was enchanted with the prospect.

“Don’t Impress them all, Harper. I’d like one of the little beasties myself.”

“Greedy?”

“No, they’re engaging little pets. Nothing as intelligent as my Lioth there,” and N’ton grinned indulgently at his bronze who was scrubbing one cheek in the sand. As he turned back to Elgion, N’ton noticed the line of awed children, lining the seawall, all eyes on Uoth’s action. “You’ll have no lack of help, I suspect.”

“Speaking of help, Wingleader, a young girl of the Sea Hold is missing. She went out the morning of the last Fall and hasn’t been seen since.”

N’ton whistled softly and nodded sympathetically. “I’lll tell the sweep riders. She probably took shelter, if she’d any sense. Those palisades are riddled with caves. How far have you searched?”

“That’s it No one has bothered to.”

N’ton scowled and glanced towards the Sea Holder. “How old a girl?”

“Come to think of it, I don’t know. His youngest daughter, I believe.”

N’ton snorted. “There are other things in life than fish.”

“So I used to believe.”

“Don’t be so sour so young, Elgion. I’ll see you come to the nest Hatching at Benden.”

“I’d appreciate that.”

“I suspect so.” With a farewell wave, N’ton strode bock to his bronze dragon, leaving Elgion with an easier conscience and the prospect of some relief from monotony of the Sea Hold.

Chapter 7

Who wflfa, Can.

Who tries, Does.

Who loves, Lives.