It was a little golden queen, swooping into the cavern, calling piteously. She seemed to hover motionless in midair, then winked out of sight. A moment later, she was diving into the kitchen cavern again, less agitated but looking for something or someone.

A girl emerged from the living cavern, saw the fire lizard and held up her arm. The little queen delicately landed, stroking the girl’s face with her tiny head while the girl evidently reassured her. The two walked out into the Bowl.

“You’ve never seen one, Harper?” asked an amused voice, and Elgion came out of his trance to attend the weyrwoman who’d been serving him food.

“No, I hadn’t”

She laughed at the wistfulness in his voice. “That’s Grail, F’nor’s little queen,” Felena told him. Then abruptly she asked Elgion if he’d like more stew.

He politely declined because he’d already had two platefuls: food being the weyr’s way of reassuring those they rescued.

“I really should be finding out if I can get back to Half-Circle Sea Hold. They’ll have discovered my absence and ... ”

“Don’t worry on that account, Harper, for word was passed back through the fighting wings. They’ll let Half-Circle know you’re safely here.”

Elgion expressed proper gratitude, but he couldn’t help fretting over Yanus’s displeasure. He would simply have to make it clear that he’d been following Weyr orders, and Yanus was nothing if not obedient to his Weyr. Nontheless, Elgion did not relish his return to the Sea Hold. He also couldn’t politely insist on going when he chose because the dragons were tired as they returned to their Weyr, Thread successfully obliterated on this Fall.

Some of the young Harper’s worst apprehensions were relieved by T’gellan, the bronze wingleader in charge of that Fall.

“I myself told them you were safe, and a good thing, too. They were all ready to mount a search. Which, for old Yanus, is a remarkable concession.”

Elgion grimaced. “I suppose it wouldn’t look well to lose two Harpers in a short time.”

“Nonsense. Already Yanus prizes you above fish! Or so Alemi said.”

“Was he angry?”

“Who? Yanus?”

“No, Alemi.”

“Why? I’d say he was better pleased than Yanus to hear you were safe and scoreless at Benden. More important; did you see any signs of fire lizard clutches?”

“No.”

T’gellan sighed, stripping off his wide riding belt and opening the heavy wherhide jacket. “How we need the silly creatures.”

“Are they that useful?”

T’gellan gave him a long look, “Possibly not. Lessa thinks them a real nuisance; but they look, and act, like dragons. And they give those narrow-minded, hidebound, insensitive Lord Holders just that necessary glimpse of what it is to ride a dragon. That is going to make life ... and progress ... easier for us in the Weyrs.”